Spring 2024 Workshops
Teaching Writing in The Age of Artificial Intelligence
Learn how to:
- Create writing assignments that "neutralize" AI
- Teach students to use AI in useful ways
- Approach students who you suspect have used AI to generate work for them in a productive manner
- Develop AI classroom policies that work for you and your students
The workshops will be held on Zoom at https://iupvideo.zoom.us/my/bsfiner.
- January 17, 11:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
- February 5, 11:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
- March 4, 11:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Spring 2023 Workshops
Creating Effective Writing Assignments: Plagiarism-Proofing in the Modern Age
If your students seem to struggle with writing assignments, and you want to help them succeed, then come to this workshop. We'll talk about how to:
- Craft assignments so you get what you want from your students
- Help your students better understand your assignments
- Learn how to prevent plagiarism, including the use of artificial intelligence
- Create assignments that are interesting for your students to write, and interesting for you to read!
These workshops will be held over Zoom (registration required).
- March 9, 10:30 a.m.
- March 22, 11:15 a.m.
Fall 2021 (workshops will be held simultaneously in HSS 306 and Zoom
Introduction to Department/Program Writing Plans
Wednesday, September 1, 10:00 a.m. (Zoom registration)
If your program or department hasn't completed a writing plan, now's the time. Learn how to get started in this quick, one-hour intro.
Introduction to Writing to Learn
Tuesday, October 5, 11:15 a.m. (Zoom registration)
Implement quick, low-stakes writing into any classroom to help students improve their writing without increasing your workload.
Efficient Grading Strategies
Wednesday, November 10, 9:30 a.m. (Zoom registration)
Maximize your feedback with response strategies that improve student writing and save you time.
Fall 2020 (all workshops will be held on Zoom)
Introduction to Department/Program Writing Plans
Wednesday, September 9, 10:10 a.m.
If your program or department hasn't completed a writing plan, now's the time. Learn how to get started in this quick, one-hour intro.
Register Here: Introduction to Department/Program Writing Plans
Introduction to Writing to Learn
Thursday, October 1, 11:00 a.m.
Implement quick, low-stakes writing into any classroom to help students improve their writing without increasing your workload.
Register Here: Introduction to Writing to Learn
Efficient Grading Strategies
Wednesday, November 11, 9:05 a.m.
Maximize your feedback with response strategies that improve student writing and save you time.
Register Here: Efficient Grading Strategies
Spring 2019
Introduction to Writing-to-Learn Pedagogy (in Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSS) Room 306)
Tuesday, February 5, 9:45–10:45 a.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing, but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, then come to this workshop. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing: Faster Response that Benefits You and Your Students (in HSS Rm 306)
Tuesday, April 2, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
If you want to assign more writing, but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Fall 2018
Introduction to Writing-to-Learn Pedagogy (in HSS Rm 306)
Wednesday, October 10, 12:20–1:10 p.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing, but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, then come to this workshop. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
Creating Effective Writing Assignments: (in HSS Rm 306)
Tuesday, November 6, 2:00–2:50 p.m.
If your students seem to struggle with writing assignments and you want to help them succeed, then come to this workshop. We'll talk about how to:
- Craft assignments so you get what you want from your students
- Help your students better understand your assignments
- Learn how to prevent plagiarism
- Create assignments that are interesting for your students to write, and interesting for you to read!
Spring 2018
Introduction to Writing-to-Learn Pedagogy (in HSS Rm 306)
Thursday, February 15, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing, but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, then come to this workshop. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing: Faster Response that Benefits You and Your Students (in HSS Rm 306)
Wednesday, March 28, 10:10–11:00 a.m.
If you want to assign more writing, but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Fall 2017
This spring, workshops will be held on demand. If you have a group of colleagues (graduate students and/or faculty) interested in a WAC workshop, contact Bryna Siegel Finer at brynasf@iup.edu to set up a personalized workshop at a time that works for you.
Summer 2017
The two-day Liberal Studies Teaching of Writing Workshop will be held on May 15 and 16 by Bryna Siegel Finer and Edel Reilly. Here are the agenda and other materials for the workshop.
Spring 2017
This spring, workshops will be held on demand. If you have a group of colleagues (graduate students and/or faculty) interested in a WAC workshop, contact Bryna Siegel Finer at brynasf@iup.edu to set up a personalized workshop at a time that works for you.
Fall 2016
Teaching Your Students to Write-to-Learn (in HSS Rm 306)
Tuesday, September 6, 2:15-3:05 p.m. or Wednesday, September 7, 2:20-3:10 p.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, this workshop is for you. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
Creating Effective Writing Assignments: (in HSS Rm 306)
Friday, October 7, 10:10–11:00 a.m.
The Thursday workshop has been canceled.
If your students seem to struggle with writing assignments and you want to help them succeed, then come to this workshop. We'll talk about how to:
- Craft assignments so you get what you want from your students
- Help your students better understand your assignments
- Learn how to prevent plagiarism
- Create assignments that are interesting for your students to write, and interesting for you to read!
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing: Faster Response that Benefits You and Your Students (in HSS Rm 306)
Tuesday, November 15, 9:30-10:20 a.m. or Wednesday, November 16, 1:25-2:15 p.m.
If you want to assign more writing but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Spring 2016
Creating Effective Writing Assignments: (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Monday, February 8, 11:15–12:05 a.m. or Tuesday, February 9, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
If your students seem to struggle with writing assignments and you want to help them succeed, then come to this workshop. We'll talk about how to:
- Craft assignments so you get what you want from your students
- Help your students better understand your assignments
- Learn how to prevent plagiarism
- Create assignments that are interesting for your students to write, and interesting for you to read!
Getting More Bang for Your Buck: An Introduction to Writing To Learn (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Monday, March 21, 2:30–3:20 p.m. or Tuesday, March 22, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
In this workshop, we'll talk about how to implement basic writing-to-learn pedagogies into any classroom.
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing: Faster Response that Benefits You and Your Students (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Wednesday, April 13, 10:10–11:00 a.m. or Thursday, April 14, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
If you want to assign more writing but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Fall 2015
Teaching Your Students to Write-to-Learn (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Monday, September 28, 12:20–1:10 p.m. or Tuesday, September 29, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, this workshop is for you. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
What's Grammar Got to Do With It? Teaching Writing Without a Red Pen
(in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Tuesday, October 20, 2:00–2:50 p.m. or Wednesday, October 21, 1:25–2:15 p.m.
In this workshop, participants will learn ways to comment effectively on student writing and still respond productively without spending time editing and correcting grammar. We'll discuss
- Why editing students' papers doesn't work
- How to help students get sentence-level practice
- Teaching students to prioritize higher-order concerns
- How to respond to student writing so that they really listen
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Wednesday, November 18, 10:10–11:00 a.m. or Thursday, November 19, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
Guest co-presenter Pao-Ying Hsiao (Food and Nutrition) will demo Grademark, a tool that makes online grading a snap. We'll also talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Spring 2015
Introduction to Writing-to-Learn Pedagogy (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Tuesday, February 10, 11:00–11:50 a.m. or Wednesday, February 11, 12:20–1:10 p.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing, but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, then come to this workshop. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
Teaching and Grading Writing in Larger Classes (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Wednesday, March 4, 2:30–3:20 p.m. or Thursday, March 5, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
If you have 50 or more students in your classes and can't imagine how you'd teach or grade writing, then this workshop is for you. We'll discuss:
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ungraded writing and random grading
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
- Rubrics and other efficient methods of response
Essay Exams: Writing Prompts for Student Success (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Tuesday, April 7, 2:00–2:50 p.m. or Wednesday, April 8, 10:10–11:00 a.m.
Join guest presenter Rachel Sternfeld of the Political Science Department and WAC Director Bryna Siegel Finer at this workshop on how to create better essay exam prompts. We'll discuss:
- Building writing process into examinations
- Teaching writing through exam preparation
- Improving clarity and focus of prompts
- Objective macro-level scoring
Fall 2014
Introduction to Writing-to-Learn (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Tuesday, September 9, 2:00–2:50 p.m. or Wednesday, September 10, 1:25–2:15 p.m.
If you want to give your students more practice with writing, but don't want to take up too much class time to do it, then come to this workshop. We'll discuss:
- The theory and pedagogy of writing-to-learn
- How to help your students process course content through quick writing tasks
- Ideas for getting students to want to write in your course
- Ways to engage students in your lectures and course content through writing
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing (in the Writing Center, 218 Eicher Hall)
Wednesday, October 8, 10:10–11:00 a.m. or Thursday, October 9, 2:00–2:50 p.m.
If you want to assign more writing, but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Spring 2014
Introduction to Writing To Learn (in HUB Conemaugh Room)
February 4, 11:00–11:50 a.m. or February 5, 9:05–9:55 a.m. (rescheduled for 2/12)
In this workshop, we'll talk about how to implement basic writing-to-learn pedagogies into any classroom.
Approaching Plagiarism Positively (in HUB Conemaugh Room)
March 11, 9:30–10:25 a.m. or March 12, 1:25–2:15 p.m.
In this workshop, we'll talk about how to motivate students not to plagiarize using positive (rather than punitive) means.
Efficient Grading Strategies (The Writing Center, Eicher Hall 218)
April 8, 11-11:50 a.m. or April 9, 2:15–3:05 p.m.
If you want to assign more writing, but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response
Fall 2013
Creating Effective Writing Assignments: 112 Leonard Hall
Wednesday, October 2, 10:10–11:00 a.m. or Tuesday, October 8, 2:00–2:50 p.m.
If your students seem to struggle with writing assignments and you want to help them succeed, then come to this workshop. We'll talk about how to:
- Craft assignments so you get what you want from your students
- Help your students better understand your assignments
- Learn how to prevent plagiarism
- Create assignments that are interesting for your students to write, and interesting for you to read!
Strategies for Efficiently Grading Student Writing: 112 Leonard Hall
Wednesday, November 20, 11:15 a.m.-12:05 p.m. or Thursday, November 21, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
If you want to assign more writing but aren't sure how you'll have time to grade it, then this workshop is for you. We'll talk about:
- Ungraded writing
- Random grading
- Rubrics and other types of feedback
- Efficient methods of response