(Missed a week? Check out our archive here)

  We are sending you a recap of the week in all things teaching and learning. These notes will share timely teaching tips, recent pedagogical scholarship, teaching events on and off campus, and Hub blog posts. Use this form to unsubscribe.

About this time of the semester, all the pieces of our complex schedules and demands are starting to settle into place. What patterns are emerging for you and for your students? 

One way to notice patterns of our teaching is to invite someone to visit our classroom who isn't usually there and just... watch! This fall the Hub is offering you a chance to connect with your colleagues in our program See Me Teach! 

I am still inspired by the suggestion of Lee Shulman that we see "teaching as community property." And if we get curious about how to think about community, this week I'm inspired by Parker Palmer's assertion that "community is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received. When we treat community as a product that we must manufacture instead of a gift we have been given, it will elude us eternally." 

Give yourself the gift of letting a colleague into your classroom and opening the possibility for a sense of community to grow - Register to be a host for a visit here. 

Wednesday, September 16th, 12pm - 1pm, virtual

Hosted by Belen Garcia

Have you had challenges when your students work in groups? There are many benefits when students work together in small groups. However, it is not always easy for students to work together. Group work can be incorporated into your class in different levels from the occasional active learning activity all the way to semester-long projects. There are some strategies to help students be more effective when working in groups; for example planning is essential. Come to this session to start brainstorming about incorporating group work or bring your tips if you have successfully done it in your class.

Tuesday September 22nd, 12 - 1 pm, Register Here

The Hub will host a virtual brown bag with Amy Brainer, and several of her students, to talk about their process of collaborating to create the GenAI policy in their class this semester. Inspired by this article, Professor Brainer decided to find out from students how they wanted suspected AI use to be handled. You’ll hear about the experience of co-creating the policy as well as how the first few weeks, and assignments, have gone.

The registration form has an option to submit questions in advance. 

Wednesday, Sep 23rd, 11:00am - 12:00pm, virtual

The Open Education Committee is inviting you to attend a faculty panel discussion about Open Education Resources (OER). OERs have been released under a creative open license that make them free and are usually in a digital format that allows easily sharing them with others. Join us for a conversation about the benefits of teaching with course materials that are not behind a paywall. We will explore challenges and opportunities about incorporating (OER) in your class.

UM-Dearborn has several OE grants available to all faculty and the panelists will share their experiences with these grants.

Panelists:

Wednesday, September 16, 4:10 - 4:40 p.m., virtual

Join author Sarah Silverman as she introduces key concepts from her new book, Classroom Mindscapes: An Introduction to Neurodiversity for Educators. This webinar will explore the foundations of neurodiversity, its connection to disability and inclusive education, and practical strategies educators can use to better support neurodivergent students in higher education. A live Q&A session will follow the presentation.

Friday, September 18, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., in-person. Lunch and refreshments will be provided for attendees.

Are you interested in fostering resilience, empathy, and emotional wellness in your classroom? The Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Henry Ford College extends an invitation to the UM-Dearborn community for an upcoming mini-conference on Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Come to join, learn, and connect!

Following a successful first year, the Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources and Digital Education are excited to invite faculty to participate in the second year of our Digital Accessibility Learning Communities. These funded, faculty-led communities provide a supportive space for instructors to explore practical strategies for creating more accessible and inclusive learning experiences, share ideas with colleagues, and make meaningful improvements to their courses. A detailed description of the program is available here. 

Whether you are just getting started with digital accessibility or looking to deepen your existing efforts, this opportunity offers dedicated time, peer support, and funding to help you advance accessible teaching practices that benefit all students. Led by Faculty Conveners, each learning community will bring together a cohort of participants to explore and apply digital accessibility principles to real-world teaching and course design challenges. 

If you're interested in being the Faculty Convener, please fill out the application form below. We are looking forward to hearing from you! First time applicants are currently invited to apply; if you convened a group last year, please wait to apply again until after September 28th.

Our contact page includes multiple ways to reach out to us, including videoconferences, email consultations, and even a form to request support if you aren't sure who to work with.

Questions or comments? Contact Jessica Riviere at rivierej@umich.edu

Photo "Pieced Nine-Patch Quilt with Embroidery Fancy Pieced Quilt" Smithsonia Anacostia Community Museum; all icons by Icons8