Try out these six 30-second exercises shared By Dr. Andrea Lourie, Psychology. Three minutes a day to a healthier neck.
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 – 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.
Teaching – The Quick Tip: How to Make the Most of the Last 5 Minutes of Class
Denise Magner of the Chronicle reminds us to not waste those final minutes trying to cram in eight more points or call out as many reminders as possible. Here are two tips she gives, based on a piece by James Lang
- The minute paper. Wrap up the formal class period a few minutes early, and pose two questions to your students: (1) What was the most important thing you learned today?
Tidbit – Venture Aims To ‘Resurrect And Reimagine’ Anti-Slavery Newspaper For The 21st Century
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, is partnering with the Boston Globe to launch The Emancipator , “a resurrection of an early 19th-century abolitionist newspaper with a hope to reframe the national conversation in an effort to hasten racial justice.” In the fall the center conducted a reading group using Kendi’s book How to be an antiracist.
Tech – Keeping Organized Leads to a More Equitable Classroom
Like many of us during the fall, Dr. Chris Weingart – Biology, had a lot on her plate. To help manage everything she knew she had to keep her classes organized. In this video interview, Chris shares how she used a simple Google doc to organize her classes. This led to a more equitable experience for her students as everyone had the same access to resources, materials, and schedule no matter if they were in-person, remote, or happened to miss a class.
Tech – Why you should update Zoom
Most of us have been using Zoom for about a year now, but some of the terms around the different ways to access Zoom can be confusing. The Zoom “client” is the application that is installed on your computer. The Zoom “web portal” is the website denison.zoom.us where, among other things, you can access and schedule your meetings, view your recordings saved to the Zoom cloud, setup polling, and import breakout rooms.