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Skidmore College
Center for Leadership, Teaching and Learning (CLTL)

2024-2025 CLTL Programming

September 2024 | October 2024 | November 2024 | December 2024 | 

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September 2024

Teaching Support Network

The Teaching Support Network pairs faculty for one semester to engage in activities focused on pedagogical development. This could be peer observations, exchanging course syllabi, reading and discussing pedagogical scholarship, sharing strategies for handling challenges in the classroom, assisting with course development, and more.  
 
All participating faculty will be matched and invited to gather for a kick-off meeting from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in the Weller Room of the library. During the semester, participants should make time to meet with their co-mentor two or three times. The CLTL will provide lunch tickets to subsidize one of those meetings. A final wrap-up session will be held at the conclusion of the semester. All efforts will be made to pair you with someone whose teaching schedule does not conflict with yours and whose pedagogical development activities align with your own. If you are interested in participating in the coming semester, please complete the form on the CLTL website by Friday, Sept. 6.   

AI Learning Clusters 

This mentoring program will unite interested faculty with fellow colleagues proficient in harnessing AI in the service of student learning. These clusters will consist of two AI-proficient faculty and three or four faculty seeking to build AI fluencies in pedagogical pursuits. Each cluster will have divisional diversity to foster interdisciplinary learning.  
 
CLTL and LEDS will host a kick-off meeting in the Weller Room (Lib 212) from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20. The meeting will connect you to your cluster and include an introduction to and basic training in AI. Participants will be given a copy of “Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Learning” (Bowen & Watson, 2024) and encouraged to attend a discussion with co-author Eddie Watson on Sept. 24.  
 
Clusters will meet biweekly (total of six times) for an hour. Mentors will provide guidance on designing AI-related course content, developing assignments, and evaluating student learning outcomes. Each participant is encouraged to share case studies, best practices, and AI tools relevant to their own and different disciplines. With generous support from the Office of the Dean of Faculty, we can compensate all participants $250 for the semester. To signal interest in belonging to an AI Learning Cluster, please complete this brief survey by Friday, Sept. 6. 

Universal Design for Learning Consultants  

This academic year, the CLTL and Student Academic Services (SAS) are relaunching a consultancy program pairing folks on campus who have undergone training in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) with colleagues who wish to adopt UDL practices in their own course design and practice. Participants will be compensated at a rate of $150 to meet twice (60-90 minutes) throughout the semester. The CLTL will support one of those meetings with lunch tickets to Murray-Aikins Dining Hall and each participant will receive a copy of “Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education” (Tobin & Behling, 2018).  
 
If you would like to benefit from this kind of tailored individual pedagogical support, please complete this brief survey by Friday, Sept. 13. We will do everything we can to accommodate requests, but there are a limited number of consultancies (first come, first served!). While preference will be given to folks who have not signed up in the past, we welcome all faculty to apply! If you are simply interested in learning more, check out these UDL resources and read over this testimonial written by Skidmore students on the benefits of UDL.  

“Teaching with AI” with Eddie Watson 

Date: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24  

Description: The CLTL and Macalester College cordially invite you to join us virtually for a livestream interactive presentation and conversation with C. Edward Watson, co-author of “Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning” (Johns Hopkins UP, 2024). In this groundbreaking and practical guide, you will discover how to harness and manage AI as a powerful teaching tool. The authors present emerging and powerful research on the seismic changes AI is already creating in schools and the workplace, providing invaluable insights into what AI can accomplish in the classroom and beyond. Please register for the event. Folks interested in obtaining a free copy of the book in advance of the event should fill out an online survey.  

October 2024

Fall book club: “New College Classroom”  

Date: 12:30-2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall Test Kitchen 

Description: This book by Distinguished Professor at the CUNY Graduate Center Cathy Davidson and Postdoctoral Research Associate and Associate Director of Transformative Learning in the Humanities Christina Katopodis uses the latest research in learning science to discuss easily implemented strategies for active learning across disciplines (Harvard UP, 2022). If you are interested in participating in a discussion about this book, please email Beck Krefting to receive a copy of the book prior to the event. There is space for up to 12 folks to participate — first come, first served. You may only request a copy if you know you can commit to attending. Lunch tickets will be distributed in the Atrium.

‘Understanding Neurodiversity and Working with Students Who Are on the Autism Spectrum’ with Rachel Mann-Rosan 

Date: 12:30-2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor

Description: Have you wondered how to better understand neurodiversity and serve autistic students? Research suggests that students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present with a unique profile of challenges and needs, compared to students with other disabilities such as ADHD. Some of these unique characteristics can present challenges for faculty and staff. Additionally, accommodations that benefit students with other disabilities (e.g., extra time on exams, or separate test rooms) may not be as helpful for students with ASD or fully meet their needs. This presentation and discussion will help attendees better understand characteristics of ASD and offer possible avenues for intervention and support by faculty and staff. Mann-Rosan will offer a solution-oriented approach to specific concerns and challenges submitted by attendees. Please complete this brief survey by Monday, Oct. 21, to share concerns and preferences. 

Bio: Rachel Mann-Rosan is a clinical psychologist and senior teaching professor of psychology. She teaches a variety of courses related to general and clinical psychology with a focus on individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities, as well as ASD. She has spent the past 25 years working with and supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and a range of psychological disorders. Currently, she also acts as the consulting psychologist for Saratoga Bridges. 

‘Interactive Student-Faculty Pedagogy Partnership Panel and Discussion’ 

Date: 5:30-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, on Zoom

Description: The specifics of student-faculty pedagogy partnership programs vary, but all follow a similar model: Students partner with faculty, combining their perspectives and knowledge to analyze, adapt, and improve pedagogical practices and create more equitable classrooms. Both student and faculty participants in these programs have a wealth of knowledge and experience on critical pedagogy, mediation, and communication in the classroom. In this panel, three pairs of student-faculty partners from Bryn Mawr College, Agnes Scott College, and Carleton College will discuss their respective programs, introducing Skidmore students and faculty to models of student-faculty pedagogy partnerships. The discussion will be facilitated by Lucia Hulsether, assistant professor in religious studies, and co-sponsored by the CLTL, HHMI, and students in IL 258: Allies in Learning and Teaching.

(Spooky) Research Salon with Sarah Sweeney: ‘My Deepfake Dad (Photographs and Conversations)’ 

Date: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, in the Weller Room (Lib 212)

Description: Can you make new memories with someone who is dead? In two interrelated projects, Sweeney attempts to answer that question. “Conversations with My Deepfake Dad” is a series of six conversations created through interactions with the audio deepfake of her father who died 30 years ago; meanwhile, “Photographs of My Deepfake Dad” is a series of six photographic experiments in which she uses analog and digital tools to try to visually conjure her father. Lunch is provided. In order to accommodate dietary needs, please RSVP by Monday, Oct. 28