Getting Started | San Mateo County CCD

New Instructors - Getting Started

The Faculty Gateway offers you some essential resources for beginning your teaching journey in the SMCCCD. Please review these resources and bookmark this page to refer back to as you continue teaching with us.

Online Teaching Training - Quality Online Teaching & Learning (QOTL)

QOTL is an in-house certification program for faculty to learn how to teach online and/or hybrid courses. Completing QOTL training or approved equivalent within the last three years meets the District’s recommendations for online teaching preparation.

At the completion of the QOTL Work Group, participants will be able to:

Design an accessible online/hybrid course in Canvas while applying the OEI Course Design Rubric & Peralta Equity Rubric

Construct a course that meets the needs of online or hybrid students, specifically in the area of Regular Effective Contact.

Assess new or existing course materials for accessibility and revise as needed.

Instructional Software

To begin online learning, you’ll first need a reliable internet connection. Then you’ll use these three basic tools to get started. You will need to be able to access your email, find and submit online assignments and you will need to know how to join online meetings.

Course content and communication

Canvas is the SMCCCD's LMS which enables faculty to provide the best support for online and on-campus courses

Course meetings and office hours

Zoom is an Online Meeting Tool used to host synchronous course meetings and online office hours.

Course roster and enter final grades

Websmart supports faculty in managing course waitlists, adds, drops, and entering final grades.

Selecting course materials for your class

There are many choices for selecting course materials for your class. For general questions regarding course materials, reach out to your campus Bookstore. Inability to afford textbooks and course materials is an equity issue and it can be addressed through Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) & Open Educational Resources (OER) adoption. If you are interested in learning more about ZTC and OER course material options, connect with your campus Library or ZTC Team.

OER & ZTC Highlights!

Did you know?

Easier

High quality

Embeddable

Free & available

Print option available

Legal

View ZTC & OER