| Center for Teaching Newsletter: November 2024 | Supporting excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa
Welcome to the November edition of the Center for Teaching newsletter! As we approach the end of the semester, we're focusing this issue on finishing the semester strong and building momentum for the spring.
We are particularly excited to invite you to join us for the second-annual Rocklin Teaching and Learning Speaker Series on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom. The series is named in honor of the Center for Teaching’s founding director, Dr. Tom Rocklin, who served the university in various capacities for more than 30 years before retiring in 2017. Dr. Rocklin will be providing brief opening remarks for this year's event.
The 2025 Rocklin Speaker is Dr. Bryan Dewsbury, Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Director of the STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University. Dr. Dewsbury will explore a more comprehensive view of what is possible from a high-quality education experience. While subject matter expertise will always be important, college classrooms afford us an opportunity to engage the whole student in ways that prepares them to be respectful, engaged, and open-minded members of an evolving democracy.
| | | Introducing our 2024-25 Graduate Teaching Fellows | Learn about the Center for Teaching's latest cohort of Graduate Teaching Fellows! These graduate students are delving deep into the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), honing their teaching skills, and preparing for impactful academic careers across various disciplines. Discover their unique stories and the insights they've gained through this enriching experience.
| | | Designing Aligned Assessments in Experiential Education | Join the Center for Teaching and the Pomerantz Career Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 in the Blank Honors Center (room 214) for an interactive retreat focused on developing assignments for experiential learning environments. This session will provide an overview of experiential education and backward design, showcase real-world examples, and facilitate group discussions. Participants will have dedicated time for assignment design and the opportunity to workshop experiential education assignments and corresponding assessments with fellow instructors.
| | | Ending on a High Note: The Last Week of Class | As the semester concludes, finish your course strong by taking time to revisit core concepts, prepare students for final exams, and gather feedback. This popular guide discusses strategies for deepening student reflection, integrating learning, and planning for impactful final assessments.
| | | Designing and Teaching General Education Courses | Find out more about how to effectively design, propose, and teach General Education courses by checking out the resources on our latest Teaching Topic webpage. These materials are designed to provide valuable insights for creating engaging and impactful learning experiences in a general education course.
| | | Advancing Strategic Goals: The Center for Teaching's Role | Multiple initiatives supported by the Center for Teaching, such as the TA Peer Mentor Program, Students as Partners, and Community Engaged Courses, are highlighted in the Year 2 Progress Report for the University of Iowa's 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. These programs are just a few of the ways the center is supporting the strategic plan priority of excellence in teaching and learning.
This is our final newsletter of 2024. Thank you for continuing to support us! Our next newsletter is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15. If you have suggestions for the newsletter or would like to provide us with feedback, email teaching@uiowa.edu.
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The Center for Teaching will be closed Nov. 25 - Nov. 29 for Fall Break. | | | |
