Tech: Fall wrap-up and spring planning- Consultations, AI, and Syllabi

First, ETS is happy to help with wrap up and planning- click to schedule a consultation. We are also hosting walk-in AI labs in the CfLT (Library A07) on January 5, 10-12pm and January 9, 1-3pm.

The syllabus is perhaps the most important document in our courses. A former colleague used to wear a t-shirt to the first day of class that read, “It’s in the syllabus!”

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Teaching: Resources to support the neurodivergent

At the Carleton College faculty workshop on AI that I recently attended, I was introduced to an innovative AI tool called Magic To Do that is designed to assist neurodivergent students with executive functions. This presentation complemented the insights from another keynote speaker, Lorre Wolf, who focused on “Supporting Neurodiversity through the Lens of Autism.” As we strive to support this expanding student demographic, here are some valuable resources to consider.

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Tidbit: How Do Humanities Majors Fare in the Work Force?

I wish this report, Employment Outcomes for Humanities Majors: State Profiles, would have come out before we entered advising. With the high cost of an education, our students are often driven to a major by its perceived earning potential. With a daughter who graduated with a liberal arts degree in English and French, I grow weary of trying to defend her choices over our son’s math and computer science major.

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Teaching: Discussing course evaluations with your students

It is that time of year. The end is in sight. But before we can close the books on this semester, we have to administer course evaluations in our classes. To get more informed feedback, I often ask students to comment on specific practices or content of the course that I am concerned with improving. For example, I may have replaced a test with a project, developed a new approach to group work, or created course materials to help guide student readings.

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Tidbit: Students mental health and emotional contagion

Faculty members have shared that they are feeling the strain of their students’ mental health issues. Whether it’s a request for an extension or an e-mail apologizing for missing class because they’ve got “stuff going on.” In Professors Struggle With Demands to Tend to Students’ Mental Health, Kelly Field gives a realistic assessment of what faculty are facing, particularly this time of year.

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Tech: Faculty Showcase- Teaching with Technology (10/24/23)

Tech: If you missed the October 24 event, Faculty Showcase- Teaching with Technology, here it is on video for you. 
Presentations are in the following order:
  • Seeing Wilderness Anew- Jeff Kurtz
  • Storytelling to Enhance the Classroom- Doug Swift
  • Inky, A Choose Your Own (Romance) Adventure- Rebecca Kennedy
  • That Textbook Costs How Much?! Considering OER- May Mei & Nestor Matthews
  • Collaborative for Digital Engagement and Experience at the Ohio 5 (CODEX)- Hoda Yousef & Weston Wharton ’26
  • Chat-bots and Non-linear Narratives: POE, Botpress, and SillyTavern AI- Francisco Lopez-Martin

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Teaching: Interleaving Improves Learning for All Learners

As we approach finals, how can we help our students keep track of all the learning that occurred this semester? You might be familiar with the learning practice known as interleaving. Interleaving is a learning technique where mixing different topics is more beneficial than studying them separately (blocking). Research has proven its effectiveness in both controlled studies and real-world classrooms across various subjects.

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Tidbit: But I studied really hard

Have you ever had that difficult conversation with a student after a poor performance on a test or assignment? Often, the student will state in exasperation that they “studied really hard.” Nevertheless, their performance does not reflect this effort.

In the article From Deficit to Empowerment: A Neuroscience Approach to Unveiling the Learning Brain, Mays Imad points out that learning is a very complex process and many things must properly align to succeed.

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Tech: Open Educational Resources- Internet Archive

Are you (or your students) interested in free books, movies, and more? Internet Archive is a non-profit library that hosts 38 million books, 11 million videos, and over 2 million TV shows in addition to concert recordings, audio files, and other media. From textbooks to novels to children’s books, the collection has something for everyone. Some items are available indefinitely, while others can be checked out for a few hours or a couple weeks.

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Teaching: How are classroom discussions going?

How are class discussions going? As we enter the second half of the semester, there is a chance discussions have fallen into a routine. Both you and your students are feeling the pressures of the semester, and it is hard to keep that spark alive. This article by Joe Bookman offers some advice for making your classroom discussions more inclusive.

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