February 2023 CTL Newsletter
Georgia College - Center for Teaching and Learning
Spotlighting Four Recipients of Thank-a-Teacher acknowledgements: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang, Dr. Brooke Conaway, Dr. Diane Gregg, and Dr. Damian Francis
Introduction
The Center for Teaching and Learning coordinates the new Thank-A-Teacher program, allowing students to recognize an instructor who makes a difference and has impacted their lives. Jaclyn and Katie want to introduce four Thank-a-Teacher recipients from the program's inaugural Fall 2021 semester who received student acknowledgments for their positive impact and earned external recognition through awards or other honors. Each of the following faculty displays the characteristics of an exemplary teacher: Dr. Chiang, Professor of Psychology; Dr. Conaway, Associate Professor of Economics; Dr. Gregg, Associate Professor of Library Media and Instructional Technology; and Dr. Francis, Assistant Professor of Public Health. We were excited to hear the stories of their growth into instructors displaying extraordinary qualities of model teachers, including empathetic leadership and effective communication.
What these instructors have in common
Our conversations with each recipient revealed their passion for investing in their students' long-term success, a desire to grow professionally, and shared characteristics of exemplary teachers. Dr. Gregg shared that teaching has been a part of her life for a long time. She spoke about the unexpected experiences and opportunities in her first career in P-12 education that led her to a bonus career in higher education. Dr. Conaway, a Georgia College graduate, discovered her gift for teaching while working as a teaching assistant in graduate school. Her passion for economics, classroom experience, and time with her professors at Georgia College has inspired her journey as an instructor. Dr. Chiang's passion for teaching goes back to the influence of a family friend during her teenage years who encouraged her to pursue a college education. Her experience as a teaching assistant with an international background prompted her to get to know students' cultures and incorporate technology into teaching and learning to engage students. Dr. Francis shared that a previous job working as a chemistry lab curator prepared him to understand the importance of knowing one's subject matter in detail as an instructor. Communicating this information effectively to his peers has always come naturally and has been the foundation for his instructional methods today.
The importance of cultivating the instructor-student relationship
The Thank-A-Teacher recipients demonstrate mentorship skills in their teaching roles, building long-term professional relationships with their students, as shown by student feedback. One of Dr. Gregg's students wrote, "the way she cares about her students is unprecedented" and "she responds quickly, and...is extremely helpful." Dr. Gregg said that many of her former students stay in touch with her to ask for advice and share their accomplishments. Dr. Francis strives to be available to get to know his students and support their long-term academic and professional development. Students of Dr. Francis shared he "pushes me...so that I am always working to the best of my ability" and "cares about getting to know [his students]." While economics tends to be heavily lecture-based, Dr. Conaway invests time and research into making it more engaging for students by covering controversial economic topics and utilizing short multimedia presentations and gamification. Dr. Conaway's students wrote that "she brings a positive attitude to the classroom" and "she takes the time to get to know each of her students." Dr. Chiang shared that she aspires to become an instructor like those she had that helped her follow her passion. Her students say that she "[makes] class so fun," is "always...so engaging," and "she is so understanding and responsive to suggestions."
Learning approaches and techniques
The instructors highlighted here incorporate various learning approaches into their courses. For example, Dr. Francis uses outside-the-box activities to develop a sense of community in the classroom. He created a team sorting activity using baskets of Styrofoam balls with different answers and shared the questions with the class. The students search together through the basket of balls for the correct answers to the questions. They quickly learn the importance of teamwork and efficiency and never forget these answers! Dr. Conaway develops activities for students that involve critical thinking, game-based learning, and collaboration. To help students develop real-world connections regarding economics, she has them research controversial economic issues and participate in class debates and presentations. Students in Dr. Gregg's class learn experientially as she guides them through the development of brochures, portfolios, websites, and internship projects that are valuable and relevant to their current and future careers. Dr. Chiang, a campus leader in undergraduate research, incorporates a flipped-classroom approach, prompting her students to read the material before class to participate in discussions. Scaffolding the information provided helps the students understand how it will help them build a solid foundation for their real-world experiences, says Dr. Chiang.
Advice to new instructors
Each of the four instructors shared great advice for those new to higher education. "Less is more when it comes to course topics," says Dr. Conaway, "consider covering fewer topics in greater depth." She suggests refining your course objectives to focus on what you hope your students take away and being open to learning through trial and error. Dr. Chiang advises considering the legacy you want to create as an instructor. Rather than focusing on course evaluations, prioritize mentorship and helping students grow as individuals. Dr. Gregg encourages new instructors to avoid imitating popular instructors or the instructor who gains all the awards; instead, be yourself. Her advice is to "have a passion for your content and be willing to share what you know." Dr. Francis highly recommends taking the first semester, or even the first year, to "find your pedagogical style...and learn the craft of teaching...that makes Georgia College excellent." To address any skill deficits, he suggests taking advantage of the opportunities available at Georgia College, such as the Quality Matters certification, the Transformative Experiences/Essential Learning Outcomes course taught by Dr. Cynthia Alby, and the Library's instructional technology and digital resources.
Conclusion
Since 2021, the Georgia College & State University Thank-a-Teacher program has provided a way for students to formally recognize instructors, such as those we have spotlighted, who challenge and inspire their classes each and every day and continue to make a difference through education. It's not just students who recognize the hard work and talent of instructors like these; they're also receiving external accolades. We at CTL look to support and acknowledge you in your journey of faculty success. One way we hope to accomplish this is through the Thank-A-Teacher program, but also through the work of Dr. Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, our part-time Faculty Success Coordinator. She has assembled an awards database (also containing grants and fellowships), specifically for instructors in the liberal arts, and can assist with developing applications. CTL looks forward to continuing to assist our instructors to develop their teaching skills and receive recognition for their accomplishments!
News from the CTL
Transform Your Learning Spaces!
We're starting an Active Learning faculty cohort of GCSU faculty from all across campus who will complete a series of active learning courses to explore how to apply active learning strategies with students in your courses.
Active learning is an approach to instruction that enables students to become engaged in the course content and collaborate with others to solve and connect new and old information. This approach promotes higher-order thinking skills, increases motivation, and enables students to apply and transfer knowledge. This course exposes you to educational principles, instructional materials, technology, and learning spaces to help you best utilize active learning.
If you are interested in being among the first to participate in this faculty cohort learning opportunity, please attend our cohort recruiting session on March 10th at 11 am in CTL Learning Space, room 376, on the 3rd floor of the library.
Pop in for a quick informational faculty cohort start-up conversation and enjoy some popcorn!
Now is a great time to consider ways to build on your strengths as an instructor! The goal of Peer Feedback on Teaching (PFoT) is to provide support to help you improve the quality of learning in your classroom. Deliberate, continuous improvement of one's teaching is one of the great joys of being a professor. Our trained observers enjoy working with you as you develop and continuously improve your teaching skills. This process takes a cross-disciplinary approach, pairing you with one (1) peer observer outside your department who will act as a support to help you discover and explore how you can hone in on what you already do well and improve upon your strengths.
Tea, Treats, and Teaching
The Center for Teaching and Learning is opening its doors for visitors to come, relax, enjoy some tea (or hot cocoa or hot cider), taste some treats and engage with others about teaching related topics. We’ll be hosting this gathering in the CTL classroom (Library 376) on Thursday, March 23rd from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.. Have a special tea you want to make? You bring the tea, we’ll provide the hot water. Hope to see you there!
Reimagining Higher Ed with Dr. Cynthia Alby
Do you ever find yourself feeling like you were hit by a truck? And then you rolled down the embankment and got stuck in a sticker bush and then the bush caught fire? A lot has happened in the past five years (and really the past 30 years with the rise of the internet and the past 80 years with the rise of globalization). Knowledge in any given field used to feel somewhat finite, and issues for most people were local. But no more. And to what extent has higher ed changed to keep up? At its core, it is not much different than my pre-Internet experience as an undergrad. I’m not sure what it would take for all of higher ed to change to meet the times, but I suspect a few institutions have the right conditions to become a model for what could be possible, and we are one of those institutions.
Join us as we work to develop a working think tank, to develop ideas and take action. The start of the group would be to make sense and identify where to focus our energies. Two threads running through the group is diversity, equity, and inclusion and to discovering which institution might already have implemented ideas we are interesting in implementing. Group intentions are to create a culture of co-construction of knowledge and discovery; maximize interest and engagement; prepare students for wicked problems and an uncertain future; and focus on well-being. Please join us!
Landmark GCSU Faculty & Teaching Staff Learning Event: Designing Your Online Course (DYOC) & Improving Your Online Course (IYOC)
Are you teaching online this summer and need support developing your course for the first time or improving upon an already-developed course? If so, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is excited to announce the launch of two (2) new courses, Designing Your Online Course (DYOC) and Improving Your Online Course (IYOC), offered through Quality Matters (QM) for the first time ever at GCSU!
Held in CTL's Learning Space, hosted by CTL and facilitated by Simeco Vinson, Ph.D., completing either of these face-to-face courses leads to a QM certification. And we have designed a schedule for these courses that may fit your varying teaching schedules.
Nationally recognized, Quality Matters is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. It provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning within and across organizations. QM designed the professional development to help educators deliver the promise of quality online learning opportunities to every level of learning.
The DYOC & IYOC will be offered over two (2) days for three (3) hours each session from 10 am to 1 pm. Here are the dates:
- DYOC - March 20 & 22 OR March 21 & 23
- IYOC - March 27 & 29 OR March 28 & 30
You must complete both three (3) hour segments to receive your QM certification.
We hope you can join us for the launch of this landmark GCSU learning event! Spaces are limited, so register today using this information:
- Login to your MyQM portal at https://www.qmprogram.org/myqm
Note: You must have a GCSU or USG QM account to register for either of these workshops. If you haven't already, you can create a QM account by visiting https://www.qmprogram.org/myqm/ and selecting "No, I am new here," which will allow you to register for this workshop and connect you with other QM workshops and resources. Once you have created an account, you can find and register for these and other QM courses in your QM portal.
- Navigate to select the "Workshop - Register" menu
- Select the "Dedicated Training" link
- Locate the correct session, "Designing Your Online Course (DYOC)," Course Code: 032023_INDDYOC_157078_Board o-27278 or "Improving Your Online Course (IYOC)," Course Code: 032723_INDIYOC_157078_Board o-27279
- Select the "Register" link and follow the steps to register
Upcoming CTL Workshops
Below please find a list of the upcoming workshops hosted by the CTL. For updates and additions, and to register, please check out our online Program Registration Form. When possible, we will be hosting workshops twice on different days and times to allow for instructors with differing schedules to attend.
Developing Problem Solving - The Process, Strategies, Tips, and Tricks, occurring on March 2, at 3:30 p.m., in Library 376.
Using Classroom Assessment Techniques, occurring on March 6 at 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. in Library 376.
How Mindset Can Impact Learning, occurring on March 8 at 3:30 p.m. and again on March 9, also at 3:30 p.m. in Library 376.
Increasing Student Engagement, occurring on March 21 at 2 p.m. and again on March 22 at 9 a.m. in Library 376.
Blooming - Aligning Classroom Assessment Techniques with Bloom's Taxonomy, occurring on April 6 at 2 p.m. and again on April 7 at 1 p.m. in Library 376.
GeorgiaVIEW Updates
Effective January 27, 2023
- A new Quiz Creation experience for instructors is set to on by default, with the option to opt-out. The new experience aligns more closely with other tools, such as new assignment creation. The new Quiz Creation experience will be on permanently, with no option to opt-out, in July 2023.
- Improvements to the Insert Equation > Graphical Equation tool, available in the Brightspace Editor, help ensure that equations render consistently for all users.
- Improvements to the Pulse app allow users to view content descriptions more easily.
- New release condition functionality allows instructors to set requirements that students create a certain number of new threads, new threads and replies, or replies only on a discussion topic before an item is visible to learners.
- To help users more easily find Media Library content, users can now use improved filters to better locate content available in Media Library. These new filters include: Content type, Source, Date modified, and Date created. (Note: Media Library is available in Admin Tools; it is not the same thing as My Media where Kaltura and uploaded videos are stored).
Celebrating Black History Month!
ChatGPT Workshop Hosted by Newell Visiting Scholar, Dr. James McGrath
News from the Library
We’re listening! Tell us what you think of the library.
Don’t miss your opportunity to speak up. Our library survey is open for your feedback - use the link or scan the QR code below to start the survey. This survey is available from February 20 – April 7, 2023 for online completion via your mobile device or computer. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. This survey is open to all students, faculty, and staff (18 years of age or over).
The library is participating in the national LibQUAL+ survey sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The survey measures campus perceptions of library service. The results of this survey will help to inform and help us assess and improve our services. The library is administering the shortened, Lite version of the LibQUAL+ survey. The estimated time to complete the survey is 5 minutes. This survey provides the opportunity to give feedback on Library services, collections, and spaces. Identifying information is kept separate from the survey results to ensure the privacy of respondents. The reporting of results will be generalized.
Thank you, in advance, for completing this important survey. If you have any difficulty or questions, please contact the library by sending an email to ask@gcsu.libanswers.com.
News from IT
There is a lot going on in IT these days! Here are some of the high points:
- Windows users – we can now provide support for Windows 11 for GCSU-owned computers. If you would like to volunteer your machine for an upgrade to Windows 11, simply submit a Serve Help Desk ticket.
- Are your students complaining about WiFi issues, or have you been directly impacted? We have heard the pleas for help and are working toward a resolution. We have already made some equipment software changes that have seemed to have a positive impact. But we are also doing a WiFi assessment over spring break. That will help us devise a plan on where we need to bolster our coverage. While the full plan may not be implemented until the beginning of Fall 2023, we are continuing to work toward making changes to improve the quality of WiFi.
- Have you ever visited the bottom floor of the Library and discovered you had no cell phone coverage? Well, you should now! We have implemented a unit that bolsters cell phone reception in the Library, and all tests done thus far have been very encouraging! Next time you are down at the Testing Center, Disability Services, the Serve Help Desk, the Math Emporium, or any other location down on the bottom floor of the library, check to see if you have good cell phone reception. Let us know if you don’t!
- Faculty, staff, and students now have access to a new service called CPRP, the Career Planning Resources Platform. We encourage you to explore the program and think about how you might be able to use this in a classroom assignment to increase student exposure for exploring potential career paths and opportunities.
- Welcome, Matthew Mahan, part-time Technology Support Specialist, and Riley Denton, Technology Support Specialist II at the Serve Help Desk!
- Last but not least, it’s cybersecurity awareness training time again! The training is mandatory to meet USG requirements, so completion is required by ALL faculty, staff, and student employees. The training should be completed by Friday, March 17th.
- Susan Kerr, CIO
Center for Teaching & Learning
Email: ctl@gcsu.edu
Website: https://www.gcsu.edu/ctl
Location: Ina Dillard Russell Library, North Clarke Street, Milledgeville, GA, USA
Phone: 4784452520
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Twitter: @ctlgcsu