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Each semester, full-time faculty in their first, second, and third year at Montgomery College sign up for one workshop series in the Academy for Teaching Transformation. (Adjunct faculty welcome)

Visit the Academy for Teaching Transformation website for additional information.

Common courses are pre-built, ready-to-teach, fully online courses. The dean and department chair should contact the Associate Vice President for Access and Completion Strategy, Dr. Shinta Hernandez, with the names of instructors who need to complete common course training.

Common course training involves three steps:

1) Complete Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning. Sections are offered online or on-campus. Check Workday in MyMC for dates and times.

2) After completing Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning, contact the Common Course Coordinator

• Nader Chaaban (COMM 108)
• Kateema Lee (ENGL 101)
• Anna Deadrick (ENGL 102)
• Tonya Seed (HLTH 100)
• Marge Turnbow (HLTH 113)

and Tom Cantu to arrange the following next steps:

• Complete additional modules to learn features of Blackboard needed to teach the common course.
• Complete the common course competency demonstration to become eligible to teach the common course.

3) Meet with the common course coordinator to review the online course and the expectations of an online instructor. Notes:

• Steps 1 and 2 above can be completed online.
• The deadline for completing the competency demonstration is usually several weeks before the start of the semester.
• This allows time to review the competency demonstrations and ask the instructor complete any needed revisions.
• If an instructor is unable to complete the competency demonstration tasks, the instructor is not eligible to teach the common course.

More information coming soon!

Blackboard and other Learning Management Systems are important communication, information, and design tools that are used to support learning and student success.  The Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning series is a group of classes that assists those who educate students in developing the skills necessary to use Blackboard effectively in a remote teaching environment. Educators also develop skills in creating multimedia elements to add to the blackboard course to promote student engagement. 

Learning Outcomes

• Apply Blackboard tools to establish an online presence
• Adapt your course for Digital Teaching in alignment with best practices for the discipline
• Using Blackboard tools to assess student learning while considering alternative assessment techniques
• Utilize appropriate video conferencing software to promote student engagement
• Explore multimedia technology for use in the digital classroom.

Series Elements
Designed to be completed over a four week period, Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning is broken into four sections (1) Blackboard foundations (2) communicating with students using Blackboard, (3) assessing students using Blackboard, and (4) using and developing multimedia for Blackboard. Upon completion of the Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning series, you will create a working Blackboard teaching site that demonstrates many of the elements taught throughout the series.

Blackboard Foundations
The following foundational courses are essential in helping faculty learn how to demonstrate an Online course presence, which is critical in the digital teaching environment. Foundational courses include:

• Blackboard Essentials: This course will teach you how to how to navigate Blackboard, post files, and upload a syllabus, which are skills that must be mastered before starting the rest of Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning.
• Blackboard Text Editor:  This course will teach you how to create pages in Blackboard with text, links, images, and embedded videos.  Embed a video on a webpage, include student learning outcomes, and ask your students a few questions to guide their thinking as they watch the video. 
• Creating an Online Presence in Your Course (Handout):  This handout helps faculty master the skills of creating course elements with proper introductory and transitioning statements to orient students.  This helps faculty make the shift between face-to-face and remote instruction.

Note: All foundational courses must be taken before completing any other course in the series.

Communicating with Students using Blackboard
The following courses are designed to help faculty learn how to communicate effectively with their students using Blackboard. To support the outcomes associated with communicating with students using Blackboard, participants choose one of the following courses:

• Blackboard Communication tools: This course will teach you how to create and manage an Online Discussion board for your students.  If you find that there are topics that you talked about in class that students want to explore further, you might set up discussions on these topics to further engage students.
• Blackboard Collaborate/Zoom: This course will teach you how to communicate with your students in real-time using audio conferencing, presentation software, and other collaborative tools.
• Teaching and Learning Tips for Developing or Improving Online Discussions (Handout):  This handout provides tips to help faculty craft engaging discussions, maintain faculty presence on the discussion board, and develop netiquette policies to successfully manage student behavior online.

Assessing Students using Blackboard
The following courses are designed to help faculty become proficient in giving and grading tests in Blackboard.

• Blackboard Assessments: This course will teach you how to create online tests for your students that are automatically scored by Blackboard. 
• Blackboard Grade Center:  This course will teach you how to set up an Online Gradebook for your students that can be automatically updated throughout the semester as you enter grades.  This can help keep students on track with their grades throughout the semester and allows them to monitor their own progress and improve performance as the semester progresses.

Using and Developing Multimedia for Blackboard
The following courses are designed to help faculty create an engaging experience for their students by expanding their abilities to provide content beyond the typical use of Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint files. 

• Screen Casting Made Simple:  This course will teach you how to use Screencast-O-Matic to create simple videos that can be used on Blackboard to support teaching and learning.
• Using the Automatic Captions in Yuja: This course will teach you how to caption the videos you create to support accessibility for all students.

For additional information, please contact Philip Bonner.

Connect, explore, experiment, and grow.

Teaching is better with a supportive community.

Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) are small groups of educators who come together around a shared topic of interest. Participants seek to improve student learning by exploring practical strategies, experimenting in their own classrooms, and engaging in honest dialogue about what works and what doesn't.

Learn more about Faculty Learning Communities new window.

The CTL Faculty Professional Learning Pathways Program is a faculty development initiative designed to support innovative, inclusive, and evidence-informed teaching practices aligned with Montgomery College’s Academic Master Plan and Strategic Plan. 

The program offers competency-based professional learning pathways across the following five strategic areas with the option to apply for a microcredential. 

• AI Integration and Digital Fluency 
• Neuroscience of Learning 
• Emotional Intelligence and Human-Centered Teaching 
• Design Thinking and Applied Learning 
• Sustainability and Global Citizenship 

View the Faculty Learning Pathway website new window for additional information.

MC is committed to supporting your professional growth. The redesigned Learning Pathways give you the flexibility to build new skills, connect with colleagues, and apply your learning in meaningful ways. Whether you’re strengthening communication or mastering digital tools, these pathways are designed to help you succeed in your role and beyond.

What Are Learning Pathways?

Learning Pathways are year-long professional development experiences that combine:

• Curated LinkedIn Learning trainings (10 of 15 required)
• In-person special events (2 of 8 required, with lunch included)
• Reflective journaling to capture your insights and progress

 What Is My PLAN?

My PLAN (Professional Learning Accountability Network) is the support system that makes Learning Pathways more than just self-paced training. While you’ll complete much of the work on your own, My PLAN ensures you’re part of a community of growth, accountability, and mentorship.

Through My PLAN, you will:

• Join a cohort of peers who share experiences and resources.
• Receive mentorship and check-ins from Training Coordinators and CTL.
• Connect your learning to Montgomery College’s Academic Master Plan and your personal career goals.
• Celebrate your achievements with colleagues at the end of the year.

How It Works

• Enroll in a Pathway
  
  • Choose Communications and Work or Excellence with Digital Tools.
• Onboard into My PLAN
  
  • Meet with a Training Coordinator and CTL to set your professional goals.
  • Get assigned to a learning cohort.
• Engage in the Learning Cycle
  
  • Complete LinkedIn Learning modules.
  • Attend in-person events.
  • Document your learning in a reflective journal.
  • Share your experiences and strategies with your cohort.
• Mentorship & Accountability
  
  • Training Coordinators provide guidance and progress monitoring.
  • CTL ensures your learning aligns with College goals.
• Completion & Celebration
  
  • Finish your requirements.
  • Earn a Certificate of Completion.
  • Celebrate with your peers at a recognition event.

Why Participate?

By joining a Learning Pathway supported by My PLAN, you will:

• Grow with accountability — stay motivated and track your progress.
• Build community — connect with colleagues across the College.
• Apply your learning — use new skills directly in your role.
• Align with MC’s priorities — contribute to the College’s vision for digital fluency, communication excellence, and inclusive learning.
• Be recognized — your efforts will be celebrated and formally acknowledged.

Ready to Begin?

Choose your pathway, join your cohort, and take the next step in your professional growth.

Your pathway. Your plan. Your growth.

For additional information, please contact Richard Forrest.

The Online Teaching training prepares MC faculty to build and teach online or blended courses. It is open to all full and part-time MC faculty.

Online Teaching is a fully-online course that begins around the third week of each semester and runs for 7 weeks. The course will guide you through planning, building, and preparing to teach your own online or blended course. Participants will design a full course and build a course prototype consisting of a syllabus, orientation, and one learning module that is ready-to-teach. The prototype is refined until it serves as a model and a set of page templates for building the rest of the course.

To become eligible to teach online for Montgomery College, your course prototype must meet the competency demonstration criteria, which include the 23 essential standards from the current Quality Matters Rubric.

Prerequisites: 

• Completion of Digital Fundamentals for Teaching and Learning (formerly SRT training) or Online Teaching Part 1 in Spring 2020.
• Approval from your department chair to build and teach a specific course.

Notes:

• Teaching remotely using Zoom or Collaborate is still live teaching. Because live teaching is not part of teaching fully-online, creating a fully-online or blended course requires a redesign to plan content delivery, learning activities, and student engagement in the absence of live lecturing.  
• Faculty with experience teaching fully-online using Blackboard may be eligible for an accelerated version of the training.
• Professors should not be scheduled to teach an online or blended course until they have completed the Online Teaching training.

If you have questions about the training, contact Dr. Shinta Hernandez.

Quality Assurance new window (QA) in online education ensures that all courses meet high standards of design, delivery, and student engagement. At Montgomery College, QA focuses on creating consistent, accessible, and effective learning experiences across all online and hybrid courses. Through structured evaluation, faculty professional development, and continuous improvement, QA supports instructional excellence and student success.

Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue® is a class that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by 
fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics—at all levels of the organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you will begin to surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions, and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment.  

A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong.  These conversations, when handled poorly or ignored, lead to strained relationships and dismal results.  

Whenever you are not getting the results you are looking for, it is likely a crucial conversation is keeping you stuck. Whether it is a problem with poor quality, slow response time, declining customer satisfaction, or a strained relationship—whatever the issue—if you cannot talk honestly with nearly anybody about almost anything, you can expect poor results. 

Unlock new leadership potential and join this exceptional learning and development opportunity.

In this two-day program, gain powerful coaching skills and knowledge to motivate, and develop your team and others to achieve better performance and effectiveness at work, manage negative and positive change, and reach new goals.

The Expedition Coaching Program new window is suited for all at MC, including seasoned coaching professionals and senior managers, offering an exceptional learning and development experience as made evident by some of the testimonials below.

The Fundamentals of Supervision new window (the FUS) is a cohort specifically designed for aspiring, and recently appointed individuals in supervisory positions at MC.  In addition to examining the essential skills and knowledge required of supervisors, the FUS seeks to guide MC employees through the complex landscape of modern supervision, where change, tradition and innovation are in always in play.

When it comes to all the inputs in our life, we are generally overwhelmed, stressed, and out of control. The sheer number of to-dos, commitments, tasks and projects makes it difficult for us to ever feel “on top” of everything. While we can’t change the amount of stuff we have coming into our life we can change how we engage with that stuff.

Gain greater control over your work, find more focus on each task, and feel less stress by identifying and using a trusted system. Several GTD graduates share examples of their trusted systems below.

 The Global Leadership Cohort new window  new window(GLC) is designed to equip leaders with the insights and skills needed to navigate the complexities of today’s interconnected world. The GLC focuses on cultivating the competencies necessary to lead diverse teams and drive success in dynamic organizational environments by examining the interplay between culture and business challenges.

The Leadership Development Institute new window (LDI) program began in 1992 and has been offered annually since that time (except in 2020-2021 when the pandemic occurred), making it a signature program of MC. The LDI promotes the philosophy that people lead from where they are and focuses on the participants’ self-awareness of personality, vision, influencing, building relationships, and interactions with others.

MC Management  new windowis a cohort program designed to help current supervisors and managers develop their skills and competencies, so they manage their employees and work strategically rather than reactively. Participants emerge with new knowledge and a common set of skills and abilities that aid in a consistent manner of managing people at MC. Manage yourself, manage others, and manage within the MC system.

Our mission is to cultivate a culture of inclusion and accessibility at MC. Through training, consultations, and resources centered on Universal Design principles, the UDC promotes collaboration, compliance, and innovation to enhance learning experiences for our students and improve work environments for MC employees.

Visit the Universal Design Center website  new windowfor more information on the Inclusion by Design Summit.

Part-time faculty play a critically important role in the Montgomery College community. Montgomery College greatly values the contributions made by its part-time faculty members in achieving the educational mission of the College, and providing breadth, vibrancy, and flexibility in its programs. Students benefit markedly by the real-world expertise imparted by part-time faculty who represent a vast array of professional areas.

Visit the Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement & Support new window for additional information.

The Love of Teaching Half-Day Conference new window is an annual professional development event hosted each spring by Montgomery College exclusively for its faculty. Designed to celebrate and reignite faculty members’ passion for teaching. It offers a dynamic space for educators to reflect on their practice, connect with colleagues, and explore innovative instructional strategies.

View the New Faculty Orientation presentations new window.

MC Online is proud to partner with Academic Initiatives to offer an outstanding professional development opportunity for faculty. The eFaculty Fellowship for Dual Enrollment  new windowis designed to support full-time and part-time faculty who are interested in learning about transformational and relevant teaching practices that will promote the success of the high school Dual Enrollment populations.

Montgomery College offers students and employees the opportunity to earn microcredentials through digital badges. These portable, skill-based credentials recognize learning that is directly tied to workforce and academic pathways. Each badge validates a specific set of competencies and includes embedded details that explain what was learned, how it was assessed, and how it connects to real-world applications.

Visit the Microcredentials website  new windowfor more information.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) recognizes the time and effort it takes for faculty to participate in professional development as well as lead and apply their learning to support students. The R.A.P.T.O.R. Professional Development Recognition initiative new window is designed to acknowledge those efforts that go beyond participation in professional development and encourage reflection, sharing, leadership, and application that impacts student learning.

The Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement and Support is proud to offer the Shoenberg Fellowship new window to qualified part-time faculty at Montgomery College who are interested in pursuing full-time faculty positions in higher education. Dr. Robert Shoenberg has served as a member of the Board of Trustees and Foundation board, helping to transform Montgomery College into an institution that continues to attract great faculty and talented students. Through Dr. Shoenberg’s generous support, this fellowship is intended to support a fully paid, one-semester sabbatical for up to 3 part-time faculty members.

This Open Pedagogy Fellowship sponsored by MC Online is designed to assist faculty with creating three renewable assignments (all of which will have a Creative Commons license).

View the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Open Pedagogy Fellowship website new window for more information.