The Teaching and Learning Excellence Division (TLED)’s Office of Academic Technology (OAT) introduces the Spring 2025 Remote Recess sessions, designed to help ACC faculty and staff refresh their skills and connect with colleagues in a relaxed, engaging online environment. 

These short workshops feature demonstrations of new tools followed by an interactive Q&A, allowing participants to share tips and best practices while building a collaborative community of learning and innovation. 

Remote Recess is open to all ACC faculty and staff, so mark your calendar and prepare to dive into a semester of learning and connection. 

Spring 2025 Remote Recess Sessions: Schedule and Topics

All sessions will either be offered on a Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon or on a Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom, promising a power-packed hour full of learning and interaction.

Tuesday, January 28 | Blackboard Course Copy Procedure & Best Practices
Getting ready for the upcoming semester and not sure how to copy your current course content into a new Blackboard course shell? Confident in your skills but interested in picking up some additional helpful tips and tools? Blackboard Course Copy Procedure & Best Practices will demonstrate the steps for performing a successful course copy as well as tips for ensuring that the content is accessible to students in the upcoming semester.

Wednesday, February 5 | Padlet for Feedback, Engagement, and Brainstorming
Padlet is a free online tool that can engage students with questions, feedback, and brainstorming. Join us to learn how you may use it for quick formative assessment, building community, and finding new ideas.

Tuesday, February 11 | Panopto: Introduction to Recording and Editing
Panopto is a powerful tool that features video creation and editing functionality; automatic machine captioning; and effortless access on desktop and mobile devices. Join this session to get some quick-start tips for this easy-to-use tool.

Wednesday, February 19 | Poll Everywhere for Engagement
Poll Everywhere gives you the ability to turn your synchronous course sessions or meetings into engaging experiences by using surveys to provide instant feedback, build word clouds, ask questions anonymously, or turn your class into a quiz show. In this session, you will compete to have the highest score while trying different question formats and sparking ideas to integrate Poll Everywhere into your online gatherings. Note: Participants are encouraged to come to the session with a second device, like a smartphone or tablet, for the best experience.

Tuesday, February 25 | Packback Power-Ups: Save Time, Spark Curiosity, Prepare for Mid-Term Assessments with Instruction AI
This session will help you unlock the power of Packback to save time and enhance your students’ learning experience. We’ll explore how to use Packback’s AI tools to automate feedback, create engaging questions that spark curiosity, and support your students as they prepare for mid-term assessments. Discover how to streamline your workload while fostering deeper critical thinking and effective exam preparation, all with the help of Instruction AI.

Wednesday, March 5 | Faculty Focus: Enhancing Student Engagement with Padlet featuring Angela Neidermeyer
Join Angela Neidermeyer, ACC Communications Studies adjunct faculty, as she demonstrates how she uses Padlet in her classroom to enhance student engagement and collaboration.

Wednesday, March 12 | Panopto for Blackboard: Seamless Video Integration
Enhance your course delivery with Panopto’s powerful video integration features in Blackboard. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to embed videos into assignments, discussions, and course materials to create engaging learning experiences. Discover best practices for organizing Panopto recordings to ensure smooth navigation for your students. Additionally, we’ll guide you through the process of enabling students to submit and manage their own video recordings, fostering interactive and dynamic course content.

Tuesday, March 25 | Unlocking Adobe at ACC
Discover how to access the creative potential of Adobe’s powerful tools. Learn how to set up faculty, staff, or student accounts; see which tools are available; and go on a guided tour of the extensive resources available from Adobe to support your projects, from design to video editing and beyond.

Wednesday, April 2 | Sunshine & Strategy: Planning for an AI-fueled Summer with Packback
Get ready to make this summer your most efficient and engaging yet! In this session, we’ll explore how to harness the power of AI with Packback to plan your summer course. Learn how to use AI tools to streamline question creation, foster curiosity-driven discussions, and provide real-time feedback—all while giving you more time to enjoy the summer sunshine. Whether you’re teaching a summer course or preparing for fall, this session will help you create an engaging and effortless experience for you and your students.

Wednesday, April 16 | Essential Adobe Express: Create Stunning Visuals with Ease
Adobe Express is a user-friendly, browser-based tool that makes creating all kinds of visual content a breeze—from banner graphics and social media posts to infographics and student-ready handouts. With handy features like AI-powered art generation and real-time collaboration, it’s a game-changer for you and your team, helping you craft engaging visuals for your students with ease.

Tuesday, April 22 | Zoom Foundations for ACC
This workshop is designed for everyone—from beginners seeking foundational Zoom skills to experienced users. We’ll start with step-by-step instructions for conducting and hosting meetings, helping new users gain confidence. Then, we’ll dive into advanced features to help experienced users elevate their hosting game, enabling them to manage both small and large meetings more effectively at ACC.

Stay tuned for additional sessions throughout the semester. 

For more details or questions, contact TLED’s Academic Technology Projects Manager, Sara Schulz, at [email protected].