Director's Note

A Mid-semester Pause. I hope that you are able to take a pause for yourself next week. I also hope that you are able to do so again in partnership with students after Spring Break. Please set aside some time (in class, if possible) for one or more of the following practices:

Noticing – Inspired by an excellent blog post by the thoughtful Alexandra Mihai, I plan to make more space in my course for individual and collective activities around focus and presence

Writing – John Warner’s points about writing as thinking, feeling, and as a way to process experiences are worth saying out loud

Reading – I have spoken with many instructors about challenges regarding reading comprehension, so I encourage you to share this excellent GVSU Tutoring and Reading Center website with students

Clarifying – Mid-semester is the perfect time to refresh the “why” behind your course readings, assignments, projects, etc.; engagement is a two-way street and communicating openly and transparently can make a big difference to students; for example, have you articulated a compelling case that coming to class is worthwhile?

We’ll have more to say after break about student engagement and strategies for faculty. And we will share the details of upcoming conversations about the Intersections of Teaching, Learning, and AI. In the meantime, I wanted to remind you about a 24/7 resource available to you: Magna Digital Library. Through this subscription, you can access 400+ video-based programs in categories such as Active and Engaged Students, Classroom Climate, Course Delivery, Higher-Order Thinking, and Assessment. Of course, we in the Pew FTLC are here if you would like to talk through an idea or issue, so don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance.

Peace-

– Christine Rener

Apply for an OLC Workshop Sponsored Grant TODAY for a FUTURE Online Workshop!

Our OLC Workshop Sponsored Grant supports faculty enrollment in online courses by the Online Learning Consortiumn (OLC). Courses focus on a wide array of topics related to course design as well as effective teaching and learning and are offered throughout the year. These immersive programs are expert-developed and designed to improve quality in every facet of online education. Below are a just a few upcoming workshops that caught our eye.

Artificial Intelligence Demystified (March 6–12 or July 10–16)
Assessment Strategies that Engage Students (March 13–19 or June 12–18)
Augmented and Virtual Reality in Higher Ed (March 27–April 2)
Competency-Based Education (October 2–8)
Flipped Learning Course Design (March 6–12 or July 24–30)
Game-Based Learning (April 3–9 or June 5–11)
Inclusive Assessment: (Un)Grading for Growth (May 1–7 or July 24–30)
Online Presentation Tools (June 5–11)
Podcasting for Teaching and Learning—Self-Paced Workshop, start anytime!
Student Mental Health & Wellbeing in Digital Learning Environments (June 5–11)

View these and other OLC workshops by visiting the Upcoming OLC Workshop Schedule. You can select a workshop that meets anytime in the future but you must apply for the OLC Workshop Grant in our online grants system by March 30, 2023.

Spring 2023 Personnel Portfolio Workshop
May 1–June 2, 2023

Are you preparing for a personnel review in the 2023-24 academic year? We're here to help!

Our Personnel Portfolio Workshop is designed to support faculty going up for any personnel review in the coming academic year; pre-tenure, tenure, or promotion. Working with an assigned faculty member and a small group of peers, participants will compose their Personal/Reflective Statement and, as time permits, prepare other supporting materials for their portfolio in accordance with their college and unit personnel policies

This multi-week writing-intensive workshop incorporates virtual large group meetings, virtual or in-person one-on-one meetings with your assigned mentor in which you will receive individualized feedback, virtual or in-person small group meetings in which you will give and receive peer feedback, two optional in-person writing days per week and self-study.

This is a four-week workshop that starts on May 1, 2023 and wraps up on June 2, 2023. Registrants are expected to attend all sessions. Currently limited to 15 faculty. Learn more and register in Sprout.

Are You Utilizing Your FREE National Center for Facutly Development & Diversity (NCFDD) Membership?

The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) is a nationally recognized, independent organization that provides online career development and mentoring resources and GVSU has an institutional membership making all the services, supports, and resources the NCFDD offers FREE to you!

Access tool to increase research and writing productivity, work-life balance, and more! Some featured tools include:
The weekly Monday Motivator
Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars with exciting topics like "How to Develop a Daily Writing Practice" (March 9, 2023) and "Mastering Academic Time Management" (April 13, 2023)
Monthly Guest Expert and Multi-Week Course Trainings and Webinars
Access to the 14-Day Writing Challenge each semester—Summer Challenge starts on April 24, 2023
Access to the Dissertation Success Curriculum for advanced graduate students

Visit our NCFDD webpage for more information on this important resource and instructions on how to activate YOUR FREE membership today!

ASU-GSV Summit—FREE Virutal Conference
April 17–19, 2023

Organized by Arizona State University and Global Silicon Valley, this conference convenes educators, entrepreneurs and leaders in government to explore current and future trends in education. Themes this year include digital learning, closing the digital divide, and the potential impacts of technologies like artificial intelligence and the metaverse on teaching and learning.

Faculty can now attend this conference VIRTUALLY for FREE! Learn more about this conference by visiting the ASU-GSV Summit website. Register for the FREE Virtual Conference online.

There's Still Time...To Request a Winter 2023 MIT!

It's that time again... Mid-Semester Interviews about Teaching (MIT) are BACK! This evaluation technique provides instructors with useful feedback from their students about their (students') learning in a course. Conducted during the 4th to 9th week of the semester, a MIT takes roughly 30 minutes of class time wherein a consultant guides a three-step feedback process. MITs can be especially helpful for new faculty and faculty exploring a specific innovation or innovative approach.

Request yours today! MITs will be conducted through March 17, 2023. For more information, and for a link to the MIT Request Form, visit our Mid-Semester Student feedback webpage.

Request a Winter 2023 MIT

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