News

December 7 Teaching & Learning Newsletter

Dec 7, 2017, 14:43 PM

 

View the CITL Teaching & Learning Newsletter December 7

Announcements

We hope your semester has been a good one

We've worked with a lot of great instructors this semester, and we hope everyone's classes have gone well. We look forward to working with you again next semester, and to meeting new instructors interested in excellent teaching and meaningful learning.  For now: a look at what is coming up.

Compass workshops continue through December and January

Though most of our pedagogy workshops won't be back until after classes begin in the Spring semester, several Compass training opportunities are available before then. See the Technical Training section at the end of this newsletter to find out when you can brush up on your Compass skills.

Virtual Reality Escape & De-Stress Event

Need to get away from the stress of finals? Feeling a little blue around the holidays? We've got you covered! Join us at the TechHub (Armory 151A) from 1-4 pm on Reading Day, Thursday, December, 14th for an opportunity to escape for a bit in virtual reality and other fun activities. Did we mention you can 3D print a mini-bust of yourself or create a personalized ornament? Everyone is invited and it's all free! Counseling Center representatives will be available with resources and information.

EOL 585: College Teaching Course, Spring 2018, Registration now Open

Due to high demand, the enrollment cap for this course has been increased.  Only a few spaces remain, so act fast if you are interested!

This course builds on the scholarship and best practices in higher education related to effective teaching and learning.  This will be a highly interactive course as we explore the literature and discuss ways in which we can develop and sharpen our instructional abilities for the benefit of our current students and for our future careers. There will be opportunities for you to question, wonder, and practice various approaches to teaching and to create a teaching portfolio documenting your efforts. The course fulfills one of the requirements for the graduate minor in college teaching and for one of CITL’s teaching certificates. This course is offered by CITL and the Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership. It will be in the 2nd half of the spring semester as a weekly synchronous online course on Wednesdays from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.  Follow this link for more information about this course.

Attention Engineering TAs! ENG 598 TL: Teaching and Leadership - Registration Open

ENG 598 TL: Teaching and Leadership is being offered for Spring 2018. This course helps to develop professional skills through practical training in classroom management and a review of pedagogy and theory of learning. In the course, you will create communities of practice through discussions and team building activities; become familiar with campus resources for teaching improvement; discover innovative teaching methods, including active learning, through exposure to educational research topics. Completion of the 2-credit hour course can be applied towards the Graduate Teacher Certificate or the Certificate in Foundations of Teaching, offered by CITL. CRN 65705, 1 credit hour; CRN 67328, 2 credit hours.  See the course listing here - be sure to look for sections TL or TL2.

Final Exam Hours - Exam Services

Exam Services will be hold extended hours during the final exam period:

  • Fri, Dec 15th 8:30am - 6pm
  • Sat, Dec 16th 10am - 2pm
  • Mon Dec 18th - Thurs Dec 21st, 8:30am - 6pm
  • Fri, Dec 22nd, we will be open our regular hours, 8:30am - 12, 1-5pm.

We will reopen after the holidays on Tues, Jan 2nd, 2018 at 8:30am. We are located in room 247 of the Armory Bldg. Contact us at #244-3839 or exams@illinois.edu.

Intensive language classes open to all (Winter 2018)

The Intensive Foreign Language Instruction Program offers low-cost classes in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Latin, Greek, and ESL Conversation (new this year!). Courses are taught by UIUC instructors. Open to everyone; not for credit, just for fun! We offer various levels and different time options. Courses are held January 2-12. Click here for more information and to register. If you have any questions, please email Prof. Florencia Henshaw (henshaw2@illinois.edu).

CITL Events & Workshops

Want to see what workshops and events are coming later in the system? Look at our full calendar for more information.

CITL Technical Training

Friday, Dec. 15
Compass 2g Workshop: The Essentials
10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M., room 428, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards
 
Thursday, Jan. 4
Compass Tests, Surveys, and Pools
1:30 P.M. - 2:30 P.M., room 428, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards
 
Friday, Jan. 5
Compass 2g Workshop: The Essentials
3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M., room 428, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards
 
Wednesday, Jan. 10
Compass 2g Workshop: The Essentials
10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M., room 428, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards
 
Wednesday, Jan. 10
Compass Grade Center
1:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M., room 428, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards
 
Thursday, Jan. 11
Compass 2g Workshop: The Essentials
2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M., room 249, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards
 
Friday, Jan. 19
Compass 2g Workshop: The Essentials
11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M., room 428, Armory
Speaker: Rich Furr & Adam Edwards

Training Opportunities Across Campus

Want to see what training opportunities exist across campus? Look at the Illinois Staff Training Calendar for more information.  Also check out the Savvy Researcher Series.

Wednesday, Dec. 20
Adobe CC Services Demo
10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M., room 27, Illini Hall
Sponsor: FAST3/Webstore Training Services

Teaching Tips

Strategies to Share with Your Students on How to Prepare for Final Exams

Finals week can be a stressful time for all students–I know it is for me. So, knowing how to properly prepare for finals is the key to avoiding stress and acing every single one of your exams. Of course, all students would love to relax by receiving massages or by the healing power of dogs before finals (I sure would!).  But, we all know this isn’t really possible. There needs to be a uniform way to assess our performance as students and it has to happen at some point (hence, “finals”). So how else can we lower stress and know that we’re on the right track to excel in each course? Well, here are some proven methods that will have you focused and better prepared for final exams.

Teaching Tip: Ending a Course

The last few days of a course are often hectic for both teachers and students, and it is easy to miss out on a final few chances to wrap up the learning that has occurred throughout the semester. As Maier and Panitz (1996) note, ending a course with only a final exam often leaves students with a feeling of dread or inadequacy, rather than with a sense of accomplishment. A better goal for teachers is to help our students leave the course with a solid idea of what they have learned and how they can carry that new knowledge and skill base into future experiences. Here are a few ideas of how you can end your semester in a meaningful way.

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