Welcome CLAD: How Does Your Program Measure Up?
On Monday, May 16, 2016, we will begin to explore CLAD: How Does Your Program Measure Up? . 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 May 16, 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.
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 “CLAD: How Does Your Program
Measure Up” link. Hopefully, you're in! If you are having problems on May 16th, 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 May 30, 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