2015
Mark your calendar & spread the word about upcoming August orientations
Jul. 16, 2015—Teaching at Vanderbilt (TaV), an orientation for junior and senior faculty new to Vanderbilt, will be held from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 20th, 2015, in Buttrick Hall. Those interested in attending should RSVP by August 14th by registering online or by calling the Center for Teaching at (615) 322-7290. Throughout the week following TAV Orientation...
The CFT Welcomes New Assistant Director Vivian Finch
Jul. 14, 2015—We’re excited to welcome Vivian Finch as the CFT’s newest Assistant Director. Vivian’s name might sound familiar—she was a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the CFT last year and a Teaching Affiliate before that. Vivian is graduating this summer from Vanderbilt with a PhD in German literature, and we’re happy to have Vivian continue her work...
Training PhDs in the Biomedical Sciences: A Health Sciences Education Grand Rounds, July 8th
Jun. 24, 2015—Science faculty involved in graduate education at Vanderbilt might be interested in next month’s Health Sciences Education Grand Rounds talk by Dr. Michael Mulvany, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Dr. Mulvany will share some of the changes that are underway in the European Union as they seek to modernize the way they...
Reflecting On and Documenting Your Teaching Experiences
Jun. 18, 2015—Reflecting on Teaching: What? For Whom? Why? Often, the motivation to improve one’s teaching by revising practices or experimenting with new initiatives stems from reflection. This reflection often focuses on feedback received from others, such as student evaluations or peer reviews. Reflection further involves one’s own assessment of experiences, through self-observation and activities that foster...
The CFT Welcomes New Assistant Director for Educational Technology Stacey Johnson
Jun. 10, 2015—We’re excited to announce the upcoming appointment of Stacey Johnson as the CFT’s Assistant Director for Educational Technology. Beginning June 15th, Stacey will work with faculty, teaching assistants, and other instructors at Vanderbilt to enhance student learning through the use of Vanderbilt’s course management system, Blackboard, and other online learning platforms. Stacey is currently an...
Make the Most of Your Course Preparation Time This Summer
Jun. 8, 2015—Summer time is here, and many faculty members have a break from their usual schedules, a chance to slow down a bit and start planning their fall courses. If you have a breather, you may find this an opportune time to review and refresh your teaching plans and practices. The Center for Teaching is open...
From the Stacks…
Jun. 5, 2015— Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology by Diana Laurillard This book focuses on the learning community model that is the most flexible to implement in terms of scheduling, teacher collaboration, and design: the linked course. This volume covers both “linked courses” in which faculty may work to coordinate...
Thinking STEM, Teaching STEM: A Blog Series
Jun. 4, 2015—By Vivian Finch, CFT Graduate Teaching Fellow “Thinking STEM, Teaching STEM” is a blog series that spotlights some of the videos produced at Vanderbilt for the CIRTL MOOC course, “An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching.” This course drew on the expertise of experienced STEM faculty, educational researchers, and representatives of university teaching centers. As previously mentioned,...
Position Openings: Instructional Technologists, Deadline June 15th
Jun. 1, 2015—The Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching (CFT) is seeking applicants for two Instructional Technologist positions. These new positions will support faculty, students, and staff at Vanderbilt to enhance student learning through the use of Vanderbilt’s course management system and other online learning platforms. The Instructional Technologists will report to the CFT’s Assistant Director for Educational...
Thinking STEM, Teaching STEM: A Blog Series
May. 28, 2015—By Vivian Finch, CFT Graduate Teaching Fellow “Thinking STEM, Teaching STEM” is a blog series that spotlights some of the videos produced at Vanderbilt for the CIRTL MOOC course, “An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching.” This course drew on the expertise of experienced STEM faculty, educational researchers, and representatives of university teaching centers. As previously mentioned,...