Founded in 2022, the mission of the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) is to support the academic success, teaching excellence, and life-long learning of Swarthmore students, faculty, instructors, and staff. In this issue, learn about:
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Resources for beating the mid-semester slump.
- Recent TLC programs.
- Our Pedagogy Lunch on differentiating education at Swarthmore.
- Upcoming partner events.
- Hosting accessible events and creating accessible fliers through Venngage.
- Community voices on teaching & learning.
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Beating That Mid-Semester Slump |
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The TLC hopes that the following resources can help during this oft-sluggish time of the semester. Faculty and staff can read about how to make the most of midterms as well as learn tips for work-life balance in higher education, both from the Norton Learning Blog. Slides from the Spring 2023 pedagogy lunch: Teaching the Whole Student include ideas from Student Health, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Dean's Office, and Student Disability Services on helping students in crisis and promoting well-being on campus. With the presidential election underway, faculty and staff may find this election resource guide useful (compiled by the Educational Studies Administrative Assistant, Mary Kassab). Eastern Michigan University's materials from their event, "Teaching in Turbulent Times," as well as Harvard University's "Teaching in Times of Strife and Trauma" are both available online.
We encourage students to attend the upcoming Let's Talk event on Nov. 5 with CAPS and read about balancing work and school life from Mental Health America. First-year students who are especially feeling the mid-semester slump might find this article by The Dorm on getting through the freshman blues informative. Lastly, students, please don’t wait until the end of the semester to seek support with academics, health and wellbeing, or building community. Resources such as CAPS, Student Academic Mentors (SAMs), and more are all here for you on campus (including us at the TLC). Good luck with the rest of the semester, Swatties!
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Teaching & Learning Highlights |
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| Teachers as Scholars with Barbara Thelamour |
The Teachers as Scholars program recognizes teachers as scholars and learners who are eager to engage with others in the process of continual intellectual growth. The program provides K-12 teachers with the opportunity to explore new ideas in the company of fellow educators through participation in seminars taught by Swarthmore professors. On Wednesday, Oct. 23, Associate Professor of Psychology Barbara Thelamour taught a seminar entitled Immigrant Acculturation and Identity Development: Implications for Education. The second part of the seminar will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in the McCabe Library's LibLab.
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| Neurodiversity in the Classroom Workshop with Sarah Silverman |
The TLC and ADA Program hosted a hybrid workshop for faculty and staff on neurodiversity in the classroom on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Led by Sarah Silverman, Ph.D., instructional designer and instructor of Disability Studies, participants received an overview of neurodiversity theory and history before discussing key ideas that apply to the classroom, such as the neurodiversity paradigm and double empathy problem. Participants also had the option to explore a case study involving small seminars and participation with neurodiverse students and concepts. Materials from the workshop can be found in the Google drive folder below.
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Durable Skills Pedagogy Lunch |
On Thursday, Oct. 10, the TLC team and partners from Career Services, the Center for Innovation and Learning, and the Aydelotte Foundation hosted a catered lunch and lively discussion of the durable skills that graduates need to thrive as young adults in the workplace and beyond. We explored questions such as: how does the liberal arts degree lend itself to the development of durable skills? Where and how are students already learning these skills at Swarthmore? How might we incorporate durable skills more intentionally in the classroom or encourage students to avail themselves of co-curricular opportunities to learn them? You can access the slideshow from the pedagogy lunch below.
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Pedagogy Lunch #3: Differentiating Education at Swarthmore
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Join the TLC for our third pedagogy lunch of the semester this Friday, Nov. 1, from 12-1:30 p.m. at the LibLab in McCabe Library. In this lunch discussion, facilitated by Ben Geller ’01 (Associate Professor of Physics, Director of S3P), Elaine Allard ’01 (Associate Professor of Educational Studies, Director of the TLC) and Caroline Cheung (Program Coordinator of the TLC), we will consider the challenges and opportunities that arise in teaching the current generation of Swarthmore students, who increasingly come from very different educational backgrounds. By "different," we mean both different from what they were in the past (consider, for example, the additional media literacies that today's students must master, as well as changes in high school education wrought by high-stakes testing) as well as different from one another (as the College admits more diversely prepared students who have had access to widely divergent educational opportunities before arriving at Swarthmore). RSVP at the link below.
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The Teaching & Learning Commons will be hosting a reunion for the 2024 FLI-POP students on Monday, Nov. 11. This August, the TLC hosted a FLI and undocumented Peer Orientation Program (FLI-POP). This leadership development and peer-mentoring program was conceptualized and facilitated by current FLI and undocumented students. FLI-POP offered new and returning students opportunities to learn about key resources to support their success and well-being at Swarthmore, engage in discussions and workshops around navigating academic and social life on campus, and build community with peers from shared experiences and similar backgrounds.
The above photo is from the October 2023 FLI-POP Halloween reunion.
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On Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 1-2 p.m. at Hormel/Nguyen Intercultural Center at Sproul Hall Room 005, a CAPS Counselor will provide students with consultations without the need to make an appointment or provide documentation. CAPS hopes that this will help Swarthmore students easily access a counselor and receive mental health care resources on campus.
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| Cooper Series: Global Justice |
Global Justice: Historic Present, Imagined Futures is a timely odyssey into the interconnected crises of justice defining our current political landscape. Inspired by the ongoing catastrophe unfolding in Israel-Palestine, Global Justice, a Cooper Series event, delves into the intricate matrix of power, state violence, and fascism that increasingly exposes the precarity of the rules-based international order that has governed us for decades. See the website for a complete list of upcoming talks and workshops.
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| Hosting and Advertising Accessible Events |
Hosting an event on campus? Using Canva to create posters and fliers for your event? Keep reading to learn how to make your event accessible for everyone on campus!
The Guidelines section of Accessibility at Swarthmore can now help you host more inclusive and accessible events.
We all love Canva, but do you know how to make your Canva content accessible? Does double checking that your Canva content is accessible feel like an extra step? Use Venngage instead to make your infographics and designs more accessible from the onset!
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Community Voices on Teaching & Learning |
Community Voices on Teaching and Learning highlights the many and various perspectives on teaching and learning in our community. In this feature, Koyo Asakawa '25 and Mairo Yamano '25 share their midterm strategies and tips for a successful semester.
Interested in sharing your perspective on teaching and learning in an upcoming TLC newsletter? Reach out to us at tlc@swarthmore.edu!
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Plan ahead! List out everything you need to review and count how many days you have till the midterm. Any topics you feel like you need to brush up? Check out your professor’s office hours! Is there a TA in your class? Even better! Go through your homework once more and you’re good to go! Don’t forget to eat + drink + go for a quick 20 minutes run in the Matchbox!
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As we go into the midterm season, keep in mind that taking care of yourself is as important, if not more so, than your academics. That being said, still try your best, making sure to take advantage of all of the resources around you including TA sessions and professors' office hours. Good luck!
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Reach out to us at TLC@swarthmore.edu or explore our website swarthmore.edu/tlc to learn more about the TLC and to see a comprehensive directory of academic support programs, pedagogical and curricular development resources, and life-long learning opportunities. You can also drop in and see us at the Dan West House (550 Elm Avenue), Monday— Wednesday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. or by appointment.
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