Walk your turtle. I recently came across a reference to the practice of walking a turtle. While likely apocryphal, the idea nevertheless captures the imagination: letting a turtle set the pace of a walk requires the leash-tender to slow down and offers the opportunity to take in the scenery. At this point in the semester, I definitely need a reminder to slow down, take a few breaths, and truly notice. In what ways are we building intentional pauses and space into our days and also modeling the practice for students? I have appreciated recent reminders to slow down, including a piece on applying slow-thinking pedagogy to the process of writing in the age of AI. Additionally, an article with the intriguing title, From Nope to Hope, reminds us that living in chaotic times requires a measure of slowing down and intentionality that we sometimes forget while in crisis. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow as there are resonances with the above articles. In any case, spending time thinking about how we think (metacognition) is so important that I hope the image of a turtle inspires us all to pause and notice in new ways.      

How learning works, part one. All that I have been reading about AI has had me thinking about the intersection of these automation technologies with what we know about learning. Over the rest of this academic year, I’ll be taking us through one of my favorite books, How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching, and offering suggestions for how to leverage the principles in light of generative AI tools. The good news is that there are some simple as well as deeper ways to integrate digital literacy into our existing teaching and learning strategies. Let’s start with Chapter 8: How Do Students Become Self-Directed Learners? This chapter addresses metacognition and concludes with a detailed section, What Strategies Does the Research Suggest? If metacognition is about process and is an essential part of learning, then it isn’t surprising that challenges arise when students rely too heavily and passively on tools that provide quick answers without real understanding. Metacognition has never been more important and is something that AI can’t replace. If you are looking for a class assignment along these lines, I highly recommend checking out, Here’s My Thinking: A Quick Fix to Surface Student Reasoning, that is adaptable to a range of disciplinary contexts. Click “View PDF” to access the full article; I recommend checking out the student-friendly grading rubric. Next, the blog post Scaffolding Student Writing in the Age of AI offers a reframing of the role of AI and metacognition in the college classroom. As always, if you try one of the strategies described in any of these resources, I would be quite interested to hear how it goes.  

Learning is a team sport. Now let’s talk about you. The Pew FTLC is committed to your continued learning and enthusiastically supports your doing so in community. Hence, our Learning Communities program. We are now accepting LC Letters of Intent from faculty and staff interested in taking on a small-lift leadership role and facilitating a learning community on a topic of your choosing in Winter 2026 or Spring/Summer 2006. The opportunity to facilitate and participate in an LC is open to faculty of all ranks (and to staff as well, with supervisor permission). While not all LCs center on a book, many do. If you are looking for inspiration, here are a few titles that have struck a chord with your colleagues: More than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI by John Warner; Professors as Writers: Developing Habits to Draft and Publish Fluently by Robert Boice; Unmasking AI: Building Critical AI Literacy by Joy Buolamwini; Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge by Sarah R. Cavanagh. We are happy to discuss ideas with you and recommend readings on other topics of interest. For those interested in focusing in on introductory courses, we will be offering a special LC opportunity through our Strong Start Initiative. Feel free to reach out if you would like to learn more.  

–Christine Rener

You are invited to join the Minds That Matter Colloquium, sponsored by the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center’s Pace Initiative.

This three-session faculty cohort will explore how common mental health diagnoses and learning differences—such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and autism—can impact student learning and performance. Through this collaborative experience, participants will gain insights and practical strategies for supporting all learners more effectively.

Grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the colloquium integrates online presentations with one monthly hybrid discussion session. These live discussions will focus on applying UDL-informed approaches, sharing experiences, and engaging in Q&A.

Designed as a short course using a flipped classroom model within Blackboard, this series offers an opportunity to deepen your understanding of inclusive pedagogy and the ways UDL can enhance accessibility and reduce the need for individualized accommodations—benefiting all students. Each month participants will watch 1 video, and attend 1 discussion group, which will be held in person with a zoom option.

Participation in the Minds That Matter Colloquium provides a collegial space to reflect, learn, and collaborate with fellow faculty committed to creating more inclusive learning environments.

Scheduled hybrid discussion will occur:

December 1, 2025: Depression/Anxiety - Mary Bower Russa, Zoom/Zumberge 3068 from 1:00-2:00pm

January 26, 2026: ADHD - Monica Harris, Zoom/DeVos 201A from 1:00-2:00pm

February 23, 2026: Autism - Jamie Owen- De Schryver, Zoom/Zumberge 3068 from 1:00-2:00pm

Register for the Minds That Matter Colloquium today! Course duration is November 15, 2025- February 23, 2026. Expected time commitment is 6-8 hours total, (videos and discussion 2 hours times 3 months). Please direct questions to Patty Stow Bolea at boleap@gvsu.edu.

Our Sponsored Teaching and Learning Event (STLE) Grants support faculty attending a curated set of teaching and learning related workshops, institutes, and conferences. The STLEs listed below are still open and accepting applications. Don't delay! Apply online via our grants system today!

The Teaching Professor 2026 Conference

June 5–7, 2026
St. Louis, MO
Award Amount: up to $2800
4 spots available
Application deadline: February 1, 2026

No matter your discipline, your career stage, or your classroom, you’ll find what you need at The Teaching Professor Conference. Thousands of educators have come seeking practical, evidence-based tools and strategies, and left with so much more.

This annual conference is designed with the needs, challenges, and goals of higher education faculty and educators in mind. The Teaching Professor Conference provides an opportunity to dive into effective teaching practices, enhance student learning, and join a supportive community of fellow faculty members who share your same challenges. You'll be able to share your experiences, discuss actionable solutions, and rejuvenate your passion for teaching in an ever-evolving academic landscape.

NOTE: Preference given to first-time conference attendees. This grant supports the full cost of attendance and therefore additional funding should not be sought.

Learn more about these opportunities and others by visiting our Upcoming Sponsored Teaching and Learning Event Grant webpage.

Sponsored by the Digital Literacy Initiative, Pew FTLC, and eLearning Technologies, we are hosting sessions related to digital literacy. Nearly every Friday of this semester, we are featuring faculty and staff experts who will share approaches, provide hands-on learning, and facilitate lively, cross-disciplinary conversations. The sessions rotate between the Valley Campus, the City Campus, and Zoom. 

All sessions will take place from 11am to 12pm on Fridays. The table below provides schedule details and registration links for each session. As the schedule continues to be built, additional details will be added. 

Session materials are being shared via a Blackboard Organization–Digital Literacy-Faculty Professional Development–open to all faculty and staff. This organization is open for self-enrollment. Contact us at PewFTLC@gvsu.edu for access support, if needed. 

This fall, carve out time to focus on your writing goals in a structured and supportive environment. On select Wednesdays, we’re hosting 1.5-hour writing sessions on Zoom. Each session includes:

Join us on the following Wednesdays, 10:00–11:30 AM: November 19th, and December 3rd. Whether you're working on articles, SOTL, book chapters, professional documents, syllabi, or other writing projects, these sessions provide accountability and momentum to help you make progress. We’ll provide a quiet, distraction-free space to keep you focused. Just bring your materials and a clear goal for the session.

We look forward to writing with you!

GVSU's Teach-In  is mutual education for the entire campus community, intended to address topics related to inequality and systems of oppression, as well as social justice and liberation. The broad learning objectives of Teach-In: Power, Privilege, and Critical Conversations are to raise awareness, inform, create dialogue, and motivate action. Collaboratively offered sessions about the various ways that race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, etc. impact lived experience occur throughout the day on the regular class schedule; many sessions include an intersectional framework and all involve educational frameworks for opening dialogues, workshops, and engaged pedagogies.

When: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Where: Online, Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus
For Who: Community, Faculty, Staff, Students

AND

When: Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Where: Allendale Campus, Online
For Who: Faculty, Students