2021 - Day 1 Catalyst Shareout by katie

How I welcome my students to the course

2021-01-25 17:40:05 UTC

Instructor Welcome Page

2021-01-25 17:41:53 UTC

Prior to the course, I send a short hello video to students in my roster and I also provide an early copy of the syllabus.
In addition, in the Canvas course there is an Instructor Welcome Page introducing a picture of myself, copy of the Syllabus and important information.
Students are provided , the syllabus once again and important information about Canvas, Student Resources and Services. They are informed about the motivation it takes to be an online student and much more.

Daniela Bruckman - Bio 210B

2021-01-25 20:38:47 UTC

Welcome message on Canvas with links to course syllabus and Zoom room.

Welcome Letter

2021-01-25 20:46:12 UTC

This needs updating for the current term, but here's what I sent last Spring:

Dear Students,

My name is Prof. Tasha Frankie, and I’m excited that you will be joining me in CISC 190, Java Programming, in Spring 2020! Computer Science has applications in every job area – even if you aren’t planning to be a CS major, you will learn valuable skills in this course. We will be learning fundamental programming skills by applying them to digital image manipulation – you’ll get to learn how some of the tools in programs like Photoshop are programmed! Additionally, through the various assignment types you will practice soft skills that employers are looking for – look for a discussion of specific skills in the syllabus and throughout assignments.

Our class starts on Monday, 2/3, and you will have access to the course then. All of our course material (assignments, discussions, communications, etc.) can be found in Canvas. To log in, go to
https://sdccd.instructure.com
Login name: your 10-digit CSID number
Password: 8 digit birth date (unless you’ve previously changed it)
Once in Canvas, select our course Spring 2020 - CISC 190 (23337 - online).

On Tuesday, 2/4, I’ll be hosting a Live Course Welcome Session during online office hours (9-10am). I’ll use Zoom to give you a tour around our course website, answer your questions, and help you set up your computer. You can join from your desktop, laptop, or smartphone. To join the Zoom session, go to (link was here)

Our class is fully online, and there are required activities to complete in order to stay actively enrolled. Please log in and complete the Getting Started module by Wednesday, 2/5 @ 11:59pm. The module includes:
1. Setting up your Computer <-- Start this early, so I can help you troubleshoot if needed!
2. One Zoom meeting (many times are available, and I am happy to work with your schedule, too)
3. Getting to Know You survey
4. Introduction discussion board
5. Syllabus Reconnaissance discussion board
6. First Java reading assignment
You may also want to start on the “Using Methods and Parameters” module in the first week – it’s due Wednesday of Week 2!

I like to get to know the students in my classes. I've created a pre-class Getting to Know You survey to help me get to know you: (link was here)
This survey is part of the Getting Started module, so you can get a head start on next week’s assignments by filling it out now!

To summarize:
• Course starts on Monday, 2/3
• I’ll host the Live Course Welcome Webinar on Tuesday, 2/4 at 9am
• Complete the Getting Started module by Wednesday, 2/5 @11:59pm.

That’s it for now. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns about getting started. The best way to e-mail me is through the Canvas Inbox/Conversations tool. I check Canvas daily, M-F, and try to respond within 1 day when possible.

I look forward to meeting all of you virtually during the term!

Prof. Frankie
(e-mail address was here)

This is my new and more human Home Page! <3!

dcmoore2 — 2021-01-25 23:46:29 UTC

Thanks for the help Katie and Christina!

Welcome Email Addition: Laptop Rental

2021-01-26 00:00:08 UTC

I added a short section on Laptop Rentals because it was such a headache last semester, and sent the emails out 2 weeks before class (fingers crossed for a better outcome!):

"Specifically, I want to highlight laptop rentals. This class requires you to have ready access to a computer. Unfortunately, most of the applications we will be using are not compatible with a smartphone or tablet and really struggle on a Chromebook.

If you cannot install the software at home, contact Mesa to rent a laptop since computer labs are closed due to COVID-19. Please let them know you need a computer for your GIS course so they give you one with the software installed.
Laptop rental is first come, first serve and the distribution can take a while. Please apply as soon as possible so you can jump right in when class starts!"

Added some flare

2021-01-26 00:08:04 UTC

I decided to start off my homepage with a more engaging video that takes my students on a tour and shows a bit of my passion/humor. I really focus hard on getting students engaged the first week and generating excitement. I like to get the students speaking and feeling a part of my class. Every semester is a learning experience and I keep trying new methods based on what works or doesn't work. I find the best response is to video interaction utilizing video with asynchronous classes.

Brian Palmiter

https://sites.google.com/view/auto507a/home

Welcome video

2021-01-26 00:13:42 UTC

REAL 115

Liquid Syllabus - Kelly Spoon

kellyspoon — 2021-01-26 00:33:10 UTC

My liquid syllabus is my main welcome for my students - I sent this out last week along with some answers to FAQs.

The liquid syllabi that everyone was sharing in the keynote today were 🔥, so check them out in our shared notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sJ9G4-5UsCiWOkkNV8o4V2DYoJKIWlY-meS1qvQYieY/edit?usp=sharing

Liquid Syllabus - Donna Cecil

2021-01-26 01:09:47 UTC

I took the plunge and did a liquid syllabus. Not as bad as I thought.
The video is very casual 😳
Oh and thanks for the emoji info! I found it for MACs it is command/control/spacebar
I emojing all over Canvas 🤪
Link to my syllabus:
https://sites.google.com/view/syllabus-chil-101-humangrowth/home

2021-01-26 01:11:35 UTC

Canvas Homepage - Jason Kalchik

jason_kalchik — 2021-01-26 01:21:37 UTC

Hello all! Today was great and it was great to see and hear from everybody!

For me, the welcoming doesn't so much happen on my Canvas Homepage. I try to make that happen in my liquid syllabus and in the first several activities in module one. So, essentially my homepage is bookended by these two different approaches to humanizing/welcoming students to the course.

My philosophy for the homepage is to get students excited about upcoming content/modules, have a consistent place to get essential info, and to stay as clean and organized as possible. I want it to be very easy for students to find the things they need. So, each week I upload a new button, image, and summary text that links to that week's corresponding module.

One thing I really love to do is try to make interesting banners for each class that reflect thematic aspects of the content we'll explore together. I use Canva.com for this. They have cool templates you can make your own.

Below, I've shared an example for my English 205. Everybody's work, innovations, and creativity on display here in padlet is really amazing! There's so many great ideas and examples! Thanks for sharing!

Dora Schoenbrun'Fernandez

dorasfernand — 2021-01-26 01:43:38 UTC

Hot off the prezi video press... I just made this welcome video. I tried to keep it short. I welcome feedback, it's my first take and I can re-record before sending it out in two days. This is good experiment to see if we can upload studio links into Padlet.