“Self-Replenishing Compassion” Events
The CTE is pleased to co-sponsor with Intersections a public talk and workshop led by John Makransky, Associate Professor of Theology, on the topic of “sustainable compassion.” Sustainable Compassion Training (SCT) adapts a pattern of contemplative practice seen across faith traditions into a secular and inter-religious form aligned with areas of social psychology and neuroscience. SCT helps individuals cultivate a more inclusive and replenishing power of care and compassion for themselves and others that is less susceptible to bias, empathic distress, and burnout. Please register for the public talk (October 25, 4:30 - 6:00) and workshop (October 26, 9:30 - 12:30). Direct questions to the CTE.
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JFCT: The Role Of Civility In The Classroom
Recent calls for greater civility on the political stage invite us to consider whether and how civility should play a role in our classrooms. Most faculty are invested in creating learning environments in which students can engage in rigorous yet respectful debate, but they can struggle to know how to police the boundaries of “respect.” For this month’s Junior Faculty Conversation on Teaching (October 16th from 12:00 - 1:00), we invite faculty in their early years at BC to share their own approaches to defining acceptable classroom conduct and discuss ideas for improving the classroom climate for all our students. Register online to save yourself a spot.
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Lunchtime Discussion of The Niceties
On October 23 from 12:00 - 1:00, the CTE is hosting a lunchtime discussion of The Niceties, which is now playing in its final week at the Calderwood Pavilion (read the Boston Globe’s review). Centered around an office hours conversation between a white professor and a black student at an elite institution, the play raises important questions about race, power, and institutional change. All members of the BC community are welcome. Kindly RSVP online so we can plan for lunch.
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Showcase Your Teaching at ETD
As part of Excellence in Teaching Day 2019, we will again be organizing a poster session to feature the innovative and thoughtful teaching of Boston College faculty. We welcome posters that: convey a goal or challenge in teaching; critically analyze the learning context; present the application of learning activities or other innovations designed to address the matter; and provide examples of student work or responses that show the outcomes. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity to showcase your teaching, please email Keisha Valdez.
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Save the Date for Spring Programs
Excellence in Teaching Day
Please plan to join us on Monday, May 6th for our 2019 Excellence in Teaching Day, the CTE’s annual celebration of teaching. We will again devote the morning to breakout sessions lead by various BC faculty and staff and then hold the keynote address and Teaching Innovation Poster Session following lunch. More details to come!
Faculty Teaching Retreat
Following on the success of our inaugural Faculty Teaching Retreat last June, we are pleased to be partnering again with the University Council on Teaching to organize our second teaching retreat for June 3-7, 2019 at the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster, Massachusetts. Join your faculty colleagues for five days to work on one of your own courses and to reflect and converse about what matters most to us in our teaching. Watch for a more formal announcement and call for applications soon.
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Updates To CTE Recording Studio
As part of our commitment to streamlining the video production process for faculty, the CTE has made some significant updates to our Recording Studio. It’s now easier than ever to create effective, clear Panopto recordings with top quality images and sound. Our lights, camera, and microphone have been updated with broadcast industry-standard equipment. Plus the addition of a teleprompter, which runs professional software that allows the presenter to look directly at the “audience” while reading a script or a slideshow, helps professors and students use their presence and their voices to deliver more engaging lessons through video. Contact the CTE to learn more and to schedule a time to use the studio.
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New Guide To Online Synchronous Teaching
A new guide on designing and teaching online synchronous (live) sessions has been added to the CTE Resources site. The guide covers strategies for designing synchronous sessions, guidance on how to use appropriate technology, and ideas for interactive activities. This guide is relevant not only to faculty who teach online, but also to those who might need an alternative to a face-to-face classroom due to an unforeseen disruption.
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Anonymous Annotations in canvas SpeedGrader
The latest release of Canvas enables anonymous annotations to students’ assignment submissions in SpeedGrader. This may be of value when multiple people are grading an assignment. When creating (or editing) an assignment in Canvas, content creators (Teachers, Designers, and TA roles) can opt to have annotations be done anonymously by checking the box that reads “Anonymize all annotations made by instructors on submissions for this assignment in SpeedGrader.” This option does not apply to annotations previously made to an assignment in SpeedGrader. Please note also that this does not anonymize “Assignment Comments” entered in the text area in the right sidebar of SpeedGrader.
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Academic Technology Innovation Grants due
The Academic Technology Advisory Board (ATAB) will be accepting ATIG grant applications through October 15th. This fall’s ATIG competition is limited to new investigators (full-time faculty members who have not received ATAB funding for the past three years). ATIG projects should bring new instructional and research technologies to Boston College or bring innovative approaches to teaching and research through technology. ATIGs should aim to be self-sustaining and impact a large number of Boston College faculty and/or students. Contact Shaylonda Barton for questions.
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Simulations Research Presented at APSA
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CTE Program Manager John FitzGibbon co-presented a paper with Erin Baumann from Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government on “Simulations as Signature Pedagogy” at the American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting in Boston on September 1st. Some of the research presented in this paper drew from the 2017-18 CTE faculty cohort on simulations. This coming Spring 2019, John will also be teaching a fully online course at the Woods College on Political Economy as part of the Masters in Applied Economics Program.
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