Faculty Development Newsletter

2017 - 2018: mid-April, 2018

Fac Dev Website

Mid-April Newsletter

Tuesday Soup: Authentic Intellectual Work

Tuesday, April 24, noon - 1 (talk from 12:15 - 12:45 pm), AH 300 Come when you can, leave when you must.
From about 12:15 - 12:45, Scott DeWitt (Educational Studies) will be sharing his expertise on Authentic Intellectual Work.
Scott says:  
This session will be an introduction to the Authentic Intellectual Work professional development program. AIW is a research-based framework for teachers to evaluate their own instructional practices. It provides criteria that allow teachers to be intentional about emphasizing particular aspects of learning that have been shown to improve student achievement: higher order thinking, deep knowledge of the discipline, substantive conversation, and connection to the world beyond the classroom. The program is not prescriptive. It does not promote or denigrate particular teaching strategies. Instead, it provides a framework where teachers can make their own decisions about instructional priorities while still having a basis for assessing the effectiveness of their teaching.
Bring your lunch to enjoy in the company of colleagues, or just come to hear the talk. I'll bring enough (vegan, grain-free) soup to share a bit, if you'd like to try it.  

This Friday at Four: Lynette Lombard and Tony Gant (Art and Art History): "On the Edge of Nature"

Friday, April 27, WAC 213 Refreshments at 4; Talks begin at 4:15 Hope you can join us on a busy day! Here's what to expect:
Tony Gant’s statement: Shifting tectonic plates, land erosion, wind sculpting and Ice Rivers have shaped the earth we inherit. Within the tradition of shaping the earth, humans don’t have a great recent track record-clear-cutting, mountaintop removal, oil spills and we now dominate the ever -changing landscape. I like to think of my works at Green Oaks as meditations on earth shaping and I hope my Land Art compels viewers to pause and reflect on the shapes we inhabit
Lynette Lombard’s statement: My paintings embody a visceral, physical and poetic experience of place. Painting out in the landscape is a shock to my system, a jolt on the nerves, a waking up to being engulfed and consumed by the natural world.  It’s where monsters and terror meet a deep desire to connect to a place. The places I paint have a presence, a wildness and a desolation that is where nature attempts to hold on. Painting is where the fragile and sometimes disturbing become actual, tangible and conjure a spirit of place.
 

CoFR deadlines

  • Funding proposals for research and creative work for Summer 2018 should be submitted by April 20 to be given full consideration; proposals for Fall 2018 should be submitted no later than May 4 in order to be considered before September. More information, and the application, here. Don't hesitate to contact Mary at facultydevelopment@knox.edu with questions about what might be fundable--especially if you haven't requested money before. It doesn't hurt to ask!
  • The time to submit Mellon proposals has passed.
  • Conference travel through June 30: The deadline for "automatic" CTAs has passed, as has the deadline for supplemental CTAs. If a last-minute opportunity has arisen, email Mary at facultydevelopment@knox.edu with the conference information and your proposed budget no later than April 25. CoFR will make decisions about a second round of supplemental CTAs in late April/early May if funds remain.
  • Conference travel after June 30: Use this year's CTA form here for now. A form for 18 - 19 will be rolling out soon.

Mark your calendars: Mellon Faculty Development Workshop, June 6 and 7

To support faculty within our newly approved Knox Educational Program, the June Mellon Workshop will focus on key questions of student engagement, collaborative learning, and how to implement these ideas through actively engaged and immersive learning opportunities.  We have secured a highly regarded external facilitator (click here for her bio); participants will receive a stipend (and food!). Start thinking now about ways you might--on your own or with colleagues--provide more engaged/active/immersive learning opportunities for your students. At the workshop, you'll have an opportunity to refine your ideas and take steps toward implementation.

Useful links