Come Work at the Center for Teaching!
Jan. 27, 2021—Each year the Center for Teaching (CFT) hires a number of graduate students as part of its efforts to mentor and train graduate students, including those serving as teaching assistants or instructors of record here at Vanderbilt as well as those interested in developing teaching skills for future faculty careers. The CFT has several types...
BOLD fellow Deb Levy and mentor James Booth share findings on their online module to help build critical skills in scientific reading
Jan. 26, 2021—A difficult trade-off in scientific writing is the balance between accessibility and accuracy; scholarly science writing is often so meticulously accurate that it becomes inaccessible, while popular science writing is often so accessible that it can’t be accurate. The ability to effectively read, evaluate, and create scientific writing in all of its forms – scientific...
Brightspace Workshops
Jan. 25, 2021—CFT staff offer Brightspace workshops for instructors interested in learning how to use Brightspace tools effectively and efficiently. We are also available during the academic year to facilitate Brightspace workshops on topics both general and specific for departments, programs, and schools, upon request. Email brightspace@vanderbilt.edu to ask about these offerings or the possibility of an invited...
Upcoming Workshop: Self-Compassionate Teaching: Putting on your Oxygen Mask First
Jan. 21, 2021—The pandemic has impacted the teaching and learning experiences of both faculty and students. This interactive workshop will provide a space for faculty to pause and focus on themselves. We will offer an overview of self-compassion and practical ways to apply it to daily life; including a facilitated discussion on how this applies to teaching....
Upcoming Conversation on Teaching: Synchronous Sessions in Online Courses
Jan. 20, 2021—In this Conversation on Teaching, four faculty members will share their successes and challenges in facilitating synchronous sessions in online courses this fall. Thomas Clements and Kathy Friedman, both from the Department of Biological Sciences, will talk about their use of undergraduate Learning Assistants to facilitate interaction in a high-enrollment introductory course Diana Heney from the Philosophy Department...
Upcoming Conversation on Teaching: Hybrid courses: Approaches to engage your virtual and F2F students
Jan. 19, 2021—In this Conversation on Teaching, three faculty members will share their successes and challenges in teaching hybrid courses this fall. Jesse Blocher, Assistant Professor, Owen Graduate School of Management Julie Johnson, Professor of the Practice, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Marcy Singer-Gabella, Professor of the Practice, Department of Teaching & Learning They’ll describe...
Upcoming Conversation on Teaching: Group Work and Student Collaboration Online
Jan. 19, 2021—Student collaboration looks very different in online and socially distanced settings than in our traditional, face-to-face classes. This panel discussion will bring together members of the Vanderbilt teaching community who are using group work or student collaborative projects in their online or hybrid teaching. Panelists will present their group projects, describe the challenges they have...
Upcoming Conversation on Teaching: Accessibility and Equity in Course Design
Jan. 15, 2021—Are you interested in learning how to create equitable online spaces that are accessible to all students? This interactive panel discussion will bring together members of the Vanderbilt community who are experts on fostering accessibility in online learning spaces. Panelists will share effective practices and creative approaches for building and implementing accessible courses online. Participants...
Upcoming Workshop: Setting Classroom Expectations
Jan. 15, 2021—Communicating classroom expectations helps to set a strong foundation for a mutually beneficial course. This interactive workshop will cover strategies for setting clear expectations for student engagement and learning in face-to-face and online settings. This workshop is open to all Vanderbilt graduate students and postdocs, and those serving as teaching assistants or instructors of record...
Current Events in the Language Classroom
Jan. 14, 2021—by Stacey M. Johnson, CFT assistant director What is our obligation as teachers, even more specifically as language teachers, to bring current events into our classrooms? Following the horrors of January 6th, I saw many of my language teacher acquaintances brainstorm on social media how they might help students navigate these unsettling events in their...