Getting Ready to Get Ready
Teaching Excellence Sessions | Summer 2025
Teaching Excellence Sessions at TAMU provide faculty new to teaching or new to teaching at Texas A&M with knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to create both engaging and effective learning environments for undergraduate and graduate students. It aims to foster a community of practice among faculty from multiple disciplines, where they can share their experiences, discuss and collaborate on teaching initiatives, continuously improve their pedagogical skills, and celebrate instructional successes.
Digital Learning
| Date & Time | Session |
|---|---|
Wednesday, July 16th 8:15 am – 3:30 pm | (In person) Digital Learning Expo The Center for Teaching Excellence is excited to invite you to the 2025 Digital Learning (DL) Expo. This On-site event will feature a series of engaging workshops designed to address the latest trends and innovations in the digital learning environment. The event will include sessions related to Digital Accessibility, Generative AI, Third Party tools, New analytics, and frequently requested Canvas topics. Registrants will walk away with practical strategies that can be incorporated in all courses and will receive various resources. |
Thursday, July 17th 8:30 am – 3:30 pm | (Virtual) Digital Learning Expo The Center for Teaching Excellence is excited to invite you to the 2025 Digital Learning Expo. This virtual event will feature a series of engaging workshops designed to address the latest trends and innovations in the digital learning environment. The event will include sessions related to Accessibility, Generative AI, Third Party tools, New analytics, and frequently requested Canvas topics. Registrants will walk away with practical strategies that can be incorporated in all courses and will receive various resources. |
Tuesday, August 5th 10:00 am – 11:00 am | In this session, we will look at how hard work at the beginning of the semester can have benefits later in the semester. Participants will review some steps that can make the process of setting up a Canvas course less confusing. A review of the Start of Semester checklist will be done during the session. Join us as we go through the steps to set up your Canvas course for the semester. You will have the opportunity to experiment with a few steps from this list. |
Pedagogy
| Date & Time | Session |
|---|---|
Wednesday, June 25th 9:00 am – 10:00 am | Introducing Generative AI in the Classroom This workshop is designed for faculty members who are at the initial phase of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their classrooms. The objective of this workshop is to provide educators with some strategies to effectively develop assignments that incorporate AI concepts. Additionally, it will offer guidance on conducting activities that enhance AI literacy and promote critical thinking among students within an academic setting. |
Thursday, July 31st 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Syllabus: Tool for Instructor & Student Success The syllabus is often the first impression learners have of a course and instructor. It is also a statement of course design and, if done well, a guide for student success. This session will identify syllabus requirements and address how emphasis on how component alignment, language, and tone benefit learners. |
Tuesday, August 5th 9:00 am – 10:00 am | Empower and Engage: High-Impact Teaching for Student Success Join us for an interactive, informative session designed to transform your teaching to support student success. High-impact practices, such as community-engaged learning, collaborative projects, writing-intensive courses, and capstone seminars, are instructional practices that have been widely shown to benefit students from diverse backgrounds. This session will equip you with actionable strategies to enhance course design, stimulate student engagement, and drive academic excellence. Perfect for educators seeking to invigorate their courses and inspire their students, this workshop offers practical tools to foster meaningful and engaged learning experiences that unlock student potential. |
Course Design Series
| Date & Time | Session |
|---|---|
Tuesday, July 15th 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Session 1 - Crafting Learning Outcomes, the Foundation of a Course Introduction to the course design cycle and learning outcomes as the foundation for a well-aligned course. Discover tools that support outcome creation/revision. Plan with course context such as level, class size, etc. in mind. See examples and practice writing/revising learning outcomes and receiving feedback. Additionally, explore ways to share learning outcomes with students through Canvas. Begin working on your course alignment map. |
Tuesday, July 22nd 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Session 2 - Designing Assessments Assessment choices are informed by course learning outcomes. Explore how assessments can enhance skill development and drive deep learning. Discover how balancing formative and summative assessments to provide timely, actionable feedback supports active engagement of learners. Also, learn about different tools in Canvas that can assist with assessing students. Update your course alignment map. |
Tuesday, July 29th 2:00 pm – 3:00pm | Session 3 - Creating Learning Experiences Learning experiences are the ways students need to engage with content, instructor, and peers to achieve outcomes. Explore approaches that actively engage students and promote deep learning. Review tools that support student demonstration of achievement. Learn how to address concepts like accountability, relevance, transparency, sequencing, and feedback impact student success. Examples for both traditional and digital classrooms will be offered. Advance your course alignment map. |
Upcoming CTE Workshops:
Previous Workshops Offered at the CTE - Check Back Soon for Upcoming Offerings |
January 11th, 2024
| Time | Sessions | Recording |
| 1:00-2:30 pm | Measuring, Motivating, and Monitoring Learning In this session, participants will explore the overarching question: How will you and your students know what they know and are able to do as a result of your course? Monitoring and measuring learning can also motivate learners as can the use of transparent approaches and in class feedback. Faculty from different disciplines and course types will share about measures (e.g., assignments, exams, quizzes, ungraded activities) they have found beneficial in helping them (and their students) understand how well learning outcomes have been met in the course. Specifically, the use of Peerceptiv as a peer evaluation tool in large classrooms will be highlighted. | - |
| 8:30-10:00 am, 10:30-12:00 pm, 3:00-4:30 pm | Launch with Canvas Optimize your Canvas courses for the spring semester in only 90 minutes. By taking a deep dive into the topics of course design, content delivery, and the student experience you will develop several tactics to enhance student engagement and increase instructor efficiency. This workshop combines the theoretical ideas of course design with applied learning in Canvas. The session will contain interactive discussions and designed working times where attendees will have the opportunity to experiment with their course and ask questions in a supportive environment. *Please Note: All three session contain the same content at different times. | YouTube |
| 8:30-10:00 am, 10:30-12:00 pm, 3:00-4:30 pm | Soar with Canvas Through an exploration of key topics that center around the idea that Canvas is a tool for engaging all students in a class of any modality, you will allow your Canvas course to move past the launch phase and soar to reach its maximum effectiveness. Optimize your Canvas courses for the spring semester in only 90 minutes. By taking a deep dive into the topics of course design, content delivery, and the student experience you will develop several tactics to enhance student engagement and increase instructor efficiency, *Please Note: All three session contain the same content at different times. | YouTube |
January 10th, 2024
| Time | Sessions | Recording |
| 10:00-11:30 am | Facilitating Learning: An Introduction to the 5 Families of Teaching Strategies This session explores the overarching question: How will you facilitate student learning? Focusing on the alignment between course learning outcomes and teaching strategies, participants will be introduced to the Five Families of Teaching Strategies as a framework for facilitating diverse learning goals. Participants will engage in small group discussions reflecting on the unique learning outcomes of their courses and practical strategies that can be employed to help students meet those learning outcomes. In addition, best practices uses of teaching strategies such as discussion within the Canvas system will be highlighted. | - |
| 2:00-3:30 pm | Creating Student-Centered Learning Environments to Successfully Navigate Potentially Challenging Situations and Controversial Topics Proactive teaching methods and approaches can help instructors successfully navigate teaching in today’s hyperpolarized sociopolitical environment. This interactive session focuses on potential ways instructors can create supportive learning environments, facilitate student learning, nurture dialogue, promote active listening, and encourage respect for all learners. | - |
Early Bird - Getting Ready to Get Ready
| Date / Time | Sessions | Recording |
| Monday, November 13 8:00-9:00am | Learning Outcomes & Canvas This working session is an opportunity to share a learning outcome and receive feedback from peers and a facilitator. In addition, participants will be able to set up their Canvas shell, regardless of course modality for the upcoming semester. Participants are asked to have a draft syllabus ready to reference during the session, if available. The Getting Ready to Get Ready Series is open to faculty at any career stage. | - |
| Wednesday, November 29 8:00-9:00am | Assessment & Canvas This working session is an opportunity to share an assessment approach and receive feedback from peers and a facilitator. In addition, participants will be able to set up their Canvas shell, regardless of course modality for the upcoming semester. Participants are asked to have a draft syllabus ready to reference during the session, if available. The Getting Ready to Get Ready Series is open to faculty at any career stage. | - |
| Tuesday, December 5 8:00-9:00am | Activities, Assignments & Canvas This session is an opportunity to share an activity or assignment approach and receive feedback from peers and a facilitator. In addition, participants will be able to set up their Canvas shell, regardless of course modality for the upcoming semester. Participants are asked to have a draft syllabus ready to reference during the session. The Getting Ready to Get Ready Series is open to faculty at any career stage. | - |