{"id":5870,"date":"2023-01-19T11:54:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T16:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spsfaculty.commons.gc.cuny.edu\/?p=5132"},"modified":"2026-03-03T16:20:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T16:20:30","slug":"ofdit-newsletter-december-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/2023\/01\/19\/ofdit-newsletter-december-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"OFDIT Newsletter December 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2021\/11\/OFDIT-newsletter.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3374 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2021\/11\/OFDIT-newsletter.jpeg?resize=539%2C79&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"539\" height=\"79\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2021\/11\/OFDIT-newsletter.jpeg?resize=300%2C44&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2021\/11\/OFDIT-newsletter.jpeg?w=694&amp;ssl=1 694w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px\" \/><\/a>December 2022<\/h1>\n<p>Dear Faculty,<\/p>\n<p>As you work to wrap up the semester, OFDIT is here with support and resources for you! January is a great time for reflection on pedagogy and for learning new teaching practices. In this month\u2019s newsletter, we feature opportunities for professional development coming up: CUNY Central OAA\u2019s Innovative Pedagogy team is offering their very popular Growth Mindset workshop and we at OFDIT are offering our Open and Active Video workshop. In other news, we share an exciting announcement about Blackboard Ally at SPS. Finally, don\u2019t miss a fabulous video introduction to the resources and faculty support available through OFDIT\u2019s Media Studio! Sit back, press play, and enjoy the tour!<\/p>\n<p>We wish you a wonderful break and all the best in the coming year!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Faculty Professional Development Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In January 2023, CUNY Central OAA&#8217;s Innovative Pedagogy Team will offer a learning mindset course for 100 CUNY faculty from all CUNY schools. This 2-week, 15-hour asynchronous course will be online and run January 12-27, 2023. In this course, designed and led by the University of Virginia&#8217;s Motivate Lab, full and part-time faculty are invited to further explore evidence-supported tools and techniques that can help students succeed. The discussion portion of the course will be facilitated by Motivate Lab experts and the CUNY Faculty Mindset Fellows who have been chosen based on their experience with learning mindsets.<\/p>\n<p>If you are interested in participating in the course, submit the following form by the end of Friday, December 16: <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__forms.office.com_pages_responsepage.aspx-3Fid-3Ds-5FBgbwZfCU6XFZiduozH2LV7j4x59plIjm15keDtAYpUNk42TUU1V1VSQk1IQ1NHUzM0MUNLSElDTC4u&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=mRWFL96tuqj9V0Jjj4h40ddo0XsmttALwKjAEOCyUjY&amp;r=LRkK2BlaFE6XpTcYfNHhteQXRF5YsbCdMqDjBotWHcg&amp;m=GzKRxN9eIxMKGGZPJbwDTt29Zfp4f3mPQ7O6Fe-jzumRwCJQb4GGalj3O5bnNmZJ&amp;s=l1idOvlcWcQpCbkGAyKSTH_638DuS7u3XBkaZ4Ya9eo&amp;e=\">Motivating Learners Course (MLC): Starting Strong \u2014 Mindset Course<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Selected participants will be notified by Thursday, December 22. For any questions, email CUNY Central OAA&#8217;s Mari Watanabe-Rose and Dominique DiTommaso at <a href=\"mailto:CUNYMindset@cuny.edu\">CUNYMindset@cuny.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Blackboard Ally<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re excited to announce that starting with courses in the Winter\/Spring 2023 semester, Ally for LMS, an accessibility tool, will be available for CUNY SPS courses in Blackboard. Ally will be launched in all course sites on January 3rd, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Ally provides instructors with guidance on how to correct accessibility issues with digital course content. For students, the tool provides access to alternative content formats for a variety of devices and assistive technologies.<\/p>\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__help.blackboard.com_Ally_Ally-5Ffor-5FLMS_Instructor&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=mRWFL96tuqj9V0Jjj4h40ddo0XsmttALwKjAEOCyUjY&amp;r=LRkK2BlaFE6XpTcYfNHhteQXRF5YsbCdMqDjBotWHcg&amp;m=GzKRxN9eIxMKGGZPJbwDTt29Zfp4f3mPQ7O6Fe-jzumRwCJQb4GGalj3O5bnNmZJ&amp;s=YFraKq5oRO0uThAxQPmxWb0_TQSJ6jt-kwfNmoQSwDc&amp;e=\">Blackboard\u2019s Ally support page<\/a> for more details and links to helpful resources for instructors, or watch the <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__us.bbcollab.com_collab_ui_session_playback_load_358ffcc01d0c45bb86cd7c4fad441846&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=mRWFL96tuqj9V0Jjj4h40ddo0XsmttALwKjAEOCyUjY&amp;r=LRkK2BlaFE6XpTcYfNHhteQXRF5YsbCdMqDjBotWHcg&amp;m=GzKRxN9eIxMKGGZPJbwDTt29Zfp4f3mPQ7O6Fe-jzumRwCJQb4GGalj3O5bnNmZJ&amp;s=_eFZ69vU4m27R2bDJXvJOf79w6FtNIRPWKO5Mf7cVlA&amp;e=\">recording of the Ally instructor training<\/a> from November 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Questions regarding Ally can be directed to<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Instructors: Faculty Support at <a href=\"mailto:facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu\">facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Students: Office of Student Disability Services at <a href=\"mailto:disabilityservices@sps.cuny.edu\">disabilityservices@sps.cuny.edu<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Open and Active Video Workshop\u00a0 \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2022\/09\/Open-and-Active-Video-Workshop.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4590 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2022\/09\/Open-and-Active-Video-Workshop.jpg?resize=484%2C137&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Null\" width=\"484\" height=\"137\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Looking to increase student engagement and lesson effectiveness? Don\u2019t miss the hands-on SPS Open &amp; Active Video Workshop, Monday, January 9 to Monday, January 23, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>This workshop combines the pedagogical <em>why<\/em> and the practical <em>how<\/em> to help you generate an interactive video to use in your courses. We start by identifying a course need that can be addressed by the addition of multimedia content presented in an active learning context. Then we\u2019ll train you on how to script, record, and edit your video, adding interactive elements. In the second week, you\u2019ll work independently (with our support) to create the video and accompanying activity.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the SPS OER Initiative, eligible faculty participants will be paid for 7 Non-Teaching Adjunct hours upon successful completion of the workshop. To be eligible, faculty must be first-time participants in the workshop, be within their workload restrictions with an additional 7 NTA hours in the semester they complete the workshop, and have approval from their Academic Director.<\/p>\n<p>See the full workshop description including learning objectives and workshop requirements on our <a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspsfaculty.commons.gc.cuny.edu%2Fworkshops%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cfacultysupport%40sps.cuny.edu%7C56bb2cb67ede46b1387808dada0b2a22%7C6f60f0b35f064e099715989dba8cc7d8%7C0%7C0%7C638062038731855283%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hwQtCTGu7cFEIU2J7hRerdFEr2YQIjzaNR1gmZePx5U%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Advanced Workshops<\/a> page.<\/p>\n<p>Registration is open through Wednesday, January 4: <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__forms.gle_nBWwT62HLYge3doB8&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=mRWFL96tuqj9V0Jjj4h40ddo0XsmttALwKjAEOCyUjY&amp;r=LRkK2BlaFE6XpTcYfNHhteQXRF5YsbCdMqDjBotWHcg&amp;m=GzKRxN9eIxMKGGZPJbwDTt29Zfp4f3mPQ7O6Fe-jzumRwCJQb4GGalj3O5bnNmZJ&amp;s=AU-UUZruvaCtws6IlUNhUg6RnfqTJUqV-F4rCVUdkd8&amp;e=\">https:\/\/forms.gle\/nBWwT62HLYge3doB8<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>OFDIT Media Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As most of us are teaching online, it may not surprise you to learn that student engagement and satisfaction increase when students feel a sense of connection, or &#8216;human touch,&#8217; in an online environment. Using instructor-created video has a particular strength in conveying social connections across vast distances. For this reason, at SPS we encourage faculty to add video elements to their courses to build a stronger community of learners. The <a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspsfaculty.commons.gc.cuny.edu%2Fmedia-studios%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cfacultysupport%40sps.cuny.edu%7C56bb2cb67ede46b1387808dada0b2a22%7C6f60f0b35f064e099715989dba8cc7d8%7C0%7C0%7C638062038731855283%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=3HmifrTzgRfqqI0tVuOdE7e0NjW%2Bk2mv0AUnV%2FHrUVc%3D&amp;reserved=0\">OFDIT Media Team<\/a> is here to support you by helping with all aspects of video production, especially time-consuming technical aspects, so that you can focus on creating content and connection.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more, watch our studio orientation to see how we help:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cunysps.hosted.panopto.com\/Panopto\/Pages\/Viewer.aspx?id=48be54d5-e360-4d84-817b-af5b0128052a\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5134\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2023\/01\/Media-Studio-1.png?resize=629%2C344&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Media Studio \" width=\"629\" height=\"344\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Faculty Corner: Grade Center Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Blackboard Grade Center has several tools that help manage your course grades.\u00a0In my BUS 325, Principles of MIS course, I use the Grade Center&#8217;s color coding feature to get a \u201cbirds-eye\u201d view of my assignments and the entire class.\u00a0 With just a glance at the Grade Center, this feature lets me see if a student needs additional help with a topic, is struggling in the course, or if the class is struggling with a particular assignment.\u00a0I&#8217;ve set up color coding to display high or low scores and the status of a grade.\u00a0To get started with Color Coding in the Grade Center, I&#8217;ve prepared <a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspsfaculty.commons.gc.cuny.edu%2Ffaculty-corner%2F%23Color&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cfacultysupport%40sps.cuny.edu%7C56bb2cb67ede46b1387808dada0b2a22%7C6f60f0b35f064e099715989dba8cc7d8%7C0%7C0%7C638062038731855283%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=0uOHgMdm0Bs2OK21LbdhaHLr9hSnAv3AJuvNg7SEy6k%3D&amp;reserved=0\">this brief tutorial<\/a>. &#8211; Curtis Izen, Online Business Programs<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2022\/03\/Faculty-corner-image.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-3709\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2022\/03\/Faculty-corner-image.jpg?resize=214%2C259&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Faculty corner image\" width=\"214\" height=\"259\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Call for Faculty Corner Submissions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you have a useful or interesting pedagogical or technical tip (in 200 words or less!) that you are excited about, we would love to hear from you\u00a0and add your submission to our next Faculty Newsletter. Please use our <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__r20.rs6.net_tn.jsp-3Ff-3D001wFSXDGOQ-5FhwLs0BbUgcLyEYQURsLvFWhQI-5FPvXRFQLZly2rjUITR1yuj2RRpAsFWh0V4eEnkf9jm6Fxc6-5FHR2x9QxcnUjHAs-5Fq5BmkxZ38vp6nQPJvxXrHzRHIh4RsoEuF1SbX88I-5FeEpx2rcTi5VsSa-2DpJnKKXnTuEcvnS5jIkFN7-5FvxTbAmPqWpQBM1YciGnaIpec47wVfLhp1OWuHo3mHxRcnk-2D0Aedt7boSqGw4BByeXJ8e23kEobUsZkY6q-26c-3DpbAF3ARYbqFxlF9EZREO6njh8aiv1oY1-2DPkfdhI6mrCm8rv-2Dc4Kcqw-3D-3D-26ch-3DEgA3M0ftKCrEF73W1ZHFk727JqH72WSqgQwrFh0pNq9AfoS4VZD52w-3D-3D&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=mRWFL96tuqj9V0Jjj4h40ddo0XsmttALwKjAEOCyUjY&amp;r=wwXDEhnCfcsbivCoQ81GQYqQR8ACsrzw_vKWBW4RaRc&amp;m=MZmoKQMEkicgg-8lIsSIIsELGiZLi99A_2wMAmrzIqHwV8qjg6i8GIJ-bGRtgXyv&amp;s=gmOKopD8BXXni1-QoFgSXqC3q1RKTJkb73WxWgmLF8E&amp;e=\">Faculty Corner Submission Form<\/a> to submit your pitch. Your submission can be in text or video format \u2013 whatever you prefer!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Faculty Support Drop-In Hour<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Need live faculty support? Stop by during our Faculty Support Drop-In Hour every Tuesday 3-4pm to speak to an OFDIT team member who can help.<\/p>\n<p>You can access the drop-in hour session via the <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__r20.rs6.net_tn.jsp-3Ff-3D001lBKOMTXBZHsfUq1wDmHTr-5FXstIJlnn8Gfrbs8C3GMkhd5r7PnyYYIHZ4j2tZt1fXHGTKpxyQ6wBBwaM4rM7GpfRcE5Jg9O4FJyViPVV0NM6L-2D47Qpq3njNDQ3bXEz-5Fv4rlMzXXU6f6U4XtmIkCedNHcCsIrPr8oRn0sXefA5015kjYznD2RYLz6HLz6sRrjsag4qKE-2D7tGPwtwbNduNwt5FYRejuEn-5Fc-26c-3DriANP14eQLTo4JD6Qd-5F8NCoLM8GYdT7qU2D-5FzJyGPMB1KeLukjABxA-3D-3D-26ch-3DkhdYWAibDgBzrfB1wushlYVME-2DBp8Kss9YnTI8knEaF6GbnqiUfz7g-3D-3D&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=mRWFL96tuqj9V0Jjj4h40ddo0XsmttALwKjAEOCyUjY&amp;r=wwXDEhnCfcsbivCoQ81GQYqQR8ACsrzw_vKWBW4RaRc&amp;m=niUQ7IMsX9ezvAWdZ2VbMZnJPq3L6S1_AIwEwR8cGbgYy0M0TQfoEqxpAAUgih0V&amp;s=HI5L59wc44IfOCgD7xrcT5IFjbRAvFvTTm9yNPdhId0&amp;e=\">Zoom link<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2022\/09\/Faculty-support-drop-in-hour-1-2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-4595 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2022\/09\/Faculty-support-drop-in-hour-1-2.jpg?resize=470%2C266&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Null\" width=\"470\" height=\"266\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>As always, OFDIT is here to help with any questions you may have. We are available for one-on-one support and would be happy to schedule a Zoom call to discuss any questions you may have. You can contact us at <a href=\"mailto:facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu\">facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>All the best,<\/p>\n<p>Your OFDIT Team<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>December 2022 Dear Faculty, As you work to wrap up the semester, OFDIT is here with support and resources for you! January is a great time for reflection on pedagogy and for learning new teaching practices. In this month\u2019s newsletter, we feature opportunities for professional development coming up: CUNY Central OAA\u2019s Innovative Pedagogy team is &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","portfolio_post_id":0,"portfolio_citation":"","portfolio_annotation":"","openlab_post_visibility":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5870"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5870\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7697,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5870\/revisions\/7697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}