Booker named MSVCC Instructor of the Year

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SENATOBIA, MS (03/22/2018) Northwest Mississippi Community College history instructor Trent Booker was recently named Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) Instructor of the Year. Booker was honored at the 2018 Creating Futures Through Technology Conference (CFTTC), held in Biloxi Feb. 28- March 2.

Booker, who teaches both classroom and online classes, came to Northwest in 2005 and began teaching online classes in 2007. Booker holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Arts from the University of Memphis. He has served as one of the Division of eLearning's subject coordinators since 2012 and in 2016, he completed the Quality Matters Peer Review course.

According to the selection guidelines, "the selection of the Online Instructor of the Year is not a competition to choose the best online teacher in Mississippi. It is intended to recognize a faculty member who demonstrates and represents the qualities all online faculty members admire." The MSVCC, in conjunction with the Mississippi Community College Foundation, accepts nominations for the Online Instructor of the Year. All nominations should be submitted to the Chief eLearning Officer at each college. The Chief eLearing Officer selects a candidate and submits it to MSVCC. A panel of evaluators reviews submissions and selects the Online Instructor of the Year. Upon notification, the candidate will receive recognition by the MACJC Presidents' Association, as well as a $1,000 stipend from the Mississippi Community College Foundation.

"I see this award as the result of my attending conferences such as CFTTC in prior years, completing training in Quality Matters Standards through Northwest eLearning, and then implementing what I learned in my courses," Booker said.

"Trent's genuine concern for students is evident by the fact that he has designed a course and adopted a grading system that allows students to be successful even if they occasionally submit work that is unsatisfactory. His students have many opportunities to practice 'doing history' by engaging with a variety of assignments," said Phyllis Johnson, dean of eLearning.

Johnson remarked that Booker has the ability to motivate students to achieve success in the subject. "Many students dislike history as an academic subject and consider it dry and boring. Instead of simply plodding through the textbook, Trent's course motivates students to learn by using weekly modules to introduce essential questions in American history for which historians have sought, and in some cases still seek answers."

"The quality of our online courses is very important and Trent has shown this through his efforts in designing the online class. We are thrilled that he was chosen among the top 5 nominees in the State. He is the first to go through a Quality Matter Review and his efforts to have a great course out there for our students is evident. We are so very proud of him," Johnson said.

Northwest offers students the option of taking many college courses online. Students can choose to complete select programs totally online. Online courses were developed to increase access to Northwest courses for adults and other students who cannot attend campus-based classes due to work, family responsibilities or distance from campus. Students who are current or former Northwest students can enroll in online courses after consulting with their adviser. New students must first apply for admission to the college. Northwest is a part of the MSVCC, which gives students more online course options. All pathways and programs that can be attained fully online are listed below. A complete listing of online courses is available through the MSVCC website msvcc.org or by going to northwestms.edu and clicking on the eLearning page. The eLearning office is located on the second floor in Tate Hall on the Senatobia campus.

Open registration for online classes for the Summer 2018 semester is Thursday, May 24 from 4:30 - 7 p.m. and Friday, May 25 from 8 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 662-560-5230 or visit the college's website at northwestms.edu.