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Spring 2021
Michelle Lutt posted on May 06, 2020

Required: In Your Welcome post, Explain Why Your Course Will Make a Difference for Students! 

Studies show students feel more invested — and work harder — when they understand how taking your class will change their lives for the better.

To help with this, the Academy requires that your initial welcome in class explain the learning outcomes of the class in your own words. Help students understand the relevance and value of your course: show them the big picture! Explain why you care — and why they should.

Some things to consider putting in your explanation:

  • How will students be different at the end of this class— what skills and knowledge will they have then that they don't have now?
  • How will the course content be useful and relevant to students' future development and/or careers?
  • How do you use the content of this course in your own professional practice?
     

From Karen Chesna, JEM Online Coordinator, for LA/JEM 245: History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World

These are the Course Learning Outcomes for this class:

As a result of successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

    • Identify the development of major jewelry and metal arts period styles, works and artists from Prehistory to present day
    • Apply jewelry and metal arts terminology to describe how a piece exemplifies its period style and culture
    • Identify and analyze a piece of jewelry’s stylistic and cultural characteristics to evaluate how it exemplifies its period style and culture
    • Recognize and compare the similarities and differences between various artists and period styles and how they influence and motivate one another
    • Analyze and recognize the contextual ways art can affect and reflect cultural, political and humanistic issues
And here is Karen's introduction, based on these:

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World. I hope you find this class exciting and inspiring, and that it makes you see jewelry in a different light. Far from being mere pretty body decoration, jewelry has played many different roles throughout history and across cultures — it signifies power, status and wealth; honors our heroes and champions; can be a device for preserving a memory or even the physical remains of a loved one; is a means of showing you belong to a group or another person; brings good luck and offers protection; is a way of honoring the gods, showing you are chosen by them, or insures entry into the afterlife; effects political change and reflects cultural and humanistic issues; and, like a painting or sculpture, can be a way to express your thoughts and feelings about a subject.

Throughout the course, we will study all of these various aspects of jewelry and see how a piece is deeply intertwined with the culture and time period in which it is created. So that you may speak intelligently about the subject, you will also learn about different jewelry artists, jewelry-specific terminology, and even a bit about some common techniques used to create jewelry. As part of the Final, you will even get to create your own piece! (Do not worry, this is intended to be fun and what you make will be entirely based on whatever skill level and resources you have, be you a new beginner or advanced student. The project will be described in detail later in the course and you will be given plenty of time to finish it.)

Jewelry has a long and rich history — the oldest piece currently discovered was created over 120,000 years ago, long before the famous cave paintings at Lascaux and Altamira! It is found in every culture, and is made from every material imaginable. Whether you are a jewelry major, aspiring fashion designer or merchandiser, video game creator, painter — you should be able to find something in this visually rich course to apply to or influence your own career and your own work.

I am really excited to be teaching you about this wonderful subject! I live in Montana, love dogs, and spend a lot of time reading science fiction and fantasy. I earned my MFA 100% online from the Academy, and therefore understand both the challenges and triumphs of taking a course online. Although I have been a metalsmith/jewelry artist for over 25 years, the field continues to challenge me with its blend of physical technique, conceptual expression, design skills and hard science. Studying the history of jewelry has informed my work, and shows me where my own voice fits into this very long ongoing conversation that we call visual art. There are a few pieces of my work pictured below. If you wish, you can see more at  www.karenchesna.com

Please let me know if you ever have any questions — I am here to help. Enjoy the class!


Required: Post Your Online Office Hours


  • You are required to enter every section of your assigned online classes at least once a day, 6 days a week (including Saturdays — Pacific Time), to answer students' questions and address their concerns.
  • Online instructors must also specify — before each semester begins — when your daily check-in times will be. Again, you need to list check-in times of your choosing for six days each week, one of which must be Saturday (Pacific Time). Please note that these check-in times can be quite brief (e.g., 15 minutes), and you do not need to schedule the rest of the hours you will spend working in your online class: those remain flexible.
  • You must post these online office hours on your Profile page , using the enhanced tool now available there.

Review the instructions for using the new tool: Online Office Hours

  • When you log in during these check-in times, you must click the "Begin Office Hours" button to indicate to your students that you are present. Scroll down for details. 


 
The check-in times that you post will be visible to students on the Class Home / Syllabus page. 

Learn how to post your Online Office Hours.

 
To alert students to their instructor's presence online, we have added a "Begin Office Hours" button to the Home page. During your daily office hours (see above) — and any other time you're working online and want students to know you're there — you must click this button to check in. 

 
The system will check you out automatically after twenty minutes — or you can check yourself out, if you've finished working online before the twenty minutes are up.

 
Students will see an alert on the Outline whenever their instructor has checked in and is available.

Learn more about Online Office Hours

"Enter Class" Button

Under "Enrollments" on Your Home Page , every online class now includes a big blue button that says "Enter Class." This update was requested because of reports that some new online students had difficulty in finding their way to their course Outline — which meant that they were not aware of the module content and media. 


Mailbox Update

Now all the tools for formatting text and including rich media are part of the Mailbox interface.

Learn more about the Online Mailbox

The Student Pulse

The Academy has opted to remove the Student Pulse from the Student View.  Instructors can still see the Student Pulse.

Learn more about Student Pulse


RETURN TO:   Online Teaching Library   |  Blog

End of the Semester Q&A for New Instructors (Online and Onsite Sessions)
Michelle Lutt posted on Apr 24, 2020

Although this semester we've all faced unprecedented challenges in light of COVID-19, we hope you and your family are well and you’re enjoying your first semester teaching online at the Academy.  We’d like to invite you to an online question and answer session to discuss how the semester has been overall, including: positive things you’ve experienced, practices that have worked well and/or areas that may have been challenging for you or your students. We’ll also discuss common “end of the semester” concerns such as:

  • Keeping your class momentum going throughout this final stretch.
  • Your role in the student’s final project.
  • Finishing the semester strong, including how to properly close out your course.

These sessions are great opportunities to learn more about core skills, ask questions and connect with other online teachers.  We hope you will join us!



General End of the Semester Q&A for New Online Instructors

Wednesday, 4/29, 11:00 a.m. – Noon (Pacific Time)

Click here to enter session (https://art.zoom.us/my/facultyevalcoach)


General End of the Semester Q&A for New Onsite Instructors

Wednesday, 4/30, 11:00 a.m. – Noon (Pacific Time)

Click here to enter session (https://art.zoom.us/my/facultyevalcoach)


If you experience issues accessing the session above or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to your online faculty coach.  You can also contact our office at FacultyEvalCoach@academyart.edu and the Online Help Desk for technical help at online@academyart.edu.

Thank you and all the best as the semester wraps up!
Faculty Evaluation and Coaching

Continued One-on-One Assistance for Zoom
Michelle Lutt posted on Apr 15, 2020


Dear Instructors,


For the last several weeks, Faculty Evaluation and Coaching has been offering daily
workshops to help you transition to Zoom technology. At this time, we've seen a large drop in
attendance as instructors have become more confident and proficient teaching classes using
Zoom. With these things in mind, starting this Thursday the workshops will be discontinued
and instead individualized Zoom support will be available exclusively.


To contact us, please email Faculty Evaluation and Coaching and one of our staff will get back
to you quickly during business hours:
facultyevalcoach@academyart.edu


Additionally, the Online Help Desk is available 24/7 to address technical issues you may
experience.


Help Desk
online@academyart.edu
1.415.618.3545
1.888.431.2787


We wish you continued success.


Best Regards,
Faculty Evaluation and Coaching

Coaching Support and Live Training Sessions to Continue
Michelle Lutt posted on Mar 30, 2020


Dear University Instructors,


Coaches from the Faculty Evaluation and Coaching Department are available to assist you throughout the Spring semester. You can find support for technical or instructional problems in Zoom or the LMS in several places:

 

I. Live Trainings in Zoom

Coaches will be available live to answer questions every day, Monday through Friday

10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. PST

https://art.zoom.us/my/facultyevalcoach

The room will close 15 minutes after the hour if there are no participants at that time.


Frequent questions:

grading, messaging, refining demos, video critiques, working with groups of students



II. One-on-One Support

You may schedule time with a coach for personal, one-on-one support. Coaches have access to Zoom and the LMS Class Discussion so they can see your classroom and view things from a student or a teacher perspective.

Schedule a one-on-one by sending an email to facultyevalcoach@academyart.edu.



III. Online Resources

Faculty Evaluation and Coaching Website

http://faculty.academyart.edu


Zoom Frequently Asked Questions

http://resources.academyart.edu/student-resources/keeping-classes-going-during-emergencies/instructors.html


Tips & Tricks for Teaching in Zoom and the LMS

http://resources.academyart.edu/student-resources/keeping-classes-going-during-emergencies/tools.html


Tips for Improving your home WiFi

https://thewirecutter.com/blog/make-wi-fi-suck-less-working-from-home/



Sincerely,

Faculty Evaluation and Coaching
FacultyEvalCoach@academyart.edu


One-on-One Zoom Assistance Available for Instructors
Michelle Lutt posted on Mar 12, 2020

Dear Onsite Faculty,

We are writing to let you know that individualized support is now available from Faculty Evaluation and Coaching staff to help you teach your classes using Zoom. We are ready to jump in to provide one-on-one assistance to enable you to feel more confident using Zoom. 

We encourage you to attend a group training first (see schedule below), and then if you would like to request additional support, please email facultyevalcoach@academyart.edu with your name, department, email address and phone number.


Here are some of the things we can help you with:

  • Provide practice with a coach in hosting and managing a Zoom meeting--before you host your own class.
  • Review how to present visuals, slideshows, videos, demos with screen sharing.
  • Review how to manage the class, such as, avoiding having student interruption issues, muting participants, selecting views, etc.
  • How to post material in the LMS online course, such as assignment guidelines, reference images and links.
  • Review where to post your Meeting ID (Meeting Room link).
  • Go over how students are to find the meeting address, post their assignments in the Discussion area and where students can go to for technical help—to prepare in the case questions come up from students
  • Review and troubleshoot typical technical issues that may come up.
If you haven't yet participated in one of the group trainings, here is the schedule for the remainder of the week.  Please use this meeting link at any of the times below: https://art.zoom.us/my/kkoczela

Thursday, March 12    10:00am and 6:00pm

Friday, March 13          2:00pm




Please contact us as soon as possible! We look forward to helping you and are committed to your success.
Faculty Evaluation and Coaching
facultyevalcoach@academyart.edu

Zoom Training Sessions for Onsite Instructors (Link Updated!)
Michelle Lutt posted on Mar 11, 2020


(warning) Updated Information for meeting attendance. (warning)

Please see use this new link for attending the rest of the meetings this week: https://art.zoom.us/my/kkoczela.

Wednesday, March 11       10:00am and 2:00pm

Thursday, March 12           10:00am and 6:00pm

Friday, March 13                 2:00pm

Recordings will be posted on the Teacher Training Workshops page as soon as they're available.

---

To provide training in Zoom, Kevin Koczela and staff from Faculty Evaluation and Coaching will be offering live trainings starting Tuesday afternoon. The training will walk instructors through setting up and managing a Zoom classroom. To access the meeting, use this link: https://art.zoom.us/j/4385483581

Tuesday, March 10             3:00pm and 6:00pm

Wednesday, March 11       10:00am and 2:00pm

Thursday, March 12           10:00am and 6:00pm

Friday, March 13                 2:00pm

Recordings of Zoom Training Now Available
Michelle Lutt posted on Mar 11, 2020

A training session on setting up your Zoom Classroom is available for on-demand viewing, please use this link:

https://art.zoom.us/rec/share/zuhbFJDvzzxJS6vNsHODALIuFaPLaaa81CFN_fJbnUmEzRh7mhhP02cVzSakgqTJ


Live sessions of the training are also still taking place.  To access the meetings, use this link at any of the times below: https://art.zoom.us/my/kkoczela

Wednesday, March 11       10:00am and 2:00pm

 Thursday, March 12           10:00am and 6:00pm

 Friday, March 13                 2:00pm


Faculty Evaluation and Coaching
FacultyEvalCoach@academyart.edu
415.618.3855

Summer Semester 2020
Michelle Lutt posted on Jan 09, 2020

There are lots of recent features and policy updates to online teaching at the Academy. Check them out:

Required: In Your Welcome post, Explain Why Your Course Will Make a Difference for Students!

Studies show students feel more invested — and work harder — when they understand how taking your class will change their lives for the better.

To help with this, the Academy requires that your initial welcome in class explain the learning outcomes of the class in your own words. Help students understand the relevance and value of your course: show them the big picture! Explain why you care — and why they should.

Some things to consider putting in your explanation:

  • How will students be different at the end of this class— what skills and knowledge will they have then that they don't have now?
  • How will the course content be useful and relevant to students' future development and/or careers?
  • How do you use the content of this course in your own professional practice?

From Karen Chesna, JEM Online Coordinator, for LA/JEM 245: History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World

These are the Course Learning Outcomes for this class:

As a result of successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

    • Identify the development of major jewelry and metal arts period styles, works and artists from Prehistory to present day
    • Apply jewelry and metal arts terminology to describe how a piece exemplifies its period style and culture
    • Identify and analyze a piece of jewelry’s stylistic and cultural characteristics to evaluate how it exemplifies its period style and culture
    • Recognize and compare the similarities and differences between various artists and period styles and how they influence and motivate one another
    • Analyze and recognize the contextual ways art can affect and reflect cultural, political and humanistic issues
And here is Karen's introduction, based on these CLOs:

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World. I hope you find this class exciting and inspiring, and that it makes you see jewelry in a different light. Far from being mere pretty body decoration, jewelry has played many different roles throughout history and across cultures — it signifies power, status and wealth; honors our heroes and champions; can be a device for preserving a memory or even the physical remains of a loved one; is a means of showing you belong to a group or another person; brings good luck and offers protection; is a way of honoring the gods, showing you are chosen by them, or insures entry into the afterlife; effects political change and reflects cultural and humanistic issues; and, like a painting or sculpture, can be a way to express your thoughts and feelings about a subject.

Throughout the course, we will study all of these various aspects of jewelry and see how a piece is deeply intertwined with the culture and time period in which it is created. So that you may speak intelligently about the subject, you will also learn about different jewelry artists, jewelry-specific terminology, and even a bit about some common techniques used to create jewelry. As part of the Final, you will even get to create your own piece! (Do not worry, this is intended to be fun and what you make will be entirely based on whatever skill level and resources you have, be you a new beginner or advanced student. The project will be described in detail later in the course and you will be given plenty of time to finish it.)

Jewelry has a long and rich history — the oldest piece currently discovered was created over 120,000 years ago, long before the famous cave paintings at Lascaux and Altamira! It is found in every culture, and is made from every material imaginable. Whether you are a jewelry major, aspiring fashion designer or merchandiser, video game creator, painter — you should be able to find something in this visually rich course to apply to or influence your own career and your own work.

I am really excited to be teaching you about this wonderful subject! I live in Montana, love dogs, and spend a lot of time reading science fiction and fantasy. I earned my MFA 100% online from the Academy, and therefore understand both the challenges and triumphs of taking a course online. Although I have been a metalsmith/jewelry artist for over 25 years, the field continues to challenge me with its blend of physical technique, conceptual expression, design skills and hard science. Studying the history of jewelry has informed my work, and shows me where my own voice fits into this very long ongoing conversation that we call visual art. There are a few pieces of my work pictured below. If you wish, you can see more at  www.karenchesna.com

Please let me know if you ever have any questions — I am here to help. Enjoy the class!


Online Office Hours Requirement:

In 2019 our Standards for Online Instructors were updated with the following:

  • You are required to enter every section of your assigned online classes at least once a day, 6 days a week (including Saturdays — Pacific Time), to answer students' questions and address their concerns.
  • Online instructors must also specify — before each semester begins — when your daily check-in times will be. Again, you need to list check-in times of your choosing for six days each week, one of which must be Saturday (Pacific Time). Please note that these check-in times can be quite brief (e.g., 15 minutes), and you do not need to schedule the rest of the hours you will spend working in your online class: those remain flexible.
  • You must post these online office hours on your Profile page , using the enhanced tool now available there.

Review the instructions for using the new tool: Online Office Hours

  • When you log in during these check-in times, you must click the "Begin Office Hours" button to indicate to your students that you are present. Scroll down for details. 

 
The check-in times that you post will be visible to students on the Class Home / Syllabus page. 

Learn how to post your Online Office Hours.

 
To alert students to their instructor's presence online, we have added a "Begin Office Hours" button to the Home page. During your daily office hours (see above) — and any other time you're working online and want students to know you're there — you must click this button to check in. 

 
The system will check you out automatically after twenty minutes — or you can check yourself out, if you've finished working online before the twenty minutes are up.

 
Students will see an alert on the Outline whenever their instructor has checked in and is available.

Learn more about Online Office Hours

"Enter Class" Button

Under "Enrollments" on Your Home Page , every online class now includes a big blue button that says "Enter Class." This update was requested because of reports that some new online students had difficulty in finding their way to their course Outline — which meant that they were not aware of the module content and media. 


Mailbox Update

Now all the tools for formatting text and including rich media are part of the Mailbox interface.

Learn more about the Online Mailbox

The Student Pulse

The Academy has opted to remove the Student Pulse from the Student View.  Instructors can still see the Student Pulse.

Learn more about Student Pulse


RETURN TO:   Online Teaching Library   |  Blog



Online Teaching Checklist - Spring 2020
Michelle Lutt posted on Jan 09, 2020

Teaching online this semester? This checklist will help keep you on track!

Reminders:

  • Spring classes begin Monday, February 3.
  • Spring Art Experience classes begin Saturday, February 22.  

  • Download the Online Module Calendar.


#1 — Get familiar with the Academy's Online Teaching Standards.

(star) Our teaching standards were updated in 2019, so please make sure you are familiar with the current expectations. 

Review the full list of Standards for Online Instructors and download the rubric to help you assess your own effectiveness as an online instructor.


#2 – Review the most recent updates to the online learning system.

DO YOU HAVE OUR APP?

Online Education has developed Classes, an app for students and faculty, where they can check all things Academy-related. The Classes app includes the campus shuttle schedule, along with course information, online classrooms and student grades. Download the app for iOS or Android  — and tell your students about it!


#3 – Review the Workday requirements for reporting your hours (for part-time employees only).


#4 – Plan your time.

PLEASE NOTE: This semester, Spring Break runs from Sunday, March 22, through Friday, March 27. Online classes resume on Monday, March 30.


#5 – Clarify and post your expectations.

(star) New requirements for all online instructors:

  • Post your Online Office Hours.

  • Introduce your course content — and get students excited about your class!

    Students feel more invested — and work harder — when they understand how taking your class will change their lives for the better.

    To energize your students, the Academy is requiring that as part of your initial welcome and greeting all online instructors explain the learning outcomes of the class in your own words. Help students understand the relevance and value of your course: show them the big picture! Tell them why you care about this material — and why they should care.

    Here are a few things to think about as you formulate your comments:

    • How will students be different at the end of this class — i.e., what skills and knowledge will they have then that they don't have now? What will they have achieved by the end of the semester?
    • How will the course content be useful and relevant to students' future development and/or careers?
    • How do you use the content of this course in your own professional practice?

Be sure your posted policies/expectations also include:


#6 – Make your class student-ready.


#7 – Get students talking.


#8 – Take care of administrative tasks.


#9 – Set up an online office (optional).


#10 – Get some support.

RETURN TO:  Academy Library of Teaching Resources:  Blog  |  Home

The Fall 2019 Semester is wrapping up...
Michelle Lutt posted on Dec 12, 2019

Key Dates

Please make note of these important dates:

  • The Fall 2019 semester ends on Saturday, December 21 — one day earlier than the usual end of a module.

Please remind your students about this early deadline by posting an announcement and/or sending a message through the Mailbox. 

Keep in mind that you can extend the due date for your assignments, if you want to give students an extra day or two to finish up. (Learn more: Setting Up Your Topics) However, once the semester is officially over, students will no longer have access to the course modules. (They will still be able to view course media and everything in the Discussion.)

  • Final grades for all classes are due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31. (Learn more: Posting Progress Grades.)
  • Part-time instructors must submit their final hours for the semester by Tuesday, December 31. (Learn more: Reporting your hours in Workday.
  • If you are teaching next semester, the Spring 2020 semester beings Monday February 3.

Wrapping Up — and Looking Ahead

You might find it helpful to review these blog posts, which provide guidance on crucial end-of-semester tasks and issues:

RETURN TO:  Teaching Library:  Online Teaching Blog  |  Resources For ONLINE Instructors  |  Teaching Library Home

Online Teaching Checklist — Fall 2019
Michelle Lutt posted on Aug 21, 2019

Teaching online this semester? This checklist will help keep you on track!

Reminders:

  • Fall classes begin Thursday, September 5.
  • Fall Art Experience classes begin Saturday, October 5.  

  • Download the Online Module Calendar.


#1 — Get familiar with the Academy's Online Teaching Standards.

(star) Our teaching standards were updated last semester, so please make sure you are familiar with the current expectations. 

Review the full list of Standards for Online Instructors and download the rubric to help you assess your own effectiveness as an online instructor.


#2 – Review the most recent updates to the online learning system.

DO YOU HAVE OUR APP?

Online Education has developed Classes, an app for students and faculty, where they can check all things Academy-related. The Classes app includes the campus shuttle schedule, along with course information, online classrooms and student grades. Download the app for iOS or Android  — and tell your students about it!


#3 – Review the Workday requirements for reporting your hours (for part-time employees only).


#4 – Plan your time.

Please Note: This semester, Thursday, November 28 - Sunday, December 1, is the Thanksgiving holiday. Online classes resume on Monday December 2.


#5 – Clarify and post your expectations.

(star) New requirements for all online instructors:

  • Post your Online Office Hours.

  • Introduce your course content — and get students excited about your class!

    Students feel more invested — and work harder — when they understand how taking your class will change their lives for the better.

    To energize your students, the Academy is requiring that as part of your initial welcome and greeting all online instructors explain the learning outcomes of the class in your own words. Help students understand the relevance and value of your course: show them the big picture! Tell them why you care about this material — and why they should care.

    Here are a few things to think about as you formulate your comments:

    • How will students be different at the end of this class — i.e., what skills and knowledge will they have then that they don't have now? What will they have achieved by the end of the semester?
    • How will the course content be useful and relevant to students' future development and/or careers?
    • How do you use the content of this course in your own professional practice?

Be sure your posted policies/expectations also include:


#6 – Make your class student-ready.


#7 – Get students talking.


#8 – Take care of administrative tasks.


#9 – Set up an online office (optional).


#10 – Get some support.

RETURN TO:  Academy Library of Teaching Resources:  Blog  |  Home

What's NEW Online for Fall 2019
Michelle Lutt posted on Aug 20, 2019

There are lots of recent new features and policy updates to online teaching at the Academy. Check them out:

New Requirement (as of Summer 2019):

Get students excited about your class!

Students feel more invested — and work harder — when they understand how taking your class will change their lives for the better.

To energize your students, the Academy is requiring that as part of your initial welcome and greeting all online instructors explain the learning outcomes of the class in your own words. Help students understand the relevance and value of your course: show them the big picture! Tell them why you care about this material — and why they should care.

Here are a few things to think about as you formulate your comments:

  • How will students be different at the end of this class — i.e., what skills and knowledge will they have then that they don't have now? What will they have achieved by the end of the semester?
  • How will the course content be useful and relevant to students' future development and/or careers?
  • How do you use the content of this course in your own professional practice?
     

From Karen Chesna, JEM Online Coordinator, for LA/JEM 245: History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World

These are the Course Learning Outcomes for this class:

As a result of successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

    • Identify the development of major jewelry and metal arts period styles, works and artists from Prehistory to present day
    • Apply jewelry and metal arts terminology to describe how a piece exemplifies its period style and culture
    • Identify and analyze a piece of jewelry’s stylistic and cultural characteristics to evaluate how it exemplifies its period style and culture
    • Recognize and compare the similarities and differences between various artists and period styles and how they influence and motivate one another
    • Analyze and recognize the contextual ways art can affect and reflect cultural, political and humanistic issues
And here is Karen's introduction, based on these CLOs:

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the History of Jewelry and Metal Arts from Around the World. I hope you find this class exciting and inspiring, and that it makes you see jewelry in a different light. Far from being mere pretty body decoration, jewelry has played many different roles throughout history and across cultures — it signifies power, status and wealth; honors our heroes and champions; can be a device for preserving a memory or even the physical remains of a loved one; is a means of showing you belong to a group or another person; brings good luck and offers protection; is a way of honoring the gods, showing you are chosen by them, or insures entry into the afterlife; effects political change and reflects cultural and humanistic issues; and, like a painting or sculpture, can be a way to express your thoughts and feelings about a subject.

Throughout the course, we will study all of these various aspects of jewelry and see how a piece is deeply intertwined with the culture and time period in which it is created. So that you may speak intelligently about the subject, you will also learn about different jewelry artists, jewelry-specific terminology, and even a bit about some common techniques used to create jewelry. As part of the Final, you will even get to create your own piece! (Do not worry, this is intended to be fun and what you make will be entirely based on whatever skill level and resources you have, be you a new beginner or advanced student. The project will be described in detail later in the course and you will be given plenty of time to finish it.)

Jewelry has a long and rich history — the oldest piece currently discovered was created over 120,000 years ago, long before the famous cave paintings at Lascaux and Altamira! It is found in every culture, and is made from every material imaginable. Whether you are a jewelry major, aspiring fashion designer or merchandiser, video game creator, painter — you should be able to find something in this visually rich course to apply to or influence your own career and your own work.

I am really excited to be teaching you about this wonderful subject! I live in Montana, love dogs, and spend a lot of time reading science fiction and fantasy. I earned my MFA 100% online from the Academy, and therefore understand both the challenges and triumphs of taking a course online. Although I have been a metalsmith/jewelry artist for over 25 years, the field continues to challenge me with its blend of physical technique, conceptual expression, design skills and hard science. Studying the history of jewelry has informed my work, and shows me where my own voice fits into this very long ongoing conversation that we call visual art. There are a few pieces of my work pictured below. If you wish, you can see more at  www.karenchesna.com

Please let me know if you ever have any questions — I am here to help. Enjoy the class!


New Requirement (as of Summer 2019):

Online Office Hours

Starting last semester, Summer 2019, the Academy updated our Standards for Online Instructors . Specifically,

  • You are required to enter every section of your assigned online classes at least once a day, 6 days a week (including Saturdays — Pacific Time), to answer students' questions and address their concerns.
  • Online instructors must also specify — before each semester begins — when your daily check-in times will be. Again, you need to list check-in times of your choosing for six days each week, one of which must be Saturday (Pacific Time). Please note that these check-in times can be quite brief (e.g., 15 minutes), and you do not need to schedule the rest of the hours you will spend working in your online class: those remain flexible.
  • You must post these online office hours on your Profile page , using the enhanced tool now available there.

Review the instructions for using the new tool: Online Office Hours

  • When you log in during these check-in times, you must click the "Begin Office Hours" button to indicate to your students that you are present. Scroll down for details. 

 
The check-in times that you post will be visible to students on the Class Home / Syllabus page. 

Learn how to post your Online Office Hours .

 
To alert students to their instructor's presence online, we have added a "Begin Office Hours" button to the Home page. During your daily office hours (see above) — and any other time you're working online and want students to know you're there — you must click this button to check in. 

 
The system will check you out automatically after twenty minutes — or you can check yourself out, if you've finished working online before the twenty minutes are up.

 
Students will see an alert on the Outline whenever their instructor has checked in and is available.

Learn more about Online Office Hours

"Enter Class" Button

Under "Enrollments" on Your Home Page , every online class now includes a big blue button that says "Enter Class." This update was requested because of reports that some new online students had difficulty in finding their way to their course Outline — which meant that they were not aware of the module content and media. 


Mailbox Update

Now all the tools for formatting text and including rich media are part of the Mailbox interface.

Learn more about the Online Mailbox

The Student Pulse

The Academy has opted to remove the Student Pulse from the Student View.  Instructors can still see the Student Pulse , however.

Learn more about Student Pulse


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When English is not your first language...
Jennifer Michael posted on Jul 08, 2019

 
Chantelle Ferguson (cferguson@academyart.edu), Director of Online Language Support, offered her perspective and suggestions for instructors whose native language is not English:

Communicating in a second (or a third…) language can be challenging for even the most proficient of speakers. Because English has developed independently in many parts of the world, there is no guarantee that two English speakers will understand one another all of the time. Common expressions learned in Australia might be a mystery to those who learned English in Jamaica. Likewise, an accent perfected in Ireland might be difficult to understand for those who learned English in the United States or Japan.

Fortunately, it is human nature to want to understand others and to be understood. This is especially true in educational settings where teachers want to teach and students want to learn—even though English may be a non-native language to both. Because teachers often repeat information in lectures and demonstrations, in feedback on student work, and in answers to questions, they can use strategies focused on these crucial teacher-student interactions to become more effective communicators.

See Chantelle's strategies for Teaching in a Non-Native Language, including suggestions for both online and onsite instructors.

Learn more

Online Teaching Q&A on Thursday, 1-2 p.m.
Jennifer Michael posted on Jun 25, 2019

Please join us for this conversation about online teaching!

This informal session is a chance to ask your questions and get answers in real time. It's also an opportunity to connect with other online instructors.

Here are the details:

Hope to see you!

Learn more

Teacher Training Workshops