Faculty Development Newsletter

2016 - 2017: February, 2017

Fac Dev Website

February Newsletters

This week: Tuesday Soup taking a break

Friends, if you only knew the self-control it took to not title this "No soup for you!". Seriously, I'm looking at the week ahead and realizing that something's got to give, and it's soup. I'll be firing up the crockpot again next week. In the meantime, here's some relevant advice on one way to decide on boundaries in your work life.  

Information Session: Courses with a travel component

This Thursday, Feb. 16, 8 - 9 am, AH 115 Planning a Fall term course with a travel component? Looking at the possibility of developing one for the future? Come learn about planning, budgeting, billing, and compliance issues, and get your questions answered. Coffee will be served.  

Watch your inbox for the application: ACM FaCE workshop

Thursday, March 16 This day-long workshop is the first in a series of workshops on using cognitive science to inform teaching practices, and is funded by an ACM FaCE grant awarded to a group of Knox faculty and staff (Sharon Clayton, Mark Shroyer, Judy Thorn, and Nate Williams). It will focus on practical strategies for developing (and making room for) active learning assignments and activities in your courses.  

This week's Tuesday Soup: Handler Forum, 11:45 - 1:15

(come when you can, leave when you must, bring a mug if you think of it)  

User Services support hours this week

Do you have questions about using technology (both hardware and software) in your classes? Have ideas but need some support in implementing them? User Services can help. Each of the four User Services staff members--Nancy Hall, Ross Davis, Emily Frakes, and Drew Witherell--focuses on a particular set of disciplines and is ready to work with faculty in those disciplines.  The goal is to help faculty use technology in new and innovative ways, foster student collaboration, continue to develop student-centered learning strategies, and extend learning beyond the classroom. Stop on by!   This week's hours:

Candid Conversations next Monday at 4

  Triggers: what they are; what they aren't"  (Monday February 13, 4 pm in E117 SMC) Talk with your colleagues and with Janell McGruder, Director of Counseling Services, about your classroom experiences and your questions and concerns about triggers in the classroom. Planned topics include:  

Reading Day Writing Space this Wednesday

  Old Main 300 has been reserved from 8 am - 5 pm for faculty who'd like some dedicated time and space for writing. Coffee, quiet, and solidarity will be made available. Come and go (quietly) as you please. (Also, writing support groups will be forming soon; go here to indicate your interest and preferences.)


Thinking about next term's courses?

I personally find that midterm is a good time to assess what's worked and what hasn't so far in this term's courses, and to think about what I might do differently next term. Some food for thought:

This week's Tuesday Soup: Handler Forum (AH 300), 11:45 - 1:15 (come when you can, leave when you must, bring a mug if you think of it)   Dialogue this Friday Cate Denial and Gabe Raley continue their series of faculty/staff dialogues on current events and social justice this Friday at 4 pm in the Common Room, Old Main.

Still time to apply for ACM FaCE workshop Strategies for Making Small Changes Now : Using Cognitive Science to Inform Teaching--Thursday, March 16 This day-long workshop is the first in a series of workshops on using cognitive science to inform teaching practices, and is funded by an ACM FaCE grant awarded to a group of Knox faculty and staff (Sharon Clayton, Mark Shroyer, Judy Thorn, and Nate Williams). It will focus on practical strategies for developing (and making room for) active learning assignments and activities in your courses. Apply here.

Interested in thinking about capstone experiences? Knox is assembling a team to attend the AAC&U Institute on Integrative Learning and Signature Work, being held July 11 - 14 at Loyola University in Chicago. More information is available here; please email me at facultydevelopment@knox.edu no later than March 1 if you're interested in being part of the team.

This week's Tuesday Soup: Handler Forum (AH 300), 11:45 - 1:15 (come when you can, leave when you must, bring a mug if you think of it)
Unreasonable requests are often the last-ditch effort of students who are panicking about a grade.  Is it likely that they got themselves into this pickle to begin with? Absolutely. Do I accomplish anything by responding with outrage?  Probably not.

"Friday" at 4: What's new (and what's not) in FP

On Wednesday, March 8, come to E117 SMC to hear your colleagues talk about teaching First-Year Preceptorial and/or to share your own experiences. If you haven't taught FP lately, this would be a great opportunity to learn more about the courses that have already been developed. If you're already teaching FP or want to develop a new course, here's your chance to recruit some teammates. As always, refreshments at 4; talks at 4:15

Transparent assignments mini-workshops--sign up now

What if your assignments were easier to grade? What if students knew whether or not they were doing excellent work before they turned it in? Giving a little more thought to purpose, task, and criteria can make all the difference for students and for you. Read here about the TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) project, and start thinking about an assignment for next term that you might want to workshop with a few colleagues. Sign up for your preferred time(s) here.  

Mark your calendar: rescheduled "Candid Conversation" on Triggers

Triggers: what they are; what they aren't"  (Monday April 17, 4 pm in Wilson House) Talk with your colleagues and with Janell McGruder, Director of Counseling Services, about your classroom experiences and your questions and concerns about triggers in the classroom. Planned topics include:  

Recent articles of interest