Academics

Dear colleagues,

It’s that time of year again: we are seeking nominations for the Honor Council—and we are looking to replace more than half the Council, so we are REALLY seeking nominations for the Honor Council. If you know of a student or students who are intelligent, fair-minded, dependable, and compassionate, please send their names to me sometime before next Monday, April 20. I’m committed to ensuring that we have a diverse council that best represents the student body here at Lawrence, so I would ask you to consider that commitment as you make your nominations.

Any rising sophomore, junior, or senior who has not been found in violation of the Honor Code or Judicial Code is eligible for membership, and multiple nominations are welcome.  Again, to nominate a student for the Honor Council, please email their name to me by a week from today: Monday, April 20. 

Thanks so much, friends,

________________________

Celia Barnes

Associate Professor of English

Faculty Advisor to the Honor Council

The Inclusive Pedagogy Committee invites you to join us for workshops with Dr. Michelle Miller:

Leveraging Psychology to Create Compelling Learning Experiences: Attention, Memory, and Thinking Skills

Educators are all in the business of changing minds: We build new memories, guide students in developing new skills, and promote the development of values and mindsets. Attention, memory, and higher thought processes are three aspects of the mind that are particularly critical to learning, and all align particularly well with the capabilities of instructional technologies.

In Part 1 of our workshop, we will explore the ways in which attention and memory shape learning, and apply those principles to challenges we face in designing learning activities.

Objectives

After completing Part 1 of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain major principles of memory and attention as they relate to learning
• Design learning activities that take advantage of the way memory and attention work
• Apply principles from research on memory and attention to address challenges in teaching and learning within their own courses
• Identify specific tools and technologies they want to explore further

In Part 2 of our workshop, we will explore the ways in which thinking skills develop and how that process can be accelerated using particular strategies for teaching and learning, with an emphasis on technologies that can help us implement those strategies.

Objectives

After completing Part 2 of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain major findings and concepts relating to the development of thinking skills, as well as barriers and challenges that often get in the way
• Design learning activities that take advantage of the way thinking works
• Apply principles from research on thinking to address challenges in teaching and learning within their own courses
• Identify specific tools and technologies they want to explore further

When:  Friday, Oct. 25

         Part 1 – 10:00 am – Noon

         Part 2 – 2:00 pm – 4:00 PM

Where:  Youngchild 041

The Inclusive Pedagogy Committee is also offering copies of her book, Minds Online, mentioned above.  Request a copy through through the RSVP link below.

We enthusiastically encourage all to attend!  To help us ensure available space/seats, please use the following link to RSVP your intent to join us: 

About Dr. Miller:

Author, Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology, Harvard University Press, 2014

Dr. Michelle D. Miller is Director of the First Year Learning Initiative, Professor of Psychological Sciences, and President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University.  Dr. Miller’s academic background is in cognitive psychology; her research interests include memory, attention, and student success in the early college career.

Dr. Miller co-created the First Year Learning Initiative at Northern Arizona University and is active in course redesign, serving as a Redesign Scholar for the National Center for Academic Transformation. She is the author of Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology (Harvard University Press, 2014), and has written about evidence-based pedagogy in scholarly as well as general-interest publications including College Teaching, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, and The Conversation.

Dr. Miller’s current work focuses on using psychological principles to help instructors create more effective and engaging learning experiences, and to help students become more effective learners.

Her recent piece for the Chronicle addresses choosing technology for courses:  https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/08262019-adviceguide-tech-choices?cid=wcontentgrid_hp_9

Fall Term Events:

September 10, 2019

Gregory Eells, Executive Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Pennsylvania

10:30-Noon – “Student Anxiety and Resilience” in Wriston Auditorium

2:30-4:00 – Nature Walk – Meet at Wriston

4:15-5:30 – “Nature Rx and How Nature Heals” in Wriston Auditorium

October 4, 2019

Deena Wassenburg, U of Minnesota, “When facts are not enough: understanding and addressing science denial in the classroom” (sponsored by the Northeast Section of the American Chemical Society)

October 16-18 (tentative)

Sara Brownell, ASU, on inclusive active learning and undergraduate research experiences

October 25, 2019

Michelle Miller, Arizona State University. “Learning Sciences and Effective Pedagogy.”

November (first week)

Fran Bagenal, CU-Boulder, Gender demographics in the STEM pipeline

Save the Date for these:

February 13, 2020

Celeste Miller, Grinnell College. “Transparency as a Pedagogical Tool.”

May 7, 2020

Marcia Chatelain, Georgetown University. “The Hidden Curriculum”

Grant Opportunity for you:

Course Redesign Grant – Application due January 14, 2020 – See attached Application