Hi everyone,
Your instructors have worked over the summer to adapt their courses for a very different kind of teaching and learning than is typical for Grinnell. While classes may be fully online for now, they will reflect the same values of active- and inquiry-based learning that are the hallmarks of a Grinnell education. If you have any questions about a specific course, please contact your instructor.
Below are resources geared towards helping you be successful in the online learning environment, from new technologies to new learning strategies. Click on each heading below for more information.
Learning online requires us to find intentional space and time to engage in learning and producing work. This is your opportunity to make your schedule work for you. Take stock of your academic workload (i.e., reading, listening to lectures, watching videos, producing work) for each class and write deadlines down on a calendar or planner. Then reflect on what times of day you best engage with these various tasks.From there, you can create a schedule template and daily task sheet (link to Academic Advising schedule template) that can function as your “work schedule” and help keep you on track. Be sure to show up for all your shifts!
What else besides a regular schedule has contributed to you being your best academic self? Consider these tried and true suggestions: having a regular sleep schedule, maintaining an organized workspace, and taking breaks to do things that refuel you in a positive way. Because this shift is happening mid-semester, don’t hesitate to change your approach and ask for help if you find yourself being unproductive. Email Academic Advising [advising] or visit their SharePoint page to get in touch.
To learn more about strategies and best practices, check out: Kenneth R. Rosen, “How to Work from Home” New York Times (19 September 2017)
You’ll be getting a lot of screen time in the coming weeks. It might seem impossible to think about screen time limits, but considering that you’ll be online for many hours each day, it may be wise to stay off your computer and phone for at least some of your downtime. One way to accomplish this would be to have tabs open on your computer that you need for classes and nothing else. Use your phone for entertainment and socializing.
You may need to give particular attention to managing negative emotions in order to stay motivated and be productive. Using your schedule as a basis for getting started each day will likely help get the ball rolling, and once there’s movement, it’s much easier to keep things going. This may be the perfect time to start a journal; take a few moments at the beginning and end of each day to process thoughts and feelings related to the uncertainty that currently exists.
Below are a few articles that give some excellent advice that is practical and sound.
- Purdue University Global, “Self-Motivation and the Online Learner: How to Stay Motivated When You Go to College” (27 August 2018)
- Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety, Resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty
- Emine Saner, “‘Think about the best-case scenario’: how to manage coronavirus anxiety” Guardian (22 March 2020)
Your engagement and feedback is both essential and invaluable to remote digital learning. It is critical that you are clear on all your potentially new expectations for course completion. You can ensure this clarity by using the continuity planner template provided by Middlebury College.
The planner template includes important and helpful questions about topics like….
Communication
- How is your professor intending to communicate course updates with you?
- How is your professor intending to communicate course materials with you?
- How is your professor intending to communicate course content with you?
- How else is your professor communicating with you?
Academic Plan
- What I am expected to do to attend class? When and how?
- What assignments and activities am I expected to complete? How? Where do I upload them?
- Other academic notes
Technology Needs
- What web-based (can be used through a web browser) software do I need for this course?
- What desktop-based (must download to use) do I need for this course?
- What hardware or physical tools do I need for this course?
- Other technology needs
This is the perfect time to ask questions if you’re not sure about something, because it may prompt your professor to address a question they have yet to face. This is not the time to reduce communication with your professor. Aim for communicating with each professor at least once per week.
We may realize how much we take classroom interactions for grated once we’re all online. So much of learning comes from interaction, so it is essential to stay in communication with your fellow learners.
Depending on course settings, you may be able to use Collaborate within P-Web to interact with classmates or work on group projects. Students are encouraged to contact their instructor for guidance and suggestions about platforms to use for collaborating with classmates.
Microsoft Teams (log in to Office 365), email, and Office 365 are also secure resources available to support collaborative work.
Learn more: “Tips & Tools for Online Study Groups” from Bethel’s Academic Enrichment and Support Center
Below are a couple programs available via an institutional license for anyone at the College to use, no accommodation needed. You may have heard us talk about Read & Write, Gold in previous years; EquatIO is the newer math component. Read & Write, Gold is most often used by students to read-aloud their PDF’s, thereby reducing screen time and eye strain. Read & Write, Gold’s ability to convert PDF’s to MP3 files is useful to listen to your readings when on-the-go or exercising. Give them a try and feel free to share this info with a friend!
Read & Write, Gold
Read & Write, Gold is a toolbar that lays on top of your programs and does a variety of helpful task; reads PDFs, creates MP3 audio files of PDFs, highlighting of text and so much more.
Download Instructions:
- Go to:https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/read-write/
- Scroll down to the ‘Try Read & Write today’ button
- Choose your platform (Windows, Android, iPad, Mac, Edge)
- Under ‘Please select a Product’, choose ‘Read & Write (US English)’
- Follow the downloading and installation instructions on your device. It’s a large file and will likely take a few minutes.
You should end up with a purple icon on your desktop that looks like a puzzle piece. Open the program and choose ‘Microsoft’ to sign in. Once you are signed in with your full Grinnell.edu email address and password, you will be asked to accept the permissions. After you click ‘Accept’, you will have access to the premium features of the program.
Help resources, quick reference guides and training guides can be found athttps://www.texthelp.com/en-us/support/training/getting-started/
EquatIO Math Writing Software
The EquatIO toolbar is packed full of features to make digitizing math easier. Type, handwrite or dictate any expression, and EquatIO will convert it to accurate digital math which can be added into a Microsoft Word doc or G suite apps with a click.
Download Instructions:
- Go to:https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/equatio/
- Click the ‘Try EquatIO today’ button
- When you see the ‘Choose your platform>’ button, select your operating system (Windows, Mac, Chrome, Web App)
- Follow the downloading and installation instructions on your device. It’s a large file and may take a few minutes.
- You should end up with a blue and white, diamond-shaped icon on your desktop. Click on the icon to open the program. Choose ‘Microsoft’ to sign in and use your full Grinnell.edu email address and password.
- Once you are signed in, you will be asked to accept the permissions. After you click ‘Accept’, you will have access to the premium features of the program.
More information is available athttps://support.texthelp.com/help/equatio.
