Bb Collaborate - Welcome to Spring 2020 Online Transition

All right, hello, hello.

Uh, welcome back.

I hope you had a, uh, wonderfully safe
and fun, uh, extended, uh, Spring Break.

It's, uh, been a while and a lot of things
have, uh, drastically changed since

we last met.

I think, um, most of you are fully
aware of that, I hope you are.

I pray you and your families are well and

staying safe amid the,
uh, COVID-19 challenges.

So all of us are experiencing
a variety of, uh,

things as a result of the, of COVID-19
or the coronavirus.

Uh, as you know, and I hope that you are
adhering to all of the safety guidelines

that are being put in place by the
federal, state and the, uh, local levels

to keep you and your families safe.

I've missed our date nights.

Uh, I look forward to, uh,
the transition to this, uh,

new online date night, uh,
format, if you will.

Um, it's gonna be a new format,
uh, for most of us, including me.

Uh, and I want to ensure that all of us,
um, are successful as possible

in this, uh, new format, or
"the new normal," uh, if you will.

And to ensure that, I want to make sure
that we all follow on the same guidelines.

Um, one of which is to, uh, make sure
you check into your ACC email on a

regular basis, uh, for class information,
for updates, um, for things that'll be

taking place or, for
pre-recorded, uh, sessions.

This is the first session I'm
doing as kind of a test.

Also, uh, check the ACC coronavirus, uh,
website, uh, on a daily basis

to learn the latest developments,
uh, tools, and directives.

coming up in the college.

Also, uh, make sure that you, uh, read the

entire contents of any
class-related, or, um,

COVID-19 emails that you might, uh,
be receiving, or anything else, uh,

coming from the college.

They're putting out, uh, uh, a variety of
information to assist students, uh, in

being successful during
these, uh, trying times.

Also, uh, make sure that you're reading
and reviewing the revised class schedule

on a regular basis to ensure that
you don't, uh, miss any deadlines

or due dates for assignments, quizzes,
exams, whatever, anything like that.

Um, it posted, I'll post a revised
calendars, course calendars,

or course schedules,
on Blackboard tomorrow.

Uh, which is uh, Monday, March the 30th,
at least by, uh, 3 pm.

I should have that, uh, all finished and
revised, uh, maybe a couple of more

tweaks that will take place.

But for the most part, um,
I should have it, uh,

finalized and, uh, on Blackboard tomorrow,

and it's going to be under the Course
Documents, Slides, Information, uh,

tab under our, our course Blackboard.

Also, make sure that you're actively
participating in any of the live, online

sessions that I'm going to uh, provide.

I will be logging in and, uh, have a
session to start at 7:05 on our

regularly-scheduled, uh, date nights.

Um, not quite sure how the interaction
is gonna go, um, most people have

some form of a online format, whether
it's, uh, utilizing their cell phones

or their, um, laptops or
desktops or tablets,

um, so we're gonna try this format.

Uh, they're some things I'm going to do as
pre-recorded sessions, uh, for example,

the exam reviews will be
a prerecorded session.

Um, the TCOLE fill-in-the-blanks will be
prerecorded sessions, um, things like that.

So that, um, so that you can watch those
and you have an extended time frame

if you will, to be able to go in and
watch those before those before they

are removed, uh, from your access.

Um, the exam review, there'll be a limited
amount of time that you'll have

uh, access, to those.

Uh, they will be an audio recording.

I'm still not gonna put out, uh,
any written, uh, exam review.

Um, I want you to actively uh, participate.

Um, also, be supportive and, uh,
encouraging to one another as we're all,

uh, in this, uh, transition together.

Uh, even though we're not physically
together, uh we're still all going through

uh, the challenges of, uh,
being physically separated.

Um, I know for myself, I like the
interaction of people,

uh, real interaction of people.

This is gonna be a substitute.

Uh, so it's gonna be, uh,
new for all of us.

I've decided to use the, um, Blackboard
tool, uh, Collaborate Ultra, so that

we only have and are only utilizing
a one format or one platform

of everything because all ACC
students, uh, have Blackboard.

So, we don't have to go out and sign up
for anything get ourselves another

user name and password.

This is something, a format, that's
already existing for us.

Also, uh, to locate, uh, this format, um,
to locate, uh, um, Collaborate, uh, Ultra

in Blackboard, um, go
to the course Blackboard

and on the left side, under course
management, select course tools.

Then you want to scroll down
on the course tools and

select Blackboard Collaborate, uh, Ultra.

From there you'll be taken to the uh,
course sessions, live or prerecorded.

All sessions have, uh, a title.

They have a start date and an end time.

Uh, some sessions have the time frame for
which you will be able to, uh, review them.

Um, I've done a online classes before.

Um, so, but I've never done or prepared
for online classes on such

a short notice as, uh, this
turnaround time has been.

And also I've never utilized, um, any type
of live or prerecorded, video sessions.

Uh, so I'll, uh, look forward to getting
input from you all; getting feedback

uh, from you all, that's
going to be valuable to, uh,

for me particularly to, uh, include
what it is, uh, I'm doing.

Uh, because I know together we can be
successful so let's help one another

with all of this.

Uh, it's, uh, very weird to me
to see myself on the screen,

but I've been kinda playing
with this a little bit.

Um, also, uh, ACC is, um,
put together some,

um, student resources, uh, for you all.

Uh, student access to technology,
to, um, to help students

with the online course transition.

Uh, Student Affairs from Austin
Community College conducted a student

computer survey earlier in this
week or earlier last week, as it is now.

Today's, uh, Sunday, March, the uh, 29th.

Um, but basically what they did,
was to determine, how to best, uh,

support students without appropriate
technology to complete

the online, uh, classes now.

Uh, so basically, um, there's going
to be distribution of technology.

Um, that's going to include
iPads and laptops that were

appropriate and auxiliary, uh,
components, like, uh, webcams.

And they expect to distribute
that technology,

um, to our students who are in need

at the beginning of the
week of, uh, April the 6th.

So that's going to be, that's
going to be next week.

So, if you haven't already,
reach out to ACC Student Affairs,

um, to find out if you qualify or if
there's additional resources available

if you don't have everything you need.

Also, uh, the ACC IT group
is, uh, working on

a solution to allow students to access

ACC's wireless without, uh,
physically entering any of the buildings.

One of the resolutions or solutions
that they're looking at, uh, which

would probably take a couple of weeks,
is to uh, extend the WiFi, um,

um, service, or, to the uh, parking lots.

And if that's done, or when that's
done, it's going to be available

at a North, a Central,
and a South location.

So they're not going to have it available
at all of the ACC locations, um,

but when that comes online...

So check your emails regularly
for updated information.

Also, ACC has a Student Emergency
Fund to help keep students on track

so that you can reach your
academic and career goals.

Um, that fund can be used to help cover
tuition and other, uh, necessary expenses.

So go to the ACC website.

In the search bar you can, uh, type in
"student emergency fund," and the website,

um, or the webpage should
come up to be able to do that.

Also, um, ACC is providing uh,
remote, uh, student support.

So again, in the search um field on
the ACC webpage, you can put in

student, um, or remote student
support and that particular webpage

should come up as well.

Um, so, please, uh, send an email
and let me know if you're able

to watch this session.

If you're able to see the video.

If you're able to hear the audio.

Whether or not you accessed it on
a desktop or a laptop, a tablet, um,

or even on your cell phone.

If you haven't already um, uploaded the,
uh, Blackboard mobile app, please do so.

So you can utilize it, uh,
during these times.

Um, so, I hope this worked.

I look forward to hearing from you.

And I look forward to our regularly
scheduled date nights in online format.

So, big hugs to everyone.

Uh, I, uh, hope you all are staying safe.

Uh, do what you need to
do, uh, to stay safe

and adjust during these,
uh, challenging times

Take care.