Discuss challenges, brainstorm ideas, and think creatively!

As summer days taper off and a new academic year rolls in, many faculty, staff and instructors find themselves thinking strategically about their teaching, amidst the anticipation of another semester with new groups of students, new challenges and new material.

On Aug. 27 and 28, the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning is offering a unique event to address these instructors’ needs with Teaching Days 2019. These two days, comprising 17 free workshops, provide participants with a condensed opportunity to brush up on experiential learning, online learning, student engagement, course design fundamentals and effective use of teamwork, among many other topics.

Dr. Patti Dyjur, PhD, academic lead of the Educational Technology and Design team at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, believes Teaching Days workshops offer participants a chance to connect with the campus community, discuss universal challenges faced in physical and online classrooms and build peer support networks.

“There are a variety of sessions during Teaching Days, including panels and workshops that allow for interaction among presenters and participants,” Dyjur says. “The goal is to connect with others, learn and share. Participants will have the opportunity to share their perspectives and experiences. We hope they come away with renewed enthusiasm for the upcoming academic year, as well as meeting a few new people. There will be sessions where they can discuss challenges in the classroom, brainstorm ideas for teaching and learning strategies and think creatively about engaging students.”

Educational development consultant Dr. Kiara Mikita, PhD and learning and instructional design specialist Haboun Bair will co-present Creating Space for Creativity in Teaching and Learning on Aug. 27. Their workshop will introduce a variety of accessible and practical tools to generate a creative and playful energy to facilitate engagement and collaboration. This will be Bair and Mikita’s second year facilitating a workshop at Teaching Days.

“Teaching Days offers something for everyone,” Mikita and Bair note, “and can help kick off the academic semester with some practical teaching and learning tools that are ready to implement in small and relatable ways. The timing of the sessions, being offered at the start of the academic semester, might increase the likelihood of instructors remembering key takeaways so they can choose to revisit their course design and make small, ‘just-in-time’ changes that enhance their teaching approach.”

Read more below about the workshop offerings and how to register. 

Register: Program schedule: Aug. 27, 2019

Learner-centred course outlines
Haboun Bair, Lin Yu
Studio B (TI 118)
9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Start where you are: Strengths-based grassroots advocacy in first-year university
Dr. Cari Din, PhD
Studio F (TI 250)
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Experiential learning at the University of Calgary: A discussion tour
Rachel Braun
Studio E (TI 148)
9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Facilitating experiential learning in small and large classes
Dr. Annette Tézli, PhD
Studio E (TI 148)
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Responding and assisting students in distress
Kome Odoko
Studio F (TI 250)
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Teaching with technology
Laura Perissinotti, Isadora Mok-Kulakova
Studio B (TI 118)
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Creating space for creativity in teaching and learning
Kiara Mikita, Haboun Bair
Studio E (TI 148)
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

What to do on the first day of class
Dr. Patti Dyjur, PhD, Dr. Tracey Clancy, PhD, Dr. Melissa Boyce, PhD, Dr. Jessica Ayala, PhD
Studio F (TI 250)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Principles and practices of student assessment
Patrick Kelly, Ashley Weleschuk
Studio B (TI 118)
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

 

Register: Program Schedule: Aug. 28, 2019

Promoting student engagement and active learning in online discussion boards
Dr. Jessica Ayala, PhD, Dr. Patti Dyjur, PhD, Lin Yu
Studio E (TI 148)
9 a.m. - 10 a.m

Working with teaching assistant panel: Strategies and best practices
Dr. Kim Grant, PhD, Dr. Lisa Fedoruk, PhD
Studio F (TI 250)
9 a.m. - 10 a.m

Formative feedback for teaching development
Dr. Cheryl Jeffs, PhD
Studio B (TI 118)
9 a.m. - 10 a.m

Sharing stories on managing mental health: Pathways for student success
Suzanne Chew
Studio E (TI 148)
10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Course design essentials: Lining it up for success
Dr. Rod Squance, PhD
Studio F (TI 250)
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Escape room for teaching and learning
Haboun B., Isadora M.-K., Laura P., Kevin S., Lin Y., Ashley W.
Studio B (TI 118)
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Teaching controversial issues
Dr. Carol Berenson, PhD
Studio E (TI 148)
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Welcome to my classroom: Teaching and learning challenges think tank
Dr. Mayi Arcellana-Panlilio, PhD, Dr. Isabelle Barrette-Ng, PhD, Dr. Tracey Clancy, PhD, Dr. Patti Dyjur, PhD, Dr. Rod Squance, PhD
Studio F (TI 250)
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.