October 2024 Flex Day
Visit the CTTL WebsiteBuilding Bridges and Community with Joy
Following our Convocation, we continue the themes of building community and bridging gaps in equity and our understanding. Our hopes is to build community in a thriving learning and working environment, and to support Skyline College's goal to become an antiracist institution. We joyfully celebrate the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff and strive to build bridges for student success.
We hope you will join us in person for this special day and invite all classified, faculty, and staff to come when you can.
We have a wonderful keynote speaker, Dr. Zachary Foster, who will be speaking on Bridging the Divide: Israel and Palestine 101, as well as an ice cream social sponsored by the SMCCCD Foundation.
Feedback on October 9 Flex Day
Here is a very short 5 question Google Form; please feel free to give us some feedback or also you can reach out to Andrea Fuentes.
October 9 Schedule at a Glance
Please note that the opening and keynote event are in-person only! Online options are available from 10:30 - 4:30 pm.
Breakfast and Welcome, 8:15 - 9:00 am | Bldg 6- Fireside Dining
Keynote, Bridging the Divide: Israel and Palestine 101, 9:00 - 10:30 am | Fireside Dining
Morning Breakout Sessions, 10:30 - 12:00pm | Building 6 and Online
Lunch and Tabling, 12:00 - 1:00pm | Fireside Dining
Ice Cream Social, SMCCC Foundation, 12:30-1:30pm | Fireside Dining
Afternoon and Half Day Breakout Sessions, 1:00-4:30pm | Building 6 and Online
All SMCCCD full-time faculty members have a total of 6 days (30 hours) of Flex obligations to complete, while day/evening obligations vary based on semester assignments. Failure by full-time faculty to fulfill this obligation may result in a reduction of pay.
The District Academic Senate issued a clarifying memo on Flex Day obligations for 2024-25 along with the form. Full-time faculty complete the form annually with their Dean (new). See the Memo for details.
NOTE: Part-time faculty may be compensated for attending Flex Days regardless of which day they teach or if they teach asynchronously. Part-time faculty attending flex day(s) should fill out both the Flex Day Reporting Form and the Adjunct-OL Faculty Timesheet and submit them to their division assistant. Contact CTTL with any questions about flex reporting. Please see the Collective Bargaining Agreement for further details, Article 7.11.1 for full-time faculty and Article 7.11.2 for part-time faculty.
Timesheet Instructions Tutorial Video from AFT 1493 (Fall 2024)
If you are a faculty member unable to participate in any of the planned on-campus Flex Day activities and would like to know about alternatives available to you, discuss your situation and options with your Division Dean.
SMCCCD provides a flexible calendar for staff development in accordance with California
Code of Regulations, Title 5,
Division 6, § 55724*. There are six (6) Flex Days in the 2024-2025 academic calendar:
● Monday and Tuesday, August 12 and 13, 2024, and Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
● Thursday and Friday, January 9 and 10, 2025, and Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Per Title 5, all Flex Day obligations are on “flexible time.” All faculty members
are encouraged to attend Opening Day
activities on Monday, August 12, 2024 and Convocation at Skyline College on Tuesday,
August 15, 2024. As of 2018,
SMCCCD requires mandatory attendance at two Flex Days for full-time faculty, while
the other four Flex Days remain on
flexible time. The mandatory Flex Days for full-time faculty are August 13, 2024 and
January 10, 2025.
You can click the Register buttons on the Agenda and Schedule tab for each session, or to bulk register:
1. Go to the SMCCCD Employee Portal and login with your SSO credentials:
2. After you enter your SMCCD credential you will see this page; click the Vision Resource Center tile:
3. Once there, click the Events Calendar Button link to go to the desired date. Be careful to select Skyline Events, CSM also uses the VRC to register for their events.
4.Click the name of each session you choose and Register by clicking the blue “Request” button.
You have now registered for the session. You will receive an email confirmation from skylinecttl@smccd.edu and a calendar invite.
ⓘ VRC Registration
If you are denied access, it means one of two things:
- You are not signed in with your employee Single Sign-On. Please sign in with SMCCCD OneLogin and try again.
- Your primary job needs to be updated to enable acess to the VRC. Please request this update, so we can promptly resolve the issue for you. NOTE: This can take up to 48 hours to resolve. After you submit the request to update your primary job, if this is not resolved by Opening Day, simply go ahead and attend the sessions you are interested in and make sure to write your name in the sign-in sheet. We can credit you retroactively in the VRC once your primary job is updated.
If you experience any issues or need an ADA accommodation, please contact Ricardo Flores (floresr@smccd.edu)
Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning - CTTL
Building 5, Room 5-118
Email: skylinecttl@smccd.edu
Phone: 650-738-7080
For professional learning/development inquiries contact:
Andrea Fuentes: fuentesandrea@smccd.edu
Breakfast and Check-In | 8:15 - 9:00 AM
Breakfast and Registration Instructions
Even if you are not attending the full Flex Day sessions, please take a moment to
register if you are going to the continental breakfast. We so much appreciate it and look
forward to being in community with you!
REGISTER FOR BREAKFAST
Remember, when selecting your sessions, there are tracks for Equity, Technology/Innovation,
Health/Safety/Wellness, etc. which are also color coded. You can register for all
sessions in the Vision Resource Center (log into portal first) by going to October
9th on the Events Calendar and following the prompts for each session.
Opening Keynote | 9:00-10:20 AM
Bridging the Divide: Israel and Palestine 101
Dr. Zachary Foster, Rutgers University (Equity and Access)
Building 6 Fireside Dining | 9:00 - 10:20 AM
Dr. Zachary Foster, a Senior Fellow at Rutgers Law School, will give a keynote presentation on the origins and causes of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Dr. Zachary J. Foster is a Jewish historian whose research explores the origins of Palestinian identity in the 19th century. Zach is a Senior Law Fellow at the Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and Rights. He holds a Master’s in Arab Studies from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He is the founder of the digital archive, Palestine Nexus, which offers an Israel-Palestine 101 course and is a frequent contributor to international media outlets including the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and TRT, the national public broadcaster of Turkey. His talk will debunk common myths and provide historical context for understanding anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, and Palestinian activism. There will be a Q&A with Dr. Foster and a debrief in small groups following. This session is funded by the President's Innovation Fund grant as a follow up to the Academic Senate Resolution, and is part of a series of events that will be occurring in collaboration with different campus stakeholders. This session is In person only. ALL classified staff, adjunct, administrators, and full time faculty are welcome!
Morning Breakout Sessions | 10:30 - 12:00
Building Community with Nature: Better Lliving through Birding
Jarrod Feiner, Perry Chen and the Skyline Bird Brigade (Health, Safety and Wellness)
Meet at Building 4, Intercultural Center | 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Hosted by First Year Experience (FYE) students, join members of our newly found birdwatching club, Skyline Birders’ Brigade, as we view and identify various birds that are found on Skyline’s campus. Birding offers students and faculty many benefits; in fact, a North Carolina State University study found that “university students who went birding reported higher gains in subjective well-being and more reduction in psychological distress” (Forbes). Ever wonder what the difference is between a crow and a raven? Why are some blackbirds brown? These and other questions will be answered. Join the Brigade! Please note spaces are limited due to binoculars ... feel free to bring your own if you have them!
Building Understanding: An Immersive Experience in Learning Differences
Whitney Liu and Learning Center/Library Staff (Equity and Access)
Library, Building 5 Upstairs | 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Join us for a lively, immersive experience in learning differences in this hands-on simulation workshop. The goal of this workshop is to build awareness of the challenges that students with learning disabilities face on a daily basis. Participants will rotate through 6 simulation stations (developed, in part, by the International Dyslexia Association) and learn some strategies from the Educational Access Center to support these students.
CANCELLED --------- CTTL Tools and Services: Enhancing Instruction through Video
CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS OF FACILITATOR RICARDO FLORES
CTTL 5-134 (Video Studio) | 10:30 - 12:00 PM
CANCELLED - LOOK FOR A STAND ALONE WORKSHOP IN NOVEMBER Educational videos can enhance student engagement and understanding in all modes of delivery. When done correctly, educational video offers visual storytelling, diverse perspectives, visualization of complex concepts, and real-world examples. By incorporating videos, teachers can create more dynamic and impactful learning experiences. Join us for an overview of video tools and services available through the CTTL and learn how you can improve your students’ learning experience using tools like Panopto, Play Posit, Lightboard, and the CTTL Video Studio. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop but not required.
Bridging Student Success through Legislative Change
Jacquie Escobar (Excellence in Teaching, Student Services)
Online and 6-206 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
With the goal of facilitating student transfer and thus degree attainment, recent legislation is significantly changing the landscape for students intending to transfer and earn associate degrees. This workshop will review these new legislative mandates, including AB928 CalGETC and AB111 Common Course Numbering, along with Title V policy changes to our local Associate Degree. Learn how these new legislations will impact our students and your representative courses and programs. New legislation under development and consideration will also be previewed.
Connecting Coursework and Comprehensive Learning Outcomes
Karen Wong and MIchael Cross (Excellence in Teaching)
Online | 10:30 - 12:00 PM
With many students taking courses to fulfill general education requirements, how can you communicate your course’s significance beyond being an inspiring, knowledgeable instructor? One means is through conveying how your assignments contribute to students’ overall growth, as articulated by the updated Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs). This hands-on workshop is for those who want to surface the relevance of their assignments for students by drafting or revising an existing assignment, including capstone assignments, thus highlighting the impact of your course. This training opportunity is an extension of the opening day workshop on Aligning Courses with ISLOs, though you need not have attended to participate.
Project Change: Supporting Formerly Incarcerated Students
Mario Wash (Equity and Access)
6-203 and Online | 10:30 - 12:00 PM
As a follow up to Kenya Sullivan's presentation, SESP presents a practical workshop on how to support formerly incarcerated students at Skyline. Project Change is designed to build community, on and off campus, that will serve as social, emotional and academic support for formerly incarcerated and system impacted students at Skyline College. In this workshop we will be discussing how you can support justice-impacted students at Skyline College and provide some resources that you may want to utilize in and out of the classroom. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and find out ways that you can get involved with our students.
Lunch and Ice Cream Social | 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Lunch and Building Community
Please join us for a light lunch in Building 6, Fireside Dining. And don't forget
to save room for the Ice Cream Social, which starts at 12:30 PM.
As always, we request you register for catering purposes; even if you are not attending
the Flex Day sessions.
Register for Lunch
Ice Cream Sundae Bar with the SMCCC Foundation
Join the members of the SMCCC Foundation and Executive Director Megan Barber-Allende
to create a masterpiece of ice cream deliciousness!
The Sundae Bar will open at 12:30 and is for all Skyline College employees to enjoy.
It's the Foundation's way of saying thank you to our employees for all the support,
and to give us a chance to be in community over yummy frozen desserts and toppings.
Come meet Megan and other folks from the team. The Bar will be open until 1:30 PM.
There is no registration required.
Afternoon Flex Sessions - Note Times Vary | 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Unpacking the UDL Toolbox: Inclusive Learning for All
District Instructional Designers: Allison Hughes, Andrea Fuentes, Bianca Rowden-Quince, Jennifer Howze-Owens, Julieth Diaz
Online | 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Looking to design learning experiences that benefit all students? Are you familiar with UDL but not quite sure what it means for your courses? Join us for a series of sessions where we will unpack the Universal Design for Learning tool box. Each session will focus on a specific tool: Representation, Action and Expression, Engagement, and bringing it all together. You can join the entire series, or choose the sessions that seem most relevant for your course design goals. A space created with everyone in mind. You won't want to miss it. Have some examples from your course to work on.
Tennis with Coach Mike
MIchael Fitzgerald (Health, Safety and Wellness)
Tennis Courts | 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Join Coach Mike for a fun tennis experience. Beginners welcome! Wear comfortable athletic attire and sneakers. Please register as space is limited. You may have the chance to win some fun prizes!
Practical Applications of AI in the Classroom: Artificial Atlases
Rachel Cunningham (Technology and Innovation)
Building 6 Room 206 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM
There's no question that our students are using artificial intelligence and language models like ChatGPT. But instead of banning it altogether, is it possible to use an AI-driven assignment to get our students to think critically about its usage? Join for a hands-on demo of an actual student assignment in introductory geography classes. Bring your laptop or tablet to try your hand at creating an artificial atlas. Who can make a better map - AI or humans? This is part of a series about using AI in the classroom. Stay tuned for future flex day sessions!
Build Your Canvas Experience: New Canvas Tips and Tricks
Kim Saccio (Online Learning/Technology and Innovation)
Building 6-203 and Online | 1:00 - 2:30 PM
Would you like to make your life easier and help your students get the most out of Canvas? This hands on session is for you. Join Kim Saccio, DE Coordinator, for tips and tricks and the latest feature updates in Canvas! Update: the session will be online, or join in 6-203 (we have a Zoom room).
Serving Community: The Empty Bowls Project
Tiffany Schmierer (Equity and Access, Community Building)
Ceramics Studio Building 1 | 1:00-3:00 PM
Empty Bowls is a worldwide artists' initiative to raise awareness and money for food-related projects to care for and feed the hungry in communities. They inspire art groups to think globally and act locally. The Empty Bowls @ Skyline College project has a focused theme of raising awareness about food insecurity, and fostering a civic mindset and community engagement. This Flex Day workshop will help us reach our goal of creating 300 bowls for the event. Participants will experience the clay-making process while contributing to the Empty Bowls awareness and fundraising effort, with all proceeds going to the Skyline College SparkPoint Center. Attendees will also learn about ways to engage with the Spring 2025 Empty Bowls event. Session is limited to 20 persons.
Thriving Work Environment: Know Your Rights and Shape Your Next Contract (AFT)
Tamara Perkins and Rika Fabian (Other)
Online | 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Take a deep dive into your contract and learn about new provisions and benefits, understand your rights and the grievance process, and get involved with writing the next contract.
Building Student Engagement: New Field Trip Forms
Golda Margate, Aria Frangos, Maricela Gonzalez (Student Services)
6-205 and Online | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
This is an introductory workshop on changes to the process for submitting forms and fulfilling requirements for Student Field Trips. We'll do a step by step on the new way for submitting forms and a preview of the required Student Conduct video component. ZOOM MEETING ID: 8691661339
Building a Community of Praxis
Janice Sapigao, Mustafa Popal, Kathy Zarur, Katie Manbachi (Equity and Access, Excellence in Teaching)
Building 6 Fireside Dining | 1:30-3:00
Interested in starting a community of practice around developing innovative curriculum with SWANA history, art, and culture? This is a follow up to our Keynote speaker and led by our PIF grant team, as part of the Academic Senate Resolution from Spring 2024.
Thriller Dance Party!
Qimmah Tamu, Franco Deal (Health and Wellness)
Quad/Fireside Dining | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Come get your October started learning the Thriller choreography and having a workout! Don't worry if you didn't register, just come on down!!
Half Day Flex Sessions - Afternoon | 12:30 - 4:30 PM
Adult First Aid and AED
Red Cross (Health, Safety and Wellness)
Building 6-202 and 6-204 | 12:30 - 4:30 PM
The Adult First Aid/CPR/AED course incorporates the latest science and teaches students to recognize and care for a variety of first aid emergencies such as burns, cuts, scrapes, sudden illnesses, head, neck, back injuries, heat and cold emergencies and how to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies for victims about 12 years and older. Successful students will receive a certificate for Adult First Aid/CPR/AED valid for two years. Course is open to all district employees and is capped at 25 participants. Please wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to sit, stand, kneel, and move around the room.
Propose a Workshop for Flex Day
Have an idea or some experience to share? To support diverse programming that meets the needs of our campus community, the CTTL is requesting proposals for Flex Day sessions.
Now accepting Flex Day and Adjunct Symposium proposals for Spring 2025, for Skyline College only (NO district wide proposals).
We are looking for tracks around Excellence in Teaching, Community Building, Technology and Innovation (including Online Teaching), Health/Safety/Wellness, and Equity/Access. Our two top priorities are Equity/Access and Thriving Work/Learning Environment.
Guidelines for Presenters
Prospective Presenters - The CTTL has adapted the Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills (AKS) framework by Connerley and Pedersen (2005) to develop our own framework of constructing and facilitating workshops/training.
The adaptation of AKS is as a way to identify if the workshop is building awareness (creating the foundational information about your topic such as definitions, historical timelines/context); relating knowledge (interpreting the research, policies, or other resources related to the topic); as well as implementing skills (applying best practices/strategies). Workshops should either focus on one or all of the adapted AKS framework to build upon the work currently being done within our college and across the district. Using this framework will also further inform the participants of the purpose and outcomes of the workshop.
Need support with developing a workshop proposal? Have questions or need additional information? ContactAndrea Fuentes, PD Coordinator.
Previous Flex Days
Access materials from earlier flex days in the CTTL Faculty Repository, Professional Development section.
Flex Day Archives
CTTL maintains copies of slide decks, handouts, and some video recordings from previous flex days. You can browse the CTTL Faculty Repository for this information. If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Fuentes in the CTTL.
PD and Flex Day Repository