Category: C3 Newsletter

C3-2-1 Newsletter – Fall 2021 Week Four!

Hello, Faculty Community! 

Celebrating being an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) does not start and end with this week.

These weekly newsletters feature 3 resources related to teaching and learning, 2 online tips and tricks, and 1 question for reflection.

Looking for archived resources, tips/tricks, and questions?

Revisit the past editions of the C3-2-1 Newsletter here. 

Want to share? 

If you have some resources, tips/tricks, and questions to share, please contribute to the newsletter using this C3-2-1 Form.

C321 Newsletter

(3) Resources

1. National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources for Teachers

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. The mid-month start date marks the independence anniversary of five countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. It is followed by Mexico’s Independence Day on Sept. 16 and Chile’s on Sept. 18.

There is much more to learn here and plenty of ways to include timely material and activities in your classes. 

2. Five Minute Fixes to Simplify Online Teaching

Tuesday, October 5 at 8 pm in Zoom

Want to make a quick fix that makes a difference? See how you can simplify your online teaching. We’ll share ideas for how to prevent students from getting lost, liven up discussion, stop spending so much time grading, and answer fewer student questions—presented by Laura Paciorek and Lisa M. Lane, sponsored by MiraCosta Online Mentors.

3. Faculty Show & Tell – How Do You Build Community?

We had our first faculty Show & Tell session this week, and the participants shared some great icebreakers and community-building exercises. The title link includes some rough notes on the activities faculty walked us through. 

We would love to hear what you want our future sessions to focus on – Faculty Show & Tell Topics Form.

We hope you will join us for future sessions!

When: Tuesdays at 2 pm
Dates: Sep 14, Sep 28, Oct 12, Oct 26, Nov 9, Nov 30
Zoom Room: Faculty Show & Tell

(2) Online Tips and Tricks

1. Comment Library in SpeedGrader

The Comment Library allows instructors to save and reuse commonly used text feedback in SpeedGrader. As an instructor, you can add new comments and delete existing comments in the Comment Library. This tool can serve as an excellent time-saver when grading! The feedback you add to the Comment Library is accessible from each course you are enrolled in as an instructor in Canvas.

2. Enabling live real-time captioning in Zoom

When hosting a meeting in Zoom, you can enable an automated live transcript. The quality of these automatic captions is remarkable and can greatly benefit participants by making your meetings more accessible.

(1) Question

What do you need? What do you have to offer and share? 

Stay joyful,

Sean Davis
Joyful Teacher in Residence 🙂

C3-2-1 Newsletter – Fall 2021 Week Two!

Hello, Faculty Community! 

These weekly newsletters feature 3 resources related to teaching and learning, 2 online tips and tricks, and 1 question for reflection.

Looking for archived resources, tips/tricks, and questions?

Revisit the past editions of the C3-2-1 Newsletter here. 

Want to share? 

If you have some resources, tips/tricks, and questions to share, please contribute to the newsletter using this C3-2-1 Form.

C321 Newsletter

(3) Resources

1. Course Workload Estimator

Are we giving our students too much work? Are we not giving them enough? How would we even really know? This tool can be a powerful starting point for gauging the workload we are asking students to complete. This Teaching in Higher Education podcast episode features an interview with one of the researchers and designers of the estimator, Betsy Barre. This article also provides context for the student workload issue and research on reading rates and content comprehension.

2. Great Ideas For Teaching – A Collection of GIFTs

Each year, our Faculty Director of the Writing Center and PDP Coordinator, Denise Stephenson, collects new GIFTs for us to learn more about awesome teaching and learning practices from our very own faculty colleagues. The latest issue features contributions from Nadia Kahn, Angela Beltran-Aguilar, JahB Prescott, Joanne Carruba, and Lisa Lane. 

3. Mental Health Counseling Services

Making sure we help students connect to mental health resources available at MiraCosta is essential. And our mental health counseling team offers so much for our community.  MiraCosta’s co-leads of the mental health counseling team, Abby Burd and Ghada Osman, sent out an email outlining all services and events offered this semester, and I thought an echo of their offerings in this space was necessary. Individual counseling appointments, weekly group meetings, workshop series, suggested syllabus and Canvas language, class presentation requests, and the Mental Health Peer Educator Program are all part of the wonderful program their team is facilitating. 

(2) Online Tips and Tricks

1. Sharing your computer audio on Zoom

Have you had the problem of playing audio on Zoom, and the other folks in the room cannot hear it? Some setting options could help with this issue. Using the “Advanced” options in the “Screen Share” feature can help your computer sound come through clear and true. curry Mitchell (Letters) and I were Zooming earlier today when he showed me this helpful trick! 

2. Teaching with Zoom at MiraCosta

Jim Julius (Faculty Director of Online Education) put together several homegrown MiraCosta resources from tips for inclusion & security, how-to videos from fellow faculty members, and guidance for captioning. The items on this page will not only help you become more familiar with Zoom tools and functions but will give you some great ideas for teaching in this modality. 

(1) Question

Are you able to disconnect? 

The 3-day weekend is here. Here’s hoping you can unplug. 

Stay joyful,

Sean Davis
Joyful Teacher in Residence 🙂

C3-2-1 Newsletter – Fall 2021 Week One!

Hello, Faculty Community! 

We are back! Well, kinda…

These weekly newsletters feature 3 resources related to teaching and learning, 2 online tips and tricks, and 1 question for reflection.

Looking for archived resources, tips/tricks, and questions?

Revisit the past editions of the C3-2-1 Newsletter here. 

Want to share? 

If you have some resources, tips/tricks, and questions to share, please contribute to the newsletter using this C3-2-1 Form.

C321 Newsletter

(3) Resources


1. C3 Teaching and Learning Website
With an emphasis on minimalism, ease of use/navigation, and providing essential information and resources for all things teaching and learning at MiraCosta College, you’ll want to bookmark this site! Please share with colleagues and feel free to contact me with any suggestions for additions. 

2. Archived Online Education Workshops from Flex Week
Did you attend every single workshop from Flex Week? Yeah, I didn’t either. Not to fear, we have you covered for all of the Online Education focused workshops that kicked off our week of professional learning. In addition to the videos, I would recommend you peruse the abusndance of resources and helpful information provided on the Technology/Teaching Innovation Center (TIC) website.

3. Faculty Helpers
MiraCosta faculty helpers are standing by to help you with preparing and teaching your online classes! Trouble with getting your syllabus to look right? Students won’t participate in the discussion board? Can’t get things organized? Still adjusting to the many ways you can use Canvas and Zoom? Looking for some fresh inspiration?
Contact one of the helpers listed here for a quick question by email or to schedule an hour Zoom meeting. They are compensated by the college. You can claim Flex for your time working with them. No strings attached! Free to work with them as much or as little as you need! No forms to fill out – just select one from the list and contact them directly.

(2) Online Tips and Tricks


1. Using the Missing Submission policy in the Canvas Gradebook 
Are you tired of adding a “0” manually to assignments students did not complete so that the assignment is calculated into the total score on the student view? Have Canvas do the work for you automagically with a missing submission policy. Avoid confusion for your students as the assignment will be calculated in their overall score while displaying a missing tag alerting them that they missed that assignment.  A couple of things to consider – This option requires a due date on the assignment The Missing Submission policy should be set up when a course is created before creating assignments as it will not affect previously graded missing submissions.

2. Pronto delivers quick, informal, and mobile-friendly class communication!
Pronto can be used in Canvas or through a mobile app to enable quick communication among members of a Canvas class. In addition to full-featured instant messaging, you can share files, start video chats, and use built-in translation to enable students to communicate using their native languages seamlessly.

(1) Question

How are we considering our own sense of belonging as we try to promote a feeling of belonging in our students? 

Stay joyful,

Sean Davis
Joyful Teacher in Residence 🙂
Coordinator, C3 Teaching and Learning Center
Sociology Department Chair

C3-2-1 Newsletter #18

Hello, Faculty Community! 

***You are receiving this newsletter because you are a faculty member at MiraCosta College. I, Sean Davis, am the coordinator of our C3 Teaching and Learning Center***

I am proud to be a member of the Asian and Pacific Islander Community and in solidarity with our sisters during this moment of grief and pain. 

3 resources related to teaching and learning, 2 online tips and tricks, and 1 question for reflection

Looking for archived resources, tips/tricks, and questions?

Revisit the past editions of the C3-2-1 Newsletter here. 

Want to share? 

If you have some resources, tips/tricks, and questions to share, please contribute to the newsletter using this C3-2-1 Form.

C321 Newsletter

(3) Resources

  1.  Leading with Justice – Educational Leadership Speaker Series

    This resource was sent to me by Chad Tsuyuki (Letters). Thank you, Chad. You always have excellent recommendations. Sacramento State University is organizing this series with several prominent leaders in education, and it is available free for all. The talks are being recorded, and some have already been archived on their website. This series is a year-long effort with a full slate of speakers this spring and fall. 
  2. Misinformation Forum Series

    Our Web Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian, Lauren McFall, has organized an interdisciplinary faculty lineup to present intriguing and timely topics this Spring.

    Misinformation is an old problem, but technology has manifested that problem in new ways. In response to recent events over the last year, the MiraCosta College Library, in collaboration with faculty across many disciplines, hosts a series of misinformation forums to discuss these issues and help promote information literacy. Students, Staff, Faculty, and Administration alike are welcome to join the discussion.

    You can watch the first forum here – My Neighbor is a Conspiracy Theorist! The Psychology of Misinformation and How to Dilute the Kool-Aid.
  3. Instructional Design and Faculty Mentor Support

    Peer faculty mentors are great for specific questions on online teaching strategies, tools, and other kinds of professional advice and support to help you serve students effectively while staying healthy and sane.

    Our Instructional Designer can provide more extensive support such as thorough course design feedback and assistance, making course materials fully accessible, reviewing and adopting Open Educational Resource course material, and more.

    Use this form to get connected to a mentor and/or our instructional designer – Instructional Design and Faculty Mentor Support

    Please do not forget to take advantage of these valuable resources provided by dedicated and talented folks. 

(2) Online Tips and Tricks

1. Adding Rubrics to Quizzes

Did you know you can add rubrics to quizzes in Canvas? I did not. You can’t use the rubrics to grade quizzes (I am not sure how that would work anyway). However, you can use rubrics to clarify expectations for quizzes and give students a bit more guidance before they take an assessment. 

2. Using the Outcomes Feature in Canvas

If you are into backward design and ensuring students meet expectations for your student learning outcomes, this feature will be a powerful tool for you. It is especially helpful when it is time to measure SLOs at the departmental level. Using this tool will help track mastery of content in your classes. 

(1) Question

How can we care for those suffering right now and still preserve ourselves for the long road ahead? 

(Try to) Stay joyful,

Sean Davis
Joyful Teacher in Residence 
Coordinator, C3 Teaching and Learning Center

C3-2-1 Newsletter #17

Hello, Faculty Community! 

***You are receiving this newsletter because you are a faculty member at MiraCosta College. I, Sean Davis, am the coordinator of our C3 Teaching and Learning Center***

Lots of local workshops being offered to help us out. People are amazing, right? We just keep going. Pretty remarkable.

3 resources related to teaching and learning, 2 online tips and tricks, and 1 question for reflection

Looking for archived resources, tips/tricks, and questions?

Revisit the past editions of the C3-2-1 Newsletter here. 

Want to share? 

If you have some resources, tips/tricks, and questions to share, please contribute to the newsletter using this C3-2-1 Form.

C321 Newsletter

(3) Resources

  1. NCHEA’s Tri Equity: Allies in Action Conference
    The North County Higher Education Alliance (NCHEA) has been a powerful collaboration between Cal State San Marcos, Palomar, and MiraCosta for many years. Our very own Dr. Rachel Hastings, aka “Doc,” is the current NCHEA director. Along with other MiraCostans, Doc has been promoting this conference for the past few weeks, and I, for one, am looking forward to this event.

    Here is a description from NCHEA:

    This collaborative conference is designed for students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members. Our live events feature expert race and equity practitioners who offer engaging and effective ways to enter and exit these critical conversations. Attendees can expect that each symposium and training will directly acknowledge and address the ways our bodies create culture and communicate difference across our multiple identities.  

    As a tri-campus consortium serving North County, collaboration is central to our mission of supporting students through the transfer process. We have woven into our programming opportunities to network with members of our sister campuses with a click of the button. Attendees can meet and greet one another with ease, connecting with individuals to discover how to they might be able to work together on a future collaboration grant. 

    Tri Equity will run on Thursday, February 11, 2021 from 3:30pm – 8:30pm PST and is free to NCHEA community members. Register here
  2. Black History Month 2021 Events 
    Many MiraCostans are invested in preserving and amplifying efforts to elevate the educational and resource-based events during Black History Month. Please visit our Student Equity Page to learn more about the fantastic offerings still to come in February. February matters. Black History matters. The tireless work of our colleagues, students, and community partners matter. 
  3.  DEI Resources For Faculty

    Our college president, Dr. Sunny Cooke sent out an email last week with a link to our Resources for Faculty page on the MiraCosta website. I am impressed with the collection of documents, campus-based professional learning opportunities, and external support resources. Dr. Cooke also let us know that there is much more to come – 

    This summer, MiraCosta College joined the University of Southern CA- Race and Equity Center’s Racial Equity Leadership Alliance under the leadership of Dr. Shaun Harper. Each month we have been able to send a team of five people to focused topic sessions where MiraCostans can learn and bring back ideas, concepts, and resources to share more broadly at our college.

    The Center will develop a portal to house materials from all the monthly sessions. The portal will also include a library of downloadable racial equity assets (readings, case studies, videos, etc.). In addition, MiraCosta employees will be able to form virtual groups with colleagues who serve in similar roles at other community colleges across our state. We will be able to pose questions; collaboratively solve problems of practice; and share effective racial equity strategies, policies, and resources with each other in these groups. This portal will be open to all employees at our college (full-time and part-time).  The portal is scheduled to be completed by May 2021.

(2) Online Tips and Tricks

  1.  Pronto – A dynamic and engaging tool for effectively communicating with students 
    This one does A LOT – you can chat with students, create groups, send out announcements, use live video, and much more. One feature I really appreciate – message translation. Users can send messages in their preferred language, and Pronto automatically translates messages into the recipient’s preferred language. Now that exemplifies equity. 
  2.  Canvas update – The New Research Content Editor
    You have probably noticed that this essential Canvas tool has changed. Some of the changes are minor but navigating an update always comes with challenges. Our instructional technologist, Karen Turpin, helps us navigate the changes and provides an overview worth watching – Using Canvas’s NEW Rich Content Editor. 

(1) Question

Are we teaching students that they need to do something to have something in order to be something? Or are we teaching them how to be something so they can do something and then have something? 

Stay joyful,

Sean Davis
Joyful Teacher in Residence 
Coordinator, C3 Teaching and Learning Center

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