A weekly newsletter to build community through updates, opportunities, and celebrations | |
September 12, 2024 | Volume 11 | Issue 5 | |
Spotlight on Fabiola Contreras | |
|
My name is Fabiola Contreras, and I am currently a Fulbright FLTA for Spanish at Davidson-Davie Community College. I come from México, city Guadalajara. The family of my mother's side has their origin from a town called Tototlán that is really small and beautiful if you want to escape from the big city.
I studied Tourism at the University of Guadalajara, that is one of the biggest in the state of Jalisco. There we have a football soccer team called Leones Negros and, of course, the big teams like Atlas and Guadalajara (best known as Chivas). During my free time, I love to see nature, walk, read novels or science fiction books, and watch TV dramas.
| |
-
Music: Lately, I've been listening to a lot of pop, indie, and country music. I guess, the radio trends.
-
Food: I can eat everything except bugs or small animals where you can see the legs.
-
Movie: I highly recommend the movie by Mark Wahlberg called Joe Bell (2020), it's touching and talks about the struggle of a father against society.
-
What's a place in North Carolina you've never visited but would love to? If possible to know all of North Carolina, but I'd love to know at least one side of the coast, middle and west. The mountains and the snow are welcome, more beaches and towns on the coast side, and the big cities in the middle like Charlotte and Raleigh.
| |
|
Professional Learning Events
| | | |
Opportunity to Globalize Courses! | |
|
By Sarah Wright
As a North Carolina Global Distinction school, our faculty has an opportunity to apply for and receive $750 curriculum grants to globalize courses. Not only are you eligible to be paid for your efforts, you also will receive support from UNC librarians. See the UNC World View website for more information and to apply. The deadline to apply is October 11, 2024.
| |
|
By Amy Holmes
At the beginning of Spring 2025, you'll notice that Turnitin will no longer be available in Moodle. Instead, you'll want to use the Copyleaks plagiarism checker. Copyleaks is currently available in Moodle and if you haven't tried it out and are curious about it, please login to the Copyleaks Sandbox course. Within the course, you'll find tutorials and sample assignments to review. Feel free to create your own assignments as well. If you're unable to access the course, email edtech@davidsondavie.edu to let us know.
| |
Check Your Moodle Gradebook! | |
|
By Gretchen Benton
Remember to check your email from 9/10/2024 regarding a gradebook glitch that might affect your students’ grades by adding extra credit to assignments that should not be there. It’s crucial to address this issue promptly to ensure accurate grading!
Additionally, we are excited to invite you to our Moodle Gradebook Management Workshop on September 30th at 2:00 PM (ET) via Zoom. This workshop will provide essential tips and tricks to manage your gradebook efficiently. Join us to ensure accurate student grading, learn best practices for gradebook management, and get your gradebook questions answered!
Register in advance to attend this workshop! We look forward to seeing you there!
| |
|
By Jason Setzer
If you are seeking reliable information on the complex issues of our world today, the library can help. Through the library, you have access to databases designed to provide unbiased, authoritative content about topics that are often targets of misinformation. Below is info about what’s available.
CQ Researcher is a database of single-themed reports renowned for their in-depth analysis on current and controversial issues. Each report includes an overview, background information, analysis of the issue, pro/con arguments, plus resources for additional research. For students completing research assignments, CQ Researcher is considered a one-stop-shop because it provides fundamental information about their topic and connects them to additional reputable works for more information. To see an example, check out CQ Researcher’s report on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property.
Statista is an online statistics and research portal that provides data, reports, and infographics on a variety of topics. Users will find individual statistics, dossiers which compile numerous statistics about a certain topic, and overviews which provide analysis. Check out the Community Colleges in the United States overview for an example of the type of information Statista provides.
Credo Reference is a database of articles from a diverse range of reference materials including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and handbooks. Perhaps not as timely as CQ Researcher or Statista, the quick facts, definitions, histories, and overviews in Credo come from pedigreed sources with reputations for providing accurate information. Check out this article about Libraries from the Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History for an example of the content that you can find in this collection.
If you have questions about these or need recommendations for resources, please contact the library.
| |
|
International Intrigue
Upcoming Event: Global is Local Has Something for Everyone
By Sarah Wright
In 2018, I was at another institution and in the midst of launching our International Education program–following the lead of Davidson-Davie every step of the way. At one of our meetings in Chapel Hill, Charle LaMonica, the director of UNC’s World View, mentioned a program she had been on and the plan was to bring it to World View and specifically, the community colleges. She described it as a bus tour of businesses in a specific college’s service area. On this bus tour, participants would visit local businesses and see either relationships that existed with the local community college, or see a clear pathway for a new collaboration. In the end, providing participants with knowledge and ideas to take back to their home institutions. The first Global is Local was a bit different than what I envisioned, but it was still an amazing experience.
In April of 2019, I headed to Greenville, North Carolina, for the first Global is Local event. I was thrilled to spend a few days in Greenville, and it just so happened to be the weekend of the Purple/Gold Spring Football game. It was truly a win-win for me. We began the weekend at an excellent global restaurant in Greenville, Villa Verde. We were joined by instructors and leaders from Pitt Community College that evening to hear about the upcoming couple of days. And even better, we were joined by students who had worked on publications for the region to highlight the global connections in Greenville and the surrounding Pitt County area.
The time in Greenville was extremely motivational and was the catalyst for a lot of thinking, and it eventually led to a shift in mindset. I had always believed that if we built a program for students, with them in mind, that many would be interested and reap the rewards. I still believe that. Everything we do has to be student-centered, but the shift in mindset that occurred for me was that we can’t just build something for the students who want it (or know they want it), we have to build for students who have no idea that they want or need it, and we even have to build for the students who think they don’t want or need the information. Internationalizing the campus is really the perfect example. We do what we do because we know students gain from the experience and it impacts their lives in positive ways. But we also do what we do because our students will, no matter their field of study, need the skills they gain through our comprehensive efforts to internationalize the campus.
On October 3rd, we are bringing Global is Local to Davidson-Davie. And we have a great program with something applicable for everyone on campus. We have commerce, trade, diplomatic, industry, and educational expertise in the line-up. We will also hear from students who have graduated from our programs. The event is free, thanks to our corporate partner and sponsor Egger Wood Products. Please read more about the event, and let me know if you have questions. Everyone needs to register, so please think about the value the event will provide you.
| | | |
Do You Have a Story to Share? | |
We want to promote faculty and staff stories! Please contact Amy Holmes (amy_holmes@davidsondavie.edu) with ideas or referrals for stories. | |
The Storm Report is brought to you by | | | | |
