Coming Events in the Center for Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Mentoring Workshop with Becky Wai-Ling Packard

Date: Friday, February 13
Time: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Location: upstairs in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall; light breakfast and lunch will be provided

The CLTL and the VPAA/DOF's office are delighted to co-sponsor a morning workshop on faculty mentoring with Becky Wai-Ling Packard, a nationally renowned expert on mentoring. Becky will start the workshop with an overview of mentoring infrastructures and networks. In particular she will share her expertise when it comes to mentoring newly tenured and mid-career faculty. We will then look at some case studies to talk as a group about the best ways to handle tough situations. Erica Bastress-Dukehart will follow with an overview of Skidmore's new faculty orientation, including some provocative classroom scenarios. During lunch we will talk about how we might better support all of our colleagues through mentoring.

If you haven't already, please take a look at Becky's webpage. (https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/facultyprofiles/becky_packard)

All are welcome at this workshop. Please RSVP to Brooke Toma (btoma@skidmore.edu) to make certain that we have enough food for everyone.

The Open Classroom Week: Teach, Learn, Talk, Eat

Date: February 23–27, 2015

Two years ago, the Faculty Network, in collaboration with Bill Duffy, Skidmore's chief technology officer, and Michael Arnush, chair of classics, organized MasterClass, an end-of-the-year event that brought faculty, staff, and administrators together to talk about teaching at Skidmore. This year, the new CLTL, Bill, and Michael, are offering a new program we are calling The Open Classroom. Here is how we envision it working:

We are asking all interested faculty to open one class during the week of February 23–27 to faculty, staff, and administrators who would like to sit in. This is an opportunity for the community to learn with our students and to think about and experience the many varied and exciting pedagogies that are going on every day on this campus. If you are willing to open your classroom, please send me an email (bastress@skidmore.edu) with the following information:

The time, day, and location of your class
How many visitors you are willing to take
A brief description of that day's topic

I will send out the list of open classes to the community, and "enrollment" will be on a first-come, first-served basis. As added incentive (if sitting in on the class you've always wanted to join isn't enough!) the CLTL will supply lunch tickets to all participants of The Open Classroom. Our hope is that you will take the opportunity to share a meal with your colleagues and celebrate teaching and learning at Skidmore.

Kress Family Creative Pedagogy Grant opportunity

Proposal Deadline: Friday, March 20

The Kress Family Fund for Creative Pedagogy offers an annual award of $2,000 to a faculty member who proposes a new teaching venture. As long as student engagement, creativity, and curiosity are central to the proposed enterprise, teaching is to be construed broadly and need not be restricted to a proposal for a course.

This is a phenomenal funding opportunity for anyone who is creating a new course, exploring new technologies, experiential learning, or other innovative pedagogies. Please see a more complete description here: www.skidmore.edu/fdc/internal_grants/kress-grant/index.php.

If you have any questions about the Kress Family Creative Pedagogy Grant, please contact Shirley Smith, chair of the Faculty Development Committee, (smith@skidmore.edu)

February Workshops in Academic Technologies

Take advantage of these terrific workshops on how to utilize the newest technologies and creative ideas in your classrooms.

Mapping with the US Census: Presented by Web Adams of the US Census
February 3, 2015, 3–5 p.m. in the GIS Center (Scribner Library Room 227)

Blended Learning Showcase: Sponsored by Academic Technologies and the New York Six 
February 6, 2015, noon–2 p.m. upstairs in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall

Creating Reusable Resources with Panopto (Lecture Capture): Presented by Kelly Dempsey
February 25, 2015, 2:30–3:30 p.m. in the Academic Technologies Training Room (Scribner Library Room 222)

Digital Map Storytelling with ArcGIS Online (Part I : Sponsored by MDOCS and Academic Technologies
February 25, 2015, 4–5 p.m. in the MDOCS Lab (Scribner Library Room 113)

To register go to www2.skidmore.edu/it/training/reg/public/class_list.cfm#link1258.

Writing Groups

Mondays and Thursdays

Writing groups are up and thriving this semester—truly off the charts! Please join us for lunch and discussions about your scholarship/creative projects/pedagogy. If you have questions, contact 'Becca Johnson (rjohnso1@skidmore.edu) or Erica Bastress-Dukehart (bastress@skidmore.edu) for more information.

  

Upcoming March Events across Campus

Futures Forum
Wednesday, March 4, noon–1 p.m., Weller Room
Topic: TBA

This will be the first in the CLTL's series of Futures Forums as part of the Leadership Institute. Topics may include national debates about the future of the liberal arts; mentoring; "Mid career faculty: what's next?"; and integrative learning: what it means and how it works. These are meant to be broad, provocative conversations about current issues we face as members of the Skidmore Community and in the larger communities of higher ed. Please feel free to offer suggestions for topics and discussions.

First Year Experience Pedagogy Workshop
Tuesday, March 10, noon–1:30 p.m., upstairs in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall. Lunch will be provided

The Office of the First Year Experience and the Center for Leadership in Teaching and Learning are very pleased to offer a pedagogy workshop on effective and creative ideas for Scribner Seminars. Three FYE veterans of wonderfully innovative and successful seminars: Denise Evert, Tillman Nechtman, and Rik Scarce, will share their experiences with the group. They will then open the floor to discussion about what works and what might not. This workshop is for anyone about to teach a Scribner Seminar for the first time, as well as for experienced FYE faculty looking for new ways to change things up.

Please RSVP by Monday, February 23 to Allie Taylor (ataylor1@skidmore.edu). If you would like more information, please contact Janet Casey (jcasey@skidmore.edu).

Faculty-to-Faculty Talks

In March the CLTL will sponsor two F-t-Fs in the Weller Room:

March 11, 4–5 p.m., Hope Casto, education studies, will present her latest research
March 30, 3:30–4:30 p.m., Greg Gerbi, physics, will talk about his most recent work

Please check out next month's newsletter for more information!

March Workshops in Academic Technologies

Website creation made easy with Skidmore Blogs!: Presented by Ben Harwood (with Prof. Katie Hauser)
March 4, 2015, noon–1 p.m. in the Academic Technologies Training Room (Scribner Library Room 222)

Mobile Mapping with fulcrum: Presented by Alex Chaucer
March 12, 2015, noon–2 p.m. in the GIS Center (Scribner Library Room 227)

Using WebEx for Instruction and Communication at a Distance: Presented by Ben Harwood (with Prof. Cathy Hill)
March 18, 2015, noon–1 p.m. in the Academic Technologies Training Room (Scribner Library Room 222)