Events

Workshops

First Fridays Workshops

 

Our last First Friday for the 2017-2018 academic year was held on April 6th. The First Friday series will return in September!

                                                                                                                                        

 ATLE Professional Development Distinctions

Those who attend at least 12 of the individual First Friday workshops earn a certificate noting their ATLE Professional Development Distinction (and we have a special surprise for those with the very highest attendance as recorded by the end of the year).

2017-2018

 

2016-2017

 

-----------------------Partial List of Workshop Topics-----------------------

Active Learning as an Approach to Building Empathy In The Diverse Classroom
This workshop will engage faculty in a simulated learning experience designed to build empathy and accentuate the value of active learning with diverse students. Participants will also learn about resources provided by the Office of Diversity Inclusion and Equal Opportunity. ***PLEASE NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP IS SCHEDULED FOR 2 HOURS.***

Active Learning vs. Guided Learning—the Great Debate
Is inquiry learning always indicated? Are drills and memorization ever warranted? There are debates in published journals on these and related questions, and we'll explore the controversy on our way to our own understanding of what fits each circumstance. Click here for HANDOUT 1 and HANDOUT 2.

Applying Cognitive Learning Principles to Your Teaching
Find out how you can use the science contained in various cognitive learning principles to enhance your teaching. Come with some lessons from your course in mind!

Applying for the TA Teaching Award
Applications for the TA Teaching Award are due in early February. Learn how to use Google Sites to house your e-Portfolio, and gain insights into how to craft your application materials for maximum effect. Click here for more information

Anatomy of a Lecture
Join us for this interactive discussion regarding ways you can structure your lectures for maximum impact, or at least keep students interested and engaged.

Assessment and Rubrics
Learn about types of assessment and how can you improve grading of subjective assessment through building rubrics.

Atomic Learning Video Tutorials
A paid-for service through the library, Atomic Learning provides video tutorials for students on dozens of software packages that you might assign them to learn/use. Find out what Atomic Learning can do for you as a teacher (or a learner yourself!) at this workshop.

Back to Basics: What Really Matters in Teaching
Some pedagogies come in and out of vogue in publications about teaching, and yet there are a few core areas under the teacher's control that matter more than others. We'll explore those areas and provide a few tricks for keeping them in mind as you teach.

Being Interactive in LARGE Lecture Halls
It's easier logistically to be interactive with students when classes are smaller. How do we make the same interactions work for large lecture halls? We will isolate the interactive techniques that DO work in large lecture halls and address the problems (fixed seating, poor acoustics, etc.) that typically get in the way. Click here for HANDOUT.

Building a Classroom Community
Do you find that your students are often reluctant to "come out of their shell" in class? Would you like to see more open discourse, sharing and collaboration among your students? Join us for a discussion of the theories and strategies related to establishing a sense of community in college courses.

Canvas Best Practices
Learn how to get started in Canvas and explore what's new and different in this learning management system. We will also discuss best practices in using the software. Click here for HANDOUT.

Canvas Best Practices II (Advanced)
So you've mastered (or at least understand) the basics of setting up your course(s) in Canvas. Now what? In this hands-on session, you will learn how to use several tools in Canvas including modules, files, and pages to organize your courses following principles of good course design. Click here for HANDOUT.

Canvas Crash Course for TAs
Get up to speed with this Canvas "crash course" specifically designed for USF Teaching Assistants. You will be guided through an overview of Canvas including the use of global and course settings, as well as a variety of day-to-day tasks for which you might have responsibility. Click here for HANDOUT.

Canvas E.R. (Emergency Room)
Just returning from a year's sabbatical? New to USF? Need a crash course on hosting your class on USF's learning management system (LMS), Canvas? Join ATLE Teaching Fellow, Cynthia Patterson, for this workshop for instructors new to Canvas. Click here for HANDOUT.

Canvas on the Go
Learn how to install and use Canvas's mobile (phone and tablet) apps to get more done when you are on the go, including messaging students and giving feedback on assignments using Speedgrader. Click here for more information.

Classroom Management
Join us for a lively discussion on strategies, reactions, and policies pertaining to classroom management issues. We'll use a micro-scenario approach to explore the issues and uncover the principles below. Click here for HANDOUT.

Course Design Basics
Talk with faculty colleagues about some of the best practices for designing (or perhaps redesigning) your course. This discussion will also highlight principles of backwards design and offer tools for ensuring that your course is aligned.

Course Redesign: Self Starter Kit
It doesn't require an entire department, or even a large commitment of time, to re-invent and re-imagine your course. We will share ideas for jump-starting a course redesign that matches your skills and comfort level. Click here for HANDOUT.

Court Savvy: Tone Deafness, Reacting to Your Audience, and Selecting Content
From ignoring your audience's level of pre-knowledge to falling into tunnel vision from loving your own content too much, there are many ways things can go wrong when presenting information. But what is the "right" way? We will deconstruct several samples toward building a series of tools that you can use to gauge whether your material will be interesting for your own students.

Crafting a Study-Abroad Experience From a Faculty Perspective
We'll discuss best practices (and things to avoid!) when creating a study abroad experience for your students. Faculty who have never attempted study abroad are especially encouraged to attend. Facilitated by Jennifer Collins. Click here to view the PRESENTATION.

Creating Canvas Learning Modules for Flipped Classrooms
Join us as we explore the options available in our Canvas LMS to create engaging Learning Modules for our Flipped Classrooms.

Creating Classroom Exercises Based on Social Media
One of the ways to engage students in learning is with things they already know.  This workshop will present two sample exercises using twitter and Facebook as models for inquiry-based learning in a theatre class.  The workshop will include an opportunity for the participants to employ one or the other exercise and share the results. Facilitated by C. David Frankel.

Creating Great Group Assignments
Join us for this discussion about the most common student objections to group work and explore features in Canvas that can be used to facilitate truly cooperative learning experiences that you and your students will enjoy. Click here for HANDOUT.

Creating Kindle, eBook, and other Cheap or Free Options for Your Students
From on-demand publishing to electronic books, there are many options for faculty to make material available to students that are low-cost or no cost. Find out what's possible (and what isn't) in this lively discussion.

Creativity in the Classroom
Do you want to get more creative with your teaching, but don't know where or how to start? Have you found a creative teaching practice that you like, but you don't know how to adapt it to your class? Join us for a look at some ways that you can enhance the creativity in your course.

Cultivating a Culture of Academic Integrity
This workshop is designed to familiarize you with Turnitin, USF's new plagiarism detection software in Canvas, and to stimulate discussion about ways faculty can discourage student academic misconduct. Click here for HANDOUT.

Dee Fink's Integrated Course Design Model
Dee Fink's Integrated Course Design Model is all about creating meaningful, engaging, and significant learning experiences for our students. Join us in this intriguing conversation as we take a look at his Integrated Course Design model to see how potentially useful it can be.

Dee Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning and Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
There are now two great taxonomies to help us form engaging and meaningful learning outcomes for our courses. Join us in this intriguing conversation as we take a look at each of these taxonomies and see what benefits they can provide for both our students and faculty.

Designing Digital Media Assignments with the USF Library's Digital Learning Studio
Are you tired of the same old paper assignments year after year? Would you like to infuse your assignments with more creative potential, but you're not sure how?  If you answered "yes" to these questions, then a digital media-oriented assignment may be just what you're looking for! In this workshop, you will learn how the USF Library's Digital Learning Studio can help you incorporate a digital media project into your courses. Facilitated by Maryellen Allen. Click here for PRESENTATION.

Designing Rubrics to Enhance Learning
Using rubrics in Canvas can be very useful and is relatively intuitive. In this hands-on workshop, we will explore using rubrics to assess various assignment types, including quizzes and discussions.

Developing an Effective Syllabus
A syllabus provides a basic outline of an academic course, but that isn't all it has to be. With some tweaking, syllabi can be developed in order to supplement and enhance the learning experience in your course, right from the start. Click here for HANDOUT.

Effective Lectures
We'll offer tips to help you organize your content, deliver with greater clarity, and enhance student recall of the material. Click here for HANDOUT.

Engineering a Mindful Course: Mindful Practices in Post-Secondary Instruction
Mindful practices have a myriad of benefits for faculty and students, from alleviating stress and symptoms of depression, to improved mental focus. Additionally, Mindful instructional strategies infused in course syllabi and instructional techniques can cultivate a deeper understanding and dialogue between faculty and students on controversial topics. In this workshop, tips and techniques for engineering a Mindful course will be provided. Facilitators: Natalie Keefer, Ph.D. and Jean Mulloy, Ph.D. Click here for PRESENTATION.

Enhancing Student Assessment of Instruction
Low response rates? Low ratings? In this workshop we will discuss various strategies that can be used to enhance the quality and quantity of feedback you receive from students regarding your instruction. We will specifically look at ways of motivating students to complete USF's eXplorance Blue online evaluations. Click here for HANDOUT.

Everything Assessment
From writing test questions to using rubrics, we'll explore ideas for optimizing your assessment strategies. We'll also talk about test construction, grading methods, extra credit, and Excel grade books. Click here for HANDOUT.

Facilitating Better Canvas Conversations
This workshop will explore features of the Discussion tool in Canvas that can be used to engage students in more meaningful conversations. Additionally, several tips will be provided to enhance civility and community among students using the discussion board. Click here for HANDOUT.

Fear and Loathing in the Classroom: Addressing Student Anxiety & Frustration
Many students enter courses anxious and fearful that they will not do well, resulting in poor performance. Others become frustrated if they begin to receive low grades and feel that they "just don't get it." In this workshop we will discuss strategies, techniques, and best practices that can be used to help students mitigate these issues.

Flipped Classrooms for STEM Education
In this workshop, participants will be presented with an established strategy used in a USF STEM course, and lessons learned. Facilitated by Autar Kaw.

Flipping the Classroom
Learn how to deliver content via pre-recorded "lectures in a can" through Canvas, which frees up in-class time for case studies, activities, scenarios, role-plays, questions, reviews, and even games. Click here for HANDOUT.

Flipping the Classroom: An Example Using Good Practices—USF SMART Lab
Advantages of flipping the classroom will be discussed and how that has the potential to improve students' understanding and achievement. The evidence supporting this will be an overview of the SMART Lab which supports the mathematics flipped classrooms at USF. The design of the SMART Lab classes closely align with the seven principles for good practice for undergraduate education: increases faculty contact time with students, fosters cooperation, encourages active learning, provides prompt feedback, emphasizes time on task, communicates high expectations, and respects diverse talents and ways of learning. Data suggests this venture has positive implications on students' learning. Facilitated by Fran Hopf.

Gamification
The principles that make video games (and other games) fun can be employed to add interest and motivation to your own courses without advanced training or tools. It's the PRINCIPLES we'll borrow, not the specific software or artistic tools. There are low-tech ways to mimic game principles. Click here for HANDOUT.

Grading Writing Assignments
From writing effective rubrics to other tricks of the trade, we'll examine best practices for grading papers and other forms of writing. Click here for HANDOUT.

Growth Mindsets: Why it Matters and How to Instill it in Your Students
Our reaction to failures and fears of potential new ones guide our very approach to learning, and indeed to life in general. Instructors can put structures in place to guide students away from fixed mindsets and into growth mindsets, which ultimately may matter more than any content we teach them.

Helping Your Students Become Self-Directed Learners
Self-directed learning is an important part of the academic experience in college. This workshop explores strategies that you can use to aid students in developing and improving the skills that they will need to be successful independent learners.

High Impact Practices
Do you want to increase the active learning opportunities for your students but don't know where to start? Learn how you can apply some George Kuh's High-Impact Educational Practices at the classroom level.

iClicker: Student Engagement, Accountability, and More - Vendor Presentation
In this workshop, our campus representative from iClicker will demonstrate iClicker's capabilities, applications, and pedagogies, and will answer questions by the participants.

Incorporating an Undergraduate Research Experience into a Structured Lower or Upper-Level UG Course (Held in LIB 210)
This engaged workshop is designed to provide case-studies and best practices to assist all instructional staff in creating research experiences in any undergraduate course. Attendees will develop a plan of action. Presented by Dr. Rick Pollenz.

Intellectual Property and Copyright
Do you know what a Creative Commons license is? What are Fair Use guidelines and how do they apply in educational contexts? We will explore the answers to these questions and other issues related to intellectual property and copyright in the educational context. Facilitated by Drew Smith. Click here for more information.

Interactive Teaching Techniques
You may use some interactive techniques in your teaching already, like the "one minute paper" or "think-pair-share." We've got a list of 195 such techniques we'd love to share with you! (and we will want to learn from you what your favorites are). Click here for HANDOUT.

Intrinsic Motivation – Ensuring There Are Sufficient Motivational Facets in Your Courses
Keeping our students sufficiently motivated throughout our courses is a major teaching challenge. Join us in this intriguing conversation as we take a look at the concept – Intrinsic Motivation and Keller's Motivational Design model for courses – the ARCS model.

iPad Apps for College Teaching
We'll isolate the top twenty apps useful for teaching, but also provide you with dozens more that are discipline-specific to give you ideas for how you might use iPads in the classroom. Come ready to share your own practices as well! Click here for HANDOUT.

Learning Activities That Work
Recent studies have revealed what works and what doesn't in terms of student study habits and practice activities. Many of these learning activities are driven by instructor decisions. Learn how you can maximize your students' success. Click here for HANDOUT.

Learning Strategies and Processes
In this workshop, we will talk about effective learning strategies, how the brain processes learning, dangers of multitasking, and different educational approaches adopted by top performing countries. Facilitated by Autar Kaw.

Lecture Capture (Panopto)—How to Get Started
USF has implemented a limited solution for lecture capture in several Tampa-campus buildings (especially Business, Education, and Engineering). We'll help you with the soft skills of lecture capture, such as how to be interesting as a "talking head," what to wear, and other do's and don'ts. Click here for HANDOUT.

Leveraging Laptops
What programs and apps are useful in the (lecture) classroom? We'll explore software AND strategies for how faculty can use student laptops to maximum effect in the classroom, and also talk about problems that can arise.

Maximizing Assessment in Canvas
This workshop is designed to show you how to get the most out of Canvas's assessment tools. We will take a more in-depth look at the Speedgrader and explore giving students substantive feedback using media comments.

Merging Powerpoint with Camtasia – Creating Engaging and Interactive Video Based Lectures
Sometimes we wish our students had a second and third opportunity to review our key lectures. Join us in this intriguing conversation as we take a look at using Powerpoint and Camtasia to create video based lectures that will intrigue and challenge our students.

Online Presentation Software Preview
Are you tired of PowerPoint? Are you looking for a new, dynamic way to present course content? This workshop is designed to familiarize you with a few different online presentation programs like Prezi, Sway, and Emaze.

PowerPoint and Beyond
Learn how to use some of the basic and advanced features of PowerPoint, as well as the top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for creating visually engaging classroom presentations. We will also explore steps to getting started with Prezi. Feel free to bring your own presentations with you to this hands-on workshop. Click here for HANDOUT.

Presenting with Prezi
In the PowerPoint and Beyond workshop, we introduced you to the non-linear, web-based presentation program, Prezi. Now, take your skills a step further in this interactive workshop where you'll learn how to create your own Prezi and avoid some of the common design pitfalls of new Prezi users. Click here for HANDOUT.

Process Pedagogy and the Collaborative Classroom
This workshop focuses and reflects on a process (or critical) pedagogy curriculum for teaching the liberal arts curriculum. The curriculum has two components: the first involves teaching theoretical concepts as process rather than as outcomes, situating accountability away from the instructor and into an ongoing and structured classroom dynamic. The second component involves ongoing grading (that is, no tests or exams) and a final portfolio. Facilitated by Mariaelena Bartesaghi.

Resources and Processes for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research (Held in LIB 210)
This interactive workshop provides a practical introduction to the Office for Undergraduate Research and the multitude of resources and best practices to assist mentors in creating a meaningful research experience. Presented by Dr. Rick Pollenz.

Respondus, Quizzes, and Question Banks—Oh My!
Learn how to use Respondus to create and import quizzes into Canvas and to convert Blackboard quizzes (that are already saved in Respondus) for use in Canvas. In addition, we will explore the use of question banks and familiarize you with the Respondus LockDown Browser. Click here for HANDOUT.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
Learn the basics about doing research on your teaching (what to examine, how to design your study, how to assess) as well as ideas for journals where you can submit your manuscripts. Click here for HANDOUT.

Service-Learning: Engaging Students Through Community-Based Learning
This workshop provides an overview of service-learning, which integrates community service into course curricula through explicit learning objectives, preparation, and critical reflection. Participants will learn how to design a service-learning course that can provide students with structured opportunities to apply what they are learning in the classroom to community-identified concerns in real-world contexts. Facilitated by Lance Arney. Click HERE for more information.

Starting the Semester
We'll cover nuts and bolts to teaching at USF, including some last-second tweaks to your syllabus and course design, if needed. You'll also leave with resources and ideas to energize your teaching.

TA Life: Tips for an Effective and Fulfilling Teaching Assistant Experience
So you've got some training under your belt, but now you want to know how you can ensure that your time as a Teaching Assistant will be meaningful. Join us for a discussion that will provide you with advice for making the most of your position as a TA.

Taking the Plunge: Teaching Hybrid Courses with Blackboard Collaborate
This workshop will familiarize you with the Blackboard Collaborate virtual classroom environment. If attending in person, you will need to bring a headset with built-in microphone. If attending virtually, the same equipment will be required, and you will be sent an invitation to join the virtual session. You may be prompted to download additional plug-ins or updates (Java, for example). Just say "yes"! Facilitated by Cynthia Patterson. Click here for more INFORMATION.

Targeting and Enhancing Student Motivation
Classroom success often depends on student motivation. We will supply you with a toolset for helping to inspire and motivate students in your course content. Click here for HANDOUT.

Teaching as a Non-Native Speaker
We'll discuss ways to maximize your language skills and minimize cultural conflicts when teaching. Facilitated by Amanda Huensch. Click here for HANDOUT.

Teaching Critical Thinking
Developing students' critical thinking skills is often listed as an important objective in many courses. But what, exactly, are we asking them to do? How can we help students identify key critical thinking skills and know when to apply them? We'll discuss some effective strategies that you can use to promote critical thinking in your course. Click here for PRESENTATION and ARTICLE.

Teaching Portfolios
From building a philosophy-of-teaching statement to advice on how to document your teaching effectiveness, we'll discuss best practices in making a portfolio about your teaching not only useful for tenure/promotion, but also your growth as an educator. We will investigate electronic options as well. Click here for HANDOUT.

Teach Students How to Create (and Present) a "WOW" Poster
This workshop will emphasize what you will want your students to consider when they create a poster, perhaps for a conference. The workshops includes what to discuss with students e.g. poster vs. talk, time commitment for preparation, poster content (research content, text content, layout options, graphics and color advice, examples you can present them with of good and bad posters) and other considerations such as printing and transporting the poster. Facilitated by Jennifer Collins in NES 222.

Teaching with Eportfolios
This workshop will provide an overview of the use of portfolios in higher education, and will discuss the applicability of eportfolio use, especially in senior "capstone" courses. Widely used in the field of Education, eportfolios can also be used in other academic settings, and creating an eportfolio is particularly useful for students as preparation for entering the job market. The Canvas eportfolio tool will be demonstrated, and additional proprietary eportfolio tools discussed. Facilitated by Cynthia Patterson. Click here for HANDOUT.

Team-Based Learning (TBL)
Redesign your course using the Team-Based Learning (TBL) structured approach to group interactive learning and apply the immediate feedback assessment technique (IFAT).

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Using Questions
By the end of this session, participants will be able to identify the do's and don'ts of asking questions in classrooms as well as write higher-order thinking questions.

Their Cheating Ways: Student Academic (Mis)Conduct
This workshop is intended to expose faculty to the myriad ways students cheat. Stay one step ahead of your students by familiarizing yourself with some of the new (and not so new) ways students use technology to try and outsmart their instructors.

Un-Lectures: Using PowerPoint Completely Differently
Rather than use PowerPoint to relay information (i.e., the answers), we'll talk about strategies for using it as a platform for questions, and also explore the myriad ways we can turn traditional lectures upside down. click here for PRESENTATION.

Unscripted Problems: Giving Employers What They Want
The future employers of your students often claim they want employees who can solve problems that we DON'T have answers for, but how do we create these skills in our students?

Using Clickers in the Classroom–An Evidence Based Approach
Many instructors are using clickers in the classroom.  But what do we know about effective use of clickers in the classroom? In this workshop, we will discuss research-based practices for use of clickers, and the current reasons and evidence behind such practices. Facilitated by Autar Kaw. Click here for HANDOUT.

Using Cooperative Learning in Large and Small Classes to Enhance Understanding
Do you want to engage students in group work effectively? Do you want responsibility of learning to be shared among all learners? Cooperative learning is a successful approach to the use of structured small groups to maximize students' learning. Come to this presentation to learn how to effectively implement cooperative learning in your large or small class. Facilitated by Cheryl Ellerbrock.

Using Popular Culture in Your Teaching
From zombies to Stephen Colbert, there are entire universes of content your students care about. Can we leverage this inherent motivation to serve our needs? Click here for HANDOUT.

Using Technology to Enhance Learner Motivation
In today's classroom, technology has the potential to be a distractor for students. Find out how you can use technology to increase learner motivation using various tools, media, and strategies. Click here for HANDOUT and PRESENTATION.

Using the Canvas Survey Tool to Enhance Learning
Join us as we discuss how to get anonymous student impact data from our Canvas LMS that helps us identify what worked well in our courses and what needs some enhancements.

Various Ways to Supplement Your Face-to-Face Classes Using Canvas
Now that you know the basics of Canvas, join us as we explore some instructionally effective ways to supplement your     face-to-face classes with the Canvas LMS.

Virtual Synchronicity: Meeting Students Online
Whether you are facilitating portions of your course online or need to meet with an individual student online, using tools like Big Blue Button or Blackboard Collaborate, which are integrated into Canvas, can make your interactions more meaningful and convenient.

Web 2.0 Tools for Teaching
From musical slideshows to online posters, there are hundreds of websites interesting for educators. We'll look at online game creators, virtual field trips, word clouds, comic generators, and much more. Leave with a toolbox of sites where both you and your students can create fun content.

Writing Good Clicker Questions
Using clickers can be simple indeed, but what are the ways to use these devices to maximum effect? We will focus on the skill of writing effective questions that accomplish specific goals.

Writing Lesson Plans
Lesson plans help you to effectively organize and deliver your course content to students. Learn about how to develop lesson plans that are well-thought-out and offer more than just an outline. Click here for HANDOUT 1 and HANDOUT 2.

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Workshop Flyers from Previous Semesters