Recently, I was taken aback by a text from my son: “Super super super stressed out agh.” He is in his sophomore year, with a heavy schedule, but this was out of the ordinary for the “iceman” (a nickname I gave him for always being cool under pressure, and a Bjorn Borg reference). Clearly my son is not alone.
Teaching, Tech, and Tidbits Digest
The posts below are from a bi-weekly digest that encapsulates a range of evidence-based best practices and cutting-edge insights on innovative teaching strategies, effective use of technology, student engagement techniques, and effective assessment, to name a few. The content, diligently curated or crafted by the director Dr. Lew Ludwig, is grounded in robust research and drawn from a wide array of innovative articles, books, and online resources. The goal is to support timely, ongoing faculty development with the most current and impactful knowledge in the field.
Tidbit – A Return to Better
As we look to the fall and the promise of vaccinations, herd immunity, and decreased disease prevalence, it is tempting to leave behind the challenging lessons of the last 16 months. However, we have learned too much to just “snapback to normal” as Josuoa Kim argues in his IHE piece, Avoiding the “snapback.”
As Arundhati Roy notes:
Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew.
Tech – Make Google Drive Work for You
Have you ever wondered why some of your colleagues seem to be obsessed with Google Drive when you just cannot get it to work how you want? In this ETS blog post, Kelli Van Wasshenova lists the top 5 reasons she is a fan of Google Drive, and explains why you might want to try using a “hidden gem” called Google Drive for desktop (formerly File Stream), which allows you to access Google Drive files right on your computer.
Teaching – Getting Ready for Course Evaluations
When colleague’s want me to observe their class for formative feedback, I always ask them to share two or three things they are working on in which feedback would be helpful. For example, working to involve more students, trying to summarize class in the last five minutes, organizing my board work, etc. This helps me to focus the observation and provide more useful feedback.
Tidbit – Screen Time Getting to Your Neck?
Try out these six 30-second exercises shared By Dr. Andrea Lourie, Psychology. Three minutes a day to a healthier neck.
Tidbit – Dr. Mays Imad-Trauma Informed Pedagogy
In August, Dr. Mays Imad hosted a webinar for Denison where she shared her work on trauma informed pedagogy. In late March, she hosted a national webinar: Leveraging the Neuroscience of Now: Toward Healing & Recovery.
If you missed this event, Mays has shared the recorded webinar link. This worked is based on Why hope still matters, Mays’ article in the Chronicle.
Tech – Webcam not working? Microphone Suddenly Disappear from the Computer? Try “reseating” Your Device.
To “reseat” means to unplug and then plug in a peripheral device when it is not working on the computer. Basically, if you are in the classroom and the camera cuts out, or even the mouse stops working, the first thing to do is to check the USB connection and reseat the device. Read more about reseating devices in this ETS blog post.
Teaching – TILT Assignments to Support the Success of Students from Diverse Backgrounds
The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework helps faculty redesign existing assignments and activities in a manner that makes the purpose and expectations clearer to students. These redesigned assignments have been demonstrated to increase academic confidence, sense of belonging, and metacognitive awareness for all students, with historically underserved students experiencing the greatest benefits.
Tech – What We’ve Learned with Dr. Sarah Wolff
How do we know students are understanding the basics of our course before it’s too late? Dr. Sarah Wolff has found a way to use Notebowl to provide formative feedback to her students. She uses a cobination of short videos and discussion boards to make sure her students keep on top of their learning.
Interested in trying Sarah’s approach to formative feeding using Notebowl discussion boards?
Tidbit – Inclusive Teaching Resources
The Association of College and University Educators has a nice resource for supporting inclusive learning with ten helpful practices. As their website points out:
A classroom, whether physical or virtual, is a reflection of the world in which we live. Research has shown that students from underrepresented groups often face additional challenges. By implementing inclusive teaching practices, faculty create learning environments where all students feel they belong and have the opportunity to achieve at high levels.