Faculty Spotlight (and a Special Shout Out)
This month, the Faculty Spotlight is turned low because faculty are hibernating after a busy, advising-heavy October. We’ll be back in December with our next glowing faculty profile!
The Center for Teaching congratulates Marc Williams, Assistant Professor-Theatre and Dance, for his recent certification as a Knight-Thompson Speechwork teacher! Marc is one of only 80 such certified professionals in the world. The Knight-Thompson approach honors personal uniqueness and focuses on building speech skills so the student can produce whatever sounds they need to make in order to play a role. Knight-Thompson Speechwork also embraces primary sources (native speakers) in accent analysis rather than prescribed “standard” models of an accent. The approach aligns with Marc’s stated belief that “accent work is empathy work.” Marc used a CfT Small Teaching Grant this past summer to partially fund his 3-week, full-time residency at UC-Irvine.
Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium (RSVP and lunch request)
Playing Alone: Integrating Play into Asynchronous Online Courses with Melissa Wells, Associate Professor-College of Education
Tuesday, November 12th
12:30-1:30 PM in Seacobeck 105
Are you interested in integrating playful teaching strategies but wondering how to do so in an asynchronous online course? In this session, Melissa will share her journey of incorporating play into a recent asynchronous online course. Bring your device, questions, and ideas so we can continue to learn and play–together!
Please RSVP by Monday, November 4th if you are requesting a lunch; if you are attending but do not require a lunch, you can RSVP up to November 11th. Seats are limited due to the room size.
Mark your Spring 2025 calendar for these presentations:
- January 27th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM: “Minecrafting the Past: Sandbox Games and Historical Exploration” with Susan Fernsebner (History & American Studies)
- February 12th, 3:00 – 4:00 PM: “The ‘Elements’ of Success: Building Comfort and Skill in Mathematics for Future Science Courses” with Kelly Perkins (Mathematics) and Leanna Giancarlo (Chemistry and Physics)
- March 31st, 3:30 – 4:30 PM: “Creating a Sustainable Gene Editing Module for Genetics” with Ginny Morriss and April Wynn (Biological Sciences)
Provost’s AI Learning Excellence Grant
This spring, the Provost’s Office is sponsoring an AI Learning Excellence Grant. The purpose of the grant is to encourage critical exploration of and with AI as part of a liberal arts education. A series of workshops and lab sessions during the spring semester will offer faculty support in:
- strengthening foundational AI knowledge and skills,
- evaluating the intersection of AI with Life After Mary Washington competencies,
- developing thoughtful and informed approaches to AI in the classroom.
A stipend will be offered for active participants who submit a final assignment or classroom activity for sharing with the campus community.
If you have been feeling overwhelmed about integrating AI into your teaching or want ideas to teach about AI even if you don’t want to teach with AI, then this opportunity is for you! The call for participation will be emailed to all faculty the week of November 11th.
AI Corner (Resources for Independent Exploration)
- What does AI literacy mean? Can we strategically use AI in learning, even as the technology continues to evolve faster than we can keep up? “The Future is Hybrid: How Colleges are Reimagining Learning in an AI World” poses these questions and more–an interesting read if you want to think about the big picture. (Remember: all faculty have free access to the Chronicle!).
- Marc Watkins argues in “Make AI Part of the Assignment” (another Chronicle article) that asking students to reflect upon their use of AI in the writing process introduces necessary “intentional friction” and makes them “more self-aware learners and writers”. He shares his “AI-Assisted Learning Template” as one example of how to build accountability and reflection into AI-assisted writing products.
- What can fun teach us about navigating AI and learning? Josh Brake’s Substack post “Is Learning Fun?” offers some thoughts about the allure of AI’s ease and efficiency against learning’s often necessary struggles.
AI Roundtable: Postponed
Due to low attendance, the November and December AI Roundtables have been postponed. CfT and DLS will regroup and reimagine the series for the spring semester. Thank you for the faculty who joined us for discussions earlier this semester!
LAMW Competency of the Month: Wellbeing and Mindfulness
Guest blogger: Chris McBride, Psychological Sciences and LAMW Faculty Development Committee Member
Our students demonstrate Well-Being and Mindfulness when they:
- Recognize connections among physical, emotional, mental, and other areas of wellness
- Demonstrate the ability to recognize challenges as opportunities for growth
- Use self-directed interventions to support their emotional health
- Practice self-care by effectively managing stress
- Connect with peers and join supportive communities
We can help our students develop their Well-Being and Mindfulness skills by:
- Creating course policies that promote healthy sleep patterns such as early evening deadlines rather than midnight deadlines
- Discussing well-being practices specific to our fields (financial well-being, cultural well-being, mental well-being, physical well-being, etc.)
- Providing meaningful feedback that helps students focus on mastery and growth mindset, including scaffolding assignments or the option to submit drafts prior to final submission
- Facilitating peer study groups and collaborative projects to build a sense of community
- Integrating brief stretch breaks, mindfulness exercises, or deep breathing sessions into class sessions.
- Creating a supportive classroom environment by encouraging inclusive discussions and respecting diverse perspectives
- Sharing campus mental health resources on syllabi
- Checking in with students before or after class in informal discussions
For more classroom-specific ideas, check out these resources:
- Integrating Well-Being Concepts into Learning Environments (UC-Davis guide)
- Integrating Well-Being in Your Classroom (GMU Center for the Advancement of Well-Being blog post)
Mark Your Calendar! LAMW Wine and Refine (RSVP form)
Election 2024 Resources
In the coming days and weeks, we anticipate continued discussion about the 2024 election. The following resources may be helpful as you decide whether and how to navigate discussions in your classroom:
- Teaching After an Election (Boston College Center for Teaching Excellence)
- Dialogue Activities from the Constructive Dialogue Institute (via the Longwood University CAFE blog)
- Navigating the Post-Election Period with Your Students (University of Michigan Center for Research on Teaching & Learning)
- Difficult Dialogues (Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching)
Be sure to review the email sent on Wednesday, October 30th from the Center for Community Engagement, Student Affairs, and Human Resources (via Amy Jessee) with information about resources and opportunities on Election Day and throughout next week.
Other CfT Happenings:
- New Faculty Monthly Meetup: Wednesday, November 13th at 4:00 PM in Seacobeck 151. New faculty–check your inbox for a post meetup happy hour invitation from one of your colleagues!
- AI + Assessment Learning Community: Our next meetings are coming in 2 weeks instead of our regular 4-week cycle–Wednesday, November 13th at 3:30 PM in Seacobeck 129 and Thursday, November 14th at 3:30 PM via Zoom. November tasks will be uploaded to Canvas this weekend.
- UMW NEH AI Grant Cohort Meeting: Thursday, November 21st at 3:30 PM via Zoom. Don’t forget about the cross-institutional office hours on Wednesday, November 6th at 3:00 PM (this is a change from the original calendar!).
- NEST: Friday, November 15th at 4:00 PM in HCC 210. Contact Elizabeth with questions.
- Book Author Group: Every Friday at 3:30 PM via Zoom. Contact Brenta Blevins or Zach Whalen with questions or for the meeting link.
- CfT Consultations: If you would like to schedule a 30-minute session (in-person or virtual) to discuss teaching solutions and ideas (spring classes are coming!), use the online consult scheduler. If you can’t find a day/time that works with your schedule, reach out to CfT directly and we’ll be happy to work with you.
Look for the next First Friday post on Friday, December 6th!
