Innovation Connections is a monthly newsletter that features Instructional Innovation Division updates and college-wide innovation and collaboration. Contact Luann Crosby, Director of Library Services, if you wish to contribute to the content.
As we dive into October, I am excited to share some updates that reflect the incredible work happening across our division. We welcome Magdalena Ayala, our new Testing Center Manager, who will lead our efforts to enhance our testing services. The new Testing Center will utilize existing spaces and resources to support high- and low-stakes testing, improve test security, and offer accessible and consistent testing environments for our students and community members...
Where are you from originally and/or currently?
I was born in Sinaloa, Mexico. I had the opportunity to live in other areas of the U.S. and Europe. My favorite place was Germany. The last state we lived in was Washington State, and we moved to Arizona to find our retirement home.
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Technical Management concentration in human resources, with a GPA of 3.91. Also, I have a master’s degree in Human Resources Management.
What do you love doing the most in your work?
I like helping others and being able to make a difference in their lives either by providing customer service, teaching, training, advised, support, etc.
If you were to take a course in something, what would it be?
I would take an American Sign language to teach others or just my family. Another course would be carpentry to assist my husband with the construction projects we have.
What are your favorite things to do/eat/read?
I like hiking, rock climbing, sky diving, but most of all I love to sleep. I like to try different foods from around the world, my best one so far, is German food. I am not a big reader; I like to listen to audio books, murder mysteries, and I also like watching shows about first responders anything that has to do with law enforcement and medical shows.
What goal are you dreaming about completing?
I am dreaming about completing a Testing Center that will suffice every campus/center needs. I know there will be bumps on the road, but it can be accomplished. “All roads will lead to the testing center.” My personal goal, it’s to complete all the home projects in two years.
We have focused more on our outreach efforts and are beginning to see positive results. In the Fall 2022 semester, we served approximately 13 students. By Fall 2023, this number increased to 33 students, and this Fall 2024, we are currently supporting 45 students with accommodations—and this number continues to grow.
Each month, we will highlight a different disability and its impact on our students, along with links for more information.
Service Animals: Under Titles II and III of the ADA, only dogs are recognized as service animals. A service animal is defined as a dog that is individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability (change as of March 2011).
Access Rights: Generally, Title II and Title III entities that serve the public, must allow service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in all public areas.
NPC Policy: NPC does not require service dogs to be registered. Under the ADA, service animals must be allowed in all areas where the public is permitted.
Definition of Service Animals: Service animals are working animals, not pets. The tasks they perform must be directly related to the individual's disability.
Emotional Support Animals: Dogs that provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Emotional support animals, or "assistance animals," are covered under the Fair Housing Act of 1988. As NPC does not offer housing, emotional support animals are not permitted on campus.
The only two legal questions that can be asked to differentiate service animals from emotional support animals are:
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What specific work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
For more information:
Click below to see a list of technology, curriculum and design workshops happening this month through the ITCS Department. Also available are directions for recording yourself presenting a lecture from within the PowerPoint program and links to QM resources such as instructions on how to login and register at MyQM for dedicated QM workshops on Applying the QM Rubric, Improving Your Online Course. Read all that and more in the October 2024 ITCS newsletter.
After a bit of a rough start to the semester, Early College has completed registration for Fall and is busy planning for the Spring semester. NAVIT, TALON, and Dual Enrollment all saw double digit increases in enrollment, averaging about 20% over these three programs! We also welcomed Window Rock and Monument Valley High Schools back into the Early College fold.
Each NPC Library location has laptops to check out for on or off-campus use! Contact the NPC Library nearest to you for availability.
On Friday, October 25, drop by the NPC Library booth at Eagle Fest to complete the Book Face Challenge!
October is Health Literacy Month. Hospitals, health centers, literacy programs, libraries, social service agencies, government agencies, and many other groups work together to integrate and expand the mission of health literacy. See the NPC Library October 2024 newsletter for some books recently purchased by the NPC Library that could help increase your health literacy.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.
A Cell Biologist Reflects on the Connections Between Stitches and STEM.
Biologist Megan Chong’s research on cell division seems unrelated to the crafting she does to unwind, but she feels that learning to sew and knit helped her build valuable spatial intuition and mathematical reasoning skills.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.
When Martha Strever began teaching 63 years ago, the home computer did not exist and the first human had yet to walk on the moon. There were 23 amendments to the constitution instead of the current 27, John F. Kennedy was president, and the civil rights March on Washington had not happened. A lot has changed since 1961. But one constant is Linden Avenue Middle School’s math teacher.