Teaching Academy
Promoting, Recognizing and Supporting Excellence in Teaching and Learning

January 2025 Newsletter

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Teaching Academy: Promoting, Recognizing and Supporting Excellence in Teaching & Learning
Welcome to our January newsletter! Whether you’re already used to writing ’25 or still writing 19–, 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.
This month we invite you to celebrate and learn from professionals who support healthcare providers’ ongoing learning at Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day. And speaking of professionals, please register to learn (and consider sharing your own) strategies and best practices for fostering students’ professional skill development at our Winter Retreat! If you’re looking for ways to enhance teaching as the spring semester approaches, explore offerings from the Discussion Project and the Language Institute. If you’re teaching online from the comfort of a cozy place with a hot cup of tea, consider CTLM’s Enhancing Online Education webinars and microcourses. We hope you begin spring semester rested, rejuvenated, and warm!
Questions or comments about the newsletter? Contact Dan Pell & Sarah Pultorak, Editors editor-uwta-newsletter@g-groups.wisc.edu 

Upcoming Events | What’s happening in the Academy?

2025 Winter Retreat: Cultivating Students’ Professional Skills and Identities

Professional, 21st-century skills such as communication, teamwork, and collaborative problem-solving are essential for our students’ future success beyond the university. However, finding a balance between course content and skills development can be challenging. Instructors need to keep up-to-date with the changing landscape outside academia and students need opportunities to practice these skills. Students may also need help contextualizing and understanding how they will use these skills in their future career. This hybrid event will include a series of short presentations from volunteer speakers as well as opportunities to consider how to bring what you’ve heard back to your campus context.
There are still a few speaking slots remaining! Share your best practices, innovative strategies you’re trying, or cross-campus partnerships that help students deepen their professional skills! You can have up to 5 minutes of stage-time at the event (in person or on Zoom), or you can record a short video. | VOLUNTEER TO SHARE
Questions about the Retreat? Want to join the Planning Committee? Contact Angela Kita & Dan Pell (Chairs) retreats-uwta@g-groups.wisc.edu 

Teaching and Learning Meetups

We’ll grab a table or two for informal conversations. Look for the “T&L Meetup” table tents. Come connect with other educators who are passionate about teaching and learning. Bring a question or comment you’d like to talk about, or just jump into conversation at hand. Food, coffee, and other beverages nearby. Join us!
Questions about the T&L Meetups? Contact John Martin john.martin@wisc.edu

Learning Community Update | Clinical Teachers’ Corner

Clinical Teacher Learning Community: Network, Explore, Build. "Furthering Clinical Education"

Participate | Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day

  • Fri, Jan 24, 2025, 1130–430pm, Health Sciences Learning Center Atrium (HSLC)

Register to participate in 2025 Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day. This day is dedicated to celebrating the professionals who ensure that healthcare providers stay informed, competent, and capable of delivering the best possible care to their patients. Special events will take place in the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC) Atrium, from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm CST on Friday, January 24, 2025, and will feature engaging informational exhibits and accredited workshops for planners and faculty focusing on innovation, behavioral economics, and active learning. Attend to learn and network with leading professionals in the continuing education field, experienced faculty, accreditation specialists, and peers!

Articles for Discussion

Participate in discussion of articles featured in the Clinical Teacher Learning Community. Topics include adult learning theories, medical education and artificial intelligence, building growth mindset, and measuring learner engagement. This online community also offers connections, news, and resources for clinical teachers.

Courses

  • Education Essentials is a collection of modules aimed at developing key skills for all interprofessional health science teachers, in various teaching settings.  How modules are utilized is flexible–one or more modules to all of them–to meet the various needs of our teachers based on their activities, schedules, and priorities. | LEARN MORE & REGISTER
  • Updated Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies is an introductory course and toolkit for clinical teachers to review the interprofessional core competencies and activities that can improve experiential teaching of interprofessional practice. | LEARN MORE & REGISTER 

Registration is free and these courses can be completed at your own pace.

Explore

Questions? Topics you would like to see? Announcements for the next issue?  Contact Marianna Shershneva marianna.shershneva@wisc.edu

Join us! Honor a colleague! | The Academy is seeking new members

The start of a new year is the perfect time to honor a colleague or nominate yourself! For over 30 years, the Academy’s mission has been 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.
There are three types of membership: Future Faculty Partner (FFP), Fellow, and Affiliate. Learn how to become a Member. 
Questions about membership?  Are you an FFP who has moved on to another position in the University?  Contact uwta-membership@g-groups.wisc.edu

Member FYI | News, Events, Training, and Learning Opportunities

The Discussion Project | Sign up for Winter 2025

Seats are still open for The Discussion Project Virtual for Winter 2025, which starts Feb 4, 2025. A free online course, The Discussion Project Virtual supports UW-Madison instructors and leaders in designing and implementing high quality discussion. The focus of the course is online synchronous video conference discussion, and the skills are also relevant and transferable to in-person teaching and facilitating discussions in meetings. | REGISTER

  • Day and Time: Tuesdays on Zoom, 9am-11am CST
  • Dates: 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18
  • *Each session is preceded by 1 hour of asynchronous work in Canvas.

Questions about the Discussion Project? Contact discussion-project@education.wisc.edu 

Language Institute | Workshops & Brown Bags for Language Educators

AI and Universal Design for Learning: Designing Language Learning for All 

Innovative Instructional Materials in Less Commonly Taught Languages

  • Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 12–1pm (on Zoom) | LEARN MORE & REGISTER
  • Adeola Agoke, UW–Madison Department of African Cultural Studies (Yorùbá)
  • Anna Tumarkin, UW–Madison Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+; and Shannon Donnally Quinn, Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures, Michigan State University (Russian)
  • Hany Noviya & Sapta Abimanyu, UW–Madison Department of Asian Languages and Cultures (Indonesian)

Have something to share? Academy members work in diverse roles and learning environments across our university. If you have news, events, training, or opportunities you would like to share with the Academy, contact Dan Pell & Sarah Pultorak  editor-uwta-newsletter@g-groups.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

Register now for CTLM’s spring workshops:

  • Enhancing Online Education – This series of webinars and micro-courses is designed for online and hybrid instructors. It begins Jan. 24 from 9-10:30 with a special “Connect & Collaborate” Zoom session featuring experienced instructors sharing what they’ve learned. Additional spring topics include: Fostering Community, Designing Assessments, and Cultivating Inclusivity.
  • Teaching at UW – Explore evidence-based strategies for enhancing group work, managing student requests for flexibility, engaging students in large courses, and more.
  • Exploring AI in Teaching – Whether or not you plan to use AI in your course, these workshops will help you understand its capabilities and challenges.

If you’re not sure which of the above opportunities is right for you or you’re looking for a different kind of engagement or instructional support, please contact CTLM with your request – we look forward to working with you!

To learn more about these programs or to register, visit the CTLM’s Professional Development Opportunities. 

Get involved! | Ways to contribute to the Academy’s ongoing activities

Get Involved! in bold letters beside images of a pile of I Am UW stickers.