Making it FUN – keeping students engaged in uncertain times

Making it FUN – keeping students engaged in uncertain times

My classes have theme weeks.  If you’re a student in my class, you  can guess the theme via facebook (Drcathynmc), twitter (@DrCathyNMC), Instagram (@DrCathyNMC), or just do it old school in our Zoom meetings in Moodle. I’ve even grabbed the username on...
Communicating with Students

Communicating with Students

Establish a Communication Policy What better time than now to communicate expectations with students regarding turn-around time on phone calls, emails and graded assignments?  Do you have a communication policy in your syllabus and possibly posted in your course...
Improving Social Presence in Online Learning

Improving Social Presence in Online Learning

I recently attended the Educational Technology Organization of Michigan (ETOM) Fall Conference held at Mid Michigan Community College in Mt. Pleasant. The keynote speaker was Dr. Karen Swan, the Stukel Professor of Educational Research and a Research Associate in the...
Have you Facetimed your pet lately?

Have you Facetimed your pet lately?

If you aren’t closely involved with a college student who is far from home, that might seem like a funny topic for a teaching blog.  However, that’s not a rhetorical question.  Semester after semester, I have my students create a blog.  Their first entry includes a...
Long Night Against PROCRASTINATION is Back

Long Night Against PROCRASTINATION is Back

Do you remember how you felt about your favorite college professors–the one whose name you looked for when it came time to sign up for classes, the one whose teaching precipitated one of those sea changes in thinking that happen to college freshmen?  I’ve had...