How can we best support students in their matriculation to College? Specifically, how do we measure and otherwise enhance their knowledge of 1st year competencies?

This group is focused on developing better ways to brighten the future of our 1st year students. The SSN is a new initiative that connects faculty members with new students. The first goal is to explore best practices in training and developing Faculty partners as they navigate supporting students, with a focus on commuter students. A second goal will be to refine the training curriculum for the SSN. The third goal for this group will be developing key messaging to be shared with students. The fourth goal of the group is to evaluate the SSN and provide recommendations.

SSN is a broad, university-wide program in its infancy, and this group could have a profound impact on the 1st year student experience. Faculty members interested in further supporting 1st year students are encouraged to apply; preference will be given to faculty serving as SSN mentors in 2019-20.

Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this Faculty Learning Community and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit our FacultyBadges@GVSU website.

Meeting Dates/Times: October 2 from 9 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Location/Campus: JHZ 3068, Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Merritt Delano-Taylor, Biomedical Science, [email protected]

Co-facilitator: Brian Hatzel, Movement Science, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Active Learning and Teaching Response Systems

Fall 2019—Winter 2020

How might we explore teaching in an active environment with the Teaching Response System?

The purpose of this FLC is to explore active learning environments and how to use a Teaching Response System in the classroom. The idea of a teaching response system was first proposed by Eric Mazur, a professor of Physics at Harvard University. We will use Derek Buff's book, "Teaching with Classroom Response Systems: Creating Active Learning Environments" as a guide to using teaching response systems and assessing how they might improve learning.

***This FLC is open to members of the 2018-2019 Best Teachers FLC only***

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Allendale Campus, Pew Downtown Campus, Various locations in GR or Allendale

Facilitator: Majd Al-Mallah, Modern Languages and Literature, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Authoring Professional Identity

Fall 2019

How can storytelling be used as a tool to clarify and construct the professional identities of teacher educators and those of their students?

The construction of professional identity is a fundamental aim of teacher education. However, neoliberal reforms of schooling have created an identity crisis for members of the teaching profession. In the midst of this turmoil, how can teacher educators create a shift from being defined by external factors to authoring their own professional identity? The purpose of this FLC is for teacher educators to explore the use of autobiographical storytelling as a means to clarify, construct, and articulate a professional identity.

***This FLC is limited to only those College of Education faculty members who participated in the Fall 2018 FLC titled "Telling Tales: Using Stories to Construct Professional Identity."

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitator: Mary Bair, Educational Foundations, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Banding together: Foundations response to MDE's revised certification structure

Winter 2020

What is the role of Educational Foundations in the new teacher education grade band structure?

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has revised the state's teacher certification structure and created six grade bands. A key goal of this new structure is deeper preparation of teachers to meet the unique learning needs of children at each grade level. The Educational Foundations department will come together in an FLC to develop a conceptual framework that articulates the role of Educational Foundations in meeting MDE's new structure for certifying teachers.

*** This FLC is open to COE Educational Foundations Department faculty only.

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Pew Downtown Campus

Facilitator: Mary Bair, Educational Foundations, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Best Practices in Hybrid Delivery

Winter 2020—Fall 2020

How might we deliver the best practice possible hybrid learning experience for our CCPS graduate students?

This FLC will share and discuss best practices in hybrid class delivery. Its purpose is to support faculty in CCPS as we transition our graduate education classes over to a blended approach of online and in-seat learning. Over the next 12 months, our intent is to require faculty to adopt a hybrid model for deliver of all our CCPS graduate programs and thus we want to support them in that transition by underpinning the change with access to building high-quality hybrid course content. The motivation behind this shift in pedagogy is to be proactive in allowing more flexible access to our classes for traditional and nontraditional learners. These sessions will further assist that transition in terms of offering support, guidance and the creation of a college-wide learning community for our faculty as they adopt and share best practices amongst their peers.

*** This FLC is open to CCPS faculty only.

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitator: Paul Stansbie, College of Community and Public Service, [email protected]

Co-Facilitator: Matthew Roberts, Information Technology, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

COE Book Study: White Fragility

Winter 2020

How might a study of the book "White Fragility" help faculty talk about racism?

Through reading and discussing White Fragility, participants will have an opportunity to examine racial disparities in access and opportunity that are often an issue in schools. Each participant will be invited to examine their belief system and how it impacts his/her approach to teaching and learning. Especially as our student population remains primarily white, it is important to help racially diverse students feel protected and respected. Toward this goal, participants will be encouraged to develop skills to engage in conversations about bias, race and racism.

This FLC is open to College of Education faculty only.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meets from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. on the following dates—

1/16 &1/30
2/13 & 2/27
3/12 & 3/26

Location/Campus: Pew Downtown Campus. Room DEV 302C

Facilitator: Kelly Margot, COE, [email protected]

Co-Facilitator: Erica Hamilton, COE, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Get on the Syllabus

Summer 2020

What do the best syllabi do?

A well-designed syllabus can enhance students’ motivation and engagement, which, in turn, as we know, enhance learning outcomes. In this FLC we will collaborate to reexamine and perhaps rethink our syllabi in the light of Ken Bain's analysis (in What the Best College Teachers Do) of common traits in the syllabi of effective instructors, and with the aid of Designing a Motivational Syllabus: Creating a Learning Path for Student Engagement by Christine Harrington and Melissa Thomas. (Participants will receive copies of each.)

See:

"A Motivational Syllabus." Tea For Teaching podcast, December 26, 2018 https://teaforteaching.podbean.com/e/61-a-motivational-syllabus/
Paxton, Keisha C. and Emily Daniell Magruder. "Tempering the Syllabus: From Contract to Invitation, Map, and Guide." The Scholarly Teacher. March 10, 2016.
Lang, James M. "The Promising Syllabus." Chronicle of Higher Education, August 28, 2006.

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: ONLINE

Facilitator: David Eick, Modern Languages and Literatures, e [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Grade Expectations

Spring 2020

How might an instructor issue grades in a way that doesn't actually hinder learning?

Has teaching remotely in a crisis given you pause about how to grade? Have you always hated grading, anyway? Can grades actually hinder learning and exacerbate social inequities? Ever fantasize about doing away with them altogether? This FLC will explore the relevant Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) with regard to grades, including the unorthodox practice of "ungrading." We will engage in reading, reflection and conversation with a view toward evaluating students' performance more constructively and ethically.

See:

Christman, Phil. “We Are All Ungraders Now.” (“How Will the Pandemic Change Higher Education?”) Chronicle of Higher Education April 10, 2020
Supiano, Beckie. "Grades Can Hinder Learning. What Should Professors Use Instead?" Chronicle of Higher Education. July 19, 2019
Schinske, Jeffrey and Kimberly Tanner, "Teaching More by Grading Less (or Differently)". Life Sciences Education 2014 Summer; 13(2): 159-166.

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: ONLINE

Facilitator: David Eick, Modern Languages and Literatures, e [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Growing Diversity

Fall 2019—Winter 2020

What is the role of place-based food justice education in relationship to the understanding of religion, and what pedagogies will best support students in exploring how food systems engagement and religious diversity affect each other?

This closed learning community focuses on creating capacity for the integration of food justice, intercultural and religious studies approaches in place-based experiential learning at our campus farm. The faculty are all members of the Wabash funded FTLC-partnered grant project, "Growing Diversity." The project is co-directed by Sarah King and Amy McFarland and includes faculty from IRIS, Area Studies, Public Health, Anthropology, and Environmental Studies.

***This FLC is limited to faculty involved in the Wabash grant-funded "Growing Diversity" project.

Meeting Dates//Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Amy McFarland, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, [email protected]

Co-facilitator: Sarah King, Integrative, Religious and Intercultural Studies (IRIS), [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

High-Leverage Teaching Practice: Explaining and Modeling Content Practices and Strategies

Winter 2020

How can developing an understanding of the components of explaining and modeling content, practices, and strategies support student learning in your own classroom and the future classroom of your PK-12 teacher candidates?

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) new teacher preparation standards require PK-12 teacher candidates to demonstrate several high-leverage or core teaching practices, which are the basic fundamentals of teaching. As such, faculty engaged in teacher education must develop knowledge of these practices. This FLC will do a deep dive into the practice of Explaining and Modeling Content, Practices, and Strategies. Participants will explore a number of resources from Teaching Works to learn the elements of the practice, how to implement the practice in their own teaching, and how to train novice teachers in the practice.

This FLC is open to faculty from the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who are engaged in PK-12 teacher education only.

Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this Faculty Learning Community and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit our FacultyBadges@GVSU website.

Meeting Dates//Times: Meets from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. on the following dates—

2/11 & 2/25
3/10, 3/24 & 3/31
4/15

Location/Campus: Pew Downtown Campus. Room DEV 107D

Facilitator: Amy Schelling, Education, Teaching & Learning, [email protected]

Co-facilitator: Tamara Shreiner, History Department, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Internships: Approaches, Strategies, and Best Practices

Fall 2019

How can we help students get the most out of their internships?

Internships serve different purposes for different students. For some students, an internship can serve as a starting point for their academic and professional aspirations. For others who have a clearer vision, an internship can help them apply their knowledge and skills in a "real world" setting. Much of the responsibility for helping students understand the purpose and value of an internship falls on the shoulders of internship directors. Therefore, this FLC will center on helping GVSU internship directors explore:

best practices for advising and evaluating student internship experiences
strategies for outreach, networking, and student preparation
approaches for building and strengthening relationships with employers and community partners

Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this Faculty Learning Community and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit our FacultyBadges@GVSU website.

Meeting Dates//Times: Meets from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on the following dates—

9/20
10/11 & 10/25
11/8 & 11/22
12/6

Location/Campus: JHZ 3068 (Zumberge Hall), Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Dauvan Mulally, Writing, [email protected]

Co-facilitator: Denise Goerisch, Integrative, Religious and Intercultural Studies (IRIS), [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Internships: Approaches, Strategies, and Best Practices

Winter 2020

How can we help students get the most out of their internships?

best practices for advising and evaluating student internship experiences
strategies for outreach, networking, and student preparation
approaches for building and strengthening relationships with employers and community partners

Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this Faculty Learning Community and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit our FacultyBadges@GVSU website.

Meeting Dates//Times: Meets from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on the following dates—

1/31
2/21
3/13
4/3 & 4/17

Location/Campus: Either DEV 117E or DEV 302E

Facilitator: Dauvan Mulally, Writing, [email protected]

Co-facilitator: Denise Goerisch, Integrative, Religious and Intercultural Studies (IRIS), [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Fall 2019

How might faculty provide a more inclusive learning environment through the concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional method that can address the diverse learning needs in today's classroom. The framework of UDL consists of instructional approaches that provide students with choices and alternatives in the materials, content, tools, context, and supports their use. This faculty learning community is for faculty who are interested in becoming more familiar with the concept of UD and UDL. Participants will become familiar with UDL framework for teaching and learning and will incorporate UDL into their courses. Faculty of all learning levels, knowledge and expertise are welcome.

Meeting Dates/Times: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. on the following Thursdays

September 19
October 10 & 24
November 7 & 21
December 5

Location/Campus: DEV 302E, Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitator: Dana Munk, Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow and Professor Movement Science, [email protected]

Co-facilitators: Amy Schelling, Education - Teaching and Learning, [email protected]

Julia VanderMolen, Public Health, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

KCON Writing Circle

Winter 2020

How can the strategy of a writing circle help KCON faculty develop their scholarly writing skills?

This writing circle will help KCON faculty develop their scholarly writing skills through peer accountability, support and review. This group will meet monthly and share progress towards writing goals. Selected speakers will be asked to present on topics that support scholarly writing. The group will report end of year outcomes. In addition, a writing retreat will be planned for an intensive, supportive writing experience. The group will collaborate with the Writing Center and other university resources.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meeting from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. on the following Mondays

January 20
February 10
March 9
April 13

***There will also be an off-site retreat on May 6th from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.***

Location/Campus: CHS 536, Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitators: Susan Strouse, Nursing, [email protected]
Rebecca Davis, Nursing, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

"Making Waves" in the African Diaspora

Fall 2019 — Winter 2020

What is the relationship, if any, between water and freedom in the history of the African Diaspora?

This faculty learning community seeks to interrogate the relationship between water and the history of the African diaspora. In our contemporary moment, water may often be associated with notions of fear, vulnerability, or trauma in communities of African descent. However, research suggests that African worldview and experience prior to the spread of global slavery created meaning in and through water that fostered self-making and, in some instances, secured freedom. Using Kevin Dawson's recent book Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora as a springboard for discussion, we will theorize the ways in which a more nuanced understanding of the connections between race and water can inform pedagogy (public or institutional) as well as communal well-being.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meeting 1 p.m.- 2 p.m. on the following dates— 2/3, 3/9, 3/30

Location/Campus: JHZ 3068, Allendale Campus

Facilitators: Regis Fox, English, [email protected]
Sherry Johnson, English, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Practicing Mindfulness

Fall 2019

How can we overcome some of the common hurdles to including mindfulness meditation into daily life in an age of constant distraction?

Research has shown that mindfulness practice can help manage stress and anxiety and improve both physical and emotional well-being. Teaching our mind how to focus and be present can be challenging and frustrating. In this FLC, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about mindfulness meditation and how to practice it. Through reading and discussion, simple tools will be introduced that can help incorporate mindfulness meditation practice into the daily routine. Participants will also share ideas and form connections with other professional colleagues who share an interest in exploring mindfulness meditation practice.

Meeting Dates/Times: 1 p.m.–2 p.m. on the following Mondays

September 9* & 23
October 7 & 28
November 11* & 25

Location/Campus: CHS 240, Health Campus (Cook-DeVos Health Sciences)

*Exception: the meetings on September 9 and November 11 will be held in CHS 140

Facilitator: Martina Reinhold, Physician Assistant Studies, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Practicing Mindfulness-discover inner peace and serenity!

Spring/Summer 2020

How can we become more adept at handling our daily tumult, busyness and stressful situations both at work and home? How can we transform the relationship with ourselves and the world around us?

Research has shown that mindfulness practice can help manage stress and anxiety and improve both physical and emotional well-being. Teaching our mind how to focus and be present helps us to stop running and develop a more fulfilling and harmonious life. Mindfulness practice encourages the development of greater awareness, allowing us to be more in the present moment. Studies have shown that teachers who practice mindfulness bring a calmer and more engaged presence to their students. In this FLC, participants will have the opportunity to discover what can be done to put an end to the habitual thoughts, emotions and busyness that limit us from achieving happiness and self-realization.

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Pew Downtown Campus

Facilitator: Martina Reinhold, Physician Assistant Studies, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Practicing Mindfulness: Life Skills to Handle Stress and Everything Else!

Winter 2020

How can we become more adept at handling our daily tumult, busyness and stressful situations both at work and home?

Research has shown that mindfulness practice can help manage stress and anxiety and improve both physical and emotional well-being. Teaching our mind how to focus and be present helps us to stop running and develop a more fulfilling and more harmonious life. In this FLC, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about mindfulness meditation, its positive impact on our emotions and anxiety, and how to practice it. Studies have shown that teachers who practice mindfulness bring a calmer and more engaged presence to their students. Through reading and discussion, simple tools will be introduced that can help incorporate mindfulness meditation practice into the daily routine.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meeting from 1 p.m.–2 p.m. on the following dates— 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/17, 2/24, 3/23, 3/30, 4/13

Location/Campus: Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitator: Martina Reinhold, Physician Assistant Studies, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Reach/Teach Gen Z

Fall 2019

What do experts have to say about the unique characteristics of the current cohort of students, and how can their learning outcomes be maximized?

Ever feel as though you've lost your knack for connecting with students? Courses you've spent years honing suddenly no longer resonate, your tried-and-true methods and techniques falling flat? Don't panic—you're not an old fogie, but we may need to get retooled in order to reach a cohort that was weaned on the smartphone and came of age during the Great Recession. In this FLC we will examine recent research on Generation Z plus bring in campus experts; together we will forge new strategies to enhance our effectiveness and maximize our students' learning.

Meeting Dates//Times: Meeting from 2 p.m.–3 p.m. on the following dates—10/4, 10/11, 11/1, 11/22, 12/6

Location/Campus: Ferris Coffee (227 Winter Ave NW), Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitator: David Eick, Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow and Modern Languages and Literatures, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Reach/Teach Gen Z

Winter 2020

What do experts have to say about the unique characteristics of the current cohort of students, and how can their learning outcomes be maximized?

Meeting Dates//Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Ferris Coffee (227 Winter Ave NW), Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Facilitator: David Eick, Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow and Modern Languages and Literatures, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Sometimes It Ain't Easy and That Is Okay

Winter 2020—Fall 2020

How can we introduce "desirable difficulties into our courses to promote student learning?

Cognitive science has identified some ways of learning/studying that seem difficult/ineffective to students, but are actually key to developing understanding. In the winter semester we will examine these "desirable difficulties" (DD) and the research supporting them. During the later part of the first semester, participant will begin designing/revising selected aspects of their course to include one or more DD. During the next semester, the fall, these will then be implemented in the course. Also during the fall, participants will meet to discuss the implementation, data collection, and evaluation of impact of the DD on student learning. At the end of the FLC the participants will be encouraged to turn in a brief write up of their results for dissemination on Scholar Works.

Digital Badge: To earn a badge associated with this Faculty Learning Community and for more information about the FacultyBadges@GVSU Initiative, visit our FacultyBadges@GVSU website.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meeting from 8:30 a.m.–9:45 a.m. on the following dates— 2/4, 2/25, 3/17, 3/31

Location/Campus: JHZ 3068 (Zumberge), Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Tom Pentecost, Pew FTLC Faculty Fellow and Chemistry, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Statistical Thinking Across the Curriculum: STAC Together

Winter 2020

How can faculty model statistical thinking through the concepts presented in their courses?

Statistical thinking is an investigative approach to solve unfamiliar problems and make better decisions using data and statistical concepts. In this FLC, participants will develop open-access, active learning resources that model statistical thinking and data skills within their discipline. Participants will become familiar with best practices for students' learning and memory, instructional design, and assessment as we work together in developing these statistical thinking resources. To provide a rich discussion and varied examples of teaching and learning, faculty from any discipline are encouraged to register for this FLC.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meeting from 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. on the following dates— 2/7, 2/21, 3/20, 4/3, 4/17

Location/Campus: JHZ 3062 (Zumberge), Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Bradford Dykes, Statistics, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Surviving Climate Crisis Through Education

Fall 2019—Winter 2020

What is the role of liberal arts education in preparing students to fully understand, mitigate, adapt to, cope with and make ethical decisions to address the global crisis?

Global climate crisis has adverse impacts on all aspects of environment and society. The generation of our students is particularly attuned to climate crisis and deeply distressed about it. Our future is uncertain and our children and students will be tasked with designing and implementing new solutions. Liberal arts education provides the best approach to study complex problems, such as climate change from multiple angles and empower teachers and learners through interdisciplinary problem solving. Whether we address equity and social justice, refugees and forced migration, deforestation and soil degradation, biogeochemical cycles or ocean dynamics, climate change provides a focal point for their nexus. From poetry to physics, from political science to digital studies, from geography to ethics, every major or area of study today inevitably deals with challenges of climate change. The proposed FLC will provide an important platform for interdisciplinary faculty collaboration to support climate change education across disciplines.

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Elena Lioubimtseva, Geography and Sustainable Planning Department, [email protected] Laura Schneider, Political Science Department, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Teaching About Trauma and Resilience Across Disciplines

Fall 2019

How can we use an interdisciplinary perspective to improve coverage of trauma and resilience in courses across the curriculum?

This group will bring together faculty interested in learning how we can infuse information about trauma and resilience in human development into courses across GVSU curriculum by identifying a common language/framework for teaching about the topics and sharing discipline-specific knowledge and strategies for covering these topics. We will also brainstorm about how we can work within the current Grand Valley State University curriculum to expand student learning about these topics across their academic careers (e.g. issues courses, badge programs, service learning opportunities etc.).

Meeting Dates/Times: TBD

Location/Campus: Allendale Campus

Facilitator: Gwenden Dueker, Psychology Department, [email protected]

Interested? You can register for this FLC by completing an FLC Application.

Trauma, Resilience and Retention

Winter 2020

How can we infuse trauma-informed practices into GVSU practices and classrooms in ways that support student resilience and retention?

This group will bring together faculty interested in how we can apply information about trauma and resilience in human development to create better support members of the GVSU community. We will examine current Grand Valley State University practices, curricula and culture to identify opportunities to improve outcomes through the inclusion of trauma-informed practices and procedures.

Meeting Dates/Times: Meeting from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. on the following dates— 2/20, 2/27, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9