CETAL is excited to offer a workshop series about Neurodiversity. The series will feature five sessions dedicated to supporting neurodiverse learners in a variety of ways. Individual workshops and registration links are below. 

Supporting Learners on the Autism Spectrum 

To open our neurodiversity series, Dr. Michael Duggan will share practical advice for supporting students on the autism spectrum and helping them to succeed, not only academically, but also socially and emotionally.

Creating a Classroom Environment that Supports Neurodiverse Learners

October 18, 1:00-2:30pm

Overarching Questions: 

1. How are neurodiverse students affected by different elements of the classroom environment?

2. What does an inclusive, neurodiverse classroom look like?

3. How can we clearly communicate classroom expectations to neurodiverse learners?

Assessment and Evaluation of Neurodiverse Learners 

Overarching Questions: 

1. How can we assess neurodiverse learners in a way that is equitable?

2. What steps can we take to ensure all students have the opportunity to show mastery of content?

A Deep Dive into Accommodations 

Overarching Questions: 

1. What is the process when a neurodiverse student requests accommodations?

2. How are accommodations chosen?

3. What can faculty do to ensure accommodations are reasonable?

Lesson Planning for Neurodiverse Learners

Overarching Questions: 

1. How do you plan a lesson for a neurodiverse classroom?

2. How does planning for a neurodiverse population impact all of your students?

3. How can we effectively communicate content in a neurodiverse classroom?

Faculty Observation and Feedback 

Better understand the observation and feedback process, from both perspectives. This online, asynchronous course outlines the processes, timelines, strategies, and expectations of the faculty observation process and feedback at ECC.  

*NOTE:  This course runs for two weeks asynchronously online via the D2L platform. Throughout the course, there are interactive checkpoints for participants to pose questions and test out ideas. Participants will have access to the D2L course on the start date listed when they register. 

Teaching Observation Forms

Techniques for Managing the Enhanced Classroom (6-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to developing a course blueprint, Web-design consistency, communications tools, and setting up a gradebook. A general overview of Desire2Learn (D2L) will be provided.

This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and manage an enhanced course effectively. The course is instructor-led, six-weeks long, and fully online. Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning at a distance in an online environment.

Online Instruction and Assessment Practices (8-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to instructional design, communications tools, using group work online, creating interactive content, and deciding upon online assessment items.

This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and teach an online course effectively. The course is instructor-led, eight-weeks long, and fully-online. Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning at a distance in an online environment.

Combining On-Site with Online, Hybrid Teaching (8-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to designing a hybrid course blueprint, integrating online and face-to-face learning activities, and identifying the components of a pedagogically effective hybrid course.  This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and manage a hybrid course effectively.  

This course is instructor-led, eight-weeks long, and combines face-to-face sessions with online learning activities.  Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning using a hybrid model of instruction.

Greatest Hits in Accessibility  

Like crafting a timeless tune, designing digital content requires precision and attention to detail to resonate with all audiences.  In this workshop, we'll be riffing on the top tunes of accessibility, exploring the essential techniques and strategies that hit all the right notes in ensuring inclusivity.  From composing effective alt text to mastering the harmony of color contract, we'll delve into the melody of best practices for creating accessible documents, presenaitons, and multimedia.  Join us as we orchestrate a symphony of accessibility, where every beat is felt and every lyric heard, creating a seamless and enriching experience for all.  Let's jam together and make accessibility the chart-topper it deserves to be at ECC. 

Exploring Options for Accessible STEM Content

In this session, we'll discuss creating STEM content that breaks down barriers and ensures inclusivity for learners.  We will focus on tools and creative methods to design STEM content that caters to diverse learning needs, ensuring that everyone can engage with and excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses.  From creating accessible equations and graphs to incorporating alternative text for visual elements, we'll explore practical strategies for making STEM content accessible to students with various abilities. 

Undocumented Student Support Training, Part 1:  Information and Awareness 

This workshop will discuss the experience and unique challenges faced by students who are undocumented. Content will include information regarding legal, financial, and mental health concerns faced by undocumented students and what resources are available.  

Undocumented Student Support Training, Part 2:  Application of Strategies & Support 

This workshop is a continuation of the Part 1 training and provides participants the opportunity to adopt strategies to use when helping Undocumented students navigate the Higher Education system. Part 2 training will incorporate the usage of student case studies guiding participants to conceptualize the various challenges and barriers undocumented students experience, identify on-campus resources, and provide support.   

Supporting Multilingual Students - Across the Curriculum 

In this workshop, participants will learn to more effectively support the multilingual students in their classes by better understanding multilingual students in general.  Participants will engage in a sensitivity/empathy exercise, explore the diversity behind the label of “multilingual,” as well as learn how differences in culture can impact multilingual students as writers and students.

Note: This workshop is designed for both tutors and instructors in any discipline.

Supporting Multilingual Writers - Being a Literacy and Language Coach

In this workshop, participants will learn ways to support a diverse range of multilingual writers by being both a literacy and language coach.  Participants will explore strategies to help writers’ language and literacy acquisition as well as learn best practices for responding to error in multilingual student writing.

Note: This workshop is designed for those who work with multilingual writers, whether you are a tutor in the Writing Center, English faculty, or a faculty member who frequently assigns writing in their courses.

Techniques for Managing the Enhanced Classroom (6-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to developing a course blueprint, Web-design consistency, communications tools, and setting up a gradebook. A general overview of Desire2Learn (D2L) will be provided.

This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and manage an enhanced course effectively. The course is instructor-led, six-weeks long, and fully online. Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning at a distance in an online environment.

Online Instruction and Assessment Practices (8-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to instructional design, communications tools, using group work online, creating interactive content, and deciding upon online assessment items.

This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and teach an online course effectively. The course is instructor-led, eight-weeks long, and fully-online. Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning at a distance in an online environment.

Combining On-Site with Online, Hybrid Teaching (8-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to designing a hybrid course blueprint, integrating online and face-to-face learning activities, and identifying the components of a pedagogically effective hybrid course.  This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and manage a hybrid course effectively.  

This course is instructor-led, eight-weeks long, and combines face-to-face sessions with online learning activities.  Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning using a hybrid model of instruction.

Techniques for Managing the Enhanced Classroom (6-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to developing a course blueprint, Web-design consistency, communications tools, and setting up a gradebook. A general overview of Desire2Learn (D2L) will be provided.

This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and manage an enhanced course effectively. The course is instructor-led, six-weeks long, and fully online. Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning at a distance in an online environment.

Online Instruction and Assessment Practices (8-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to instructional design, communications tools, using group work online, creating interactive content, and deciding upon online assessment items.

This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and teach an online course effectively. The course is instructor-led, eight-weeks long, and fully-online. Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning at a distance in an online environment.

Combining On-Site with Online, Hybrid Teaching (8-Week Course)

The purpose of this course is to introduce educators to designing a hybrid course blueprint, integrating online and face-to-face learning activities, and identifying the components of a pedagogically effective hybrid course.  This course will provide educators with valuable resources and important skills needed to develop and manage a hybrid course effectively.  

This course is instructor-led, eight-weeks long, and combines face-to-face sessions with online learning activities.  Thus, participants will have an opportunity to experience learning using a hybrid model of instruction.

Faculty Observation and Feedback 

Better understand the observation and feedback process, from both perspectives. This online, asynchronous course outlines the processes, timelines, strategies, and expectations of the faculty observation process and feedback at ECC.  

*NOTE:  This course runs for two weeks asynchronously online via the D2L platform. Throughout the course, there are interactive checkpoints for participants to pose questions and test out ideas. Participants will have access to the D2L course on the start date listed when they register. 

Teaching Observation Forms

Getting Started with Digital Accessibility  

The concept of digital accessibility can be overwhelming and is often an afterthought in course design.  In this workshop, we will discuss how small changes can make a big impact in the development of more accessible and inclusive courses.  We will explore various examples of common barriers surrounding navigation, file types, and formatting and how each can be resolved in just a few steps.

Whether you've dipped your toes in the water or have yet to get started, this workshop is a great opportunity to start learning how and why accessibility can drastically impact student learning.

Designing Accessible Presentations 

Slide decks are popular tools that visually support presentations, lectures, or webinars.  Two of the most commonly used platforms for slide decks include Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.

In order for these presentations to be accessible for all participants, it is best practice to make slide decks available and shared with each participant prior to or at at the start of a presentation.  This availability gives everyone the same opportunity to interact with the content displayed on each slide throughout the presentation.  In this workshop, we will dive into how developing content through the slide layout, checking the reading order, adding proper tiles, considering fonts and styles, and including multimedia appropriately can all promote a more accessible presentation.

LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training

LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training provides the opportunity to create a network of visible allies to people who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ campus community. Safe Zone trainings provide information and resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. 

Undocumented Student Support Training, Part 1:  Information and Awareness 

This workshop will discuss the experience and unique challenges faced by students who are undocumented. Content will include information regarding legal, financial, and mental health concerns faced by undocumented students and what resources are available.  

Undocumented Student Support Training, Part 2:  Application of Strategies & Support 

This workshop is a continuation of the Part 1 training and provides participants the opportunity to adopt strategies to use when helping Undocumented students navigate the Higher Education system. Part 2 training will incorporate the usage of student case studies guiding participants to conceptualize the various challenges and barriers undocumented students experience, identify on-campus resources, and provide support.   

Getting Started with Digital Accessibility  

The concept of digital accessibility can be overwhelming and is often an afterthought in course design.  In this workshop, we will discuss how small changes can make a big impact in the development of more accessible and inclusive courses.  We will explore various examples of common barriers surrounding navigation, file types, and formatting and how each can be resolved in just a few steps.

Whether you've dipped your toes in the water or have yet to get started, this workshop is a great opportunity to start learning how and why accessibility can drastically impact student learning.

Accessibility in D2L

The learning management system for ECC, D2L (Desire to Learn), offers a series of benefits for course design. It streamlines key processes for instructors and makes organizing content, delivering instruction, and monitoring student progress easier to manage. For students, it offers features that simplify the process of navigating to instructional materials and completing coursework.

D2L includes a variety of great features and tools that promote the accessibility of content, discussions, assignments and quizzes. In this workshop, we will explore features that can be used to enhance the learning experience for all students using D2L.