Events hosted by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology will be held entirely online using Zoom for spring 2021. Registrants will receive a meeting link via their campus email about one business day before the event.
Select a date/time to register through the My.IllinoisState portal. If you have questions or need an accommodation to fully participate in an event, please email CTLT@IllinoisState.edu.
Asynchronous Communication to Enhance Student Engagement and Problem Solving Workshop
Monday, January 25 • 2-3:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 28 • 10:30 a.m.-noon. (repeat)
A major concern about teaching during the pandemic is how to effectively communicate with students when teaching a completely asynchronous course. This workshop focuses on asynchronous communication strategies to amplify course rhythms and improve student engagement in the course. At the end of the session, participants will have learned various approaches for: 1) course design for clear communication; 2) planning course communication to reduce student questions and confusion; and 3) approaches to improve student communication. Additionally, this session will allow time for participants to help each other solve any specific problems facing attendees. Registration is required.
OUCampus
Tuesday, January 26 • 9-10 a.m.
Learn how to update your unit’s website using OUCampus, Illinois State’s primary content management system. You will be given access to your website(s) and trained to add, edit, and publish content, including links and PDFs. You’ll also learn how to request more complex website updates from the WEB staff, such as photo and layout changes. Registration is required.
Teaching into the Void
Wednesday, January 27 • 9-10:30 a.m.
Imagine standing before your class, only to discover your students are wearing blank, featureless masks. That’s the frustrating situation many of us encountered during the shift to remote instruction following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This workshop will explore two questions: 1) How can we gently encourage students to engage in class with their mics and webcams, while still being respectful of their privacy and their technological limitations? 2) How can we, as instructors, better “perform” in a synchronous environment without the verbal and non-verbal feedback we’re accustomed to?
Be prepared to share your own experiences teaching remotely in the fall of 2020, as a foundation for reflecting on these questions. You’ll leave this session with ideas you can implement in your very next class to help create a culture of participation and communicate expectations to your students. Registration is required.
Respond to Challenging Moments and Foster Meaningful Dialogue
Wednesday, January 27 • 3-4 p.m.
Many instructors may be concerned about how to respond to the current social/political climate. Whether this is your first time participating or you would like a refresher in how to respond, in this workshop we will discuss strategies that will help you intervene in harmful or toxic conversations in your classrooms and engage your students in dialogue that fosters an understanding of multiple perspectives. You’ll get a chance to practice with colleagues and identify campus resources to draw upon. Illinois State is committed to ensuring that all students can learn in an environment that is safe, inclusive, and includes the expectation that students act in a mutually respectful manner towards each other. Registration is required.
ReggieNet: Gradebook
Thursday, January 28 • 3-3:30 p.m.
Get a hands-on tour of the ReggieNet Gradebook tool. Learn how to create items within the Gradebook or add them from other ReggieNet tools. You’ll tackle basic features like setting up grade categories, working with weighted categories, reordering your gradebook items, and viewing grading statistics. Registration is required.
Foundations of Diversity and Inclusion: Implicit Bias
Friday, January 29 • noon-1:30 p.m.
Implicit bias is our unconscious tendency to judge people based on past experiences. Even when we’re mindful of diversity and inclusion, it is hard for us to notice our implicit bias until we encounter the situations where it is activated. In this workshop, explore the nature of implicit bias and discover strategies to minimize bias in the classroom and in the workplace. Registration is required.
CTLT’s Foundations of Diversity and Inclusion seminars tackle tough questions involving culture, identity, and responsive teaching in a friendly, non-threatening environment. This seminar series can give faculty and staff an essential start in understanding issues that aren’t always easy to talk about. Attend as many or a few as you can. Participants who complete all sessions receive a certificate of recognition.
