Preparing for the Semester with Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning

Dear Middlebury Faculty,

Greetings from the Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry (DLINQ)! As fall term approaches, we are looking forward to working with you to explore and create digital learning opportunities that advance your pedagogical goals and support student learning.

To help you explore the curricular technology resources available to you, and to get your course sites up and running, we’ve created a set of online, self-paced materials and course site quick-tips.

One-on-one consultations

DLINQ staff are available for one-on-one consultations (in person or online via Zoom) throughout the academic year to work with you to build digital technology-supported teaching and learning spaces and experiences. Please click here to set up a consultation.

Online, Self-Paced Technology Orientation Modules

Middlebury Faculty Technology Orientation Online Modules

We’re excited to share a set of self-paced, online orientation modules (go.miis.edu/techo OR go.middlebury.edu/techo) that will walk you through the necessary steps to get started with technology resources that can support your teaching at Middlebury, including:

  1. Activating/resetting your Middlebury credentials
  2. Connecting to Middlebury’s cyberinfrastructure (wifi, email, printing, etc).
  3. Leveraging digital teaching resources (Course Hub, Canvas, WordPress, Panopto, etc.)
  4. Getting help along the way

These online materials can be accessed at any time. We recommend that you review this resource before classes begin, and you can refer back to it at anytime throughout the semester.

Additional self-paced resources include:

  1. Troubleshooting guide
  2. Toolshed

Course Site Quick Tips

Here are some quick-tips specifically related to getting your course sites up and running.

1. Check your Course Roster on Course Hub

Review a dynamic course roster with student names and headshots

Tutorial: How To View Class Roster

2. Upload your Syllabus

Provide students with your course syllabus before the first day of class

Tutorial: How to Add Course Syllabus to Course Hub

3. Link your Course to a New Canvas Site

Set up a new (empty of content) Canvas site for the next academic term. You need to do this step even if you are planning to import content from a previous term

Video: How to Add a Canvas Resource in Course Hub

4. Import a Canvas Template from Canvas Commons

If you’re creating a new Canvas course and are pressed for time, save yourself a few steps by using one of our customized Canvas templates

Tutorial: How to Use the Canvas Commons

5. Link Your Course Hub to Library E-Reserves

Simplify student access to your course Library E-Reserves

Video: How to add a Link to Library E-Reserves

6. Import & Re-purpose Content from a Past Canvas Site into a New Canvas Site

Copy course content from a previous term into a new Canvas resource for the current term. Complete task #3 above before your import.

Tutorial: How to Copy Content from One Canvas Site to Another

7. Import & Re-purpose Content from Moodle* into a New Canvas Site

Request an import or “rollover” of Moodle course content from a previous term into a new Canvas resource for the current term. Complete task #3 above before your import.

Rollover Request: Moodle > Canvas

8. Make your Canvas Site Visible to Students

By default, when a new Canvas resource is added to your Course Hub, the site is set to be invisible to students, allowing you to set up the site without them seeing it “under construction”.

Tutorial: Step-by-Step instructions to Update Canvas Resource Visibility

*Moodle Decommissioning: For returning faculty who previously taught with Moodle LMS, please be reminded that Moodle will be decommissioned in December 2018. To ensure that you do not lose access to former course sites, your action may be required before the end of term. See this resource for more information.

Check out MiddCreate

MiddCreate LogoMiddCreate provides space on the web where students, faculty, and staff can explore and connect their learning, experiment with digital tools for teaching and learning, and create a digital identity that is owned and managed by them. Faculty can install a variety of teaching and learning tools on their MiddCreate spaces (e.g., WordPress, MediaWiki). Learn more and get started with MiddCreate.

Other questions? Reach out to us at dlinq@middlebury.edu. We look forward to working with you!

The DLINQ Leadership Team

Amy Collier, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Digital Learning
Bob Cole, Director of Exploratory Initiatives and Partnerships
Bill Koulopoulos, Director of Technology and Learning Spaces
Sarah Lohnes Watulak, Ed.D., Director of Digital Pedagogy and Media

Featured Image Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Zoom at Middlebury

As of July, Middlebury has been using Zoom as its primary video and web conferencing platform for one full year.  Zoom is being used for both large and small meetings as well as classes and webinars.  The response has been overwhelmingly positive and the usage metrics reinforce the positive response.

June Meeting Statistics

June Meeting Locations

Did you know?

  • Only the host of a Zoom meeting needs an account, and anyone from anywhere in the world can join.
  • Up to 100 video or audio participants can join a standard Zoom meeting.
    • By request, Middlebury has large meeting licenses available for up to 200 attendees and webinar licenses which can accommodate up to 500!
  • Zoom can be used as a telephone-only conferencing bridge, replacing existing Verizon conference lines.
  • H.323 / SIP video conferencing endpoints (Polycom, Cisco, Tandberg) can connect to Zoom meetings.

All faculty, staff and students with an @middlebury.edu address have access to Zoom.  For more information on Zoom, please visit go/zoominfo, or, to sign-in and start using Zoom, visit go/zoom.  Questions about Zoom?  Please submit a Web Help Desk ticket.

ProQuest resources down this weekend

Maintenance of ProQuest servers will require downtime for our subscribed resources listed below for several hours beginning at 10pm EDT Saturday night, August 18th, and concluding about 8 hours later. If you encounter difficulties during this window, please try again later

  • ProQuest platform (search.proquest.com)
  • ProQuest Congressional (congressional.proquest.com)
  • Chadwyck-Healey databases (Early English Books Online)
  • eLibro Spanish-language e-books
  • ProQuest Digital Microfilm – New York Times, Boston Globe, Burlington Free-Press
  • Ancestry Library Edition

Tetra Tech hiring entry level Business Development roles in Burlington VT

This was shared by an alum, sounds like a great opportunity:

“Program/business development is a great way for liberal arts majors to enter the international development field, as there is a focus on writing, organization, and teamwork, as well as opportunities for travel and exposure to different technical areas and geographies. We’re looking to hire in the next month or so, so an ideal candidate would likely be a recent graduate with strong internship experience or a graduate with 1-2 years of experience (internships, fellowship, Peace Corps, etc.).”

Click here to learn more and apply, and get in touch if you’re interested in being connected to the alum.

My homestay in Tenrymura, Japan: Beyond Service-Learning, by Diana Lam ‘21

Diana Lam ‘21 reflects on her participation in the Japan Summer Service-Learning Program.

          At the beginning of the Japan Summer Service-Learning (JSSL) Program, I did not expect to learn as much as I did. However, I quickly learned that this program exposes us to more than what I understood to be service-learning. I learned how to be independent by doing things like taking the train in Tokyo, and I broadened my perspective to appreciate Japanese culture and language by doing things like eating nagashi soumen and making connections with a host family. Those are just a few examples of the many experiences and knowledge I gained throughout my summer in Japan.

          One of the most memorable experiences I had in the JSSL Program was going to Tenryumura, Nagano. During our time in Tenryumura, we had the chance to do a homestay with local families to experience daily life in a small mountain village. At first, I was quite worried that there would be a language barrier. However, the host family I was with made me feel as if the language barrier was non-existent. The host family used basic English and Japanese words along with body gestures to communicate with me. I realized that besides language and culture, it all boiled down to human interaction and the desire to communicate. As a result, I ended up building a deep connection with my host family.

          When I arrived in Tenryumura, I was taken away at the natural landscape; how beautiful and different it is from what I am used to. Born and raised in a big city, I did not have many chances to go to rural areas surrounded by nature. While I was only there for a few days, the daily flow seemed to be different from what I know.  The day seemed to be less structured around clocks and external schedules – and more around tasks at hand and relationships. Personally, I am so used to completing tasks one after another that I often forget what I am doing in the present; I am always focused on the future. Being in Tenryumura made me reflect on my life and the present; it made me aware that sometimes, it is important to have simplicity in life. I intend on taking the lessons I’ve learned this summer and applying them to my life at home, beyond the meaningful cross-cultural service-learning experience in Japan.

Diana Lam ‘21 with her homestay family

Host an International Student

The Friends of International Students (FIS) host program recruiting and matching process for the recently admitted Class of 2022 continues! The Class of 2022 will include more than 70 international students, including some U.S. students who have lived abroad and international exchange students. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting in the fall and spread the word in our community.

International Student & Scholar Services will hold a series of information meetings about the program throughout the summer on the 2nd floor of the Service Building. We ask that new hosts attend a meeting so that we can meet them and share more information about the program. If you are an experienced host, you are welcome to join us as your stories and insights are vital to friends who are new to FIS and trying to decide if they would be a good fit for the program.

Join us for one of our last 2 host information meetings of the season:

  • Monday, August 20, 5:15-6:15 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 6, 5:15-6:15 p.m.

 

To register for a meeting, please email ISSS at isss@middlebury.edu (subject line: FIS Host Program) or call us at 802.443.5858. Feel free to bring your lunch if you attend an afternoon meeting.

You can learn more about the FIS Host Program on our website at: http://www.middlebury.edu/international/isss/fis .

Please share this information with friends and family who do not work at the College.

We invite all who are interested to become a part of this wonderful program!

We look forward to hearing from you!

 

From MSA: Planning for College 101

Planning for College 101 | September 11, 2018 | 9:00 AM (PST) & 12:00 PM (PST) |  Register Here.

 

Higher education is costly, but there are plenty of options for meeting expenses, whether college is about to start or far in the future. Learn about different types of savings and investment accounts and how to set them up. Various education loans, grants and scholarships exist for financing education, and this presentation walks you through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) process as well as other plausible funding strategies. We’ll help you decide which college funding options match your personal circumstances.

 

Note:  If you register and cannot attend, a recording of the webinar, along with a copy of the session presentation and handouts, will automatically be sent within 24 hours.

 

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You work hard for your money, but is your money working hard for you?

When it comes to our finances, we always wonder if we are making the right moves, and searching for answers can feel overwhelming.

Middlebury College provides all employees access to financial well-being thru My Secure Advantage (MSA).

MSA helps you make the most of your hard earned dollars!  When it comes to living a financially stress-free life, every decision you make adds up.  Through MSA, employees and their covered dependents can work with a personal Money Coach and utilize website services to make financial stress a thing of the past.

What’s Included

  • 90 days of personalized money coaching with a personal, confidential, unbiased, and guilt free Money Coach.  Coaches don’t sell products or services: their only job is to provide expert guidance and improve your financial life.
  • Guidance on financial topics, goals, challenges, or questions.  Whether you’re getting by, digging out, or saving big, connecting with a Money Coach to discuss options, identify things to consider, and build out a plan can only help

Work with MSA to tackle questions like “Should I be saving more or paying down debt?” “When will I be able to retire, and how much do I need?” “What type of portfolio is best for me?” “How do I balance enjoying life now with saving for the future?” and more.

  • Online tools include videos, calculators, articles, and budgeting software to help you stress less and save more.

Questions?  Learn more about MSA here. To get started, sign up, and schedule your first appointment with a Money Coach call 888-724-2326.