The Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching promotes university teaching that leads to meaningful student learning. Our offerings are available to any members of the Vanderbilt community interested in developing their teaching practices.
September Teaching Visit Opportunity
Sep. 15, 2015—The Teaching Visits program is an important way by which the CFT promotes collaborative inquiry and reflection, providing case-based opportunities for Vanderbilt teachers to consider choices they have when constructing their classes. A small group of visitors observes a host’s class on a selected day and then engages in an hour of conversation with the...
An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching – Free Online Course Starts September 28th
Sep. 15, 2015—“An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching” is an open, online course designed to provide future STEM faculty—graduate students and post-docs—with an introduction to effective teaching strategies and the research that supports them. The goal of the eight-week course is to equip the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) faculty to be effective...
STEM Pedagogy Journal Club
Sep. 14, 2015—Vanderbilt’s STEM Pedagogy Journal Club is a student-driven initiative for graduate students and postdocs interested in teaching science at the undergraduate level. We will discuss teaching theory, teaching techniques, and the latest in research on science education. No previous teaching experience needed, just an interest to learn! Date: September 15 Time: 4pm Location: 11455 MRBIV...
Upcoming Blackboard Support Offerings
Sep. 14, 2015—September holds several opportunities to learn more about Blackboard. Drop-in hours will held weekly. Find the schedule on the Blackboard support site or the CFT website. We will also be conducting workshops about specific tools and features on Blackboard. Language teachers will be happy to hear that in the first two weeks of September, Blackboard...
Upcoming Graduate Student & Postdoc Teaching Workshop: Crafting Effective Teaching Statements – Wednesday, Sept 23rd, 3:30-5:00pm
Sep. 13, 2015—Crafting Effective Teaching Statements Facilitator: Dani Picard, Graduate Teaching Fellow, Center for Teaching Date & Time: Wednesday, Sept 23rd, 3:30-5:00pm Location: CFT Classroom, 1114 19th Ave South, 3rd floor In this workshop, we will address best practices for writing a teaching statement/philosophy for the academic job market. This workshop is open to Vanderbilt graduate students...
From the Director
Sep. 11, 2015—Think, Pair, Share. It’s a simple approach to engaging students in class discussions. Instead of asking a question of your class and waiting for a few students to respond, ask students to think about the question silently for thirty seconds, then pair up and discuss their responses for a minute or two. When you ask...
New Educational Technology Working Groups
Sep. 10, 2015—At the Center for Teaching, we regularly consult with faculty and graduate student instructors on ways to use technology to meet their teaching and learning objectives. Although technology use should always be driven by pedagogical priorities, sometimes instructors learn about particular technologies and want to explore ways those technologies might fit their teaching needs. This...