COVID-19 Info and Discussion

CODAA is aware that many adjuncts do not typically teach remotely and that many are not familiar with the tools that can help us during this quick transition. Below is a list of online tools and a discussion about their use, pros, and cons. Please engage and share your experiences about what has and has not helped you. CODAA will be adding information here as we gather it to help with specific needs and technology.

Official COVID-19 information on COD.edu

Statewide Guidance on IAI and Pass/Fail Grades

SURS COVID-19 Update

There are many tools available to use to share video content of your lectures and class time. Ultimately the best tool for you is going to be the one that you know how to use. Here is a list of some tools available and their benefits and limits:

Youtube

Possibly the easiest for the students and for teachers. Youtube does offer a live stream ability, this cannot be used via mobile device unless you have over 1000 subscribers already. You can live stream with a laptop. Bonus functionality if you already know how to connect a camera to your laptop because then you have the option to point it toward your own monitor and can present your screen. Barebones options include pre-recording a presentation and given verbal queues to students to turn to the next slide (give the slide number in case they get lost).

Students can comment on the video whether it is live or pre-recorded. Use this to your advantage if you can.

Instructions: Everyone with a Gmail account has a Youtube channel whether they realize it or not. The simplest method is to prerecord a video on your phone and then upload it to youtube. You can find small phone tripods at 5-below and other stores to help you out.

Going live takes a setup at least 24 hours prior to your first live stream. Once you are setup you can use a laptop/webcam to make live videos.

Skype

Skype is easy to use and you can use your mobile device without issue. Live discussion between yourself and students is certainly an option here. Be mindful of too many talkers at the same time. Instruct your students to mute themselves unless they have an active question. Too much background noise (un-muted users) can be troublesome.

Students DO NOT need to have a Skype account in order to participate. Links can be shared via BB and anyone with the link can join.

Limitation on the number of participants is fairly low at either 25 or 40 (waiting to confirm). This should still be plenty enough for most classes.

Instructions: (Mobile) Once logged into Skype tap on the Calls tab at the bottom then look up at the top for a camera icon (next to the search icon). Here you can Start the call and get a Share Invite. I recommend sharing the invite first, this will create a unique link which you can share or copy/paste. Once you have shared the link via whichever method you prefer (Blackboard) you can start the call and wait for your students to connect.

Zoom

Some of you may have already used Zoom and are familiar. The main limitation of Zoom on a free account is that there is a 40 minute time limitation on meetings.

Google Slides

Google Slides at first is no more than a streamlined Powerpoint. But Slides is live and teachers can update content and have students immediately see those changes on their own computers. You can share Slides via a link and anyone with the link can view the slide. Each slide show will have its own link.

Blackboard

All Adjuncts are encouraged to utilize Blackboard to its fullest capabilities wherever it makes sense to you. Blackboard is currently our goto platform for communicating to students. They are already familiar with checking it regularly for many of their classes. Email helps, but it should be used to direct students toward Blackboard so that you have a single place where all your info can exist.

List of available functions:

• General communication to students
• Tests
• upload files (PPT, PDF, etc)
• Discussion boards
• Video (we are looking for anyone with experience using this who can share any pros & cons)
• Collaboration ( Youtube Instructions thanks to Hontas Farmer)
• How to create Lesson Plans on Blackboard (via Youtube)

Please comment below to share any tip you have to help us all get the most out of this resource.

Other Tools

Please comment to share other platforms that you have used and that you recommend (or don’t recommend). We will keep this post updated until we get consensus that all the best options are well documented. If commenting here isn’t working take the discussion to Facebook or Twitter.

NOTE on commenting: If using the default comment (not FB, Twitter, or Google) Email address and name are required, but a website is not. That is just part of the form, you can safely ignore that field.