Session: 1
Title: Using Zoom: Interacting with Students Synchronously
Session Track: Teaching in Real Time: Successful Synchronous Sessions
Presenters: Holly Davenport, Patrizia Magni, Henry Smart, Suzanne Elgendy, and Nancy Velázquez-Torres
Abstract: This session will explore best practices for your synchronous virtual course meetings. We will hear from three faculty colleagues who have positively used Zoom to connect with their students and enhance online coursework under very different circumstances. From how to manage and thrive on Zoom while teaching a jumbo class, to working with larger, “traditional” sections with 30+ students in a way that still feels personable, to working with small cohorts in a safe and equitable way, this session will give anyone currently struggling with synchronous course meetings hope for meaningful interactions and success.
Developmental Psychology Feedback Survey Results, Zoom Tips
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Building in Flexibility and Structure During Asynchronous Teaching in a Pandemic
Session Track: Separate and On Task: Asynchronous and Hybrid Learning
Presenter: Madhura Bandyopadhyay and Sumana Rangachar
Abstract: This discussion and workshop will focus on how to build an online course which meets the learning objectives of a course while keeping in mind the unexpected events and hardships of a fully-online class in a pandemic semester. We will focus on pacing, scheduling, assignments, deadlines and assessment practices that can be rigorous while also compassionate. What kind of strategies can we use to make our asynchronous teaching practices online more equitable and inclusive during the pandemic while not compromising on quality or on the classroom as a community?
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Designing for Equity in Assessment
Session Track: From Awareness to Engagement: Curricular Revisions from Design to Departments
Presenters: Wynne Ferdinand and Dyanna Pooley
Abstract: While a global pandemic and continuing racial violence have increased public attention to inequity and injustice, including in higher education, an examination of equitable practice in course level assessment is more important than ever. Designing for equity in assessment is an expression of John Jay College’s shared mission to educate for justice and is a practice that will engage students’ diverse identities, educational histories, epistemologies, and current concerns. Participants will examine influences on assessment practices, from teaching styles and syllabus requirements to disciplinary conventions and department and college-wide practices. Together, we will discuss the relationship between learners, course learning goals and assessment and explore strategies for equity in assessment that place students at the center. We will share resources that include examples of assessment of student learning across activities and assignments, from informal discussions to formal exams and research papers.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Inclusive Excellence: An Honors Program for a Majority-Minority Institution
Session Track: Remote Flexibility: Mentoring, Honors, and Immersive Experiences
Presenters: Ray Patton, Carlton Jama Adams, Lissette Delgado-Cruzata, and Olivera Jokic
Abstract: What should an Honors Program at a Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution (HSI/MSI) dedicated to justice within a public urban university look like? How do we advance academic excellence while combating systemic inequality? How do we create a space that is welcoming and supportive for talented and motivated students of color in the context of historically white-dominated and Eurocentric higher education? Come join members of the Honors Faculty Advisory Board to learn what we have learned from our students and what steps we are taking to advance racial justice, equity, and inclusion in the John Jay Honors Program and Macaulay Honors College at John Jay – and to bring your own insights and ideas to the conversation.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Tech Tools for Accessible Learning
Session Track: Ensuring Equity: Learning Accessibility, Access, and Compliance
Presenter: Kate Cauley
Abstract: While we continue on to the Spring semester, it is important that we strive to meet the needs of every student. “Tech Tools for Accessible Learning” will demonstrate best practices for creating accessible emails, social media posts, text documents, Google Slides presentations, and Zoom captioning. The presenter will introduce and demonstrate two accessibility checkers: Grackle and Wave. The tools showcased in this presentation are user-friendly and offer an easy way to ensure that our virtual classrooms are accessible to students of varying abilities.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Tools and Technologies that Make Remote Teaching as Easy as Classroom Teaching
Session Track: Enhancing Virtual Interactions: Tech Tips from John Jay Experts
Presenter: Thurai Kagan
Abstract: The white board on Zoom doesn’t allow you to handwrite the way you do in the classroom. There are tools that allow you to have the computer screen split into two halves, showing course material or a PowerPoint presentation on one side and a white board on the other side. As you present the material, it is possible to handwrite on the white board that is displayed on the screen by using an Apple Pencil or your fingertip on an iPad connected to the computer. You can erase with an eraser, change the color of the writing, draw perfect lines and shapes, delete portions of the writing, clear the entire board, and copy and paste anything to the white board and write on it. You can even bring up an entire document on the white board and write on it. All with the ease of just mouse-clicks.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Session: 2
Title: Demonstrating Real-Time Engagement: Student PPPs Assess NYC Police Reform
Session Track: Teaching in Real Time: Successful Synchronous Sessions
Presenters: M. Victoria Pérez-Rios, María Elena Pizarro, and students
Abstract: The presentation will mimic a regular 1 hour 15 minute class meeting but in less time at FDD to leave time for Q&A. First, a short interactive lecture by the Professor on the characteristics of a democratic police force with an emphasis on the USA. It is interactive because students will be engaged in the class via WhiteBoard, Chat and the Polling. Second, three students (TBC) will assess police reform in NYC via PPP in which the perspective is that of a democratic police force. Students do it in three slides in which they answer whether police reform is necessary, assess two main reforms that they support or reject, and explain how to effect change in this area. And third, Q&A and a summary of what was learned.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Creating a Sense of Connectedness While Teaching Asynchronous Online Courses
Session Track: Separate and On Task: Asynchronous and Hybrid Learning
Presenters: Holly Davenport, Patrizia Magni, Brian Tomlinson, and Michael Nusbaum
Abstract: The transition from face-to-face to online teaching can seem challenging, even under ideal circumstances. Add in a global pandemic, and a successful teaching experience can seem all but impossible. The DOES Instructional Design team has put together some practical and easy-to-follow strategies to help create an online environment that keeps both students and instructors connected with one another and the materials while remaining on schedule.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Closing the Loop: Applying Program Assessment Results to Student Learning
Session Track: From Awareness to Engagement: Curricular Revisions from Design to Departments
Presenters: Aída Martinez-Gomez, Vicente Lecuna, Dyanna Pooley, Tim McCormack, and Christen Madrazo
Abstract: Using the assessment process and results for program improvement are what makes program assessment meaningful. Participants will discover how faculty members can use program-level assessment results for program improvement. Programs on campus will share how they have successfully used results, discuss major ways for results to be used, and learn facilitation strategies for collaborative faculty discussion on use of results. Attendees will review examples of assessment results and discuss how programs could act upon the results to improve the program.
Session PPT, Assessment, Handout
Zoom recording coming soon!
Title: Alternatives to Mentoring in a Flexible Remote Virtual Learning Environment
Session Track: Remote Flexibility: Mentoring, Honors, and Immersive Experiences
Presenter: Iralma Pozo
Abstract: Keeping students engaged in in-person classes can be challenging enough. Distance learning, asynchronous and synchronous, adds additional challenges. Practical alternatives to mentoring can keep students engaged and help them become more proactive and excited about learning.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Between the Covers: Finding Resources that Support a Culturally Affirming, Inclusive and Anti-racist Curriculum
Session Track: Ensuring Equity: Learning Accessibility, Access, and Compliance
Presenters: Maureen Richards and Maria Kiriakova
Abstract: Support by faculty, students and the administration of a culturally affirming, inclusive and anti-racist curriculum has been overwhelming. How you develop such a curriculum has been less clear including where and how you find relevant resources. Traditional ways of finding library resources through keyword searches, subject fields and specialized databases can help but sometimes only get you only so far. In this session librarians from the Lloyd Sealy library will provide an update on the library’s online collections as well as strategies for navigating hyper-networked information systems, including freely available online resources.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Promoting Online Learning through Flipping, Gamifying, and Building Infrastructure
Session Track: Enhancing Virtual Interactions: Tech Tips from John Jay Experts
Presenter: Keith A. Markus
Abstract: This demonstration presents techniques, strategies, free open-source software tools, and lessons learned from an effort to use on-line teaching as an opportunity to flip the classroom, eliminate lectures, and use class time to more effectively promote learning. The course material was gamified adopting the quest structure from role playing games presented in the form of multi-media self-grading spreadsheet workbooks. Lectures were converted into multimedia Portable Document Formatted files coupled with brief videos. Class time was re-allocated for reviewing assignments and quizzes, activities designed to reinforce the material, and working on practice problems. Questions were answered on discussion boards even when asked by email. The resulting teaching materials can be used either on-line or as part of an in-person class.
Please click here for the Zoom recording.
Please click here for the presentation slides.
Please click here for Workbook Demo.
COLLEGEWIDE DISCUSSION:
Working Towards a Culturally Responsive, Anti-Racist Curriculum
Associate Provosts Dara Byrne and Allison Pease invite the college community to join in a discussion about actions being taken to create a culturally responsive, inclusive and anti-racist curriculum. Centering the discussion will be an early draft of the John Jay Framework for a Culturally Responsive, Inclusive and Anti-Racist Curriculum.
Session: 3
Title: Learning Together, While Apart: Three High-Impact Practices for Student Engagement in Synchronous Courses
Session Track: Teaching in Real Time: Successful Synchronous Sessions
Presenters: Nancy Yang and students
Abstract: In distance learning, key elements for student success like developing community, creating student buy-in, and fostering a collaborative space have become exponentially more difficult to achieve. In this interactive workshop, the presenter will share three high-impact teaching strategies that address these elements in synchronous courses: 1) cultivating and maintaining a safe and encouraging space for lively engagement in chat, 2) creating buy-in by eliciting student involvement in shaping the course (e.g., co-authored class policies), and 3) using a formatted shared spreadsheet to monitor engagement and productivity while minimizing confusion during group work/breakout sessions. The presenter will be joined by one of her students who will share the impact of these practices from their perspective.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Don’t Panic at the Deluge: Responding to Student Writing Using Digital Tools
Session Track: Separate and On Task: Asynchronous and Hybrid Learning
Presenters: Timothy McCormack and Tara Pauliny
Abstract: By their very nature, online courses often require more student writing than their face-to-face counterparts. While this offers students myriad ways to demonstrate their academic writing abilities, it also presents a challenge to instructors: namely, how to respond to all this work. This presentation discusses the many options faculty have when responding to student writing (one of which is no direct response at all) and then reviews the many tools faculty can use to provide online feedback including audio files, digital rubrics, synchronous conferences, comment boxes, multiple peer-review commentary, and student self-reflection.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Departmental Approaches to Curricula for Racial Equity
Session Track: From Awareness to Engagement: Curricular Revisions from Design to Departments
Presenters: Kimberley McKinson, Alexandra Moffet-Bateau, and Christopher Herrmann
Abstract: As many in the college are working toward a more culturally responsive, inclusive and anti-racist curriculum, some departments are taking a holistic approach to reform and forming committees to spur change across departmental offerings. Anthropology and Political Science have formed internal Racial Justice committees to oversee this work. Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration is revising racial awareness and diversity requirements in the college’s most popular major, as well as a number of other courses. In this session the departmental leaders of these initiatives, Professors Christopher Herrmann (LPS), Kimberley McKinson (ANT), and Alexandra Moffet-Bateau (POL), will share the work their departments are doing to revise curriculum, as well as thoughts about how the college can continue to work towards a curriculum that best serves our students and our values.
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: The Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery: Resources for Teaching Justice and More Institution
Session Track: Remote Flexibility: Mentoring, Honors, and Immersive Experiences
Presenter: Bill Pangburn
Abstract: Since its inception, the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery has served as an aesthetic and educational resource for faculty and students across all disciplines through its interdisciplinary contributions to the John Jay mission of exploring the many dimensions of justice. In this presentation, Director Bill Pangburn will present an overview of the gallery’s virtual exhibitions and programing for the spring semester, covering the curatorial concepts, individual artists’ artwork, and how its programming can be leveraged for classroom instruction in this virtual age.
Session PPT
Please click here for Zoom recording.
Title: Retention and Graduation for Adult Learners: John Jay’s Prior Learning Assessment Program
Session Track: Ensuring Equity: Learning Accessibility, Access, and Compliance
Presenter: Michael Rohdin
Abstract: The Prior Learning Assessment Program helps our adult and in-service students to earn college-level credits from non-college sources. John Jay faculty and administrators have developed one of the most supportive programs in CUNY with outcomes that contribute to the college’s rising retention and graduation rates. Several studies, including from the Lumina Foundation and the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning have shown that students who take advantage of prior learning assessment are more likely to complete their degrees and to spend less time and money doing so. This is especially so for Latinx adult learners. Our prior learning assessment methods may also help adult learners who have been impacted by COVID-19, through what Lumina calls the “pandemic swirl” of changing and uncertain work and learning realities.
This session will introduce the past, present, and future of PLA at John Jay College—the work that we have engaged in to make PLA more accessible to students and how it can be leveraged to bolster student success for adult learners and in-service students who transfer to the college.
Please click here for Zoom recording.