Welcome Personal Filters!
On February 8, 2016, we will begin to explore Personal Filters . We all have personal filters we see
other people through. How do these filters shape our beliefs, values and behaviors? How do we make sure
our personal filters do not impact our work with children? I wanted to give you a quick introduction, give
you your first assignment and make sure that you know how to get to the blackboard course so we are all
ready to go!
My name is Angel Avery-Wright and I am an ERS assessor for the PA Keys and an adjunct for
Northampton Community College. During the past 27 years, I have worn many “hats” in the early care and
education field including classroom teacher, center director, trainer and SAPC assessor.
You will not have access to Blackboard or your course until the session begins on February 8,
2016. When you have access to your course site in Blackboard, the objectives and other information
will be available to you through Blackboard.
Your course uses Blackboard for your course site. You may access Blackboard from the NCC home
page at http://www.northampton.edu by clicking the ‘logins’ area and then choosing ‘Blackboard/Online
Learning’ or you can go directly to http://northampton.blackboard.com . Please note this direct link contains
no www and ends in .com rather than .edu.
Blackboard Login Procedure:
Your Blackboard logon is your Lifelearn student ID#. That ID# begins with ll (two lower case Ls) and
then usually 4 or 5 digits. Your initial Blackboard password is your Lifelearn ID #. If you previously used
Blackboard and changed your password, use your current password instead.
When you logon to Blackboard, you may change your password if you desire. Also, please
verify/change your e-mail address. Instructions on how to do this are in the Blackboard Manual accessed
from the NCC Online Learning website. You can access and print a manual by going to the NCC Online
Learning website at: http://www.northampton.edu/onlinelearning. From the left hand menu, click on
Current Students > How to Get Started Using Blackboard to see instructions on using Blackboard.
You can email requests for technical assistance to helpdesk@northampton.edu.
Here are some tips for success in an on-line class:
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Time matters. Set up a schedule for reviewing class assignments, including time for reading,
researching, writing and participation in discussion forums.
Feedback systems. You will get feedback directly through discussion forums. If you feel you need
additional feedback, please email me.
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Networking. Sharing knowledge with each other is a valuable experience and an opportunity for
even more meaningful and enhanced learning.
Savor the differences. This online training will have value-added features that you would not
experience in a traditional face to face workshop, such as access to the internet, the use of
technology and practice in communication skills when you’re working in groups from a distance.
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have a question about this training or specific
assignments. I welcome your questions.
A first assignment for you is to go login to your blackboard account and click the “Personal Filters”
link. Hopefully, you're in! If you are having problems on October 5th, please contact the help desk at 610861-5413 or helpdesk@northampton.edu You can begin to explore the buttons on the left-hand side of the
page, including the “course home” button, which lists any new announcements and places to go if you need
help. Now go to the "start here" button and explore the documents that explain the Blackboard system,
technical requirements, student responsibilities and assessment criteria (please remember that this is not a
graded course, but your participation is required to obtain and earn your professional development
certificate at the end of the course.
When you are ready, you can begin to navigate the “discussions” button, where you will be sharing
ideas and exploring questions. Some of the discussion questions will be available at the beginning of this
session, and some of the discussion questions will be available after the first week.
The idea behind this 24/7 professional development session is to be able to access it at your
convenience. Please do, however, check back often on discussion boards so you have an opportunity to see,
respond to and interact with other’s responses. Ideally, you can have a conversation with other participants
through the discussion board. P.S. Don’t wait until the end of the session schedule. Think of how difficult it
might be to join a face to face conversation just as everyone is about to wrap up and leave.
A certificate of participation for 3 hours of participation will be provided in the PA Registry System
under My Learning Path – My Transcript once the sessions is completed and closed; which typically will
happen within the week after the workshop completes on February 22, 2016. In the world of online
learning, that translates into participation in discussion boards and assignments. I can also monitor the
things that you click on within the session. Please do more than just click on buttons…have fun!
I look forward to working with all of you in our journey of exploring new ideas. Thank you and have an
outstanding rest of your day!
Angel Avery-Wright
Adjunct
Northampton Community College