PSU’s Week of Teaching kicks off this Wednesday with three days of interactive sessions on inclusive teaching, AI in the classroom, student engagement, and more. In addition to workshops, Wednesday features a resource fair and tours of inclusive access classrooms, student support services, and more, where you can connect with campus partners who support teaching and learning.

Join us February 5–7, in person at the Office of Academic Innovation in the Smith Memorial Student Union, or online!

With temperatures low this week, now is a good time to plan for possible disruptions. Shifting a class session online or adjusting coursework can help students stay on track and reduce stress when weather impacts campus operations.

Our guide covers key strategies, including:

• Effective communication: Keeping students informed about changes.
• Flexible instruction options: Adapting in-person activities for remote learning.
• Assignment adjustments: Managing deadlines and workload during closures.

A little preparation now can make a big difference for students if the campus shuts down.

Give your students opportunities to get feedback from one another with the Canvas Peer Review tool! This is an easy last-minute add to your course plan. You can offer it to students as an extra opportunity to get their peers’ insights before they turn in their final drafts of papers or projects.

If you’ve ever seen zeros in your Gradebook when you didn’t expect them, it may be due to the missing submission settings in Canvas. But fear not! This is a great tool to use around this week of the term, both for giving students an accurate calculation of their grades, as well as for motivating them to turn things in. Just remember to turn the setting off before importing a course into a new course shell, so the zeros don’t show up unexpectedly.

Use the “Assign To” feature to easily extend access to Assignments in Canvas. This setting allows you to add different assignment due dates for both individuals and groups, creating flexibility for granting extensions, staggering due dates for projects and presentations, and providing accommodations. It’s a great tool to add to your Canvas ‘toolbox’!

Maintaining a strong presence in your course helps students stay engaged and supported—without requiring you to be online constantly. Here are a few simple ways to build connection:

• Post Regular Announcements: Share weekly updates, video reminders, or class-wide messages to keep students informed and recognize their efforts.
• Create an Open Discussion Space: A general discussion board allows students to connect, ask questions, and share relevant resources with each other beyond specific assignments.
• Use Quick Surveys: Google Forms can help you check in with students, gather feedback, or assess their understanding of course material.

PSU Career Services, in partnership with the Office of Academic Innovation (OAI), is launching a faculty learning community focused on integrating career readiness into coursework. As a participant, you’ll develop a project that supports students’ career preparation—tailored to your discipline and valuable for your program or department. You’ll also share your work with colleagues across campus.

Many aspects of your teaching already help students build career-ready skills. This learning community will help you make those connections explicit for students, colleagues, and community partners.

Participants will receive $750.00 compensation for the total 24 hours of work. All PSU instructors are encouraged to apply. Applications are open through Friday, February 21, 2025.

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