Programming Notes

Jill Pruetz talks about students' field experiences

From using time wisely to teaching entrepreneurship, from preventing plagiarism to evaluating oral reports, CELT's fall programming has offered a variety of topics and sessions.

In what has become a tradition, the first Faculty Forum of the year featured teaching tips from faculty recognized for their teaching. Tips ranged from ways to keep teaching fresh to the benefits of using Godzilla movies to teach critical thinking.

Teaching and Learning Circles, small groups discussing a topic or book over several meetings, have been held this term on the scholarship of teaching and learning and on ways to teach problem-solving skills. The books for this semester's T&L Circles, Balancing Acts: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Academic Careers by Mary Taylor Huber, and Surpassing Ourselves: An Inquiry into the Nature and Implications of Expertise, by Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia, have been purchased for the CELT library, 3024 Morrill Hall. Plans are in the works for Spring 2005 Circles on lifelong learning and critical thinking, and on the characteristics of great teachers.

Alex Tuckness offers a Teaching Tip

An emerging theme in programming for this year has concerned ways to create and maintain motivation among students. Susan Yager, CELT Associate Director, presented a workshop on the topic this semester (see article), and a linked series of workshops on visual, electronic, and oral communication demonstrated many effective practices for helping and motivating students. (Detailed handouts from these sessions can be obtained from the CELT Library, 3024 Morrill Hall). In addition, November's CELT Faculty Forum, "Providing Academic Challenge" (Nov. 17) is aimed at creating rigorous and challenging learning experiences that will motivate students to do their best.

CELT's programming for next semester will also include an emphasis on student motivation. Among the sessions planned are two on using group work successfully; a series of linked workshops on teaching large classes effectively; and a workshop on motivating seniors. The full schedule of CELT events and Learning Technologies workshops will be online at www.celt.iastate.edu/events early in the spring semester.