From the CFT Stacks: Race, Equity, and the Learning Environment
Jul. 25, 2018—Race, Equity, and the Learning Environment: The Global Relevance of Critical and Inclusive Pedagogies in Higher Education Edited by: Frank Tuitt, Chayla Haynes and Saran Stewart Faculty and administrators in higher education around the world are becoming aware of the need to address the systemic practices and barriers that contribute to inequitable educational outcomes of...
Newly Revised CFT Guide on Creating Accessible Learning Environments
Jul. 19, 2018—Graduate Teaching Fellow, Amie Thurber, along with Assistant Director Joe Bandy, have prepared a newly updated teaching guide for creating inclusive and accessible higher education classrooms. While it is first and foremost designed to help instructors in their efforts to create inclusive equality for disabled students, it has content that will help all students access,...
Teaching at Vanderbilt New Faculty Orientation is Thursday, August 16th
Jul. 16, 2018— At the beginning of every academic year, the Center for Teaching hosts “Teaching at Vanderbilt,” an orientation for junior and senior faculty new to Vanderbilt. The orientation features an introduction to strategies for launching a successful teaching career at Vanderbilt, with concurrent sessions on a variety of practical topics. Teaching at Vanderbilt is an...
Just-in-Time Teaching Conference – August 20th and 21st
Jul. 11, 2018—It’s never too late to make a good decision, right? Although planning fall courses starts long before the start of classes, we recognize that many instructors are still making course design and implementation decisions right up to the wire. That’s why we’re offering a variety of teaching workshops for Vanderbilt instructors on August 20th and...
Need Help Using Brightspace as you Plan for Fall Classes?
Jul. 9, 2018—As you prepare your fall courses, keep in mind all of the Brightspace resources we offer here at the Center for Teaching. If you prefer to peruse our on-demand resources on your own, we have a growing list of frequently asked questions that include step-by-step instructions and screenshots. If you want to sit down with...
CFT Publications Spotlight: Joe Bandy
Jul. 2, 2018—How can we help students connect what they learn inside the classroom to the world outside the classroom? And, when we do so, how can we know what kind of an impact these experiences have on students and the broader community? These are the questions that drive much of CFT assistant director Joe Bandy’s research...
Reflecting on Teaching: What? For Whom? Why?
Jun. 21, 2018—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 self-analysis such as teaching workshops or individual...
From the CFT Stacks
Jun. 20, 2018—The Power of Integrated Learning by William M. Sullivan This book makes a case for an approach that combines the strengths of liberal arts, professional studies, and civic responsibility in order to give students the combination of skills and experience that will prepare them for success in all aspects of life after graduation. The author...
Workshop Collaboration Leads to New CFT Teaching Guide: Developing and Writing a Diversity Statement
Jun. 18, 2018—In April, The Vanderbilt Center for Teaching partnered with The Office of Inclusive Excellence and The Office for Career Development at The Graduate School to provide an introductory workshop on developing a written diversity statement. The session was facilitated by Graduate Teaching Fellow Sara Beck and CFT Assistant Director Joe Bandy and featured a Q&A...
Natasha Casey and Spencer Brayton featured in Leading Lines Ed Tech Podcast
Jun. 14, 2018—In this episode, the newest member of the Leading Lines team, Melissa Mallon, brings us an interview about teaching critical media literacy. The interview features Natasha Casey, a communications professor at Blackburn College in Illinois, and Spencer Brayton, library manager at Waubonsee Community College, also in Illinois. While Brayton was at Blackburn College, he and...