Pushing the Next Class

Getting students in the next class is important.
Nancy Hulverson posted in LERN:
"In our computer lab, we have a small wipe board at the front of the room. It has a label that says "Your next class is". The instructor writes the next class in the series down or the next logical class. We have an amazing number of people go from digital cameras to photography to Photoshop as an example, from this sign.
Once you have a student enjoying your program, most students just want to know what to do next. They already love you, they just don't know what to do. Just tell them! "
At this time when we have fewer students, in-class promotion is very important. The more students we retain the better for all of us.
If you don't know what the next class after yours is, please call you programmer.

Increase Your Enrollment

It is that time of year again. Spring is here and people are thinking of things other than taking your class.

They will miss a great opportunity and all your hard work preparing for the class may be for naught. The solution to the problem is simple--increase your class enrollment.

Three straight-forward activities that can increase your enrollment were discussed in a previous post. However, they are certainly worth repeating.

• Contact potential students and tell them about your class.
• Make announcements in places where people gather who would be interested in your topic.
• Email prospective students and give them the department Internet address so they can register online. http://noncredit.cocc.edu/

What classes should I take next?

Students often ask, “What classes should I take next?” If the class they are completing was one of a sequence, I would suggest taking the next one in the sequence, even though I did not offer the class. However, I became stuck when asked what to take when there was no sequence. Feeling a need to help the students, I searched for a solution.

The first place I looked was the current class schedule. Not surprising, there were a number of classes that expanded on various topics within my class. So, I wrote down the titles along with a brief description and created a handout. The handout was disseminated at the next meeting or emailed to the students if the class had concluded.

One such handout can be viewed by clicking here. Your program coordinator (Glenda, Nancy, Paul, or Rachael) can help you construct something similar.

Solving Student Registration Issues, Part II

The post of last week offered guidance regarding a student who unexpectedly show up. The following post has suggestions on what to do about supplies and the need to stay in touch with the Community Learning office.

1. Supplies. If you have a class that requires supplies to complete a project and the student came without the required supplies, you can:

• Share supplies (for a fee to the student) or perhaps talk to other students in the class who came prepared and would be willing to share supplies for a fee (always emphasize that the supplies need to be reimbursed).
• If there is a second class or there is a lunch break, perhaps the student without supplies could purchase some before coming back to class.

2. Be in touch with the CL office on the days before your class.

• Your programmer will send you a roster in a timely manner. We try to give you enough time to prepare supplies. However, the earlier we send a roster, the better the chance that additions or subtractions will occur making your original roster less accurate.
• Students can “register” online 24 hours a day. Our website does tell them their registration will not be complete until our office contacts them to confirm. However, we do see larger numbers of students registering online for a class the night before the class begins. This can be challenging for you, especially if you are teaching an early morning or a weekend day class.

Finally, remember to follow up immediately after class with your programmer with questions, concerns and convey the names of all students in question.

Again, a special thanks to Glenda and Rachel for this two part post.

Social Media in the Classroom, Part II

The previous post gave an overview of social media and suggested some classroom uses. This post offers specific information on Facebook, its use by the department, and one of our instructor’s classroom application of a blog.

Facebook
A white paper titled, “Drive Belonging and Engagement in the Classroom” provides a closer look at Facebook from a classroom perspective. It discusses Facebook popularity, demographics, growth, etc. along with ideas on:

1. Creating a teacher or student biography (called a profile).
2. Creating student groups.
3. The sharing of photos and videos.
4. Publishing notes and classroom examples.
5. Management of assignments.
6. Testimonials of instructors.

View the document by clicking here.

Department Facebook Page
The department’s use of Facebook is just beginning. The idea behind the Facebook page is to establish a presence rather than being a social networking place. To view the department's page, you will need to join Facebook. It is easy, free, and safe. Join and view by clicking here.

Classroom Blog
A long-time department instructor has been operating a class blog for several years. He uses it to keep in touch with former students, provide current information, offer supplement material, etc. View the blog by clicking here.

Even More...
Want to know even more about social media? Enroll in the upcoming spring session of “Market your Business on Social Media”, April 14 and April 21 6-9 p.m.

Social Media in the Classroom, Part I

Social media refers to the interaction of people using digital technology such as personal computers and mobile telephones. It is different from industrial media such as newspapers, television, films, etc., in that it is not one-way communication, not usually owned/operated by a large company, is low/no cost, etc.

The communication segment of social media encompasses blogs, social networking, and micro-blogging (text messaging), all of which have many classroom uses. For example, one can create a presence where students can interact on a personal level, discuss classroom activities, and exchange drafts of written papers for peer review. For the instructor, it is a means to post supplemental material, maintain contact with students once the course has concluded, and promote enrollment in other classes.

The following social media communication sites are examples of what is available. Each offers a free service.

Blogging
Blogger.com No advertisements on pages.
Wordpress.com Placement of advertisements on the page.

Networking
Facebook.com Originally for those of college age.
Myspace.com Originally for those of pre-college age.
Linkedin.com Professional-oriented.
Ning.com Offers software to create an online community.

Micro-blogging
Twitter.com Text-message blogging of no more than 140 characters.

Next week we will look at specific examples of social media in the classroom.

A Blog for Your Class

A blog is simply an online journal or diary. It has many applications, including several in education. There are several advantages to having a blog for your students.

1. It is a convenient way to stay in touch with current students.
2. You can make information available to former students.
3. It is a means of advertising your class.

A class-related blog of one of our community learning instructors can be viewed at http://tomsbookpublishingblog.blogspot.com/. It has been on the Internet for several years, being visited by thousands of people. Thus, it has kept his students up-to-date and exposed the class to potential students.

If you are interested in pursuing the idea of class blog, let me know by using the COMMENTS link below.

Community Learning Promotedat Larkspur Spring Festival

Members of the Community Learning Department worked a booth at the annual Larkspur Spring Festival on Saturday, June 7. They promoted the spring and summer classes, with an emphasis on those held at the Bend Senior Center, site of the festival. An important part of the promotion was to let the hundreds of visitors know that the community learning classes, like the center, were not just for senior citizens but community members as well.

Visitors to the department booth were given class schedules along with materials that elaborated on the department and the college. In addition, there was much discussion about instructors and their classes, a Qigong demonstration and practice session, as well as a display of computer applications. A special thanks to Larry Nonemaker, one of our instructors who loaned us an RV as part of the booth, Steven Foster-Wexler for the Qigong demonstration and Michelle Wood for the Qigong practice session.