From Bill Jacobs’ column, you can imagine the great challenge to suddenly have to teach your class online less than two months into the semester. This is what teachers and students faced this spring. While some teachers may have adapted if they had taught online previously, many were not ready or even happy to have to present their particular course materials online and while sheltering-in-place far removed from their students. Nor were many students even able to access a computer easily, yes, even here in Silicon Valley. The colleges did their best to provide training and coaching for teachers and for students. Then what was the fairest way to grade students, or to let them drop?
I have collected sample email to demonstrate the types of training sessions that were offered. Also, I have shared the directive from the chancellor of the community college system about how to grade students under these circumstances. Finally, I include a link to writing by students in the Journalism class of Farideh Dada at San Jose City College, the ones who produce the award-winning San Jose City College Times. They express how they are coping with sheltering-in-place.
- Creating a Zoom Account (ITSS)
- Tips and Tricks for Online English (Sherryanne Lim)
- Recordings of Weeklong Training Sessions (Nasreen Rahim)
- Zoom and Canvas Support (Jacqueline Gamboa)
- Canvas on Zoom (Lorraine Levy)
- California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley Makes Changes to Student Grading Policies during COVID-19 Emergency
- City College Times Staff Describe Shelter at Home Experience
Ron Levesque