NC-NET Academy

An Online Professional Development Program for Community and Technical College Faculty

The rationale behind the NC-NET Academy courses is that educational ideas cannot simply be presented; they need to be thought about, talked over, and experienced. These online courses weave together readings, activities, and discussions for participants to construct new understandings in the context of their own situations. Each week, threaded discussions play an essential role in encouraging participants to reflect on the readings, share stories from their lives (and their classrooms), pose questions to the group, and express their reactions.

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2010-11 Course Offerings

September 10 – October 25, 2010:
From Good Teaching to Student Learning
Adjunct and new instructors are encouraged to enroll in this course that challenges participants to investigate complex issues: How well does your teaching style mesh with your college’s mission? What’s different about adult learners? How do we reach them—and how do we know that we did? Designed for participants with minimal background in education theory and application, this course will enhance new and adjunct instructors’ understanding of community college students and the factors critical to their academic success.
Click here to enroll.

September 10 – October 25, 2010:
Technology Bootcamp I: Incorporating the Latest Tools for Effective Instruction
Feeling overwhelmed by all of the new technology tools available for classroom use? Wondering if any of them can really enhance student achievement? Need some guidance on where to start but are too embarrassed to ask? This course is for you! Join us in a user-friendly environment in which we'll start at the beginning and explain the latest technology applications and how to incorporate them easily and effectively into both your online and face-to-face courses. Applications to be covered include blogging, social networking, podcasting, and more! This course is designed for IT novices.
Click here to enroll.

October 22 – December 6, 2010:
Incorporating Active Learning Strategies in the College Classroom
Come explore ways to increase student engagement and participation in your courses. We’ll begin by examining best practices and models of active learning, including case studies, problem-based learning, and collaborative group learning. Along the way, we’ll self-assess the degree to which our current teaching strategies promote active learning. Finally, we’ll stretch beyond our comfort zones and redesign a lesson that is usually taught in a more passive manner.
Registration opens September 20.

October 22 – December 6, 2010:
Prospecting for Gold: Recruitment and Retention in Technical Programs
A range of strategies for both recruitment and retention will be explored. These include both long-term strategies such as dual enrollment, informal learning experiences, learning communities, service learning and mentoring and short-term, instructional “quick fixes.” Best practices with an emphasis on career and technical programs will be featured.
Registration opens September 20.

January 14 – February 28, 2011:
Embracing Diversity in the Classroom
Community colleges enroll a true cross section of an America that is diverse in race, ethnicity, language, age, special needs, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status and geography. Participants in this course will learn ways to cultivate a climate of respect and creativity within a diverse student population. We will reflect on our own experiences, examine research on inequality in the classroom, explore ADA issues and discuss handling “hot button” issues.
Registration opens December 6.

January 14 – February 28, 2011:
Technology Bootcamp I: Incorporating the Latest Tools for Effective Instruction
Feeling overwhelmed by all of the new technology tools available for classroom use? Wondering if any of them can really enhance student achievement? Need some guidance on where to start but are too embarrassed to ask? This course is for you! Join us in a user-friendly environment in which we'll start at the beginning and explain the latest technology applications and how to incorporate them easily and effectively into both your online and face-to-face courses. Applications to be covered include blogging, social networking, podcasting, and more! This course is designed for IT novices.
Registration opens December 6.

March 4 – April 18, 2011:
NEW: Fostering Gender Equity in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classroom
Designed to help faculty improve the gender-equity climate in their classrooms, this course provides an overview of recent research on young women’s abilities and preferences in technological learning environments and methods for promoting their success in STEM-related fields. Upon completion, participants will understand the underlying causes of gender inequity, recognize conscious and unconscious bias, and be equipped to alter their teaching and communication strategies and initiate programs aimed at recruitment and retention of women in emerging technologies.
Registration opens February 14.

March 4 – April 18, 2011:
NEW: Meeting of the Minds—Cooperative Curriculum Development for Creating Integrated Instruction
In this course, academic and technical faculty will work together to develop integrated curriculum units that they can each use in their own classrooms. Participants will be taught an 8-step process for interweaving academic concepts and technical course content that brings challenging subject matter to life. Faculty will explore contextual teaching strategies, including scenario-based instruction, and learn how to design authentic assessment tools that can be used to evaluate student performance in project-based learning activities. Teams of instructors from individual colleges are encouraged to enroll.
Registration opens February 14.

Summer 2011 (Specific dates TBA later this fall.)
NEW: Technology Bootcamp II—More Tools for Reaching Students
Don’t abandon those blogs yet! Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet in Technology Bootcamp I, you’re ready for further exploration. Topics to be covered include: Google Earth, lecture capture and distribution technologies, collaboration tools (wikis, Skype, Google docs, etc.), cybersecurity, and more!
Note: This course is for faculty who have completed Technology Bootcamp I. A software and equipment list will be posted prior to the course registration date in Spring 2011.

Online enrollment for all courses will be available from this web page.
NC-NET Campus Liaisons will be notified of enrollment periods for each course.

NC-NET Academy Details

The NC-NET Academy courses are six-week, facilitator-led online courses that use Blackboard as the course platform. Enrollment is open to any part-time or full-time community college faculty member in North Carolina.

Tuition: Funding from the North Carolina Community College System to the NC-NET project (using Carl D. Perkins funds) will enable participating faculty members to receive scholarships covering all course tuition in addition to $100 stipends for course completion.

Registration: All course registration will be done online through the NC-NET website. When the enrollment period for a course is open, you will find a link to the online registration form below the course description. Participants will be enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis until each course reaches a maximum of 30 participants. A waiting list will also be maintained.

Participant Requirements: Full-time and part-time faculty from any community or technical college in North Carolina may apply. Participants should plan to spend 5-7 hours per week on course assignments.

Technology Requirements:

Additional Technology Bootcamp Requirements:

Questions? Please email academy@nc-net.info for additional information.