Technology Mentoring & Training Opportunities

The Educational Technology and Distance Learning (ETDL) department arranges for relevant training for faculty and staff on new technologies. The goal of this training is to help faculty and staff determine the appropriateness of new technologies and to become competent in using them. In addition to formal training, ETDL also recognizes that learning about technology often occurs when individuals using new methods talk with each other and introduce them informally to others. ETDL also encourages mentoring activities between individuals who are interested in using technology in various ways. Training and mentoring activities are supported through a facility known as the Faculty/Staff Technology Sandbox, which is located in LRC B130.

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Mentoring Activities Use the Faculty/Staff Technology Sandbox

If you're an MCC faculty or staff member who already has a technology mentoring relationship (official or informal!) with someone else on campus, you should feel free to use the Faculty/Staff Technology Sandbox in LRC B130 as a 'base of operations' where you can have access to software and a place to go that's away from the bustle of your office.

You can reserve a computer in advance so you can plan ahead (signup sheets are in the Sandbox) and you can request software we don't currently have if you're thinking about future learning needs.

Questions about the Sandbox may be sent to the ETDL Department at sandbox@mcc.commnet.edu.

Drop-In Hands-On Help Hours In the Sandbox

If you have a quick question that no one in your office or on your hall has been able to help you with - or that you don't feel comfortable asking them! - we have scheduled drop-in hours in the Faculty/Staff Technology Sandbox when you can come by to ask technology questions. This could include using office software, Blackboard Vista, or classroom instructor stations, for example. No question is too basic, from things like, 'I need help figuring out how to search for a file when I forget where I put it,' to things like, 'I think someone once told me that I could upload a group of calendar entries into Blackboard Vista, but I can't remember how to do that.'

Sandra Couture and Sarah Calvert will be there to answer your questions or help you find answers. Hands-On Help Hours are every week on:
  • Mondays: 3 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
  • Tuesdays: 3 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
  • Fridays: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
The Sandbox is located in LRC B130. We hope you'll stop by!

One-On-One Consulting and Tutorial Help

If the Hands-On Help Hours aren't convenient for you or you'd rather have a set appointment to speak with someone, the staff of the Educational Technology and Distance Learning Department, Bonnie Riedinger, Sarah Calvert, and Sandra Couture, are available to meet with you one-on-one. If you'd like to arrange a time to meet, feel free to contact us by emailing sandbox@mcc.commnet.edu.

Small-Group Training

Bring a colleague or two (or three!) to the Sandbox to get training as a group. We know many of you train each other informally anyway, so why not come to the Sandbox where each of you can have a computer rather than crowding around a single computer in someone's office? If you and your colleagues want to learn something (for example, how to put a syllabus in Blackboard Vista or use Outlook Web Access), but don't know who could help train you, contact Bonnie Riedinger. Perhaps training could be provided for your group by the staff of the Educational Technology and Distance Learning Department and we would be happy to respond to small-group and department requests. (If you have a larger group, we may use a classroom rather than the Sandbox.)

Technology Training Workshops

The Community College System Office's Instructional and Informational Technology Training Program (IITT) offers faculty and staff throughout the system numerous free training opportunities throughout the year on all twelve campuses, including MCC. Tobi Krutt sends announcements via email about upcoming training, but you can check out what's being offered on the web at any time by going to the IITT Course Cart.

Faculty and staff are also eligible to take advantage of the technology training sessions offered through the DAS In-Service Training program. The catalog of DAS courses comes out once a semester and you must sign up in advance in order to take one of these fee-based classes. Contact your dean's office for additional information and to look at the schedule for the next semester.

At MCC, each year the Academic Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) distributes a spring survey to gather data about faculty and staff technology use and training needs. The results of these surveys help the college determine training session priorities for the coming year. Cooperation between ATAC, the Educational Technology and Distance Learning Department, and Continuing Education has led to numerous successful training sessions on campus each year. The schedule is available at the IITT Course Cart.

Last Update: June 06 2008
For additional information, contact: Bonnie Riedinger