The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology invites proposals for the 2018 University-Wide Teaching & Learning Symposium. Everyone with teaching responsibilities at Illinois State University (full- and part-time faculty, teaching assistants, and administrative/professional staff), as well as those who support student learning in cocurricular contexts, is encouraged to share the results of and insights gained from their recent projects, research, and reflective teaching experiences. Participants can propose a short presentation, a longer panel presentation, a poster presentation, or lead a discussion as part of the morning Idea Cafe.
While all proposals related to teaching and student learning are welcome, we especially encourage proposals that address the symposium theme, Expanding Notions of Literacy:
An age marked by changing demands on the production and consumption of knowledge offers both potent possibilities and daunting challenges for those who strive to help students become critical, literate thinkers. If our aim is to prepare students “to be informed and engaged global citizens who will promote and further the goals of society” (“Civic Engagement,” Educating Illinois 2013-2018: Individualized Attention, Shared Aspirations), then we must understand the multiple ways in which humans use language in our pursuit of effective citizenship (New London Group, 1996).
At its core, the symposium theme invites us to explore the ways we can derive meaning from a variety of texts, using a variety of tools and skills that can and must change based on context (Kalantzis and Cope, 2016). Here, “texts” are broadly defined to encompass any meaning-making modes and can include linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, and spatial patterns. Thus, this year’s theme also invites the exploration of the ways we construct texts and add our own contributions to the shaping of social futures, affording active and critical participation in working, public, and private lives (New London Group, 1996).
While notions of literacy beyond the traditional “reading, writing, and arithmetic” vary across disciplines, the Symposium offers a unique opportunity for the transdisciplinary sharing of unique perspectives, promising practices, and inspiring ideas that help students become competent, conscientious, and critical members of their communities.
Details about the various types of presentations, submission requirements, and examples can all be found at CTLT.IllinoisState.edu/Symposium. When you’re ready, you can use the easy, online form linked to that page. Submissions must be completed by Sunday, October 1, 2017.
The 2018 University-Wide Teaching & Learning Symposium will be held Wednesday, January 10, at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. It is free to attend, and luncheon is provided.
Questions? Email CTLT@IllinoisState.edu.
