Hello, everyone:
I hope this finds everyone well, and that those who are teaching Spring Term have had a smooth transition–and those of you who are not teaching Spring Term are not gloating in the company of those who are!
At this point, the CARPE mailing will be officially transitioning from crisis mode to newsletter mode, essentially providing folks with information about events and opportunities related to teaching and learning and our work in the liberal arts more generally. If you have materials you’d like to see included in these mailings, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ll do my best to include as much information as possible, space and time permitting. Preference will go to anything even vaguely funny, because we need that right now.
Many thanks, all. Please be well.
Paul
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Spring Term course design resources
2) Mays Imad on trauma-informed teaching
3) Remote Teaching While Introverted (an essay)
4) Two webinars on ensuring inclusion in virtual instruction
5) Two articles on raising our game in virtual instruction
6) Danielle Allen on how we can safely and ethically re-open our country and the economy
7) A gentle (and uplifting) reminder of the power of the liberal arts
8) Your weekly dose of faculty brilliance, courtesy of Lynn Rainville
- Spring Term course design resources
If you’re teaching a Spring Term course but weren’t able to take part in last week’s truncated course design workshop, you can still access videos, powerpoints, links, and other resources. - Mays Imad on trauma-informed teaching
I’ve referenced Mays Imad’s work before. A neuroscientist, bio-ethicist, and survivor of the first U.S. invasion of Iraq, Imad is uniquely qualified to address issues of teaching in a moment of trauma. Her work is compelling, so much so, in fact, that her recent webinar had nearly 2,500 attendees. If you’re interested in learning more about her work, we have access to a recording of this session, courtesy of Alessandra Del Conte Dickovick. In order to view the webinar, you’ll need to enter the password: trauma372. This video will only be available for 30 days. - Remote Teaching While Introverted (an essay)
If you haven’t yet come across the work of “Geeky Pedagogue” Jessamyn Neuhaus, you’re in for a treat: Neuhaus is unapologetic about embracing an introverted lifestyle that celebrates all things geek. This piece on remote instruction from an introvert’s perspective is gracious, funny, and wonderfully practical. If you give this piece a read and enjoy it, let me know: I’ve been thinking about forming a reading group around Neuhaus’s book, and wouldn’t mind some input. - Two webinars on ensuring inclusion in virtual instruction
Creating course structures and classroom practices that are truly inclusive is always difficult–and going virtual doesn’t make it any easier. For all who are interested, there are two webinars in the next week addressing this issue. The first is by Kelly Hogan and Viji Sathy, UNC-Chapel Hill scholars who visited W&L last fall. Their session is sponsored by the Chronicle of Higher Education and takes place tomorrow, Friday, 1 May at 2pm EST.The second webinar is sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) and takes place on Thursday, 7 May, from 2-3:00 PM. - Two articles on raising our game in virtual instruction
I hesitate even mentioning the next two resources because I don’t want to assume that we’ll still be virtual come fall. That said, I’m aware that faculty at W&L are intent on providing high-quality education, whatever the circumstances, so here goes:The first piece is from a few years back and asks four scholars who’ve authored books about online instruction for their top tips. It’s a quick and informative read, offering some ideas that might also apply to face-to-face instruction.The second piece engages in a thought experiment: are there ways that we can make virtual instruction better than face-to-face–even for small residential colleges? It’s a provocative argument, and worth the read.
- Danielle Allen on how we can safely and ethically re-open our country and the economy
This link comes from Ken Lambert, professor of computer science, and features Danielle Allen of Harvard, discussing what it will take to return both our country and our economy to “normal.” Allen’s talk does a nice job of clarifying how COVID-19 is, finally, a problem that requires liberal arts thinking, drawing in equal parts from STEM, the social sciences, and the humanities. If you’re looking for an opportunity to think a little more about the big picture, this will be helpful. - A gentle (and uplifting) reminder of the power of the liberal arts
Just a gentle reminder (from an essay written for an audience of international students) of the value of what we do as a liberal arts institution. Also, at a time where our institution is exploring possible changes to gen ed, an opportunity to glance at what some other schools are doing. - Your weekly dose of faculty brilliance, courtesy of Lynn Rainville
Finally, it seems appropriate to conclude with a flash of brilliance from one of our colleagues. More particularly, I’d like to share the “trailer” Lynn Rainville created for her Spring Term course as an introduction to the class for her students. It contains so much that is good: wit, charm, a sense of what tech can achieve, a sense of what the course is about, a sense of the approach the instructor will take with course and the students. Enjoy! And then, you know: emulate.