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An Educational Developer reflects on his experience at the Instructional Skills Workshop

Janelle Sumner — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 20:18:28 +0000

Attending the ISW sessions was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. There are so many complimentary elements inherent in the structure of the workshop that make for a fun and informative week spent with colleagues from around the University. My focus as an Educational Developer is Accessible Instructional Design. Creating environments that are accessible to as wide a variety of people as possible is something I am very passionate about. After having taken the ISW allowed me to focus on specific elements of my workshop delivery. I am now better able to communicate the importance of accessibility to people who have not considered it to the extent I have.

The ISW focuses on structuring a lesson plan. This may sound a bit dry, but it is anything but that. The facilitators, Mona and Iwona, kept us engaged and interested throughout the event. We focused our efforts on creating a mini lesson for a specific teaching objective(s). Having the focused time to work on this aspect of my pedagogy was instructive of what aspects of my teaching are strong and where I need to improve. Having the workshop leaders and my peers make observations and provide suggestions was very helpful. It boosted my confidence in the strengths I thought I had, and I was able to improve where I was weak. It is also very helpful to critically engage with other people’s lessons and incorporating the things learned there into your own teaching practice. I now feel much more capable to building new educational materials and engaged learning in the subjects I cover. There are also fun elements in the ISW that brighten up the week and make it especially memorable.

Aside from the workshop’s primary focus, spending time with people from a wide variety of disciplines is quite fun. Hearing about the things people are passionate about (whether the mini-lessons were in their subject area or not) was interesting and informative.

While the material covered in the ISW is not the only way to think about or structure pedagogical practice, it is a very useful process to participate in. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Learn more

Johnathan Bevan is available for Accessible Course Design Coaching through The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. He is planning on becoming a certified ISW instructor.

Teaching and Learning (TLC) Program workshops are available to all instructors

Janelle Sumner — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:22:17 +0000

Did you know that you do not have to be enrolled in the TLC Program to take a TLC workshop? Well, it’s true. Take a look at all of the events coming up for the TLC Program that are open to all instructors at the University of Manitoba.

Teaching Café 2024: Accessible Pedagogy at the University of Manitoba

Date and time: Wednesday, May 1, 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Each year we offer a Teaching Cafe. This year’s theme will be on accessibility. A more detailed description will be provided at a later date.

TLC Mini-Institute – Designing and Evaluating Assessment Strategies

Date and time: Monday, May 6, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

This workshop (over two sessions) will provide instructors with opportunities to design assessment strategies to support student learning. You will design formative and summative assessments and learn strategies for providing constructive feedback on students’ work. You will also have opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of different assessment tools, such as holistic and analytic rubrics.
Please have at hand a current course syllabus with learning objectives.

TLC Mini-Institute – Strategies for Maintaining a Respectful Classroom Environment

Date and time: Tuesday, May 7, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

As instructors, you may have experienced behaviour by your students that you felt was disrespectful, rude, or disruptive. These can be challenging situations to deal with. This interactive workshop will focus on teaching strategies that foster and maintain respectful classroom behaviour.

Indigenous Knowledges (TLCN08)

Date and time: Wednesday, May 8, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This workshop introduces participants to Indigenous pedagogies by contextualizing Indigenous knowledges, discussing the importance of making space for Indigenous content and knowledge transmission in the academy, and providing participants with resources about the pedagogical significance of Indigenous knowledges.

Developing Intercultural Teaching Competence (TLCN05)

Date and time: Wednesday, May 8, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Every student and instructor brings their own culture into the teaching and learning contexts in which they inhabit. Similarly, every teaching and learning context is informed by and situated in institutional, regional, and national cultures. In this workshop, you’ll explore your own cultural attitudes, knowledge, and skills, and those of your learners and the environments you all find yourselves in. Then, you’ll apply this to your own teaching practices through elements of course design.

Navigating Challenging Student Situations (TLCN03)

Date and time: Thursday, May 9, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

As instructors, you may have experienced behaviour by your students that you felt was disrespectful, rude, or disruptive. These can be challenging situations to deal with. Staff from Student Advocacy and Case Management and the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management will provide an overview of pertinent University policies and procedures to help you understand your rights and responsibilities as an instructor. This interactive workshop will provide you with strategies and tips for preventing and responding to these behaviours.

Mental Health in the Classroom: Responding to Students Demonstrating Mental Health Distress (TLCN07)

Date and time: Monday, May 13, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Young adults are highly susceptible to mental health problems. We know that most instructors encounter many students who are struggling with mental health issues that affect their academic performance, behaviour in the classroom, and interactions with teaching staff. Research also indicates that the incident rate and intensity of mental health problems experienced by students is increasing. These situations can be stressful, time-consuming, and potentially can involve risks to personal safety for the students and others. David Ness, the Director of the Student Counselling Centre at the University of Manitoba, will provide you with information about how to identify and respond effectively to student mental health issues, how to understand the factors that contribute to student distress, and how to access resources. This interactive workshop will involve case study material to apply your knowledge of risk assessment, response alternatives, and on- and off-campus resources.

Academic Integrity Teaching and Learning Strategies (TLCN04)

Date and time: Monday, May 13, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Do you want to promote academic integrity in your course, but you don’t know how to do this? In this workshop, we will discuss the meaning of academic integrity at the University of Manitoba, and how it relates to your teaching and learning environment (whether that be face-to-face, remote/online). We will discuss ways to implement teaching and assessment strategies that promote integrity that will allow you to focus on students’ learning and community building. Resources for academic integrity education (e.g., syllabus statements, learning activities) that you can modify and incorporate into your courses will be shared.

Self-Evaluation of Teaching Practice (TLCN10)

Date and time: Tuesday, May 14, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Feedback and evaluation of teaching are part of every teacher’s life. How do you make sense of the evaluative feedback you receive from SRI scores, daily classroom experiences, and student grades? This foundational workshop examines the theory and practice of evaluation and suggests practical strategies for integrating effective evaluative practices into your teaching. Please note that this workshop does not cover the design and creation of student assessments.

Teaching and Technology (TLCN02)

Date and time: Tuesday, May 14, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

In this workshop, we will explore a framework for using technology in teaching and learning. Rather than a technology ‘how-to’ session, the focus will be on providing a method for evaluating technology that supports the goals of teaching and learning. We will also discuss the benefits and challenges of using technology in the classroom.

Teaching Dossier (TLCN06)

Date and time: Wednesday, May 15, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Increasingly, university promotion and tenure committees are requiring a teaching dossier to document your development and achievements as an educator. This workshop looks at the requirements at the University of Manitoba for teaching dossiers and covers the basics of writing a Teaching Philosophy statement and creating a teaching dossier.

Universal Design for Learning (TLCN01)

Date and time: Wednesday, May 15, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an orientation to teaching and learning that promotes greater student choice and agency in learning experiences, with the aim of reducing barriers to learning by providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. In this workshop, participants will explore how UDL values intersect with their own teaching philosophies, identify barriers to learning for students with a range of needs, and (re)design course elements to adopt UDL guidelines in a way that is practical for instructors yet beneficial to learners.

Reflective Practice (TLCN09)

Date and time: Thursday, May 16, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

John Dewey observed that, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” In order to become a better teacher, it is necessary to reflect on what we do and why we do it – to ask ourselves, is what we do effective? In this workshop we will explore several models of self-reflection, including the Gibbs’ Model, as methods for engaging in a reflective practice. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their own successes and struggles as they strive to become a better teacher.

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning April Workshops

Janelle Sumner — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:18:51 +0000

Decolonizing Classrooms: Unpacking and Overcoming Barriers to Decolonizing Processes, Part 2

Date and time: Tuesday, April 2, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

The Decolonizing Classroom series aims to give participants the context and tools necessary to meaningfully engage with decolonizing processes as they relate to education. “Unpacking and Overcoming Barriers to Engagement and Decolonizing Processes” explores the barriers that exist for teachers and students, which prevent them from enacting decolonizing processes in educational contexts. Part two of this workshop series discusses the barriers that prevent teachers from engaging fully in decolonizing classrooms and creates a space for the discussion of strategies for overcoming these barriers.

Creating Connections in SoTL: Sharing our Findings

Date and time: Wednesday, April 3, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

In the Creating Connections in SoTL series, faculty, instructors, and other UM scholars explore foundational topics in SoTL research, discuss ongoing SoTL projects, make interdisciplinary connections, and receive support from colleagues and Centre SoTL Developers.

This workshop will focus on disseminating SoTL research through conference presentations and publications. We will discuss presentation strategies for communicating research findings that are clear and compelling to an interdisciplinary audience. We will share information about disciplinary and SoTL-focused periodicals that welcome submissions of teaching and learning research. We will also provide time for participants to share their SoTL study progress and provide mutual support.

Experiential Learning Community of Practice

Date and time: Wednesday, April 24, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Facilitated by The Office of Experiential Learning, the Experiential Learning Community of Practice (CoP) meets online once a month. Each online meeting will consist of a 30-minute presentation on a topic related to best practices, trends, and challenges in experiential learning, followed by a 30-minute facilitated discussion.

Bringing Work-Integrated Learning into the Classroom.
Bringing students out into the workplace is not possible or ideal for all courses and instructors. At this meeting we’ll explore practical ways of bringing work-integrated learning approaches and opportunities into any classroom.