“Triplets” by JillyAnnaJoy via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Fall semester begins on August 25th. One week before, on Friday, August 18th from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 PM, join us join us for a pre-semester co-working session. We’re hoping this welcoming space helps as you focus on accomplishing everything you need to prepare for the start of the semester. Bring whatever you want to work on, whether it be OpenLab related like course prep or getting your portfolio in order, or other work-related tasks like reading through all the emails, filling out forms, or completing a required training . We’ll bring bring work, too, plus some good energy for checking things off your to-do list.
You can work silently in the main Zoom room or move into a breakout room to talk with a collaborator or with one of our team members if you have specific questions we can help you with.
We hope this co-working session is useful for you–and let us know how else we can help!
At this point in the summer, you might be looking back at your previous courses to begin planning your Fall 2023 courses. Maybe you’re taking advantage of working in the open on the OpenLab and looking at colleagues’ courses as well.
If your course sites are places for student interaction, for discussions and student work submissions, the end of the semester’s energy might show on the top page of your site. Instead, you might add a final post to your courses, so that any members of or visitors to the site first see a post that acknowledges the class’s accomplishments in the semester, congratulates students for their achievements, or maybe also encourages students to stay in touch with you and each other. Here’s the Thank You post that I added to my Spring ENG 1121 course, and the Congratulations post from Jenna Spevack’s COMD 3504
Even if you haven’t done this already and last semester feels too long ago, it’s not too late! A final post can be a positive note for students getting ready to start new classes in a few weeks. And for colleagues browsing courses on the OpenLab, these final posts can be an excellent reminder of all that we–faculty and students–achieve in a semester. And then it will be part of your practice for the end of Fall 2023–and already waiting for you at the end of next semester if you clone your Spring 2023 course.
On Tuesday, May 23rd from 1:30 P.M. to 3:30 PM, join us join us for the final co-working session of the Spring. We’re hoping this welcoming space helps as you focus on finishing everything for the end of the semester. If you’re teaching, bring your grading! Or invite a student to join so you can co-work as they finish their project or study for that last exam. You bring the work, we’ll bring the friendly presence in the Zoom session (plus we’ll bring work, too).
You can work silently in the main Zoom room or move into a breakout room to talk with a collaborator or with one of our team members if you have specific questions we can help you with.
Finals end on Tuesday, May 23, and grades are due Friday, May 26th. We hope this co-working session is useful for you–and let us know how else we can help!
“springtime” by willi_bremen via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The OpenLab team, under the umbrella of Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab, is hosting co-working sessions each Tuesday through the end of the semester.
This week, like last week’s, is open to anyone: students, staff, and faculty. Join the co-working session via Zoom anytime in the 1:30-3:30 co-working hours. We will work together silently, and can open breakout rooms for conversations or questions.
Next week’s session, on Tuesday, May 16, 1:30-3:30, is focused on students, in anticipation of finals week beginning. Please spread the word!
In the final week, faculty are invited to join for some time to work on responding to student work, grading, and finishing the work of the semester.
Like the idea of coworking and the related idea of body doubling but can’t make it on a Tuesday? Suggest a date and time for other sessions by adding a comment on this post or by reaching out via email to OpenLab@citytech.cuny.edu.
Reminder: this co-working session is tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18th!
The last few weeks of the semester are hard not only for both students but also for faculty members, and we believe we can get through this together. Join the OpenLab team and other colleagues to work together on whatever is still on your plate on April 18th. The Zoom room will be open from 1:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. Drop in for a little while or stay for the full 2 hours: use the space as you need and enjoy being supported by faculty members who are also working to push through and finish the semester.
We will have spaces available for small group discussions if anyone wants, while the main room will stay open as the silent co-working space.
Like the idea of coworking and the related idea of body doubling but can’t make it on Tuesday? Suggest a date and time for our next session by adding a comment on this post or by reaching out via email to OpenLab@citytech.cuny.edu.
Do you need a push to get through the rest of the semester? Join us on April 18th for the first OpenLab co-working session!
The last few weeks of the semester are hard not only for both students but also for faculty members, and we believe we can go through this together. Join the OpenLab team and other colleagues to work together on whatever is still on your plate on April 18th. The Zoom room will be open from 1:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. Drop in for a little while or stay for the full 2 hours: use the space as you need and enjoy being supported by faculty members who are also working to push through and finish the semester.
We will have spaces available for small group discussions if anyone wants, while the main room will stay open as the silent co-working space.
“Crocuses” by Peter Stenzel via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0
The CUNY-wide group of leaders from the centers for teaching and learning, call CITA (CUNY Innovative Teaching Academy) shares the following upcoming events for the month of March. If you attend any and want to share information or ideas with colleagues here at City Tech, please consider adding them to this Open Pedagogy on the Open Lab site.
You’ve likely seen this call for abstracts in your email and in other places you see announcements:
CUNY will be hosting its next Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Conference on March 30 and 31, 2023, the theme of which will be The Illusion of Inclusion – Collaborative Solutions for Performative Diversity. The conference is seeking an array of solutions within the CUNY context. Proposals may be based on research, teaching or practice, and designed to spark engagement and discussion. Proposals that include collaborations with CUNY staff and/or students are encouraged. Topics may include: From Data to Action; Disability Inclusion; Designing Inclusive Pedagogies; Organizational Equity – Systems, People, Culture; Physical and Mental Health Pre- & Post-Quarantine: Our New Syndemic Normal.
Completed proposals must be submitted by January 4, 2023.
Are there ways you see your engagement with open pedagogy as the basis for a proposal for this conference? Does your work on the OpenLab grapple with the conference theme? Would you be interested in sharing your abstract or presentation materials on the OpenLab, either here on Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab or in your portfolio or other space? The OpenLab team is committed to prioritizing inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, and we hope to amplify this work here at City Tech, at CUNY, and beyond.
The OpenLab participates in a vibrant education-focused community on Twitter, and we invite you to join us! You can follow @CityTechOpenLab.
We can also bring some of that vibrant community here to our Open Pedagogy site to share ideas and expand the conversation. Here are a few recent tweets and twitter threads that offer useful insights as we approach the start of the semester:
About PDFs and accessibility:
If you tweet a flyer image for an event and don't add alt text, blind people won't get the details they need to know to come to the event. But if the alt text simply say "event flyer," they still won't know to come. The alt text needs to give them information to be able to come.
About classrooms and classroom furniture being inaccessible–and finding advocates:
A student I don’t know approached me and told me they were embarrassed to tell me something. They finally admitted that they’d left their second class of the day because there wasn’t a desk they could fit in.
I tell this story for a few reasons:
— The Madwoman in the Classroom (@heymrsbond) August 16, 2022
About college students as adults, not children:
Professors: stop calling your students "kids" – treat them like grownups (since they are, afterall, grownups)
The OpenLab is hiring! Please help us to spread the word.
The OpenLab team seeks to add a Digital Pedagogy Fellow to our enthusiastic team.
City Tech’s OpenLab (https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/) is an innovative, open digital platform for students, faculty, and staff at New York City College of Technology, CUNY (http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/). Built using the open source blogging and social networking software WordPress and BuddyPress, the OpenLab supports teaching and learning, enables connection and collaboration, and strengthens the intellectual and social life of the college. The project is driven by a community and access-focused ethos, flexible infrastructure, and commitment to openness, and is proud to partner with many initiatives across campus (e.g., First Year Learning Communities, General Education, Open Education Resources) and across CUNY. Since its launch in Fall 2011, the OpenLab has helped to foster openness and experimentation, supporting a growing community, now 39,000+ members strong.
Fellows will join a creative, collaborative Community Team invested in fostering community through open pedagogy and open digital technologies. Team members gain experience in curriculum development, teaching, professional development, the implementation of a variety of digital tools, testing and functionality, and help-documentation creation. Fellows have used the experiences gained as Digital Pedagogy Fellows to successfully apply for full-time faculty and alt-ac positions.
Digital Pedagogy Fellow responsibilities include providingprofessional development, supporting the OpenLab community, and project development. Weekly responsibilities include OpenLab team meetings and email and open-hour support for faculty, staff, and student members with varied experience with technology. Fellows develop and lead workshops, seminars, and class visits, and create help documentation. They also teach OpenLab members about best practices for developing OpenLab content, how to incorporate technology in the classroom, and what it means to have an online presence. Fellows maintain an active presence on the platform, test new features and fixes, and provide feedback on OpenLab functionality. Fellows also have the opportunity to represent the OpenLab team in campus and external venues.
Ideal candidates will possess the following qualifications:
familiarity with the OpenLab or other WordPress/BuddyPress installations (e.g., the BMCC OpenLab, CUNY Academic Commons, Macaulay ePortfolios, and Blogs@Baruch)
teaching experience, including expertise in digital pedagogy
experience with developing and leading workshops for a variety of users
strong organizational skills and attention to detail
willingness to work collaboratively with a team
communications skills for responding to support requests with speed, empathy, and creativity
good understanding of socially networked online spaces and a variety of digital tools
knowledge of information architecture, usability, and the user experience
the ability to create visually attractive, informative, and well-written blog posts, help documentation, and screencasts
graduate degree or enrollment in a graduate program
Hours and Pay: This is a year-round position, 12-15 hours/week. The starting rate is 37.74/hour with annual increases.
Start Date: Fellows will begin the position with limited hours for training in August 2022, and shift to 12-15 hours/week for the start of the Fall 2022 semester. Currently work will be done remotely, with in-person responsibilities anticipated in the future to align with the needs of the college community.
Application: To apply, submit a cover letter, CV, and representative samples of your digital work to OpenLab Co-Directors Jonas Reitz (jreitz@citytech.cuny.edu) and Jody R. Rosen (jrrosen@citytech.cuny.edu). Please note any other employment within the CUNY system or for the Research Foundation of CUNY for August 2022 and the 2022-23 academic year. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Please reach out with questions to the email addresses above.
