LEARN Center Workshops 2012-2013
Upcoming Workshops
2013 Fall Orientation Week - The Power of Peer Review: Engaging Students in the Writing Process
Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259
Presented by:
Elizabeth Simpson, Instructional Design Specialist, and
Renee Pfeifer-Luckett, Director, Instructional Technology Services Instructional, Communication & Information Technology (iCIT)
Description
Providing the opportunity for students to “peer review” course research papers and other written work can lead to a powerful learning experience. Peer review has been shown to improve reading and writing skills by developing a student’s ability to both create meaningful feedback and to assess the feedback they receive. However, peer review can be challenging for both the instructor and the students who are unfamiliar with the process. This workshop will include best practices and techniques to ensure a successful student peer-review process in all course formats (face to face, blended and online) and will introduce instructors to the PeerMark and GradeMark tools in the Turnitin Suite of products.
RSVP DEADLINE: August 21st
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
2013 Fall Orientation Week - Course Planning: Better Planning for Better Student Learning
Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Time: 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Location: University Center, Room 261
Presented by:
Greg Valde, Department of Educational Foundations
Description
This workshop will consider the difference between traditional course planning and backwards design. The advantages of backwards design will be considered along with other course strategies for improving student learning.
RSVP DEADLINE: August 21st
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Electronic Portfolio
Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Time: 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259A
Presented by:
Kelly Delaney-Klinger, Julie Letellier, Katrina Liu, Sharri VanAlstine, and Renee Pfeifer-Luckett
Description
Representatives from various departments and disciplines will share their experiences incorporating electronic portfolios as a required learning activity during the Spring 2013 semester. They will discuss challenges faced and lessons learned. This workshop is particularly useful for others considering using electronic portfolios as well as the D2L electronic portfolio software in the future.
RSVP DEADLINE: September 11
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
The Last Lectures
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Time: 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 275B
Our featured speakers include:
Barbara Penington, Professor of Communication
Mary Pinkerton, Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences
Description
This year’s version of our annual event will feature two distinguished “about-to-be retired” colleagues who will get to have their last word. What will they say? Will they be inspiring? Bitter? Preachy? Wise? Come find out!
RSVP DEADLINE: April 17
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Beyond "Well, that sounded like an A"
The Speaking Well Rubric
Date: Monday, March 11
Time: 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 261
Presented by :
Sally Vogl-Bauer, Kathy Brady, Tammy French, Barb Penington
There are many factors that constitute competent “Oral Communication” (one of LEAP’s Essential Learning Outcomes). While this is not the only important aspect to what constitutes competent oral communication skills, there is strong agreement that giving competent speeches or presentations is an important and valuable skill set we want all students at UW-Whitewater to be able to demonstrate.
In May, 2012, a group of colleagues from each of the four academic colleges and Student Affairs worked together to create the “Speaking Well” rubric to help assess students’ presentation skills. This workshop is intended to formally introduce the “Speaking Well” rubric to the entire campus. The hope is that this tool will assist the campus in examining students’ oral communication competencies when giving presentations.
RSVP DEADLINE: MARCH 4
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Best Practices in Undergraduate Research: A Discussion
Date:Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 266
Description
Representatives from different departments and disciplines will share their experiences in mentoring undergraduate researchers. They will discuss challenges faced and lessons learned. This workshop is particularly useful for others considering involving students in research projects.
Speakers Include :
Catherine Chan, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry; Jennifer Flad, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice; Jared Janovec, Associate Professor of Art; Teresa Faris, Assistant Professor of Art; Lucinda Heimer, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction; Eric Compas, Assistant Professor of Geography and Geology; Kirsten Crossgrove, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences; Sang D. Choi, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health; Todd William Loushine, Assistant Professor of Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health; Jeff Herriott, Associate Professor of Music; and Matthew Sintchak, Professor of Music.
RSVP DEADLINE: February 13, 2013
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Publishing Pointers: Tools & Resources for Getting Published
Date: Monday, February 4th, 2013
Time: 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259A
Presented by :
Martha Stephenson, Ellen Latorraca and Ronna Timmerman
Description:
What are the most prestigious journals in my field in which to publish? What are their acceptance rates? How do I contact journal publishers? Is there any way I can have research on my topic sent directly to me? Do you know any easy ways to create a bibliography?
Whether you’re trying to publish in a journal or magazine, we’ve got some tips for you!
This session will cover databases such as ISI Journal Citation Reports and Cabell’s Directories of Publishing Opportunities, citation and bibliography tools such as EndNote Web and Zotero, and journal alert services.
RSVP DEADLINE: January 28, 2013
Incorporating Low-Stakes Writing into Any Sized Class
Date:Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
Time: 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259A
Description
This workshop will offer practical ways to use low-stakes writing assignments to enhance student learning without adding substantially to your grading load. We will draw on the work of composition theorists Peter Elbow and John Bean to see how low-stakes writing assignments can help our students be active learners and develop their critical thinking skills. We’ll also discuss how these assignments can be instrumental to our development as more effective instructors.
Presented by :
Dr. Dana Prodoehl is a member of the Department of Languages and Literatures at UWW. She has worked with leading members of the writing community including Brad Hughes, Paula Gillespie and John Bean and has facilitated workshops for faculty on Writing Across the Curriculum at UWW and Marquette University.
RSVP DEADLINE: January 22, 2013
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Designing Effective Writing Assignments
Date: Monday, November 19th, 2012
Time: 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 266
Presented by :
Dr. Dana Prodoehl is an expert in student writing and a member of the Department of Languages and Literatures. She has worked with leading members of the writing community including Brad Hughes, Paula Gillespie and John Bean and has facilitated workshops for faculty on Writing Across the Curriculum at UWW and Marquette University.
This workshop will introduce you to various aspects of assignment design including genre, purpose, goals and level of formality. We will discuss examples of effective and ineffective writing prompts, discuss best practices, and draft or revise specific writing assignments to use in current or future classes. The last 30 minutes will be spent peer reviewing drafts to help ensure clarity and effectiveness.
RSVP DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 12, 2012
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Positive Restlessness: It's In Our DNA
Date: Tuesday, August 28
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.; Networking at 9:30 a.m.
Location: University Center, Room 275
Presented by :
Provost Beverly Kopper
George Kuh and his colleagues recently noted that, “The challenges facing colleges and universities today may be unprecedented in number and complexity.” They described key conditions for fostering student success and sustaining good work in hard times. This ethic of positive restlessness permeates our campus as we strive to provide our students with an academic experience that is truly transformational. Institutions are successful in fostering student success when they “possess a deep and abiding commitment to critical reflection.” Let’s come together to reflect on our campus, meet our new colleagues, and break out into groups to share our ideas for continuous success. Where do we go next with LEAP? How do we advance our Inclusive Excellence work? What about new models for academic programs and their delivery? What else can we do to nurture a positive work-life balance? What are your ideas for promoting student success? If you had a magic wand, what would you do on this campus?
Marco Polo, Moby Dick, and Teaching Critical Thinking: An Applied Approach
Date: Tuesday, August 28
Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 275
Presented by :
Dona Warren is a professor of philosophy and the Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Student Affairs in the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin –Stevens Point. Holding a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, she has taught a stand-alone course on critical thinking every semester since 1995 and has been passionately involved in hosting conferences, facilitating faculty discussions, and giving presentations on the subject of critical thinking. In 2009, she received a UW Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award.
Critical thinking is widely recognized as an important learning objective in higher education. Unfortunately, calls to improve critical thinking instruction have tended to embrace ambitious definitions of the subject but have not supplied a wealth of practical, classroom advice. As a predictable consequence, faculty who take critical thinking seriously can easily feel adrift in their attempts to reach this vague, but important, objective. Faculty can, in other words, be set off in the demoralizing search of a pedagogical Moby Dick. This workshop seeks to counter this trend, consider ways to recognize the critical thinking skills that our students bring to the classroom, and to identify a handful of discrete and manageable ways to develop these abilities. There is something to be said for going after smaller fish.
Fall Orientation Week Learn Center Workshops
High- And Low -Tech Strategies for Creating Online Learning Communities
Date: Wednesday, August 29
Time: 9:00-10:15 a.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259
Presented by :
Karen Skibba - Instructional Design Specialist and Renee Pfeifer-Luckett - Director, Learning Technology Center Instructional, Communication, & Information Technology (ICIT)
This interactive session explores the concept of “thriving online learning community” - what it is, why it is important, challenges faced, and strategies for implementation and assessment. A Learning Community Development Model provides a framework to examine factors leading to effective online learning communities. Attendees will complete activities designed to explore techniques of building an active community of learners including the use of high- and low-tech methods that allow instructors to “humanize” and facilitate online learning. The benefits of a successful online learning community emerge when students achieve a deeper level of engagement with the instructor, classmates and course material.
Best Practices in Course Planning: Breakfast and a Movie
Date: Wednesday, August 29
Time: 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Location: University Center, Room 261
Presented by :
Greg Valde - Director, Learn Center
How can we best design our courses to prevent problems and enhance student learning? This workshop will address this question. Come enjoy a free continental breakfast, watch a 20 minute video on “course planning,” and participate in a discussion. After the video participants will be asked to share their own best practices in course planning and design and to reflect on those shared in the video.
Publishing Pointers: Tools & Resources for Getting Published
Date: Wednesday, August 29
Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Location: University Center, Room 261
Presented by :
Martha Stephenson- Ellen Latorraca and Ronna Timmerman- Reference & Instruction Librarians
What are the most prestigious journals in my field in which to publish? What are their acceptance rates? How do I contact journal publishers? Do you know anyone that publishes poetry? Is there any way I can have research on my topic sent directly to me? Do you know any easy ways to create a bibliography?
Whether you’re trying to publish fiction or nonfiction, in a book, journal, or magazine, we’ve got some tips for you.
This session will cover databases such as ISI Journal Citation Reports and Cabell’s Directory of Publishing Opportunities, citation and bibliography tools such as EndNote Web and Zotero, journal alert services and more.
How to Inspire Your Students Without Really Trying... Well, Maybe You'll Have to Try a Little Bit
Date: Wednesday, August 29
Time: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259
Presented by :
Mark Jonas - Department of Educational Foundations
Inspiring your students doesn’t necessarily require radical alterations in your methods or curricula. Sometimes a simple shift in the way you think about and engage your students makes a huge difference. In this talk, Dr. Jonas will explore a straightforward approach of grabbing students’ attention and helping them want to learn, no matter how “boring” they think your subject is.
Motivational Maelstroms and Doldrums in the Classroom:
How to Stay Afloat (and On Course)
Date: Tuesday, October 2
Time: 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 275B
Presented by :
Carolyn Morgan, Department of Psychology
Effective teachers are aware of, and able to navigate, the shifting energies inherent in all classes. Knowledge of motivational processes, coupled with preparation and practice, increases the likelihood that our students and we will have satisfying educational experiences. In this highly informal talk, Dr. Carolyn Morgan, a professor in the psychology department, will share insights and strategies for maintaining motivation garnered from her 27 years of teaching and a research specialty in intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and student resistance behavior.
RSVP DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 25
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”
Practicing and Assessing Critical Thinking in the Classroom
Date: Thursday, October 25
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 261
Description
Most instructors believe that critical thinking is an important skill set for their students to develop. How do we develop and measure critical thinking? In this workshop we will discuss current best practices and rubrics for introducing and assessing critical thinking in the classroom.
Presented by :
Joan Littlefield Cook is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology. Jolly Ann Emrey is Associate Professor of Political Science. They are involved in several assessment initiatives on campus including the assessment of critical thinking.
Is Grading Getting Degrading? Rubric -
Your Way to Mental Health
Date: Thursday, November 8th
Time: 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: University Center, Room 259A
Presented by :
Scott Peters, Assistant Professor in Educational Foundations, and Mark Schroeder, Assistant Professor in Educational Foundations.
Do you often get papers and assignments that are way off the mark? Is it sometimes tough to grade things consistently? Do you have to repeat yourself over and over to students who just want to know “what you want from them”? Are you having reliability issues? Instead of seeing a medical doctor or a psychologist, perhaps you might try using a handy-dandy thing called a rubric. They can alleviate some of the aforementioned issues, improve student work and learning, improve teaching, reduce grading time, and make you a little happier.
This workshop will explain the basics of how, when and why to use rubrics for assessment of student work.
RSVP DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 1, 2012
To reserve a spot, please contact the LEARN Center 262-472-5242 or learn@uww.edu
Register online at: http://signup.uww.edu using your Net-ID
The workshop is listed under “LEARN Center.”