A well-designed learning space considers everything from resources, technology, teaching methods, and multiple means of engagement and interactions between students and instructors. An accessible learning space considers all of these and then focuses on the access that instructors and students have to the course. For example, a classroom could have the newest monitors and projection system, but if the instructor can’t be heard in the back of the room, a significant number of students will miss an opportunity to hear, participate, and contribute.

UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) has formed a Community of Practice to explore and showcase educational technology across campus. IT professionals, instructors, and staff are all welcome to join this new Community of Practice that will host asynchronous discussions in Microsoft Teams and synchronous meetings each semester.

Finding a career you’re passionate about might feel like one of the most daunting, life-altering choices in life. But I am excited to share how my experience in teaching and learning led me to an internship at CITT, making for a first step in my pivot to instructional design.

The annual Teaching TechXploration is upon us! Teaching TechXploration is an event for UF faculty, instructional designers, and anyone interested in the intersections of teaching and technology. On November 10th from 2:00 – 5:00, services from UFIT as well as the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Online Innovation & Production will be leading sessions on topics that include Canvas, iClicker, accessibility, teaching practices, and more. In addition, this year's Teaching TechXploration celebrates World Usability Day with a focus on creating more usable courses while also promoting strategies for teaching with technology.

October 13th is officially Treat Yo Self Day! It’s the best day of the year! Now I know we visit the CITT Bulletin to share best practices, pedagogy, and technology that we love, but it doesn’t hurt to take a short break from revitalizing courses or ranting about how rubrics get no respect to think about how we treat ourselves and the rest of the folks on our team.