Happy new year, and welcome back, friends and colleagues,
Here’s hoping that your semester is getting off to a wonderful start. Meanwhile, Rosemary and I are excited to share a variety of professional development and support opportunities with you in our first Digest of 2023.
First, let’s begin with one more expression of gratitude to our Professional Issues Conference Committee for facilitating such an excellent program this year: “Where Are We Now? An Assessment on Mental Health.” Given the importance of this subject matter, the PIC committee approached us here in the CTEI last semester with the suggestion that we should endeavor to keep this conversation going after the conference, all throughout the winter term – and we fully agreed. To that end, please scroll down to see how we will follow up and follow through with activities and resources to perpetuate this dialogue in the coming weeks and months.
Meanwhile, though the Monday Morning Mentor will not return for a few weeks, please refer to the at-a-glance schedule below for several other fine upcoming partner activities. There you will find a few ongoing programs from last semester and some new options that have just been added. These new offerings include a virtual workshop focusing on metacognition for STEM (but applicable to all) students, the summer Hyflex Collaborative Conference, and February’s Digital Education Days – a multi-day, virtual event jointly sponsored by HFC, University of Michigan – Dearborn, and Flint, and Mott Community College.
Finally, if you’re anything like me, your conversations with friends, family, and colleagues have recently been replete with discussion of the latest AI technology, ChatGPT. In case you haven’t heard about this new online interface, it can produce writing that can actually pass as human-generated on just about any topic. This brief New York Times piece discusses ChatGPT further while also linking to an Ezra Klein podcast featuring Gary Marcus, “an emeritus professor of psychology and neural science at N.Y.U.” Though Dr. Marcus, “has become one of the leading voices of A.I. skepticism,” he is not at all “anti-AI” but has, instead, actually invested in this involving technology himself. Nonetheless, despite all of the potential benefits that AI may hold for humankind, this technology has drastic and immediate implications for educators due to its tremendous potential for illicit use by students. With this in mind, you might also want to take a few moments to review this recent Faculty Focus article: What Are We Doing About AI Essays?
In closing, we hope that you will find at least one or two of the offerings presented here to be of interest, and as always, we welcome your suggestions and input. Please just e-mail us with any recommendations or questions. In the meantime, again, best wishes for a strong start to the term!
Upcoming Events
| CTEI Event | Description | Time/Date | Link |
| Partner Activity: Teach STEM Students How to Learn: Metacognition Is the Key!** | Saundra McGuire, Ph.D. Presentation Sponsored by ReBUILDetroit and College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing Professional Development | 2/2 @ 12:45 PM -2:15 PM Virtual Event | Register Here (Deadline 1/31) |
| Sponsored Event: Digital Education Days* | Conference Focusing on Digital Pedagogy | 2/10, 15 and 21 Virtual Event | Register Here |
| Partner Event: MCSS/ATD Roundtable Discussion Series** | Equity in Gateway Courses and Guided Self-Placement | Varying Days and Times – See Below for More Detail | Visit the MCSS Events Page for More Information and Registration Links |
| Partner Event: Inaugural HyFlex Collaborative Conference** | Collaborative One-Day Event Bringing Together Higher Ed and K12 Educators | 6/26 Virtual and In-Person Attendance Options | Conference Website |
| Partner Activity: ACUE’s Online Micro-credentialing** | Open-Enrollment Opportunities to Complete Online Pedagogical Training at Your Convenience | Ongoing | Find Information Here |
| Partner Activity: NISOD Online Professional Development Events** | Wide-Ranging Events on a Variety of Topics | Ongoing | Find Information Here |
| Article Discussion Group* | Participate in a Faculty-Led Discussion Group with Colleagues | Various and Ongoing | E-Mail Scott to Join a Group in Progress |
*Denotes a sponsored CTEI event that qualifies for AFO reimbursement.
**Denotes a partner activity that may qualify for AFO reimbursement. Please see your area representative for further information.
Professional Issues Conference: Follow-Up Resources and Activities
On the CTEI Moodle Hub, you will now find follow-up materials related to this year’s conference theme: “Where Are We Now? An Assessment on Mental Health.” Currently, these include (a) links to videos, readings, and presentations pertaining to the conference, (b) a Wellness Wheel self-assessment instrument, (c) information on student support offered through the SAFE@HFC committee/initiative, and (d) a discussion board on which we invite staff and faculty to continue this dialogue virtually and indefinitely. In the coming weeks, we invite you to post to this board thoughts and observations occurring to you as a result of the conference and/or if you work in an area of the College for which you would like to further promote mental well-being resources for students, please reach out to us, and we will be happy to grow this repository by sharing your materials there.
Meanwhile, although the Wellness Wheel activity is one designed to be completed individually if you are interested in following up on this assessment tool and further exploring the topic of mental health in general with a group, the CTEI will be organizing a discussion or two later this semester with one of our very own mental health professionals. Stay tuned – more information will follow soon.
Partner Activity: Teach STEM Students How to Learn: Metacognition Is the Key!
Presenter Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire is the Director Emerita of the Center for Academic Success and retired Assistant Vice Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at LSU. Before joining LSU, she spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. She has delivered keynote addresses or presented workshops at over 400 institutions in 46 states and ten countries.
All students admitted to an institution can succeed in STEM courses. However, most do not have adequate learning strategies and resort to memorizing information just before tests. This interactive workshop will introduce faculty to cognitive science research-based learning strategies that will help all students experience meaningful, transferable learning. The session will focus on ways to teach STEM students simple yet powerful learning strategies to ensure success in STEM courses.
These techniques can be used within any content area, so please do not hesitate to attend – even if you are not in a STEM field. If interested, please register here by January 31. Questions? Please contact Dr. Jahzara D. E. Mayes, otoojm@udmercy.edu.
Sponsored Event: Digital Education Days
The Digital Education Days virtual conference will be held on three days in February 2023: Friday the 10th, Wednesday the 15th, and Tuesday the 21st. This year the conference is loosely organized around the theme “Rising and Revising: Rethinking the Future of Digital Education.” For the first time, the conference brings together faculty from UM-Dearborn, UM-Flint, Henry Ford College, and Mott Community College to share best practices and explore new opportunities that enhance teaching and learning in the digital realm. More information about the conference, including online registration forms, can be found here.
Partner Event: MCSS/ATD Roundtable Discussion Series
MCSS is partnering with ATD to present “Equity-Minded Teaching Practices for Gateway Courses,” a series of roundtable discussions for faculty teaching foundational courses. The topic for December will be “Equitizing Your Syllabi.” Participants should plan to have a syllabus available for a course they are either teaching or preparing to teach. Please see the MCCA Events Page for registration for all dates.
- Monday, April 3, 2023 4:00-5:30
- Monday, August 7, 2023 4:00-5:30
- Monday, December 4, 2023 4:00-5:30
- Monday, March 25, 2024 4:00-5:30
Partner Event: Inaugural HyFlex Collaborative Conference
The HyFlex Learning Community team has been partnering with colleagues from AATLAS (Academy for the Advancement of Teaching, Leadership, and Schools) in the School of Education, University at Albany (part of the SUNY system) and at Hunter College, New York (part of the CUNY system) to plan the first-ever HyFlex-focused conference for June 2023. The result? A collaborative one-day event that brings together both higher education and K12 educators to share what they have learned about supporting hybrid and flexible learning over the past few years and to shape plans for research, resources, and faculty preparation across the education spectrum.
Please visit the conference website for general information, a Call for Proposals for presentations, sponsorship opportunities, and registration for the June 26 event, which will be offered both onsite Albany, NY and online.
Partner Event: ACUE’s Online Microcredentialing
As the Association of College and University Educator’s website indicates: “ACUE’s open enrollment courses are designed for all higher education faculty — tenured faculty, adjunct instructors, and even graduate students. Through our unique learning design, each microcredential allows faculty to gain foundational knowledge, implement evidence-based practices, reflect on your implementation, and refine your practice based on feedback. Faculty who complete all microcredentials earn the full ACUE Certificate in Effective College Instruction, endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE).”
ACUE’s site also specifies that these open-enrollment micro-courses are:
- Delivered fully online
- Offered throughout the year
- Short courses that build to an ACUE Certificate in Effective College Instruction
- Endorsed by the American Council on Education
- Delivered through a facilitated faculty learning community
- Designed for all types of faculty
- Suited for an online or classroom learning environment
- You can find more information on this partner resource here.
Partner Event: NISOD Online Professional Development Events
Throughout the fall semester, NISOD will offer online professional development opportunities ranging from webinars to workshops to conferences touching upon topics broadly varying from Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice to Teaching Critical Thinking and Rationality in Science and Math Courses. You will find more information on how to participate in these virtual events here.
CTEI Happenings 