Tea for Teaching

As faculty, we engage with education technology as it relates to our classes but rarely consider the larger EdTech ecosystem. Dr. Rolin Moe,  the director of Academic Innovation and an Assistant Professor at Seattle Pacific University, joins us to discuss the politics, economics, and culture of EdTech. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.  

The first semester of the first year is pivotal in helping students see themselves as scholars. In this episode, Dr. Scott Furlong, a political scientist and Provost at SUNY Oswego, joins us in this episode to discuss how first-year classes may be used to captivate student attention and ignite a passion for learning. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

When you teach the same classes every year, it’s easy to fall into routines. Classes, though, can be much more fun for you and your students if you are willing to take some risk by experimenting with new teaching approaches. In this episode, Dr. Wendy Watson, a a senior lecturer of political science and pre-law advisor at the University of North Texas, joins us to discuss how she has engaged her students by introducing some very creative and fun assignments in her classes. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.  

Preschool through high school experiences have a direct impact on the majors and disciplines that students want to study and engage with in college. Designing these experiences to invite underrepresented groups into the discipline early can help to inspire and motivate a new generation of professionals. In this episode, Dr. Stacy Klein-Gardner joins us to discuss how engineers are attempting to diversify the field. Dr. Klein-Gardner is the founding director of the Center for STEM Education for Girls, and is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, and a Senior Professional Development Provider with Engineering is Elementary at the Museum of Science in Boston. She recently was appointed as a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Student motivation is enhanced when students see that the work they are doing is relevant to their future careers. In this episode, Dr. Bastian Tenbergen, an assistant professor of Computer Science at the State University of New York at Oswego, joins us to discuss how industry realistic projects may be used to enhance learning in software engineering classes. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Have you ever considered using social media in your courses but have fears of things going awry? Social media can provide rich opportunities for learning and public discourse. In this episode, Brian Moritz, an Assistant Professor of Digital Media Production and Online Journalism at SUNY Oswego, joins us to explore ways of using social media that engage students and discuss policies and procedures you can use to protect student privacy and provide a safe and supportive learning environment. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Flipping the classroom is one way to dedicate class time to active learning. In theory it sounds great, but how do you flip a classroom without flopping? In this episode, Dr. Dominick Casadonte, a Chemistry Professor at Texas Tech University, joins us to discuss research and best practices related to flipped classrooms. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

There is often a misperception that being a well-liked, kind and caring faculty member comes at the cost of rigor or high expectations. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Knapp, an expert in the field of instructional communication, joins us to discuss strategies we can employ to make the classroom a positive and productive learning environment. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

When we design our classes, we often focus primarily on the learning objectives that we determine for our students. Might our classes be more effective if we focused more on our students’ needs, objectives, goals, and the barriers they face? In this episode, we examine how we can use design thinking to make our classes better serve students’ needs. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Have you spent hours writing comments on student papers only to see them end up in the trash can as student file out of class?  In this episode, Dr. Jessica Kruger, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo joins us to explore how providing video feedback may help motivate students to hear, see, use, and understand your feedback. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.  

Now that we have been on summer vacation for a while, we thought it would be useful to take a break from our usual interview format to reflect on the previous semester and our plans for the fall. We also provide some recommendations on summer reading related to professional development. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Faculty are increasingly looking to research on teaching and learning to make informed decisions about their practice as a teacher and the policies their institutions put into place. In today’s episode, Michelle Miller joins us to discuss recent research that will likely shape the future of higher education. Michelle is Director of the First-Year Learning Initiative, Professor of Psychological Sciences, and President's Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Miller's academic background is in cognitive psychology. Her research interests include memory, attention, and student success in the early college career. She co-created the First-Year Learning Initiative at Northern Arizona University and is active in course redesign, serving as a redesign scholar for the National Center for Academic Transformation. She is the author of Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology and has written about evidence-based pedagogy in scholarly as well as general interest publications. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Imagine a scenario where students retain knowledge effectively and are active and engaged participants who are self-aware of what they know (and don’t know). Did you picture a lecture class, students taking a test, or students writing? In this episode, John discusses three ways in which he has been using peer-instruction in his classes: classroom polling, calibrated peer review writing assignments, and two-stage exams. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

Learning spaces greatly influence the teaching methods and learning activities we can employ. In this episode, Lisa Stephens and Rebecca Frazee join us to discuss the Flexible Learning Environments eXchange, an international platform for archiving, exploring and planning informal and formal learning spaces. Lisa serves as the Assistant Dean for Digital Education in the UB School of Engineering and is a Senior Strategist for Academic Innovation in the Office of the SUNY Provost. Her work at SUNY includes serving as the Interim Director of FLEXspace. Rebecca Frazee is a member of the San Diego State University faculty in the Learning Design and Technology Program. She serves as the FLEXspace Manager. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.  

Working towards a degree for some students can be a struggle as they balance full-time work, families and coursework. In this episode, Marela Fiacco, a Healthcare Management Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator at SUNY Canton joins us to explore options that give students greater access to courses and co-curricular activities. Dr. Fiacco is the first instructor at her institution to teach a flex course, a modality in which students may participate either in person or remotely. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.