This site provides examples of instructional resources created in the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, a professional development program funded by the California Education Learning Lab and administered by the Foothill DeAnza Community College District.
I was a face-to-face instructor before Covid. In March 2020, we moved to teach online, and I had to learn new teaching methods with technology, and I love it. I teach Introduction to Computer-Aided Drafting, and I use AutoCAD to teach my students how to draft applications for architecture and mechanical. AutoCAD is a program that keeps updating every year, and I must keep learning too. I knew there were more tools to learn to keep improving our online teaching, and I am so glad that I joined the Humanizing Academy.
After taking the Humazing Inline Course, I understand the challenges many of our Black, Native American, and Latinx students face when taking STEM courses. In this academy, I have learned new programs to design and humanize my courses with activities to build a learning community and a sense of belonging. Surveys to get to know my students where they can share their thoughts about the course and for me to reach them when needed. I want to use the warm demanded pedagogy with wise feedback and move from equality to equity.
I enjoyed learning Google Sites to create a more friendly-welcoming and informative Liquid Syllabus. Using Adobe Express was an excellent experience for creating mini-lectures for our students.
I will keep improving my online courses with humanizing tools, techniques, and activities I have learned in this academy. I already incorporated some of the humanizing activities in my course for Fall 2023. Also, I need to keep learning some of the programs I learned in this academy, such as Flip Grid, Adobe Express, Canva, and Google Sites.
My Liquid Syllabus is welcoming and friendly for students to learn about the online Introduction to Computer-Aided Drafting class.
Students can learn how to prepare for this class to have a positive learning experience in a safe environment with students of different backgrounds. When the students read our Pact, they will know I am here to help them when needed, and I will be flexible to support them in completing the course successfully.
The picture I selected for my course card invites my students to sit and enjoy the experience of learning this fantastic program called AutoCAD.
My Home Page is a welcome-friendly letter to my new students. I give them a written description of how the course is organized, the days and times we will meet using Canvas-Zoom, office hours, instructions to review the class syllabus, how to reach me, what to do when they submit assignments, and where to find their grades. Also, I have included my picture and my biography.
For this survey, I asked my students questions that will help me to get to know them better and why they are taking my class. These questions help me identify high school students exploring architecture or mechanical as a profession, college students who will transfer to universities, or professionals returning to school to obtain new skills or work on their second or third degree.
In the Ice Breaker activity, I invite my students to share a positive learning experience that helped them continue their education. We all have challenges at school, and by sharing our experiences, we can inspire each other to do our best.
For the Bumper Video, I shared a brief history of AutoCAD, the program that the students will learn to use to draft applications in architecture and mechanical. I also share part of my portfolio using this software.
I want to share how AutoCAD works with a computer mouse for the micro lecture. One of the learning objectives of this class is to learn to use the AutoCAD commands to draft architectural and mechanical drawings. In the first three weeks, the students will learn the AutoCAD commands and must practice until they feel comfortable using them. The students can watch this video several times.
When students feel comfortable using the commands, they will enjoy when they are drafting the class assignments. The students start this class with no knowledge of this program, and by the end of the semester, they will have two portfolios, one for architecture and the other for mechanical.
This site is by Mercedes Evans and is shared with a Creative Commons-Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 license. Creation of this content was made possible with funding from the California Education Learning Lab.
