Empowering Educational Equity: Affordable, Open, and Inclusive Course Materials
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 faculty from other departments.
Coffee Chat — Organizing STEM Education Research (10/2): A growing number of instructors on campus have expressed interest in measuring the effects of classroom reforms. The Pavlis Honors College, the Graduate School, the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences, the Engineering Fundamentals Department and others have begun working together to formalize programs and centralize resources in order to better support this kind of work. This discussion will include a summary of efforts to-date, a review of a potential campus-wide grant proposal, and opportunities for you to share your input on future directions. All with an interest in STEM Education research are encouraged to attend! This event is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Monday, September 29. Click here to register.
Coffee Chat — Information Literacy Learning Goal (10/7): Join the Information Literacy Goal Committee for a collaborative primer about integrating information literacy instruction effectively and efficiently in your course or degree program. Reminder: The Information Literacy University Student Learning Goal (USLG) will be assessed university wide this year. This timely workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Thursday, October 2. Click here to register.
Lunch and Learn — Jackson Blended Learning Grant Showcase (10/16): Through a generous gift from William G. Jackson in 2013, the CTL awarded $1000, $5000 and $10,000 grants to teams of instructors for blended learning projects at Michigan Tech. This luncheon will showcase these grant projects, which include travel to blended learning conferences as well as small-to-extensive course development or expansion projects, delivered using blended and online learning techniques. Participants will be invited to explore the kinds of work funded by previous grants prior to the luncheon and then select facilitators for further conversation. The goal is to encourage participants to initiate their own blended learning projects and/or propose a grant during the second solicitation, planned for November 2014. This luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, October 16 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided to those who register by Monday, October 13. Click here to register.
Workshop and Luncheon — On Thursday, Oct. 23, staff from TechSmith, makers of popular video recording/editing software, will be at Michigan Tech for one day only to showcase their tools and share their expertise. The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning invites faculty and instructional staff to attend two TechSmith events. For instructors new to recording and editing videos or screen capture, a Video Tools Overview is scheduled for 9:30 to 11a.m., so instructors can see what can be done with TechSmith tools, ask questions and learn how to get started. Those already using Camtasia or other TechSmith tools are encouraged to register for an afternoon Advanced User Workshop to get an expert’s help on projects. To register, click on the links above or contact the CTL for assistance at 7-3000.
The Center schedules events for faculty and instructional staff to provide opportunities to learn new instructional strategies and tools and meet faculty from other departments.
Coffee Chat — Dr. Barbara Oakley (9/11): Dr. Oakley (Antarctic adventurer, Russian translator, engineering professor, and author) will be in Houghton for a series of lectures at both Finlandia University and Michigan Tech. This event provides instructors a unique opportunity to learn about her recent research on learning math and science that is presented in her book “A Mind for Numbers”. Discussion will focus initially on her “10 Rules of Good and Bad Studying” and how they might apply to class design, but topics are expected to range widely! Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Monday, September 8. Join us for this event on Thursday, September 11 from 3:30 to 4:30pm. Click here to register.
Lunch and Learn — Student Accommodations (9/16): A growing number of Michigan Tech students are eligible to receive extra time, quiet space, or other accommodations during class activities. This trend has raised concerns among instructors. In this event, we will explore the process through which student accommodations are granted and the resources available to help instructors appropriately, consistently, and fairly accommodate students. Prior to this blended seminar, participants will watch video interviews with several faculty and administrators involved in this process and then select those most relevant for lunchtime discussion. Lunch will be provided to those who register by Thursday, September 11. Join us for this event on Tuesday, September 16 from noon to 1pm. Click here to register.
Luncheon and Gamification Workshops — Todd Wilmore (9/23): Todd Wilmore is a dynamic speaker and organizational consultant, as well as an adjunct professor at both Central Michigan and Saint Leo Universities. During his visit to Michigan Tech on Tuesday, September 23, he’ll offer both a lunchtime session on the changing role of instructors in higher education and a 75-minute workshop on using game theory in class design (gamification). The gamification workshop will be offered twice (one morning session and one afternoon session), but enrollment will be limited to 40 for each workshop session. All are encouraged to attend the luncheon event. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore innovative techniques with an expert that you can use to motivate your students! To register for any of these events, please call 487-3000 or register online using the links above. Lunch will be available for those who register by Thursday, September 18.
Coffee Chat — Organizing STEM Education Research (10/2): A growing number of instructors on campus have expressed interest in measuring the effects of classroom reforms. The Pavlis Honors College, the Graduate School, the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences, the Engineering Fundamentals Department and others have begun working together to formalize programs and centralize resources in order to better support this kind of work. This discussion will include a summary of efforts to-date, a review of a potential campus-wide grant proposal, and opportunities for you to share your input on future directions. All with an interest in STEM Education research are encouraged to attend! This event is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Monday, September 29. Click here to register.
Coffee Chat — Information Literacy Learning Goal (10/7): Join the Information Literacy Goal Committee for a collaborative primer about integrating information literacy instruction effectively and efficiently in your course or degree program. Reminder: The Information Literacy University Student Learning Goal (USLG) will be assessed university wide this year. This timely workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided to those who register by Thursday, October 2. Click here to register.
During the fall and spring semesters, faculty and instructional staff will be invited approximately monthly to either a lunchtime workshop or coffee chat on a topic of current interest. eLearning workshops are also available year round to help you use technology to enhance your courses. These events provide an opportunity to network with faculty from other departments, learn new instructional strategies and tools, and become aware of instructional policy changes. Please contact us with ideas and suggestions for future events.
The first 2013 luncheon workshop, “Great Groups,” will be held from noon to 12:55 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24. Lunch will be provided to those who register by Monday, Jan. 21. Click here to register.
Michigan Tech instructors use a wide variety of pedagogical and technological approaches to help motivate and guide student groups to learn interactively. In this workshop, you will get time-saving ideas and gather best practices from eLearning staff and experienced faculty! Prior to the event, we will provide you with short videos of faculty describing their most effective techniques. You will have the opportunity to discuss your favorite topics from these videos during the luncheon.
To ensure an accurate count for lunch, register for this workshop at RSVP by Monday, Jan. 21, or contact CTL at 487-2046. Once your register, you will receive an email confirmation, which will give you the location and a reminder about the date and time.