Teaching Excellence Sessions Spring 2024
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.
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. | - |
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. | - |
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 |