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Top 3 New Semester Tips

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Overview

Getting your semester off on the right foot means mastering your technical domain.  Here is Technology & Learning's Top 3 New Semester Checklist:

1. Check out the Classroom 

There's nothing worse than spending hours prepping for a new semester only to be bogged down by technical challenges in a classroom.  Don't wait until the last minute!  Call Tech Central at 310.506.4357 (HELP) or complete the appropriate form for a walk-through or dry-run of the classroom technology before your first class.

And don't forget any laptop adapters, especially for Macs!  Check with your campus bookstore; many have adapters for sale (Malibu Central/Seaver bookstore, Malibu Drescher bookstore, Malibu Law bookstore, West LA bookstore).

 

2. Top 10 List for Courses/Sakai

As you get started with a new academic term, we want to remind you of the most common items professors do at the beginning of a new semester/trimester.  Please refer to our Top 10 List for Courses (powered by Sakai).  Our quick reminders to all professors:

  • Publish your class sites before the semester begins. Students can't see or access your classes until you publish them!
  • Publish your syllabus items.  A solid eye icon means students can see your content.  An eye with a slash means the item is in draft mode and invisible to your students! (TIP: if the word "DRAFT" appears before an item, that's another clue that the syllabus item needs to be published!)

Be ahead of the curve and avoid the pitfalls by referring to our Top 10 List for Courses.

We also have several guides to help you learn more about common tools like Announcements, Gradebook, and much more.  Check out our Faculty Guides.

 

3. Dive Deeper

We have a wealth of resources available for your professional development!