September

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning schedules events for faculty and instructional staff to provide opportunities to learn new instructional strategies and tools and meet colleagues from other departments. 

Coffee Chat — Barbara Oakley — Looking Back on MOOC Development: Challenges and Opportunities (9/3): Dr. Barbara Oakley (author of “A Mind for Numbers”) returns to Michigan Tech this fall after successfully delivering a free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), titled “Learning How to Learn,” through Coursera to nearly a million students.  During this chat, Michigan Tech instructors will gain insight into her experience developing and delivering this MOOC as well as discuss metacognitive techniques all instructors can teach their students. (This event is partially sponsored by the Visiting Women & Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series (VWMLS), which is funded by a grant to the Michigan Tech Office of Institutional Equity, from the State of Michigan’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.) Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Monday, August 31.  Join us for this event on Thursday, September 3 from 2:00 to 3:30pmClick here to register.

Coffee Chat — Faculty Learning Communities: An Effective Change Agent? (9/10): In this coffee chat, we’ll explore the nature, intent, and structure of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) and explore the process of starting one here at Michigan Tech. To prepare for this discussion, participants will be asked to read two short articles by Milton Cox, who has used FLCs for over 20 years at Miami University as a way for faculty to learn about and become campus leaders on a wide variety of topics. His recent research demonstrates that FLCs are among the most effective ways to introduce and retain evidence-based instructional methods across campuses. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Friday, September 4.  Join us for this event on Thursday, September 10 from 3:30 to 4:30pmClick here to register.

Lunch and Learn — Metacognitive Strategies (9/16): As information becomes increasingly accessible, higher education is challenged to be more intentional in helping students hone strategies for learning. The explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies, which encourage students to examine their own thinking and approaches to learning different types of content, can improve retention and motivation. In this session we’ll examine and practice several metacognitive teaching skills, with an eye toward integrating them across virtually any discipline. Participants will be asked to read a short article in preparation for this workshop. Lunch will be provided to those who register by Friday, September 11. Join us for this event on Wednesday, September 16 from noon to 1:00pmClick here to register.

Research Highlights How Easily and Readily Students Fabricate Excuses

How can you know when a student is lying about the “family emergency” that kept them from doing their assignment? According to this article, more often than not, students aren’t being entirely honest whenever they ask for an extension, with little regard to how much an assignment is worth.

Research Highlights How Easily and Readily Students Fabricate Excuses

 

From: Faculty Focus
By: Anna M. Carmichael and Lacy E. Krueger

Webinar: Racial Climate on Campus: Best Practices

Please join Institutional Equity and Inclusion for the webinar The Racial Climate on Campus: Best Practices for Education, Response & Adjudication

A Discussion with Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington
Wednesday, July 22, 2-3:30pm in EERC 501

Race relations on campuses across the country have been charged, as a result of a number of incidents that have taken place in college communities and in communities at large.  Many institutions report having seen a loss of a civil community as we have known it to be – and we’ve seen a resurgence of student activism across the country in recent months, leaving administrators wondering how to encourage respectful student engagement.

Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, President and Founder of the Social Justice Training Institute and Washington Consulting Group, will provide strategies for engaging in best practices that meet the needs of your diverse student body so you can educate students about what constitutes racist speech and action, respond to incidents swiftly and effectively when they do occur, and adjudicate incidents effectively and fairly.

Please email Susan Sullivan (susulliv@mtu.edu) to reserve a space for this webinar.