Training and Other Opportunities

In addition to the ongoing self-enrollment and other faulty training programs listed below, the Center for Teaching (CTL) and Academic Information Technology (AIT) are scheduling regular workshops throughout the year to support you work in the classroom and beyond. Please take a look!

CTL and AIT Workshop Schedule

Also check out the BC Communities of Practice, an online space for Brooklyn College faculty and community members to discuss pedagogy, share and generate resources, and connect mostly synchronously and occasionally asynchronously. The BC Communities of Practice exist within Microsoft Teams. For information about how to get started, see:

Getting Started with BC Communities of Practice.

Pedagogy-in-Practice Week

During the second week of January (Jan 12 – 14) – we will be hosting course/syllabus development co-working sessions, tools and tech workshops, and a critical discussion around approaches to grading. For those seeking resources and company as you prepare for spring teaching – come join us! All are welcome to drop in for any portion of the week. The morning co-working sessions will include goal-setting, idea-sharing, and info-drops/resources from the CTL as well as time to work on your spring courses in the company of colleagues.

The grading discussion will take place Jan 14th 12 – 1:30pm.

Follow this link to See the Schedule and please Pre-register Here

Winter MS Office Bootcamp

CUNY-CIS is offering a Winter MS Office Bootcamp and ongoing Microsoft and Zoom trainings throughout the spring. This week their workshops include trainings on PowerPoint, Blended Learning with Teams, Forms, and Class, and Working Remotely with OneDrive and Teams. Here is the link to check out their offerings, to register, and for additional resources:CUNY CIS Training Schedule

Brooklyn College Guide to Online Pedagogy (BCGO)

BCGO is a four-module, self-paced (fully asynchronous) series intended to give faculty an overview of best practices in online teaching. It provides faculty with core principles, strategies, recommendations, and resources gathered from experienced and critical online educators/resources.

The modules focus on teaching online in the context of COVID-19:

an introduction to online pedagogy and frameworks,
trauma-aware pedagogy,
course and syllabus design,
activity/assessment design and rubrics,
assessment and testing, and
online facilitation, communication, and community-building.

The course modules are not facilitated.

All Brooklyn College faculty—both full-time faculty and adjuncts—are invited to use BCGO as a resource for reference and consultation at any time. In addition, BCGO can be taken as a course, which requires completing assignments and assessments.

Blackboard Training

Provided by the Library/Academic Information Technology (AIT)

Scheduled/Synchronous Training

Training session topics vary based on the stage of the semester/term and faculty requests.

See the CTL Homepage for the weekly training schedule.

Brooklyn College Blackboard Basics

Brooklyn College Blackboard Basics is a self-paced introductory course to the Blackboard platform. It takes approximately four to six hours to complete for those new to Blackboard. Once you start, we recommend that you complete it within two weeks. Participants will be introduced to the various features and tools of the Blackboard platform for their hybrid and online teaching. Each module will include a short assessment.

Self-Enrollment Instructions (pdf)

This course fulfills the Blackboard Basics training requirements for both the CUNY-wide Online Teaching Essentials (OTE) and the Brooklyn College Guide to Online Pedagogy (BCGO) courses. In order to receive the appropriate stipend, complete this course either before or concurrently with either of the pedagogy courses.

Open Educational Resource (OER,) Zero Textbook Cost Course and Digital Tools for Student Engagement

If you are interested in developing an OER, Zero Textbook Cost course and an opportunity to enrich your course with a myriad of pedagogical advantages, for your Spring, Summer or Fall 2021 course, please consider participating in the OER Initiative, Brooklyn College Created Open Education Resources.

Support for your OER Project Includes:

A dedicated Technologist to assist with building your OER site, Blackboard, or another multimedia rich platform, digital tools such as online discussion software, digital text annotation, audio, video, or map assignments, quizzes, tests, Zoom, PowerPoint narration.
A Librarian to assist with Identifying OER materials and/or Library Licensed Resources for your Course.
To receive a $1,500 stipend, the course must completed by Spring, Summer or Fall, 21.
Course Section instructors will receive training to teach their courses using the OER materials. Compensation: $500.00 per course section..

Please contact Professor Professor Miriam Deutch as soon as possible if you would like to participate in the OER Initiative during 2020/21 or if you have any questions about OER.

CUNY-Wide Online Teaching Essentials (OTE)

Offered by the School of Professional Studies, this fully online three-week course in online pedagogy is a facilitated, asynchronous course and includes faculty from across CUNY. Total estimated time is nine to 12 hours, though times may vary. Take a look at the Online Teaching Essentials Overview (pdf) for more information.

Next Session begins January 5th-25th with sessions coming early Spring 2021.
$500 stipend (upon successful completion, with completion of a Brooklyn College Blackboard Basics Course—see above)
This course is the most comprehensive training available to faculty.

Look for announcements/invitations in your inbox. This training is administered by the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Brooklyn College is collecting the applications, but the final decision about who will be accepted to participate is determined by CUNY SPS and Academic Affairs.

Effective Teaching Practices Online

This grant-funded program is designed for faculty teaching high-enrollment, high-failure STEM and other courses. The goal is to build on strengths and increase success for students at Brooklyn College, with a focus on equity. Funding is available for 60 faculty who will each receive $1,000 upon completion.