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Grading Effectively and Efficiently

Aug. 23, 2010—Last week, CFT assistant director Derek Bruff facilitated a faculty workshop titled “Assessment of Student Learning: Grading Effectively and Efficiently.” During the workshop, the participants surfaced a few reasons why grading can be challenging, particularly in small classes and when grading student papers. Grading in Small Classes In a small class, students expect a lot...

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Using Visual Thinking in the Classroom

Aug. 20, 2010—As part of training for the CFT’s new Teaching Affiliates and Graduate Teaching Fellows, CFT assistant director Derek Bruff facilitated a workshop on using visual thinking in the classroom. Topics included enhancing one’s presentations with visuals and using visual thinking techniques as part of in-class activities. The visuals from Derek’s presentation can be seen below....

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“Why I Am a VUceptor” by CFT Assistant Director Kat Baker

Aug. 19, 2010—Today at the Commons, about a hundred Vanderbilt faculty are participating in training to be VUceptors. Each of these faculty members will partner with a Vanderbilt undergraduate and meet regularly with a small group of Vanderbilt first-years during their orientation experience and into the fall semester as part of Vanderbilt Visions. Visions is designed to...

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New CFT Guide on Sustainability and Pedagogy

Aug. 16, 2010—As part of the CFT’s ongoing work on sustainability across the curriculum (including a fall workshop, “Sustainability in the Classroom: Ecological Footprints“), we’ve developed a new teaching guide titled “Sustainability and Pedagogy.” The guide includes a discussion of the environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability, as well as strategies and resources for teaching issues...

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Call for Proposals – NEA Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants – Due October 5, 2010

Aug. 12, 2010—The Office of Digital Humanities at the National Endowment for the Humanities is requesting proposals for another round of digital humanities start-up grants. From the call for proposals: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invites applications to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants program. This program is designed to encourage innovations in the digital humanities....

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Episode 17 – Guil Gualda on Student Projects in Google Earth

May. 12, 2009—In this episode, we feature an interview with Guil Gualda, assistant professor of earth & environmental sciences. In the interview, Guil describes a course on the geology of national parks that he co-taught with his colleague Brendan Bream last fall. The course featured a field trip over fall break to the Grand Canyon, as well...

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Episode 16 – Lynn Ramey on Time-Efficient Teaching

Apr. 24, 2009—This episode continues our podcast series focusing on time-efficient teaching. Faculty at a research university like Vanderbilt must balance a number of competing demands on their time, including teaching, research, and service. For this series, we’re interviewing senior faculty members at Vanderbilt and asking them to share ways they teach effectively while making good use...

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Episode 15 – Ellen Fanning on Undergraduate Journal Clubs

Apr. 7, 2009—In this episode, we feature an interview with Ellen Fanning, professor of biological sciences. In the interview, Ellen describes her methods of helping undergraduate biology students learn to read scientific literature, develop scientific reasoning skills, and gain an interest in science that lasts beyond their coursework. Ellen uses a journal club format that she has...

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Episode 14 – Globalizing Your Curriculum

Mar. 26, 2009—This episode features audio recorded during a February 2009 lunch discussion co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching and the Global Feminisms Collaborative. The discussion was part of the Collaborative’s ongoing brown-bag series. You’ll hear the opening remarks made by the four panelists at that discussion: Tiffany Patterson, Associate Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies...

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Episode 13 – Tim McNamara on Time-Efficient Teaching

Feb. 5, 2009—This episode continues our podcast series focusing on time-efficient teaching. Faculty at a research university like Vanderbilt must balance a number of competing demands on their time, including teaching, research, and service. For this series, we’re interviewing senior faculty members at Vanderbilt and asking them to share ways they teach effectively while making good use...

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