*All workshops offered 12:00-1:30pm (unless noted) in Perkins Library 217 with a free boxed lunch for those with a confirmed pre-registration.

Sept. 12, 2011
Navigating the Teaching Assistant Role: From Protégé to Professional Development

Speakers: Graduate Student Panel: (Vanessa Doriott, French; Tiffany Kolba, Mathematics; Mac Mason, Computer Science,  Shana Starobin, Environment, Kalina Staub, Econ)

Experienced TAs will share tips and practical strategies to help you make the most from any TA opportunity, including how to improve communication with the professor and students, as well as how to document your own professional development in teaching.

Sept. 26, 2011
Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom

12:00-2:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Ed Neal, Editor, Journal of Faculty Development and Director of Faculty Development (1976-2008), UNC Center for Teaching & Learning

Controversy, conflict, and disagreement are integral elements of college teaching.  Instructors can use controversy deliberately, through a system of “intentional engagement,” to promote critical thinking in students. In this workshop, participants will consider ways to anticipate controversy and use it productively, through a repertoire of approaches that avoid antagonism and promote engagement.

Oct. 3, 2011
Teaching “Service-Learning” Courses at Duke

Speakers: Kristin Wright, Program Coordinator, Service-Learning Program, Duke; Becki Bach, Associate Professor of Sociology; Ryan Nilson, Service-Learning graduate assistant; Bonnie McManus, Director of Latino Initiatives

The Program in Education at Duke hosts the Service-Learning initiative.  Service-learning has been identified by the American Association of Colleges and Universities as one of several “high-impact educational practices” that educational research suggests increase rates of student retention and student engagement. In service-learning, field-based “experiential learning” with community partners is an instructional strategy designed to give students direct experience with issues they are studying, and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. Duke offers over 50 service-learning courses in a wide variety of disciplines and formats. In this interactive session, a panel of faculty, staff, and a graduate assistant will share their perspectives on the benefits and challenges of implementing this type of community-based pedagogy for one’s teaching, research, and service.

Oct. 24, 2011
Teaching Undergraduates at Duke:  Diverse students, Distinctive Themes, and Strategic Goals”

Speaker: Dr. Lee Willard, Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Provost, Office of Undergraduate Education, Duke

Dr. Willard will share statistical data about Duke undergraduates, describe key ‘enduring themes’ in Duke’s strategic plan, and provide an overview of the integration of curricular and non-curricular goals for undergraduate student success. She has been involved with Project Kaleidoscope, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and other national initiatives on undergraduate education.

Nov. 7, 2011
Using & Sharing “Learning Resources” (MERLOT, NSF Digital Library, etc.)

Speaker: Dr. Ray Purdom, Director, University Teaching and Learning Center, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

In this workshop, Dr. Purdom will share how faculty and instructors can tap into ‘learning resources’ such as MERLOT and the NSF Digital Library to enhance teaching and foster student learning.  Dr. Purdom has served as the coordinator of the Lilly South Conference on College & University Teaching for many years which will be held on Feb. 10-12, 2012.

Jan. 27: Collaborative Visualization of Course Concepts

Time/Location: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Perkins 217
Speaker: Dr. Craig Roberts, Asst. Director for Education, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Participants should bring a Wi-Fi enabled laptop. During this session, you will hear and discuss evidence from neuroscience and cognitive load theory supporting collaborative visualization to enhance student learning. You will also participate in text message-based audience response and word cloud visualization, view and respond to examples of students visually expressing their understanding of neuroscience concepts in 2D and 3D formats, and collaboratively visualize a concept using Google Docs Drawing.

Feb. 6: Teaching Honors Chemistry Without the Textbook

Time/Location: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Perkins 217
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Craig, Associate Professor of Chemistry

With faculty colleagues in Chemistry and help from CIT staff at Duke, Dr. Craig has revised the honors chemistry course so classroom time is not spent on lecturing or being tied to a textbook. Rather, students watch YouTube videos, utilize open-source online resources, and focus on discussion, collaboration and creative work. See the story HERE and attend this workshop to consider how to design effective courses and student learning activities.

Feb. 17: Leadership Skills for (Future) Faculty

Time/Location: 12:00-2:00 p.m., Perkins 217
Speaker: Dr. Ed Neal, Professional Consultant in Higher Education; Editor, Journal of Faculty Development; Adj. Prof. of Education, UNC-CH; Former Director of Faculty Development, UNC-CH

Many faculty members think that “academic leadership” refers to the work of department chairs, deans, and members of an institution’s upper administration. However, true leadership is nonpositional and every faculty member can (and should) practice the fundamental elements of leadership (generating and directing energy, building institutional strength, shaping discourse, and taking risks to facilitate change). In this workshop participants will examine the dimensions of faculty leadership and the personal and institutional rewards that accrue to those who choose to practice it. The workshop includes an individual goal-setting exercise that provides a blueprint for those who wish to pursue leadership roles.

Feb. 23: Bleed Blue, Learn Green: Sustainability, Teaching & Learning at Duke

Time/Location:             12:00-1:30 p.m., Perkins 217
Speaker: Dr Charlotte Clark, Lecturer in Sustainability Education and Faculty Director of Sustainability

Participants will examine definitions of ‘sustainability’ and engage in experiential learning exercises to explore ways to design ‘green’ classrooms at Duke. Successful university models (i.e., Northern Arizona’s Ponderosa Project/ Emory’s Piedmont Project) will be reviewed, and challenges and opportunities to promote sustainability at Duke University be discussed.

March 13: Using WordPress in Humanities Writing Courses

Time/Location: 11:30am-12:45 p.m., Perkins 217
Speakers: Dr. Jonathan Dueck, Thompson Writing Program; Dr. Susanne Hall, Assistant Director of Writing in the Disciplines

In this session, two Duke instructors will discuss how they use the blogging platform WordPress in writing courses in the humanities. Dr Dueck is an ethnomusicologist whose current research explores music in world Christianities; ethnomusicological models of conflict; choral art-music and theories of the musical art object; and shape note singing, nostalgia and media. Dr Hall teaches and writes about topics related to 20th-century American literature, mass media, revolutionary politics, and poetics.

March 26: Developing an Online Teaching Portfolio

Time/Location: 12:00-1:30 p.m., Perkins 217
Speaker: Dr. Hugh Crumley; Director, Certificate in College Teaching, Duke

Participants should bring a Wi-Fi enabled laptop. An electronic web-based teaching portfolio is far more practical, portable and more easily kept current than a paper binder. In this session, you will build the framework for an online teaching portfolio in Google Sites that can include embedded video, links to your teaching materials and consistent navigation that will help faculty search committees review your position applications.