Past Programming

Spring 2024

 

^new Alternative Grading Collaborative

(2/16; 3/15; 4/5; 5/3)

 

ChatGPT and Gen A.I. Discussion Group

• “AI Syllabus Statements in Practice: Enhancing Compliance and Navigating Implications in Your Course” (2/15)
• “Integrating AI in Practice: How to Teach with and about AI”, with Dr. Torrey Trust, UMass Amherst (3/15)
• “AI for the People: Unleashing the Power of Community-Engaged AI”, with Dr. Aron Culotta Tulane University, promoted by Amherst College (4/4)
• “Updating Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Graduate Students on the Emergence of AI Tools and their Potential in Research”, with  Dr. Alejandro Heuck, UMass Amherst. (4/11)
• “Where Do I Start?: A Hands-on Session on Navigating Platforms to Promote AI Literacy” (5/1)

 

Contemplative Pedagogy Group

• “Contemplating the Semester Ahead” (2/9)
• “Reading in Community with Meditation”, with Dr. Arnau Vives, visiting Professor, Spanish and Portuguese  (3/8)
• “Slow Reading Course Evaluations” (5/4)
• “Reflections on the Semester” (6/4)

 

CTL Book Club: Grading for Growth

(3/14; 3/28; 4/11; 4/25; 5/9)

 

Flash 15

• "Background Knowledge Probe" (3/6)
• "Levelling Up Think-pair-share" (3/13)
• "Gallery Walks for All Disciplines" (3/28)

 

^new Gather to Grade

(2/26; 3/25; 4/8; 4/29; 5/13)

 

Listen to Learn

• “Distracted Students” (1/16)
• “Supporting ADHD Learners” (2/23)
• “Developing Attentive Readers” (4/10)

 

SoTL Working Group

• “ChatGPT Use Among UMass Students” (SoTL, 1/18)
• SoTL Working Group meetings (2/16; 3/15; 4/26; 5/3)

Workshops

• "Facilitating Classroom Dialogue on Difficult Topics: Navigating Diversity with Depth and Respect" (2/16, with GenEd)
• "One Look Back, Two Steps Forward: Learning Through Reflection" (Spring into Teaching, 1/17)
• "Thriving Together: Enhancing Student Wellbeing in Larger Classes" (Spring into Teaching, 1/19)

 

Panel

• "The Pedagogy of Zines" (4/24)

 

Other

• Syllabus Clinic (1/17-19)
• Teaching Showcase (3/23)

 

Fall 2023

^new ChatGPT and Gen A.I. Group

• “Guiding Students in the Thoughtful Use of ChatGPT and Generative AI: Syllabus and First Class Discussions” (8/24)
• “How Do I (Re)design Assignments and Assessments in an AI-Impacted World?” (9/15)
• “Generative AI Playground and Reflection Session: Crafting Effective Prompts for AI Tools in Education” (5/10)
• “Navigating the Ethical Use of Generative AI in Higher Education” (27/10)
• “Addressing Suspected Misuse of Generative AI in the Classroom as Semester-End Nears” (9/11)
• “Share Out: Introducing AI Tools in a First-Year Seminar to Foster Responsible Usage” (30/11)
• “Reflection and Projection: A Conversation About Our AI Journeys” (14/12)

 

Contemplative Pedagogy

• “Being Present for Our Students and Ourselves” (September)
• “The Moment Is Ripe for Incorporating Mindfulness into Our Teaching”, with Olga Gershenson, Judaic & Middle Eastern Studies and Film Studies (October)
• “Crafting Classroom Community through Contemplative Practices”, with Kelsey Whipple, Journalism (November)
• “Reflections on the Semester”  (December)

 

Flash 15

• “Keywords” (26/9)
• “Interrupted Case Studies” (11/10)
• “Cooperative Group Work Contracts” (18/10)
• “Random Calling” (26/10)
• “Assignment  Wrappers"

 

^new Listen to Learn

• “Mind Over Monsters” (9/18)
• “Rigor” (10/4)
• “Embodied Learning” (10/16)
• “Super Courses” (11/1)

 

SoTL Working Group

• “SoTL Working Group: Emergent qualitative coding” (8/11)
• “SoTL Working Group: Preparing for the SoTL Summit” (9/15)
• “SoTL Working Group: SoTL Summit session” (9/22)
• “SoTL Working Group: Julia McDougal-Ronconi (Nursing) on her SoTL projects” (10/6)
• “SoTL Working Group: Christina DiMarco-Crook (Food Science) on her SoTL projects” (11/10)
• “SoTL Working Group: Becky Miller (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) on her SoTL projects” (12/1)

 

Workshop

• “Improving Classroom Climate: Taking Action for Positive Change” (DEI workshop, 9/13)

Spring 2023

• “SoTL Sprint” (SoTL, 1/17)
• “First Impressions: Activities to Start the Semester” (Spring into Teaching, 1/24)
• “Help! How Do I Get My Students to Read?” (Spring into Teaching, 1/25)
• “Faculty Experiences with Alternative Grading” (Spring into Teaching, 1/26)
• “SoTL Working Group: Writing Swap and Support” (SoTL, 1/27)
• “Designing Memorable Lectures” (Teaching Workshop, 2/14)
• “Designing Memorable Lectures” (Teaching Workshop, 2/15)
• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 2/17)
• “Setting Intentions” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 2/24)
• “Group Work Can Work: Designing Dynamic Group Learning Experiences” (Teaching Workshop, 2/28)
• “Group Work Can Work: Designing Dynamic Group Learning Experiences” (Teaching Workshop, 3/2)
• “Demystifying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: What is it and Why Do It?” (SoTL, 3/10)
• “Retrieval Practice” (Flash 15 Workshop, 3/21)
• “Contemplating Our Grading Methods” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 3/24)
• “Ungrading” (Faculty Reading Group, 3/24)
• “Jigsaw Technique” (Flash 15 Workshop, 3/28)
• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 3/31)
• “Teaching Writing in the Age of ChatGPT” (Workshop, 3/31)
• “Analytic Teams” (Flash 15 Workshop, 4/4)
• “Bringing Awareness into Thought and Teaching” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 4/14)
• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 4/14)
• “Facilitating Class Discussions in the GenEd Diversity Courses” (DEI Workshop, 4/14)
• “Demystifying SoTL: Presenting your Teaching in Scholarly Forums” (SoTL, 4/21)
• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 4/28)
• “Demystifying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Writing and Publishing on your Teaching” (SoTL, 5/2)
• “Unsettling Colonial Legacies: Towards Decolonizing Curriculum and Pedagogy and Anti-Racism-Informed Teaching” (DEI Workshop, 5/4)
• “Ending the Semester on a Contemplative Note” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 5/12)
• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 5/19)
• “Building Belonging: Strategies for Creating and Nurturing Inclusive and Equitable Classrooms” (Teach Week, 6/12)
• “On Demand Session: Faculty Experiences with Alternative Grading” (Teach Week, 6/12)
• “Dropping Grades? Reflecting on Experiments in Grading” (Teach Week, 6/13)
• “ChatGPT and Generative AI in Higher Education: Exploring the Future of Teaching and Learning” (Teach Week, 6/14)
• “Summer Teaching Renewal: Finding Space for Rest, Play, and Rejuvenation” (Teach Week, 6/15)

 

Fall 2022

• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 9/16)
• “Structuring Discussions for Deeper Learning” (Workshop, 9/21)
• “Setting Intentions” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 9/23)
• “Faculty Perspectives on SoTL” (SoTL Panel, 9/28)
• “Teach Students How to Learn: Metacognition is the Key!” (Saundra McGuire Workshop, 10/6)
• “SoTL Working Group” (SoTL, 10/14)
• “Teaching with Kindness” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 10/21)
• “SoTL Working Group: Working with Qual Data” (SoTL, 10/28)
• “Oh No! What Do I Do Now?: Navigating Hot Moments in Classrooms” (Workshop, 11/1)
• “Lightning Talk: Give Me Options! Putting Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into Practice Across Disciplines” (Faculty Panel, 11/10)
• “Contemplating Our Biases” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 11/18)
• “Dipping your Toes into Flexible Teaching: Successes and Challenges from Faculty Who Have Taken the Plunge” (Flex Learning, 12/2)
• “Moving Beyond Teaching Ideas and Learning Anecdotes: Developing a SoTL Research Question” (SoTL, 12/14)
• “SoTL Sprint Information Session” (SoTL, 12/15)
• “Reflecting and Reconnecting” (Contemplative Pedagogy, 12/16)

Spring 2022

• “I Wish My Instructor Would....: Transforming Barriers into On-Ramps for Learning” (Spring into Teaching Workshop, DEI, 1/12)
• “I’m Overwhelmed!: How to Help Students Better Prepare for Class” (Spring into Teaching Workshop, 1/13)
• “Will this be on the Exam? Helping Students Focus on What’s Important” (Spring into Teaching Workshop, 1/14)
• “Grounding Ourselves for Teaching” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, 2/4)
• "The Pedagogy of Podcasts" (Panel Discussion, 2/15)
• “What Inclusive Instructors Do” (DEI Workshop, 2/28)
• “Contemplative Teaching Share” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, 3/4)
• “You Can Make a Difference! What Faculty Can Do to Support Students’ Well-Being” (DEI workshop, 3/29)
• “bell hooks Taught Me: Love, Education, and Social Justice” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, DEI, 4/29)
• “Moving the Focus: From Inclusive to Anti-Racist Pedagogy” (DEI Workshop, 4/29)
• “Guided Contemplative Nature Tour” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, 5/20)
• “What Do Our Students Think about Flexible Learning?” (Teach Week Workshop, 5/23)
• “Learning Assessment, Evaluation & Grading: Are We Doing Justice?” (Teach Week Workshop, 5/24)
• “Deepening Learning with Concept Maps” (Teach Week Workshop, 5/25)
• “Design is Storytelling” (Teach Week Workshop, 5/26)
• “Pedagogy Around the Pond” (Teach Week Networking Event, 5/27)

 

Fall 2021

• “Writing an Inclusive Syllabus” (DEI Workshop, 8/25)
• “How to Teach AND Be Well” (Workshop, 9/14)
• "Re-Entering Our Classes: Establishing Intentional Learning Environments" (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, 9/17)
• “Demystifying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): What is it and why do it?” (SoTL, 9/28)
• “Demystifying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): Stress-free Submission of SoTL projects to the IRB” (SoTL, 9/29)
• “Pedagogy of Love” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, DEI, 10/22)
• “Supporting Students’ Mental Health Through Trauma-Aware Teaching” (DEI Workshop, 10/28)
• “Strategy Swap: What is a Classroom Activity that Really Works?” (Strategy Swap, 11/9)
• “Racial Reckoning, Intergenerational Trauma, and Mindfulness” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, DEI, 11/19)
• “Reflecting on the Semester” (Contemplative Pedagogy Group, 10/10)