Author Archives: Allyson Gomez

Attitude of Gratitude

Hope everyone is enjoying a nice, long weekend!

During this time of year, I usually reflect on the past year: what I accomplished, what I learned, what was hard, and what I am grateful for. This has been an unprecedented year where we have had to pivot more times than Ross carrying a couch up a flight of stairs in Friends.

This year is not like other years.

Attitude of Gratitude has been my 2020 mantra.

Despite ____________, I am grateful for ____________.

I have been fortunate to give back to a community that has helped shape me into who I am today. Giving back and volunteering has always been part of my life, and I would like to share a few SJSU resources and a few ways we can give back. Please share this with those in need and add resources you have found helpful.
Note: these links and services are active as of Nov 2020:

SJSU Cares: assists students who are facing economic crisis by providing support and referrals around basic needs. Some of the services include food, housing, emergency assistance, wellness and cooking tips, counseling services, various (free) workshops, and more.

Student Involvement: oversees student clubs and organizations, and hosts activities. Get involved as a student or help out as a faculty member. Check out the Spartan Speaker Series. They even have a Finals Assistance Program which includes tutoring and de-stressing activities.

eCampus: provides professional faculty development, teaching tools, research tools, technology support, design resources, educational workshops and programs, and more.

SJSU Library: offers services for students like late-night tutoring and research assistance, and services for faculty like classroom and publication support.

Volunteering Virtually: there are so many ways to give back regardless of where you are located. One of my favorites is making Cards for Hospitalized Kids.

Volunteering in Person: if you are comfortable volunteering in person, here are a few local opportunities: Second Harvest, Sacred Heart, San Jose Public Libraries, and even our Spartan Food Pantry.

Donating: can take the form of money or time or both. Donate items or money to the Spartan Food Pantry. Here is a full list of ‘How to Give to SJSU.’

Random Acts of Kindness: this one is my favorite. Pay for someone’s coffee or toll. Hold a door open. Nod (or do an eye smile through your mask) at a stranger. Say hello.

Please take care of yourself…

Whether you are a student about to enter the end of the semester papers-presentations-final sprint or a faculty member grading assignments, submitting proposals, and planning for next semester, I hope you can take some time to pause, reflect, and unwind.

As always, stay safe and healthy.

Community Building (Cont.)

In the last article, I gave 8 tips for building community and engagement in your online classes:

#1 – Camera On
#2 – Ice-Breakers
#3 – Breakout Rooms
#4 – Polling
#5 – Chat
#6 – Reactions
#7 – Annotations
#8 – Breaks

A lot of my tips were around creating engagement. How do you continue to build community?

Setting the Class Tone. At the beginning of each semester, we review the syllabus. I read aloud class expectations around respect, professionalism, and communication. The guiding principles below set the tone for interactions and expectations in and out of the “classroom,”—online, offline, in discussions, chats, assignments, projects, and other exchanges. Whether a class is synchronous, asynchronous, or a hybrid, setting expectations early helps both faculty and students.

I have chosen to include the following in my syllabus:

Classroom Professionalism verbiage from syllabus

Excerpt from syllabus

Practice. In August, I spent ~45 minutes making sure we all knew how to use Canvas and Zoom. We practiced turning on our cameras and unmuting. We walked through reactions, chat emojis, and annotating. We even practiced changing our names (great hack when putting folks into breakout rooms – this was before participants could self-select their breakout rooms). We walked through how to enter and exit breakout rooms and how to ask for help.

Why is this so important? Practice makes perfect. This sets the foundation for the rest of the semester. It helps ensure students start with the same basic Zoom knowledge.

Setting the Technology Tone. Taking 45 minutes out of a class can seem daunting or a waste of time; however, every class after has gone smoothly. I imagine as students (and faculty) become more fluent in Zoom, this 45-minute Day 1 activity will only take 10 minutes in future semesters, and maybe even <5 minutes. This helps set the tone for class as well as expectations. I tell my students, “This is a HIGHLY interactive class. And if you want to breeze through or prefer asynchronous, please look for another class.” I mean that with the utmost respect.

If a student can do the dishes or clean their room while in a class – it may be better to pre-record content instead of having a live session. 

Participation. Professors often joke, if you give students points, they will show up! Whether that’s through assignments, in class activities, homework, quizzes, exams, or even (the hotly debated topic of) extra credit. Simply showing up to class is easier now than ever – sign in, mute, turn off camera, and watch a show… Aside from points, how do we ensure our students are present, active, and participating?

Check-In. I run an icebreaker with the entire class with cameras on (I use chat for students with bandwidth/mic challenges). This is not just for me to check-in with each student. They get to learn about each other too. They learn how to present and be present.

Check-In Hacks

Check-in Hacks

It’s 2020. We are all being asked to do more than we anticipated – I don’t have time to check in with every student every class – this allows me to do a quick pulse check.

Breakout Rooms. If I do not have time for a whole class check-in, I put students into random breakout rooms with 3-4 students, and they chat freely. How are you? What did you do for the long weekend? Sometimes I will give them a prompt based on their homework or a recent event. This can be 2-5 minutes. Some faculty open rooms up before class. I usually open breakout rooms during breaks – simulating casual, impromptu chats that would have happened organically during class breaks or transitions.

Aside from group projects and assignments, I use breakout rooms as a tool to increase engagement. If students are too quiet or not as responsive to lecture materials or questions, I throw out a question to the class, have them individually brainstorm ideas, and then have them discuss answers in small groups. They come back after 2-3 minutes and offer their answers, ideas, or suggestions via chat or unmuting. This usually increases the class energy too.

All of these small interactions add up and increase engagement and sense of community. Students get to know each other.

Discussion Boards. SJSU has a great resource list on how to use discussion boards. In addition to these ideas, I encourage students to share ideas, questions, events, and free resources on specific discussion threads. Having a dedicated space for questions and sharing of information supports collaboration and accountability. It also gives them a space to interact about non-class topics.

Group Activities. Lastly, I have group activities. Some are low-risk, easy point activities. Others are part of the formal semester long group project. More on this later!

These are all activities and ways which I foster a classroom community, on and offline. If you have any questions or want to brainstorm classroom community ideas, send me an email at allyson.gomez@sjsu.edu. Thank you. Stay safe.

Building Community and Engagement Online in 2020

Virtual Backgrounds

Welcome to Fall 2020. Hopefully we are settling in nicely to the new semester. My name is Allyson Gomez, SJSU alum and adjunct lecturer. What a year! I was a mentor for the Online Summer Certificate Program designed by eCampus, the Center for Faculty Development, and the Office of Diversity. This program helped prepare over 900 faculty members for online teaching. You can check out more offerings on the eCampus Support Page. I had a full circle moment this summer, being able to mentor and work with faculty who taught me 10+ years ago.

During the course, one question kept coming up: how do we get to know our students virtually, how do we keep them engaged virtually, and how do we foster a community or classroom environment virtually? Online learning is not new. The University of Phoenix offered their first online program in 1989, and through the years online degrees have become more widely accepted. Online technology has advanced by leaps and bounds with more efficient internet connectivity and improved video conferencing capabilities. More recently, people’s opinions have changed about remote learning due to COVID and shelter in place orders. Just as managers resisted employees working from home or remotely – some faculty resisted virtual learning and online courses over concerns that students may not be truly engaged and immersed in learning the subject matter. However, given the current pandemic we must challenge our preconceived notions on virtual learning for education and safety sake.

Regardless of format, I believe that the fundamental concepts of teaching and learning are the same and have not changed. It requires a shift in mindset (perhaps slight, small, or a big change depending on the technology learning curve) in order to succeed. We must teach and foster relationship building with our students through lesson planning, class interactions, activities, assessments, homework, and office hours.

So how do we foster a dynamic, inclusive learning environment for our students in a virtual world?

Here are 8 simple engagement strategies, because 8 is great!

This blog focuses on Zoom’s feature as it is SJSU’s webinar of choice…

#1: Camera On: There’s a big debate about mandating camera preferences because of accessibility, bandwidth, and private learning spaces. I understand the concerns, and ultimately believe that turning on the camera allows for increased media richness when we cannot meet face to face. So much gets lost in translation in the virtual world. A camera can help build connections and assist in reading moods and reactions. It also encourages accountability (my students cited they would be more likely to multi-task and zone out if cameras were off during class). Let’s encourage more formal, respectful, and engaging interactions by keeping the camera on. At the very least, I ask for cameras on during ice-breakers and in breakout rooms. Note: I make a disclaimer that it is okay if there are kids or roommates coming in and out of the background; it’s part of 2020. If a student is unable to have his/her camera on, let the class know via chat. No explanation needed.

#2: Ice–Breakers: I am a huge fan. These are low-stake opportunities for students to learn how to speak in front of a camera and bond with others. What is your major/year? What city do you live in? Favorite sports team? Binge worthy show? As a business lecturer, I may base questions on our readings or future activities: one word value, name a company that does branding well (no repeats), who is a thought leader, etc. Think of fun check-in ideas.

#3 Breakout Rooms: Another thing we miss out on in the virtual space is having impromptu conversations. Practice organizing folks into groups before class, during breaks, during activities, or at the last 5 minutes of class. This can be great during long classes and gives students a chance to bond with one another. Zoom is now rolling out a feature (5.3.0) where students can self-select into rooms—making it more convenient for everyone involved. [Pro tip: Most students may groan at group work, but they cheer for breakout group activities during class].

 

#4 Polling and #5 Chat: Engagement is key. Changing it up is key. What better way than to use Zoom tools? I use these tools throughout my lectures and concept explanations. In the physical classroom, I would normally have students walk over to the right or left side of the room as I ask binary True/False questions or choose option A or B stance on ethical dilemmas. I cannot quite tally 50 folks walking around their respective rooms, so I have introduced quick polling by creating a blank question with a “yes” or “no” answer choice. This allows me to receive rapid feedback from the class. I will ask the class: Are we ready for a break? And launch the blank poll question: Yes/No. Did the manager act in the most ethical way? Yes/No. I read back the feedback, 75% said no, tell me more. This works for True/False and 5-point rating scale questions too. When a poll cannot quite capture the essence, or I want more qualitative or subjective answers, I use the chat feature– 75% said no and 25% yes. Tell me more in the chat. While we wait for folks to type, can two people unmute your microphone and answer why you selected “Yes” or “No?” I spend time reading the comments out loud and ask for additional insights. [Pro tip: If a student can do the dishes or workout during a live class – maybe the lesson can be a recording].

As people share their insights or present topics in class, the #6 Reactions feature helps students express emotions or applaud classmates. These 5 second pop up emojis build classroom interactions without being too distracting. I encourage students to use the reactions tool.

Another way to solicit reactions and engagement is through screen sharing and allowing #7 Annotations. While sharing your screen or PPT, students can add their own drawings or notes. You can also put up a white board and have students draw for a while whether they are literally connecting the dots between two concepts, playing Jeopardy, or doodling. Using breakout activities and different modes of interaction can increase engagement. Note the tools may look different based on your device and OS (Windows, Mac, or Linux).…which leads me to…

#8 Breaks. Ironically taking time away from the class can really boost the brain and further student engagement. Think of it as a mini recharge or caffeine hit. Though a nice cup of coffee or energy drink works too. [Pro tip: Take 30 seconds and look away from your screen right now! Your eyes will thank you].

After speaking with colleagues, the biggest concern this semester (aside from learning new technologies) was getting to know your students, keeping them engaged and fostering a community, virtually. Hopefully, I’ve shared some useful ideas to help you better engage with your students.

In future posts, I’ll dive deeper into engagement and fostering an online community through assignments, before/after class, office hours, feedback, and more. 2020 has thrown a lot of new challenges at us. And through all of this, I am proud to be part of the SJSU community. We have been resilient and come together. If you have any questions or want to brainstorm student and classroom engagement ideas, send me an email at allyson.gomez@sjsu.edu. Thank you. Stay safe (and sane).