The Teaching and Learning Excellence Division (TLED)’s Office of Academic Technology (OAT) invites ACC faculty and staff to join the Fall 2025 Remote Recess sessions, designed to help refresh your skills, explore new tools, and connect with colleagues in a collaborative online environment.
These interactive workshops feature demonstrations of technology-focused tools and strategies, followed by Q&A, giving participants the chance to exchange best practices and build a community of innovation. Remote Recess is open to all ACC faculty and staff, so mark your calendar and prepare to dive into a semester of practical learning and connection.
Fall 2025 Remote Recess Sessions: Schedule and Topics
All sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon via Zoom, providing a focused hour of learning and engagement.
Tuesday, September 9 | Blackboard Basics: Navigating the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook
This informative workshop will guide participants through the process of effectively managing the Gradebook in Blackboard Ultra, covering essential features such as setting up grade columns, inputting grades, granting exceptions and exemptions, managing late submissions, and making custom calculation columns. By the end of the session, participants will feel confident in navigating the Gradebook and will be equipped to manage it effectively, saving time and improving the grading process for both instructors and students.
Tuesday, September 23 | Blackboard Basics: Creating Dynamic Content Using Blackboard Ultra
This workshop will equip you with the tools to build a more interactive and visually appealing learning experience in your Blackboard courses. You will learn to effectively organize your course materials using different block types, seamlessly embed rich media like Panopto and YouTube videos, and gain the confidence to move and resize blocks to create a polished, professional layout.
Tuesday, October 7 | Beautify Your Blackboard: Use Adobe Express to Personalize Your Blackboard Ultra
Are you ready to transform your Blackboard Ultra course into a visually engaging learning space? This hands-on workshop will introduce you to Adobe Express, a free and user-friendly design tool, to help you create custom graphics, banners, and icons that will boost student engagement with a more vibrant, accessible course design.
Tuesday, October 14 | Online Presenting with Ladibug Document Cameras
Join us for a hands-on session and discover how the Ladibug document camera can help transform your teaching. Whether you’re presenting a document, annotating in real time, or showcasing a live demo, learn how this visual device can serve your student’s engagement.
Tuesday, October 21 | Flip the Script: Making In-Person Content Shine Online
Learn how to transform your face-to-face lessons into dynamic, asynchronous learning experiences using Blackboard Ultra. This session will highlight easy-to-implement strategies for flipping content, boosting engagement, and designing with flexibility in mind. Walk away with practical tools to make your online teaching more effective and student-centered.
Tuesday, November 4 | Building Belonging: Three Universal Design for Learning Tools for Neurodiverse Student Support
Join us for a hands-on, fast-paced session where we will explore three powerful tools that support neurodiverse learners through the principles of Universal Design for Learning. You’ll get to try Goblin Tools, a free app that helps with executive function; Blackboard Ally, which allows students to download accessible file formats with no extra work from you; and Adobe Express, a creative platform students can use to demonstrate understanding in a variety of formats. Come ready to explore with a Blackboard course open and a willingness to click around. You’ll leave with practical strategies, downloadable resources, and new ideas to help all students thrive.
Tuesday, November 18 | Respondus LockDown Browser: Procedures & Updates for Blackboard Ultra
LockDown Browser is a custom browser that secures the testing environment within the Blackboard Learning Management System. The Procedures & Updates workshop will demonstrate the steps to enable Lockdown Browser for an assessment, as well as updates and improvements regarding its integration with Blackboard Ultra.
For more details or questions, contact TLED’s Academic Technology Projects Manager, Sara Schulz, at [email protected].