DL Tip of the Week - End of Semester Checklist

This will be the final DL Tip of the Week for this term. This week's tip is meant to help you end your current term and prepare for the next term.

First is completing the end of semester check list. To end the term in each of your online classes you need to:

1. You need to download your gradebook from the Grade Center
2. Archive your course (and download the archive)*
3. Export your course (and download the export)*
4. Make your course unavailable (Under Control Panel, Click Customization > Properties > Select No on Set Availability, and click Submit). If you have incomplete grades, do not make your course unavailable. If you want to disable users, please refer to a prior blog about disabling users.

*After you download your Archive or Export, please remember to delete the Archive or Export from your course as this will add to your course storage size.

Preparing for next term:
Take the time now to copy or export/import. Refer to the prior blogs below to help you get started.

Course Copy and Export/Import
Set up an Early Bird Welcome 

If for any reason the links appear broken, or if you have an idea for a DL Tip of the Week, please email us at HCTC-DL@kctcs.edu.

Remember if you need assistance, please let a member of the DL Team know.

• Brad Roberts, DL Specialist (Faculty/Student Support) – Lees
• Paul Currie, DL Specialist (Faculty Support) – Hazard, Knott, Leslie, Tech
• Wendy Davidson, LoD Program Coordinator (LoD support and Student Support) 

Backwards EdTech Flow Chart

I had a friend share this article with me and thought is was blog worthy. This brief article shares a flow chart of educational technology tools that you can use based on what you want the students to do. Based on what you want your students to do, the flow chart will lead you to a variety of education technology tools you can use. This is pretty neat. Read more...

Conferencing Online with Traditional Students

I thought this article was intriguing. We have discussed before ways that courses can be supplemented with online or web-based components, but never thought about online conferencing could replace an in person class meeting (for in-person students). This instructor did not want to miss her in-person class, so she utilized technology to accomplish her task. Liz Boltz, an English instructor from Anderson University, gives insight on this neat addition to class. Read more...

DL Tip of the Week - Adding a Grade Column

This week's DL Tip is about adding a grade center column. It is getting near the end of the semester and you may want to add a grade column to post final grades so students can see what grade they will be expected to get for the course.  It is good practice to enter the grades 1-2 days prior to posting your grades in PeopleSoft allowing students to see their grades. If there are any issues with a grade, it can be resolved prior to the final posting of the grades in PeopleSoft. 

How-to Video

Handout
*Remember you will be prompted to log in to view the video and handout. 

If for any reason the links appear broken, or if you have an idea for a DL Tip of the Week, please email us at HCTC-DL@kctcs.edu.

Remember if you need assistance, please let a member of the DL Team know.

• Brad Roberts, DL Specialist (Faculty/Student Support) – Lees
• Paul Currie, DL Specialist (Faculty Support) – Hazard, Knott, Leslie, Tech
• Wendy Davidson, LoD Program Coordinator (LoD support and Student Support) 

Change in thePoint Team Access

ThePoint Team Access link has changed. Please update your Access.

Online Learning keeps all documents related to Online learning on thePoint Team Site HCTC Online Learning. To add the HCTC Online Learning on thePoint to your list of team sites (do only one time) complete the following instructions:

1. Go to thePoint
2. Click My Team Sites
3. Click Manage My Team Sites
4. The listing on the far right are all team sites that have open access for all KCTCS employees, look for HCTC Online Learning 
   
5. Check the box to the left
6. Scroll to the bottom and click add (this will add the team site to My Team Site links [to your favorites])
7. For future access you can hover over the My Team Sites on the horizontal menu and a drop down with your team site links will appear and you can click on the team site to go directly to the site.

To Remove the old site from your favorites, Check the box to the left of the old site name HCTC Distance Learning and scroll to the bottom and click Remove.

The team site name changed from HCTC Distance Learning to HCTC Online Learning which caused the link to access the site to change.

SoftChalk Lesson Challenge

SoftChalk Lesson Challenge is now accepting entries. If you use SoftChalk and have created some amazing lessons, consider submitting your lesson to the SoftChalk Lesson Challenge.

The annual SoftChalk Lesson Challenge allows SoftChalk users to submit their best and most creative lessons for recognition and a chance to become one of our three prize winners. For the past 5 years the Lesson Challenge has been a way to recognize and showcase the outstanding lessons you work so hard to create, and provide you with the opportunity to be recognized for your creativity.

Entering is easy, just:

1. Use your SoftChalk Cloud account or create one for free
2. Make sure your lesson is public and published to the SoftChalk Cloud
3. Submit your Lesson to the 2014 SoftChalk Lesson Challenge!

Submissions will be accepted Monday, December 2, 9:00am EDT– Monday, February 24, 11:59pm EDT.

For full details on entering the 2014 Lesson Challenge and to see the winning lessons from previous years, visit the official SoftChalk Lesson Challege site.