For this week’s roundup, I’m adding a standing link I should have included before:
The page that houses all of the Upcoming and On-Demand Virtual Events for the Chronicle of Higher Education.
As far as I can tell, these are all free of charge (but you do have to register).
I found this page while searching for its most recent webinar, Higher Ed and the Post-Pandemic Employer: Adult Learners.
I tuned in because adult learners are at the heart of Virginia Western’s Get REAL initiative … and it was an adult learner who made this one-hour webinar worth my while. It took Felisha Mason 14 years to earn her bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis; she talks about how she pushed through a required teaching internship while raising a family and working the third shift at a candy factory. She’s an inspiration … and her story makes the challenges for so many of our own students more REAL.
The panel discussed how to make internships more accessible for working students (including remote and “micro” internships); one college president said they host workshops for small businesses to learn how to design better internships.
I also found the panel’s discussion of core competencies helpful, as Virginia Western is preparing to focus our next QEP on professional/soft skills.
David Ong, the new president of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), calls these competencies “career readiness skills.” Ong said NACE just revised their eight competencies, which include:
- Career & Self-Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
You can read more about NACE’s competencies here.
And while our conversation about adult learners tends to focus on struggles, Ong emphasized many are coming to college with so many advantages. Because of their previous life and work experience, they already have a deep inventory of these career competencies to help them along their paths.
The one-hour Adult Learners webinar is available on demand here.
Go2Knowledge: All VCCS faculty and staff have free, unlimited access to live webinars and on-demand training provided by Go2Knowledge. The live webinars are highlighted at the top of the Go2Knowledge dashboard, but you can search through an entire library of recorded, on-demand sessions on topics including teaching and learning, campus safety, institutional effectiveness, and student success.
Some upcoming live webinars:
- Thursday, July 15: Planning for a Safe Return to Campus: HR, Public Safety, Training and Communication, 3 to 4 p.m.
- Thursday, July 15: Assessing Social Media Posts & Online Communication: Case Studies on Venting, Trolling & Violence, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Friday, July 16: Addressing Student Learning Loss: Planning for the Fall 2021 Start, noon to 12:45 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 20: Top 5 Research-Based Study Skills: How to Incorporate Them Into Your Course, 1 to 2 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 20: Online Orientation for TRIO Students: Using Technology for Onboarding and Success, 3 to 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 20: Online Orientation: College Case Studies and California College Partnership, 3 to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 21: Lessons Learned from COVID-19: How to Adapt, Overcome and Enhance Higher Ed, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Thursday, July 22: Supporting the Asian Student Community: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 1 to 2 p.m.
- Thursday, July 29: Online Peer Mentoring: Meeting the Unique Needs of Non-Traditional Students (back by popular demand), 1 to 2:30 p.m.
You can access Go2Knowledge on your MyVWCC dashboard or here: Go2Knowledge.org/vccs
The Future Trends Forum: Discussions about the future of education and technology with writer/futurist Bryan Alexander. Thursday, July 15, at 2 p.m.: The history of personalized learning. What does personalized mean? What can we learn from the history of personalized learning technology? With leading ed tech critic Audrey Watters, author of “Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning.” More upcoming programs. Video recordings available on YouTube.
The #RealCollege Virtual Journey, sponsored by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. A series of online workshops and engaging activities led by experts and delivered free of charge. The theme for August is Higher Ed Finance. Aug. 4, 3 p.m.: “The State Must Provide,” a special event with author Adam Harris. Two webinars on Aug. 25: (1) Equity Avengers: Presidential Perspectives on Institutional Budgets and (2) The Free College Movement and Students’ Basic Needs. Both at 3 p.m. Register here. Recordings of previous events are available by scrolling down this page.
Bookmark the VCCS professional development website
Thank you for reading. Why does Stephanie Ogilvie Seagle feature free learning opportunities on the Green House Grants Blog? Because we transform ourselves by learning like our students. All of us are teachers and learners, no matter our titles.