Monday, October 6, 2025

Welcome Back from Fall Break! 

 

We hope you enjoyed a well-deserved pause and had a chance to rest, recharge, and maybe even catch up on that elusive inbox over the break! Classes resume today, and mid-term grades are due Wednesday, so if you need a little extra support, remember that our Teach Anywhere Office Hours are available for grading guidance, Canvas support, and tech tips.

 

There’s plenty happening this month to keep the momentum going! Join us for our next Presentation in Partnership (PiP) session with the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research (OAIR) to explore how Canvas Outcomes can be leveraged for program and course assessment and reporting. As you move through mid-term grading, don’t forget that Scantron Services are available to keep the process quick and accurate. Plus, get ready for Mole Week, presented by Tulane’s Research IT Team, coming up October 20–23—a fun and innovative celebration of research and technology.

 

Here’s to a strong and inspired second half of the semester—filled with connection, creativity, and forward momentum!

Bobbie Garner-Coffie, MSW, MLA 

Manager Instructional Technology

Innovative Learning Center 

Teach Anywhere Office Hours

 

Mondays | 12pm to 1pm

 

No appointments necessary, both online via zoom and in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Suite 300 for all pedagogy and academic technology needs.

Academic Tech Liaisons Monthly Meet-Up | Register 

Wednesday, October 8 | 12pm - 1pm | Hybrid 

(W.A.V.E.) AI for Research | Register 

Tuesday, October 14 | 1pm - 2:30pm | Hybrid 

Turn AI into a research assistant—literature‑gap mining, experiment‑design helpers, code generation for data cleaning, citation‑ready summarizers, and reproducibility best practices. Live demos of tools like Consensus, Perplexity, and Scite.ai.

SIG: Canvas Admins: Drop-In, Discover & Discuss 

Wednesday, October 15 | 12:30pm - 1pm | Online via Zoom

Calling all Canvas admins! Join this informal 30-minute session to swap tips, explore platform features, and talk through common challenges with the ILC and Tulane's Canvas Rep. We’ll kick things off with a quick update or “win,” then open the floor for discussion on permissions, outcomes, LTIs, and whatever else is on your radar. Come with questions—or just curiosity! 

PiP: Approaches for Program and Course Assessments Using Canvas Outcomes | Register 

Wednesday, October 15 | 1pm - 2pm | Hybrid

The Canvas Outcomes tool is an efficient process for administrators and instructors to collect Student Learning Outcome (SLO) data for analysis at the institution, program, and course levels. This process facilitates the review of the data allowing the instructor to spend time reflecting and acting on the results that will lead toward improved student learning.  

 

Engaging Distracted Learners with Top Hat | Register 

Tuesday, October 21 | 12pm - 1pm | Hybrid

The first minutes of class are crucial for setting the tone and direction of the course. Engaging students, building a sense of community, and establishing clear expectations can lead to a more successful learning experience. In this workshop, you'll learn how to use Top Hat to demonstrate empathy, and apply creative strategies that engage students, minimize distractions and keep students focused before, during and after class. You'll also learn how to leverage the insights you've collected so far to further inform your approach in the classroom and enable agile teaching. 

(W.A.V.E.) 9-5 AI: A Day in the Life of AI Productivity | Register 

Tuesday, October 28 | 1pm - 2:30pm | Hybrid

This workshop provides attendees with a practical guide on using AI tools to streamline their workday. By walking participants through each hour of a typical 9-5 schedule, this presentation will showcase how AI can optimize tasks ranging from meetings to research, brainstorming, and content creation.

By Blaine Fisher, Ph.D., MS, MA, NRP, PG-Cert

When I write, I want to make people cry, the good kind of tears. I want to write so well that someone says, “He is amazing. He is brilliant. I wonder what his mind is like.” Maybe they even think, “I would like to have a beer with that guy.” If a few hearts race over the prose, that is fine too.

 

What does it take to write with real grace, the kind that feels like Kurt Vonnegut. Practice helps. Talent helps. The truth is, it is both, and then some.

 

Plenty of people can run fast, catch and throw, and leap. Plenty can paint happy trees and sell their canvases on weekends at the community market. Plenty can sing beautifully. None of that feels rare anymore.

 

Writing still does. Words carry meaning. Words carry feeling. Words open the heart. They let a reader step inside a mind, cross miles and years, and live in other worlds for a while. A photograph shows. A painting suggests. A song soars. But prose builds a private theater inside the reader’s head.

 

That is what I want. I want these words to move you. Reading is personal. It is a quiet meeting between two people who may never meet. Even songs come down to lyrics and lines. On the page, the voice you hear is your own. You bend the meaning, just a little, and make it yours. That is the magic. I want to earn it.

 

Here is the thesis. Use artificial intelligence in writing properly, ethically, and efficiently. Embrace the tool and keep your guard up. Let AI add value, not replace it. Keep your hands on the wheel, and your name on the work.

 

I am not here to sling “AI slop” as a swear and walk off. There is an art to writing with AI when it is done well, and there is an art to writing without it. Either art can curdle without training, patience, and practice. Your job is to be the taste maker. Machines do not know good taste. They can echo it, they can be tuned toward it, but they cannot feel it. You can. AI is a mirror, useful, bright, and a little vain. Bring a face worth seeing, and the reflection will help you see it better.

Scantron Services Available
at Howard-Tilton Memorial Library 

 

The ILC provides a Scantron grading machine (iNSIGHT 4ES) for all Tulane faculty in Howard-Tilton Memorial Library's first floor, significantly reducing grading time for midterms and finals while providing immediate scoring analytics to identify student knowledge gaps.

 

Faculty can quickly process large batches of exams, freeing up valuable time during peak grading periods and reducing administrative burden when it matters most.

 

A comprehensive quick guide is available at the machine location. For advanced support or to schedule staff assistance, please contact ilc@tulane.edu.

Important Note: Not all Scantron sheets are compatible with our machine, including some sold at the Tulane Bookstore. Please verify compatibility before purchasing test sheets. 

 

 

Access Hours:

• Machine available during all library operating hours: Hours | TU Libraries
• Staff support: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm
• Student worker assistance: Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm; Saturday-Sunday, Noon-5pm

Applications Due October 7

 

We are seeking applicants that have innovative ideas for addressing a range of human health and wellness challenges. Every innovation starts as a seed of an idea, and we want to hear yours! Apply today! 

 

Who can Participate:

• Faculty, staff, undergraduate, graduate, medical and PhD students, postdocs, residents, fellows, and Tulane alumni that have graduated within the past two years. 

Why should You Participate?

• Winners will receive an initial $750, gain access to 1:1 business idea mentorship for refining, and access to the I-CORPS Spark and Fusion programs. These programs help innovators and idea-makers explore the potential value of their research or innovation. Spark participation is mandatory for all winners, and after completion, will be given $2,000 for further idea development. 

 

If you’re not sure if your idea applies, please reach out to jdelosreyes@tulane.edu. 

Faculty and staff can spin the prize wheel and win tech accessories when you visit the Technology Connection store on Friday, Oct. 10. Prizes include phone chargers, headphones, and Bluetooth speakers. You may also enjoy our special offer: $50 off any retail MacBook bundle with AppleCare. This in-store event is exclusively for faculty and staff to show our appreciation.

Contact the IT Service Desk

support.tulane.edu | help@tulane.edu | 504-988-8888
Hours | Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM | Sat - Sun 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Use your Tulane email and password to access the support portal.

  

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