Hello from the ADC! We are honoured to have had a lead role on the Celebrate! Teaching and Learning event team this year and have several ideas in this issue for how you can keep the celebration (and the teaching and learning!) going.
As we have only two more issues of our ADC newsletter this academic year, we are particularly interested to hear from you on what to feature in our next issues, what you would like to see for spring and fall planning for your academic development. What interests you? What would feel like help? Drop us a line anytime at adc@mtroyal.ca.
As always, thanks for reading and stay well.
|
|
 Thank you for Celebrating!
Thank you to the presenters, panellists, keynote(s), and attendees for making this year's virtual event so amazing.
Special thanks to the organizing committee: Bree Smith, Brad Mahon, Genevieve Currie, Ian Borg, John Cheeseman, Katharine Barrette, Mary-Ann Ciupak, Melanie Rathburn, Meg Wilcox, Nancy Funke, and Christian Cook.
Many of the learning and information sessions, and panels are now available for on-demand viewing (you must be logged in to your MRU account for access). See our feature story for details on how to keep the celebration going, and an opportunity to send a postcard for inspiration in the fall.
|
|
|
Mentorship Program 2021/22: Call for Mentees
 Are you interested in accessing a mentor to support your pre-tenure experience at MRU? We are recruiting pre-tenure faculty members who are interested in being matched with a mentor for the 2021-22 academic year. Mentoring is a supportive relationship to help guide the successful integration of new members into an organization.
What is the time commitment?
Mentors and mentees will be invited to participate in a meeting related to mentorship in early Fall 2021. Once matched, you are encouraged to make time to meet with your mentor once a month for the balance of the 2021-22 academic year. (Matches will be communicated by August 2021)
Sound interesting? For more information, please contact Jennifer Boman
To Apply: Please complete and submit the following Google Form application
by June 3, 2021. Image by Jordanhetrick on iStock
|
|
|
Mentorship Program 2021/22: Call for Mentors
Are you interested in becoming a mentor for pre-tenure faculty? We are recruiting tenured faculty members who are interested in becoming mentors for pre-tenure faculty colleagues for the 2021-22 academic year. Mentoring resources and support will be provided throughout the academic year.
What is the time commitment? All mentors will be asked to participate in an information meeting about mentorship in August 2021. Once matched, mentors and mentees are encouraged to make time to meet once a month for the balance of the 2021-22 year. (Matches will be communicated by August 2021)
Sound interesting? For more details please contact Jennifer Boman
To apply: Please complete and submit the following Google Form Application by June 3, 2021
|
|
|
All ADC workshops in this semester are offered virtually. You will be provided with a Google Meet link and any other instructions needed for your session with your registration confirmation, or by email prior to the session start time. Please see the list of workshops below.
You can also always visit our current list of upcoming workshops. (See also: calendar view) or follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on upcoming workshops.
|
|
|
Teaching, Learning, and Building a Post-Pandemic Future
As we consider a Fall 2021 return to campus, education experts advise that we pause, collectively, to consider the ways in which the pandemic has impacted how we teach and learn, and, as a result, imagine alternative futures. Join us as we share How Humans Learn author Josh Eyler’s recent keynote, in which he discusses our collective need to process pandemic losses and to fight for a humanizing, equitable path forward. We will then make space for a discussion about how we might realize these lessons at MRU. Everyone is welcome!
NOTE: For the first hour of this session, we will be showing a recording of Eyler’s keynote. If you prefer, you can watch this video independently, then join us at 2:30 pm for a 30-minute discussion.
Facilitators: Andrea Phillipson and Cherie Woolmer
When: Thursday, May 20, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
|
|
Unleash Student Participation with Liberating Structures
 Would you like to:
- Increase student participation and engagement in your
face-to-face and online classes?
- Add easy-to-use strategies to your teaching toolkit?
- Use strategies you can scale for large and small groups?
Liberating Structures will help you and your students to enliven and enrich your classes.
Join us for an immersive experience, where you will experiment with up to four Liberating Structures. Each session will explore different structures. Watch this video from the creators of Liberating Structures to learn more before you register.
Facilitators: Pattie Mascaro and Bree Smith
Sign up for an individual session or all in the series:
Session 1: Tuesday, May 25, 9:30 - 11:50 am -- Read more + Register
Session 2: Tuesday, May 25,1:30 - 3:50 pm -- Read more + Register
Session 3: Thursday, May 27, 9:30 - 11:50 am -- Read more + Register
Session 4: Thursday, May 27,1:30 - 3:50 pm -- Read more + Register
Image by Tracy Roberts on Flickr
|
|
|
Crafting Your Teaching Philosophy
Are you new to writing a teaching philosophy? In this session you will have the opportunity to begin crafting your teaching philosophy by reflecting upon and exploring key elements and examples.
Facilitator: Jennifer Boman
When: Thursday, May 27, 10:00 - 11:00 am
|
|
Revising Your Teaching Philosophy:
Incorporating Learning from Online Teaching
Has teaching online shifted the way you think about teaching and learning? In this session you will have the opportunity to engage with reflective writing prompts and conversations with colleagues to reflect on how your teaching philosophy is evolving.
Facilitator: Jennifer Boman
When: Friday, May 28, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm -- Register
or, Friday, May 28, 1:00 - 2:00 pm -- Register
|
|
|
Level-up Your Blackboard Course
 A wealth of resources exists for faculty to learn how to set up elements of their Blackboard courses, but have you ever wished you could just see what others have done? In this session, we’ll share some basic principles for organizing Bb and provide an example of one real course from Winter 2021 that you can critique as you consider how to take your course to the next level.
Facilitators: Pattie Mascaro and Andrea Phillipson
When: Thursday, June 3, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
|
|
|
ADC Series: The Higher Education Podcast Listening Experience
 Are you interested in an audio-based PD opportunity away from your screen? In this series, we will explore timely concepts and ideas in higher education through the latest teaching and learning podcast episodes. Join us for one, some, or all of this new ADC series, the higher education podcast listening experience! For each session in the series, participants will listen to a selected podcast episode, then discuss key concepts synchronously via audio in Google Meet.
June 11: Engaging Students with Prof Christine Harrington on "Tea for Teaching"
Facilitator: Erika Smith
When: Friday, June 11, 11:00 am -12:00 pm Photo by Free To Use Sounds on Unsplash
|
|
|
Series: Spring Intensive Academic Writing Group
 Get your scholarship on track before summer with this intensive, 4-week writing group. During each 3-hour writing session, the first 30 minutes will be dedicated to an online, synchronous peer discussion. In the remaining time, participants will write in a location of their choice, and will have the opportunity to book a consultation with a writing specialist.
Facilitator: Andrea Phillipson
When: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00 am -1:00 pm, May 10 - June 2
Note: There will be no session on May 24
(Join anytime until June 1)
|
|
Spring Offerings fr om
the Mokakiiks Centre for SoTL
|
|
|
Spring SoTL Research Grants
The spring call for SoTL grants is open April 30 - May 31, 2021, for funding starting July 1, 2021. Essential SoTL Grants, Mokakiiks SoTL Collaborate, Undergraduate SoTL Dissemination, and the Marshall Family Literacy Grant are open for submission. For more details, visit the Mokakiiks Research Opportunities page.
|
|
|
SoTL and Ethics
Confused by the ethics process? This session explores why and how you need to apply for human research ethics approval, and explores the special “dual role” issues that SoTL research can introduce.
Facilitator: Michelle Yeo
When: Wednesday, May 19, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
|
|
|
Working with Students as Partners in SoTL Research
What happens when we move from a model of conducting SoTL on students to conducting it with them? What happens when we conceive of students as partners in our SoTL work? What are the opportunities and challenges of adopting this approach? This session will look at ways to put the partnership model into practice.
Facilitator: Cherie Woolmer
When: Wednesday, May 26, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
|
|
|
Creating and Using Polls in Google Meet
 Would you like to use polls in your class when using Google Meet? If so, the good news is that as long as you're using the education tool pack, you have access to this feature already. Here is a video outlining how to use Polls in Google Meet: Create and use poll feature in Google classroom
Not sure if you have the education toolpak? Look in the upper right of your Google Meeting -- if you see the triangle, square and circle shapes before the clock you have it already.
If not, contact the helpdesk to request it.
|
|
 Celebrate! Teaching and Learning Event Draws Hundreds
Our MRU campus community came together over three fabulous days to Celebrate! Teaching and Learning. We hosted 650+ registrants (over 200 unique attendees) to the more than two dozen sessions on offer. These were presented and attended by faculty, staff, students, and leaders. This extraordinary event was offered in a completely virtual environment from May 5-7, 2021. While we aim to host the event in person and on campus next year, we are already planning how to leverage technology to make this an even more accessible event.
Did you miss a session or want to review it again? Playbacks now uploaded.
Though the Celebrate! event has concluded, the celebration of teaching and learning does not have to stop! All from our MRU community can view session and panel recordings from the event, including our keynote speaker, Kate Sweeney and her incredible keynote on Culturally Responsive Teaching and Mindset. Through her inspiring talk, Kate provided us several tangible tips and myriad opportunities to reflect on our own teaching (and learning) practices. This and other sessions can provide inspiration in course planning, and innovations in our physical and virtual classrooms.
New this year was the Celebrate! Sparks Talks format, which offered presenters just five minutes to share their perspectives, innovations, and learnings from the past year. This format was so well received that we will definitely be including it in next year’s Celebrate! Event (and we’ll get that date for you to save out soon!).
Keep the celebration going!
Plan to provide a future boost to yourself and others for fall 2021.
 To keep the positive momentum, why not send a postcard to future you or an MRU friend/colleague? Complete this quick postcard details google form, and we will generate and deliver a postcard to you or to an MRU friend/colleague. Consider sending your future self, or an MRU friend/colleague a postcard of thanks or inspiration for the fall. We’ll take requests until Friday, June 11 and create and deliver an old school, physical postcard with your personalized message and an MRU campus scene. These will appear in campus mailboxes in fall 2021.
Questions about the postcard campaign? Concerns? Please feel free to contact Christian Cook or Katharine Barrette
|
|
|
|
|
