Reflective Practice Large Group Meetings and Workshops

All meetings will run from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Thursdays and 3:35 to 4:50 p.m. on Wednesdays in the locations listed below. Unless indicated in pre-meeting publicity, no RSVP is needed. A sign-up sheet is available at each meeting, and those who sign-in will receive a follow-up e-mail.

All faculty members are invited to Reflective Large Group meetings; you do not need to be a member of RP to attend. If the topic interests you, please come! Light refreshments are served at all meetings.

Because we are planning well in advance, some changes may be necessary over the course of the year; please read e-mail updates as they are sent out.

  • Thursday, Aug. 26, Crimson Event Center, Folger Hall “Understanding the Rhythms of Teaching and Learning”
    • We will explore various aspects of the "rhythms of the semester" that may affect your teaching and affect student learning and apply them to one of your upcoming courses.
  • Wednesday, September 1, Crimson Event Center, Folger Hall “Good Small Group Talk About Good Teaching: Creating Teaching Circles”
    • Hear from members of last year's cross-disciplinary teaching circles and from those who have ideas for new ones; learn how teaching circles work, and join one for the upcoming year.
  • Thursday, October 7, Wallwork G-98, “Student Evaluations: Preparing Yourself and Your Students”
    • We'll discuss how to productively work from IUP's student evaluation instrument to structure your course and help students offer constructive, fair feedback.

  • Fall Saturday CTE Workshop, October 23, 2010, in Ackerman 116, “Kathleen Glasser: Courage to Teach Program” from the Fetzner Institute, Kensington, MD

    • Glaser will provide professional development for faculty based on Parker Palmer's principles and practices, which are rooted in the belief that good teaching flows from the identity and integrity of the teacher.

  • Wednesday, November 3, Wallwork G-98 “Strategies for Teaching Non-majors”

    • Non-majors classes often pose special problems—large sizes, lack of engagement or motivation, little preparation. But they also offer opportunities. We'll hear from a range of colleagues with great tips and ideas for such courses.

  • Thursday, December 2, Wallwork G-98, Holiday Party

    • Join colleagues in a celebration of upcoming holidays and the semester break. More information on the activities for this will be sent around.
  • Thursday, January 20, The Allenwood in Ackerman Hall “Promotional Critical Thinking”

    • Students often claim that critical thinking is “hard” and resist activities that encourage their skill development. How can we work critical thinking skills into all the aspects of our courses?

  • Wednesday, February 9, The Allenwood in Ackerman Hall “Unbalancing Student Thinking”

    • Do you have a tolerance for chaos? The presenter will introduce us to ways we can “unbalance” our students' thinking (and maybe our own!) as well as provide a safe environment to encourage new ways of thinking, behaving, and learning.

  • Thursday, March 3, Stabley 201 “Information Literacy as a Critical Skill for Success” Information Literacy

    • Information literacy skills are increasingly important for college students, and more and more librarians and subject faculty are collaborating to develop games and other student-centered activities to engage students and facilitate meaningful learning experiences and a firm foundation in skills which are crucial to college success and in life beyond the school room. Join us as a lively panel of librarians and subject faculty share their experiences and ready-to-go games, activities, and assignments so you can be off and running in integrating information literacy skills into your classes.

  • Spring Saturday Workshop, March 19, “The Professor's Speech” by Rick Kemp (Theater), will focus on public speaking/oral communication - The Allenwood in Ackerman Hall

  • Wednesday, April 6, The Allenwood in Ackerman Hall “Low-Tech Teaching”

    • Not everyone is ready for high-tech teaching, and not every class or course needs it. How can we use everyday items and activities to foster student learning and engagement?

  • Thursday, April 28, Crimson Event Center, Folger Hall, Annual Awards Banquet

    • Join colleagues to honor those who have won Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Recognition Awards and those who have been active in Reflective Practice!