The OTL Celebrates Latinx Heritage Month

From September 15th to October 15th, we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, which was federally designated as Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988. During this time, it is important to recognize and celebrate the rich historical and cultural legacies of individuals whose ancestors came from the Caribbean, Central and South America, Spain, and Mexico. September 15th marks the anniversary of independence for multiple Latin American countries; Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. As part of this celebration, we can take time to listen to the stories of those with these histories. “American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures” by America Ferrara is a powerful anthology of short, personal essays by first- and second-generation immigrants or members of marginalized communities. Consider ordering this book through a Latinx-owned bookstore. For more information on DU resources, such as the LatinX Center and Hermanas Latinas, please visit the DEI Heritage month website.

Jewish High Holidays at DU

The DU Hillel is hosting continuing Jewish High Holiday programming, and many faculty, staff, and students will be observing these holidays. Please join us in helping make DU a more religiously inclusive experience for our students by being considerate about religious accommodations. Learn about best practices for interfaith scheduling, and visit the Spiritual and Religious Diversity module on our Inclusive Teaching Practices website to find supportive tools and resources that you can incorporate into your teaching.

Prepping for Mid-Terms and Grading

It's hard to believe that we are about halfway through the fall term. You may be planning for mid-terms, and the OTL is here to support you! You can reach out to us with questions or schedule a consultation by contacting OTL staff directly or booking 1:1 time with the OTL Instructional Designers. We also have many asynchronous resources on our Ed-Tech Knowledge Base and our OTL website, including helpful articles in our OTL blog. Visit our most recent post Addressing Bias in Assessment as you prepare to grade your mid-terms to learn strategies for reducing implicit bias in your grading.

Now is also a good time to start thinking about gathering feedback from your students so that you can assess how the class is going, discover any points of confusion, and evaluate aspects of the course that you might be able to adjust to benefit your students. Visit OTL's web page Gathering Student Feedback on Teaching and blog post Designing a Mid-Quarter Student Survey for tips on getting this feedback and following up on it.

Share Your Thoughts!

The VPFA, OTL, IT Campus Partnerships, and Online Program Services are seeking to understand faculty development and classroom technology needs, in addition to gathering information about ongoing COVID impacts to faculty life. Please consider responding to this survey which should take no longer than 10 minutes.

Faculty Needs Survey

Accessibility Tips

Extending Time for Quizzes in Canvas

Canvas allows the option to provide extended time on exams without having to recreate the test for one individual. This option is also available for assignments. Visit the Canvas Guide for instructions to extend time for accommodated exams.

SpeedGrader Annotations Accessibility

Did you know that the annotations and comments that you make in the Canvas SpeedGrader can be accessed by a screen reader? This includes information about the annotation type, author name, comment, and any reply comments at the end of the document.

UDL Your Course

Join us next week for more sessions of the UDL Your Course Workshop Series to learn how to maximize the use of discussion boards, set up effective think-pair-share activities, and assess student participation with inclusivity in mind. These strategies aim to center the needs of students with disabilities but can also enhance participation experiences for all learners.

UDL Your Course Series: Inclusive Classroom Participation

Tuesday, October 4, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Online

Thursday, October 6, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Online

Save the Date: Faculty Resource Reception, October 20

Come enjoy happy hour to celebrate the fall term as you learn about the different centers that support faculty teaching and research and that provide student academic support. Mingle with other DU faculty and staff as you learn about the latest services around campus.

Some of the centers that will be represented are:

University Libraries

Writing Center & Writing Program

The Office of Teaching and Learning

And more!

Appetizers and wine, beer, and soft drinks will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Faculty Resource Reception

Thursday, October 20, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Gregg Kvistad Special Events Room (Anderson Academic Commons 290)

Upcoming OTL Events

The Office of Teaching and Learning is hosting several events throughout this term. Join us to learn more about teaching strategies and academic technology, and visit the OTL Events Calendar to discover other upcoming events!

UDL Your Course Series: Inclusive Classroom Participation

Tuesday, October 4, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Online

Thursday, October 6, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Online

Identifying and Responding to Bias in Promotion and Tenure Decisions

Thursday, October 6, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Online

Equity Workshop #4: Finding the Pause Between Our Reactions

In-person session

Monday, October 10, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

OTL Conference Room (AAC 345)