Greetings from the CTL!
Welcome to the spring semester! I hope it has started off well. If you have just joined Boise State as an adjunct, welcome! If you are a returning adjunct, welcome back! In either case, you may be looking for some assistance with classroom technology and/or Blackboard. If so, this newsletter highlights the services of Boise State's Help Desk, which is available seven days a week to answer your technology questions. There is also information about an upcoming workshop offered by the CTL. Finally, our Adjunct Spotlight focuses on Danielle Packard from the English Department.
One great thing about the beginning of the semester is meeting a new group of students and finding ways to to get them ready to learn in my class. I am always looking for resources to help me do that - and I wanted to share one with you! A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education gave me some great ideas about new ways to get my students focused on learning. This link will take you to the article, entitled "Small Changes in Teaching: The First Five Minutes of Class" by James M. Lang. I would be interested to hear if you find Lang's ideas inspiring as well.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me at any time should you have questions about teaching at Boise State. In the meantime, happy teaching!
Best,
Teresa Focarile
teresafocarile@boisestate.edu
Looking for Tech Help - Check out The Zone!
The semester has started, and so, too, have your technology issues. But never fear - The Office of Information Technology is available to help you! The Help Desk @ the  Zone is where Boise State University faculty, staff and students can get help for operational, software and hardware questions and issues. They also offer technology for checkout like laptops, iPads and video cameras.
Help is available Monday – Thursday 7 AM - 10 PM, Friday from 7 AM - 6 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM - 5 PM, via phone (208.426.4357), email (helpdesk@boisestate.edu), chat, https://oit.boisestate.edu/chat , or in person at one of the many locations on campus (http://oit.boisestate.edu/zone/find-us-on-campus/). Help Desk staff will be happy to assist you with your technology needs - including everything from Blackboard issues, questions about classroom technology, downloading free software and assessing issues you may be having with your own laptop.
Upcoming Workshop: Connecting Teaching with Learning
 Most of us are interested in having our students master a variety of content in our courses AND also become adept at different kinds of thinking (e.g., analysis or synthesis). How might we go about connecting the choices we make in our teaching with the different kinds of learning we want students to master? This workshop, facilitated by Susan Shadle, will review a selection of different teaching strategies and invite participants to connect them to student learning. Participants will have time to make plans for choices they make in their own teaching.
This workshop is scheduled for February 17th from 7:30 - 9:00 AM in ILC 315. Coffee provided! To register, please use this link.
Adjunct Spotlight: Danielle Packard
Danielle Packard has taught for Boise
State's English Department for five years, first as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and now as an adjunct. She focuses on first year students, teaching English 101, 101P and 102.
While she started her career at Boise State as a student, her experience as a TA and an adjunct has uncovered her passion for teaching. She says,
"In my first semester of classes I took a rhetoric and composition course devoted entirely to the science of how students of all ages write and revise. This course was amazing (due to an exceptional teacher and classroom environment) and made me realize how much I wanted to test and implement the things I learned in a classroom. I particularly enjoy assisting students who are just beginning to develop writing and reflection skills by creating meaningful activities that encourage them to have an 'aha' moment about their learning. While the theory and pedagogy of literature and composition remain fascinating, the human interaction with my students has steered me toward teaching as a profession."
The Center for Teaching and Learning
www.ctl.boisestate.edu
ctl@boisestat.edu
208-426-4610
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