Teaching Virtually
Marymount Manhattan College will offer training sessions to enable faculty to learn more about the various instructional platforms the College utilizes, as well as to provide guidance and assistance about the pedagogical frameworks, strategies, and resources available for teaching in both online and blended formats.
Below you will find links to the various training sessions. These sessions will be facilitated by MMC faculty and staff who have expertise in using these programs. For Blackboard and Zoom, the training sessions are being offered at various levels based on the learner’s own current comfort level with the platform. Course descriptions are provided below.
Blackboard and Zoom sessions will be capped at 10-15 participants each and will generally run for 60 to 90 minutes. For Blackboard, we are also offering faculty an opportunity to sign up for One-on-One Consultation sessions.
Zoom Training
This class is targeted to Faculty who need assistance with setting up Zoom meeting and monitoring meetings. This class will have basic and intermediate steps for Zoom meetings.
View Syllabus | Register for a session
Support: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm | techsupport@mmm.edu
This class is targeted to Faculty who require assistance with advanced features in Zoom. This class will cover procedures for handling issues relating to managing participants, screen sharing, and posting scheduled meeting to Blackboard.
View Syllabus | Register for a session
Support: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm - techsupport@mmm.edu
Blackboard Trainings
Register below for Blackboard training sessions. If you are interested in participating in one of the sessions, simply click on “Register for this Session” and then choose a date and time from the available options. Please be reminded that sessions are capped, so register early. You will receive a confirmation email that you have successfully registered for the session.
For Blackboard you may also schedule a time with one of the trainers for One-On-One Consultations, please click on “Register for this Session” and then choose from the available dates and times. Please be reminded that these sessions are capped at one person for each 30-minute session, so register early. You will receive a confirmation email that you have successfully registered for the session.
For questions, please email bbtraining@mmm.edu
Register for a session
Register for a session
This 90-minute session covers uploading the course syllabus and other materials, adding video and weblinks, creating folders, and customizing the look and functionality of your course. Register for a session
This 90-minute session covers discussion forums, quizzes, assignments, and Blackboard’s performance dashboard. Register for a session
This 90-minute session covers uploading syllabi, communicating with class via announcements and emails within Blackboard, taking attendance, and incorporating video and images. Register for a session
Pedagogy Workshops
This workshop covers the basics of teaching virtually, including pedagogical best practices especially crucial to the virtual format and time-saving hints for transforming your in-person course to a virtual format.
- Teacher Presence: Your expectations, your availability, class guidelines
- Student Engagement: Student expectations, discussions, collaboration, group work, student autonomy
- Cognitive Component: Design of curriculum, assignments, assessments
Contact Susan Behrens for Personal Pedagogy session: sbehrens@mmm.edu
The Introduction to accessibility course will cover scanning documents to determine their accessibility level with Microsoft Word and Blackboard Ally. We will look at hyperlinks, tables, headers, character spacing, and alt text. The goal of this class is to have a fully accessible syllabus for all classes going into the Fall semester.
Continuity of Instruction
It is essential that all faculty develop a plan to deliver instruction as we have now moved to remote instruction.
Guidelines for Submitting the Continuity of Instruction plan:
- If you are teaching multiple sections of the same course, you only need to submit one plan.
- If you are teaching more than one course, submit a separate plan for each.
- If you have already have spoken to your Department Chair, please still submit your plan(s) on the web page, using the form below, so we have an inventory of all plans.
Indicated below are some suggestions to help you prepare a plan that will allow you and your students to be ready for any disruption.
- Make sure you have logged into your semester Blackboard course shell(s) and are familiar with the basic features. All you need in order to log into Bblackboard is your MMC Email and password. If you need help with either your email or password, please contact the MMC Help desk at 212-517-0580.
- If you are not familiar with Blackboard, you can review any of the available online training resources or attend an in-person training session.
- Establish a mode of communication in the case of an emergency using Blackboard or MMC email.
- Make sure your course syllabus is posted in Blackboard.
- Prepare assignments in advance that could be deployed in the event if a disruption.
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Have a plan to interact with students regarding course content in the event of a disruption.
- Create course material and assignment in a format that can be delivered online;
- Determine how you will distribute course materials and documents during a disruption (all such materials can be posted on Blackboard);
- Prepare a lecture in a video format that you could upload into Blackboard;
- Determine how you will collect student assignments during a disruption using either Blackboard or MMC email;
- If a students seems to no longer be engaging in your course during remote instruction, file an “Early Alert” using the MMC Connect system so that our Academic Advisement Staff can reach out to them as quickly as possible to assist them;
- If at anytime during the period of remote instruction you are unable to each, please let you Department Chair know immediately;
- Think about how you would continue class discussion forums in an asynchronous environment using the forum feature in Blackboard. Doing this will allow you promote active learning and to continue to engage with your students and enable them to engage with each other as well;
- Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard “Announcement” feature which will allow you to quickly notify your students with course information and updates;
- Use Zoom Technology to deliver instruction to your class in real time
- Speak with your class(es) now about your plan to identify any issues that need to be resolved before any potential disruption.
- Consider having your class test logging on to Zoom while in class so you can troubleshoot any issues.
Here are some additional resources that you might find helpful to you as we deliver remote instruction:
Marymount Manhattan College’s Learning Management System (LMS) is Blackboard Learn, which includes many features and capabilities that allow faculty to communicate and interact with students during any closure. Each semester, a Blackboard course shell is created for every course section, and faculty use and develop that shell as a resource to deliver course content and instruction. Depending on course pedagogy, the Blackboard Learn Platform should be the primary method faculty use to continue to deliver course instruction in the event of a disruption. Faculty who teach courses not considered appropriate for online instruction (lab, performance, production, or studio classes) will work with their Department Chairs to develop an instructional continuity plan.
The Blackboard platform enables faculty to:
- Communicate with students either as a group or individually, via the course announcement and email functions;
- Post course content, including readings, documents, PowerPoints, videos, and web links;
- Post and collect course assignments;
- Continue class discussions through the discussion forum feature; and
- Post quizzes and tests online.
Request Blackboard or Zoom Support from IT
ONLINE RESOURCES
There are are online resources that you can use to familiarize yourself with the features and functions of both Blackboard and Zoom.
BLACKBOARD
Below are links to online training resources for creating and using a Blackboard course shell for your course(s):
https://mmm-library.libguides.com/c.php?g=951074
https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLontYaReEU1tzu1T5gfiX-JQA5nBc3isN
ZOOM
Zoom is a video-conferencing platform that enables you to interact remotely with your students in real-time. There is no limit on the number of faculty or students who can be using Zoom at any one time. However, each session is limited to 40 minutes in duration.
If you do not have a Zoom account, you can sign up fro a free account at https://zoom.us/signup. When you sign up please make sure you use your MMC email to create the account so IT can provide support. The Library Guide resource below, and this file, can provide guidance to you in setting up your account.
Below are links to online training resources for setting up a Zoom session to deliver instruction directly to students:
https://www.mmm.edu/offices/information-technology/zoom/index.php
https://mmm-library.libguides.com/c.php?g=951074&p=7293761
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U0IGj9EfxY
How to Keep Your Zoom Sessions Secure
YOUTUBE
Directions for video recording lectures and uploading to YouTube
This will be easiest to do on a smartphone. First, download the YouTube app from the App Store (apple) or Google Play (android).
Tips for videorecording
- Break material into segments no longer than 10 minutes each—easier and faster to upload this way, and more digestible for students
- Where possible, pause to ask students a question, or create a task for them to do in between videos—helps to keep them engaged
- Keep in mind that YouTube is strict about copyright, so for instance don’t embed a Beatles song in your audiofiles. (You probably don’t know how to do this anyway, so all is well.)
Using YouTube
- If you haven’t ever uploaded before, you can get basic directions for how to create a YouTube account and upload a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLDjiFSCSVE
- Make sure to title each video you upload distinctly, using logical naming conventions that will be easy for your students to follow (e.g., Comm123 2020-03-12 Part One)
- If you don’t mind anyone in the world being able to access your videos, just make sure to share your YouTube channel’s name with your students via email—they’ll easily be able to find you. However, if you’d prefer restricted access, you might consider selecting the “Unlisted” privacy option when you upload; this means that only people with the link (which you’d have to send to your students, presumably by email) can access the video.
Yes, instructions for setting up call forwarding are available here if you will be in the office to access your phone yourself.
If you will NOT be in the office to physically access your desk phone, contact the IT department (212-517-0580 or usersupport@mmm.edu) and they will be able to set it up remotely for you. You will need to provide both your office extension number and the number to which you would like your calls forwarded.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, nearly 80 broadband and telephone services providers and commissions have signed on to what it’s calling the “Keep Americans Connected Pledge.” The agreement is aimed at ensuring residents and small businesses don’t lose broadband and phone service during the current pandemic, which has led to many service and employment disruptions.
Check out this article for a list of companies (major providers, as well as local and regional companies) who have committed to fulfilling the pledge. These providers service a variety of regions and may not all be relevant.
Please note that you are responsible for contacting individual providers yourself. The College is permitted to call on behalf of any student, faculty, or staff member.
MMC’s Center for Teaching Innovation and Excellence (C-TIE) provides online education resources as well as faculty mentoring and support during this period of remote instruction.
Your Department Chair can provide you with guidance on how to prepare your course in the event of a disruption. Other key contacts that can provide assistance include:
System Log on and Credential Issues
If you need help logging on to the MMC network, accessing email, or logging into Blackboard, you can reach out to:
IT Help Desk 212-517-0580
Blackboard or Zoom Remote Support
If you require assistance with Blackboard or Zoom, please complete this form and a member of the IT team will contact you shortly.
Blackboard Support
Brian Rocco (Library Director): brocco@mmm.edu
Richard Sheldon (AVP of Academic Affairs): rsheldon@mmm.edu
The following faculty are available to assist other faculty in their divisions who may need assistance in creating a blackboard shell and course content.
Business:
Emily Goldsmith, Ph.D. (egoldsmith@mmm.edu)
Lorraine Martinez-Novoa, Ph.D. (lmartinez-novoa@mmm.edu)
Communication and Media Arts:
Laura Tropp, Ph.D. (ltropp@mmm.edu)
Sarah Nelson Wright, MFA (swright@mmm.edu)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Brad Herling, Ph.D. (bherling@mmm.edu)
Mary Brown, Archivist and Bibliographer (mbrown1@mmm.edu)
Sciences
Ann Aguanno, Ph.D. (aaguanno@mmm.edu)
Benedetta Sampoli Benitez, Ph.D. (bsampoli@mmm.edu)
Fine and Performing Arts
Christine Riley, M.M. (criley@mmm.edu)
Prof. Lori Zepp (lzepp@mmm.edu)
Zoom Support
MMC Tech support (TechSupport@mmm.edu)
Help Desk: 212-517-0580