Welcome to our December newsletter! And so ends 2021… As you recenter and rejuvenate after this challenging semester, we hope you find time to read and enjoy this month’s newsletter, which includes updates, and multiple ways of staying connected with the Teaching Academy.
Questions or comments about the newsletter? Contact Dan Pell, Editor dan.pell@wisc.edu. Open in Google Docs: Teaching Academy December Newsletter
This month, read about opportunities to engage with the Writing Fellows program in the College of Letters and Science. Revisit the Members Only Roundtable to learn time-saving tips and tricks, presented on mouthwatering cookie-themed slides! Join Feedback on Teaching to support colleagues as a peer-observer. Plan your professional development with TeachOnline@UW and the new Teaching at UW program. And add your thoughts to the new questions posted in the Academy Forum!
Upcoming Events | What’s happening in the Academy?
Feedback on Teaching (FoT) Seeks Peer Observers
The Teaching Academy is looking for Academy members to serve as peer observers for the Feedback on Teaching (FoT)program this spring. FoT seeks to provide a formative or summative review of a colleague’s instructional approaches, and to actively solicit a peer exchange of ideas on how to improve student learning. Please contact Andrew McWard (amcward@wisc.edu) If you are interested in volunteering as a peer observer!
Teaching Academy Winter Retreat
Save the Date! Friday, February 4, 2022 from 9–11am. Retreat planning is ongoing. Email dan.pell@wisc.edu if you are interested in joining the retreat planning committee. The Winter Retreat will be offered as both a virtual and in-person event, in the DeLuca Form of the WID. The topic will be announced in January.
Red&White Papers
We are pleased to announce the development of the Teaching Academy’s Red&White papers. These will be grounded in empirically based research, with rich sourcing, and both a scientific and layperson abstract. Read more about them here!
Welcome! | Recognizing our new members
These individuals have been recently recognized for their outstanding commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. Welcome to the Teaching Academy!
ExComm
The Academy welcomes MaryGrace Erickson, Animal and Dairy Sciences, who joins the ExComm as an FFP member.
ExComm seeks FFP members!
If you are a Future Faculty Partner (FFP), please consider nominating yourself or a peer to join the Executive Committee (ExComm). We currently have open positions for FFPs and need your voice as graduate students!
Note: Places on the ExComm are open to all FFPs, including new members. To learn more about the process and expectations email: teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu
Learning Community Update | Members Only Roundtable
For our Fall 2021 Members Only Roundtable, we held a virtual “cookie” exchange on Fri, Dec 10. The cookies exchanged among Teaching Academy members were time-saving teaching tips and tricks. To see the collection of member-exchanged tips and tricks and perhaps add your own, go to https://go.wisc.edu/xrypx3
The Fall Members Only Roundtable was organized by: David Dwyer, Heidi Marie Neuhauser, Karin Spader, Casey Gallimore, Michael Maguire, Andrea Poulos, Patrick Hills-Meyer, Angela Kita, Grace Lee, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, and Claire Barrett.
Member FYI | New, Events, Training, and Learning Opportunities
Consider working with an Undergraduate Writing Fellow in your spring 2022 course!
Writing Fellows are talented, carefully selected, and extensively trained undergraduate students, from all majors, who serve as peer writing tutors in classes across the College of Letters and Science. The Fellows make thoughtful comments on drafts of assigned papers and hold conferences with students to help students make smart, significant revisions to their papers before the papers are turned in for a grade. Fellows are equipped to tutor in writing across the L&S curriculum. In the past they have assisted students in astronomy, Afro-American studies, classics, English, gender and women’s studies, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and more. Building on the special trust that peers can share, Fellows help students write stronger papers and take themselves more seriously as writers and thinkers.
Here’s a faculty comment about the benefits of working with Writing Fellows:
“[The Writing Fellows] were outstanding in their ability to motivate students to adhere to the assignment. In particular, they made sure the student stated and developed arguments in their papers and pushed them to address the readings and important themes from the course.” – Professor Katherine Cramer, Political Science
Here’s a comment from a student who received help from a Fellow:
I found that talking to someone about my paper helped me figure out exactly what I wanted to say and how I could do that. . . . This was my first experience with a Writing Fellow and I thought it was extremely beneficial in improving my writing skills.” – Junior, sociology major
If you are teaching a course with at least two writing assignments next semester and would like to apply to work with a Fellow or to learn more about the program, please fill out this form or email Emily Hall, Program Director, at ebhall@wisc.edu.
Have something to share? Academy members work in diverse roles and learning environments across our university. If you have an event, training, or opportunity you would like to share with the Academy, contact Dan Pell, editor (dan.pell@wisc.edu) Messages received by the second Monday of the month may be included in that month’s newsletter.
CTLM Updates | Engage with the Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring
Join the Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring (CTLM) and the UW Teaching Academy for Teaching at UW: Pre-Semester Course Preparation. This new offering includes four, pre-semester, fully online, interactive workshops that introduce evidence-based practices, and help instructors consider meaningful strategies to enhance their course design and instruction. Faculty, instructional academic staff and graduate student instructors of all experience levels are welcome to participate.
Teaching at UW: Pre-Semester Course Preparation Workshops
- Teaching at UW: Teaching with Equity & Inclusion – Jan. 10, 10-11:30am
- Teaching at UW: Course Planning & Organization – Jan. 11, 10-11:30am
- Teaching at UW: Feedback & Assessment – Jan. 12, 10-11:30am
- Teaching at UW: Engaging Students with Active Learning – Jan. 13, 10-11:30am
Participants are encouraged to attend all four, pre-semester workshops; however, it is not required. Instructors who attend all four sessions are eligible for “Affiliate” status with the Teaching Academy.
Participants of the workshops are also invited to attend an in-person, pre-semester, meet and greet on January 24, from 9-11am. Share a morning beverage or breakfast treat with fellow instructors, CTLM staff and Teaching Academy members, and learn more about other teaching and learning opportunities and support across campus. Register by January 4, 2022 for Teaching at UW workshops.
TeachOnline@UW is accepting applications for winter and spring
This faculty learning community offers two free courses: The “Facilitation & Management” course helps instructors explore techniques, strategies, and practices to help identify and hone a plan for connecting with students and managing an online course. The “Plan & Design” course is an opportunity to make significant progress on developing or redesigning a quality online course. Read more details and apply to TeachOnline@UW here!
- Facilitation & Management, December 27, 2021 to January 21, 2022: Apply by Dec. 20, 2021
- Plan & Design, February 7-April 16, 2022: Apply by January 27, 2022
- Facilitation & Management, May 16-June 10, 2022: Apply by May 6, 2022
Self-directed resources
- Course Success Self-Review: Take this quick, anonymous survey to identify ways to strengthen the design and delivery of your course and receive targeted feedback and resources on the comprehensive Course Success website.
- Instructional Resources KnowledgeBase: Find resources that provide a quick introduction and concrete solutions to teaching challenges.
Additional CTLM Opportunities
Visit the CTLM website to view and register for upcoming workshops, TeachOnline@UW and Madison Teaching and Learning Excellence (MTLE), or request a consultation with a CTLM staff member for individualized support. The Teaching at UW program will also continue throughout the spring 2022 semester. More workshops will be added by the start of the semester! To learn more about these programs or to register, visit the CTLM’s Professional Development Opportunities. All events are posted on the CTLM Events Calendar.
Learning Community | Clinical Teachers’ Corner
December Feature
The Art and Foundations of IPE Facilitation – An IPE Professional Development Day. Wed., January 12, 12:30-4:30pm. This is a virtual event: Register Today!
The UW Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (UW CIPE) is excited to announce the offering of another IPE Professional Development (PD) Opportunity for faculty, staff, and graduate students.
In collaboration with its internal and external partners, the UW CIPE will offer a virtual interactive IPE PD opportunity on January 12, 2022, from 12:30-4:00pm to UW-Madison (and its partners) faculty, staff, facilitators, preceptors, graduate students, and practitioners who are interested in learning and advancing their knowledge and skills in interprofessional practice and education (IPE) teaching and facilitation.
Core Topics To Be Covered:
- Why and What IPE
- How to Plan an IPE Offering
- IPE Facilitation (vs profession-specific facilitation)
- Online IPE Facilitation
This IPE PD Day is accredited by UW-Madison ICEP and the participants may earn continuing education credit after completing the Live Session and the asynchronized work.
Explore:
Questions? Topics you would like to see? Announcements for the next issue? Contact Sara Scott (sfscott@wisc.edu)
The Academy Forum | Share ideas with other members
The Academy Forum is a space waiting for YOU to fill it! This is a place to share ideas and inspiration with Fellows, FFPs, Affiliates & partners across campus! Why not take 5 minutes to share a few thoughts right now?
- Do you use learning analytics to support your work? How do you use it and how has it helped?
- What tips or tricks do you use to ease grading fatigue at the end of the term?
- What course (real or imagined) have you never taught, but would be thrilled to teach?
Submission Deadline: Please submit your answers by Monday, February 7, 2021
Responses included in the newsletter will typically be less than one paragraph, but in some cases we may include a longer response. Responses may be edited for brevity and to fit the format of the newsletter. Contribute questions for the NEXT Academy Forum at go.wisc.edu/theacademyforum. Missed last month? View the Academy Forum responses from November 2021.
Join us! Honor a colleague! | The Teaching Academy is seeking new applications and nominations
Now is the perfect time to honor a colleague or nominate yourself! Our mission is to promote, recognize and support excellence in teaching and learning among faculty, staff and students across campus and beyond. The Teaching Academy welcomes nominees who work in traditional classrooms, clinical practice, field instruction, or instructional support with learners at any level.
There are three types of membership: Future Faculty Partner (FFP), Fellow, and Affiliate. Read about how to become a Member.
Are you an FFP who has moved on to another position in the University? Contact teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu to discuss changing your status from FFP to Fellow.
Get involved! | Ways to contribute to the Academy’s ongoing activities
Affiliate/Clinical Affiliate
Affiliate/Clinical Affiliate: Teaching experiential courses, from clinic to fieldwork? Become involved in growing the clinical affiliate or affiliate program. Contact wenker@pt.wics.edu
Analytics Committee: Help ensure that we are capturing the right information to determine who the Academy’s programs are reaching, whether participants find them valuable, and most importantly, what was learned through participation. Contact teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu
Fall Retreat | Winter Retreat: Join the committee to plan, organize & facilitate campus-wide teaching development events. Contact dan.pell@wisc.edu
Feedback on Teaching (FOT) Committee: FoT offers an opportunity to participate in scaling up and implementing a new peer observation program across campus. Contact teachingacademy@provost.wisc.edu
Members-Only Roundtables (MOR): We are seeking Fellows who are interested in organizing one-per-semester roundtable discussions among members on issues surrounding teaching & learning. Contact claire.barrett@wisc.edu
Newsletter & Academy Forum: Join the planning committee, contribute to the forum, act as guest editor for the Academy newsletter. Contact dan.pell@wisc.edu
Nomination Committee: We are seeking Fellows (Faculty & Academic Staff) and FFPs to help review nominations. Honor great campus educators & promote excellence by helping to review nominations to the Teaching Academy. Contact wenker@pt.wics.edu
U-Class: Explore teaching and learning from the student perspective by attending our U-CLaSS sessions. Contact jamie.henke@wisc.edu