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Call for Applications for the 2025-26 OE@KCC Fellowships
This year, we are recruiting for Course Converters and for four exciting funded fellowship opportunities at OE@KCC. Please check them out, spread the word to your colleagues, and apply! All fellowships will be a combination of synchronous online meetings (approximately six throughout the year) along with independent asynchronous work in between meetings as needed. All instructors (full-time and part-time) are eligible and encouraged to apply for any or all of the fellowships in which they are interested by completing the linked application forms below as soon as possible, and no later than Tuesday, October 21. Use the links below to apply: KCC Open Pedagogy Fellowship Open Pedagogy is an…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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OER for EDC 3100 Social Science in Childhood Education
For this project I worked on redesigning EDC 3100 Social Science in Childhood Education to become a Zero Textbook Cost Course. The course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the standards, curricula, and methods of teaching social studies in a childhood setting. The students learn pedagogical strategies and develop critical thinking skills concerning curriculum content and the creation and implementation of classroom activities. One of the most interesting challenges about the materials used in this course is that we have to address pedagogical considerations and methods for teaching social studies, as well as some of the content covered in social studies. In addition, it was essential to include multimodal materials to make the…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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Final Reflection on Open Educational Resources (OER) Initiative
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the CUNY OER scale-up initiative by customizing, substantially editing, and adding my own contribution in the full-length textbook. During this year I worked on creating original content and completing a textbook Principals of Macroeconomics 3e: A Revised, Online Textbook for Kingsborough Community College Students. This book is a revised OER Introduction to Macroeconomics textbook designed for Kingsborough Community College students enrolled in Macroeconomics ECO 1200. It is a derivative of the OpenStax Introduction to Macroeconomics 3e by David Shapiro, Daniel MacDonald and Steven Greenlaw and “Principals of Macroeconomics 3e: A Revised, Online Textbook for Bronx Community College Students” by…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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We Really Did “Get Struck By Inspiration” at KCC’s 2025 Open Education Showcase
In one breathtaking hour on June 5th, 2025, those zooming into Kingsborough’s 2025 Open Education Lightning Talk showcase “Get Struck by Inspiration” were treated to a succession of CUNY professors who had five minutes each to talk Open Ed. From KCC professor, Laura Kates, whose seminar centers her education students who lead book talks, to KCC biology professor Dmitry Brogun on his Pressbooks-platformed UDL OER textbook General Biology Laboratory Manual, which is eternally accessible right here in the Commons, and has saved students over $400k plus combined so far. KCC political scientist Professor Jamie Oroosi demonstrated how he inspires students toward optimal library research with the peer-reviewed sources they share…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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Developing an OER Course for Freshman Comp
After clearing with the misconception that OER = ZCT, I have learned a lot more from this initiative. I have developed a deeper appreciation for accessibility, inclusion, and for the basic pedagogical aspects of the course itself. In the earlier phase of the initiative, we discussed how our syllabi could aim very high towards establishing a learning environment that emphasizedf social justice, inclusivity, access, and support. Reviewing what constituted such a learning environment served as a base to start considering the technical details that could underminde this determination. Zero-cost-textbooks was just the starting point for the more specific actions we could take to make our courses truly accessible. As we…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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Spring 2025 /Final OFAR Blog
Anti-racist Practices in the Criminal Legal SystemIt is always best practice to be thoughtful about how race is discussed in a criminal justice class. The Criminal Justice Faculty, which developed an OFAR action plan, approached the topic carefully and honestly for their students. Even with recent changes in how race-related topics are viewed, it remains essential for students to learn the truth about how the criminal justice system operates. They can’t fully understand the system without exploring how it affects different groups of people, especially in terms of race. Students in the KBCC Criminal Justice Program engaged with real data showing how people of color are often treated differently in…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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OER PSY 32
As an advocate for accessible resources for our students , signing up for the OER fellowship was of upmost importance to me. Providing zero cost text for students allows students to have access to valuable academic work without the financial challenges that many of our students face. In thinking about the process of transforming my syllabus to become more accessible, I researched texts and supplemental texts that I hope will meet my students needs. I have found a wonderful text on OpenStax that addresses the curriculum in Developmental Psychology, but was most excited to research (with the support of Professor Brandle and the seminar) a supplemental text written by CUNY…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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My OFAR Takeaways
Being part of this seminar enabled me to take a true look at myself, my values, my identity while thinking deeply around my pedagogy and my curriculum. The online discussion space allowed me to be open, vulnerable and honest while also learning a great deal from the other members of my cohort. One of my core values as an educator is to create a safe, supportive open space where each student can share, explore their identity and share from their perspectives and worldviews. I hope to create a space where difficult conversations can be had in a way where students connect and learn from each other. In my OFAR Action…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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The Action Aspect of OFAR
As I finished up my OFAR Action Plan, I remembered how I had originally conceived of this work as being as static as the course packs I used to love. My initial vision was to create the digital version of my previous paper course pack for literature courses, now made with OER materials and with a Creative Commons License. The path, I see now, is far less static and much more ongoing. Though I have gathered plenty of OER materials online that I can use to foster to principles we have discussed during the OFAR course, this collection and application is just the beginning. My first step will be to…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
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Why Did This Fellowship Make Me Think of DEI? :)
Maybe it was just this particular moment we’ve been experiencing nationwide, or maybe not… I had not anticipated that reviewing a syllabus with the intent of making it ZTC or open, would make me ponder equity down to the smallest details. More specifically, our last session, Open Pedagogy, gave me a chance to review the need for taking an active stance to promote diversity. This reminded me of how setting up the tune from the start ( syllabus) helps us make our classroom environment more just and welcoming. Validating students’ identities from the design of the class, choice of materials, and even including them in decision making processes, such as assessment choices…
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Teaching a Survey of Art History on the Commons
