The new dates for the first Midwest Faculty Seminar, American Empire and the Exportation of Democracy, are Thursday, October 30 through Saturday, November 1, 2008.  We've received a corrected version of the MFS topics calendar for the year.

Applications from faculty who are interested in attending the Thursday through Saturday (Oct.30-Nov.1) seminar at the Midwest Faculty Seminar at the University of Chicago on American Empire (see description below) should communicate their interest in attending it to Paul Jacobson soon.  St. Ambrose University through the Center for Teaching is a member of the faculty enrichment/development Seminar.  There is no participation cost to the faculty member selected--registration, hotel, transportation and most meal costs are covered by the Center for Teaching Excellence.  Registration for this seminar has already opened.

Quite a few faculty have attended these seminars in the past and several would be happy to talk to anyone considering attending one in the future.  Recent attendees have included: Sandy Quinn (CrJu), Joe DeFrancisco (Theo), Jessica Gosnell (Phil), and Ragene Gwin (Kinesiology).

American Empire and the Exportation of Democracy – October 30-November 1, 2008
Advocates of the so-called American Empire insist that the United States has a moral obligation and a pragmatic need to promote freedom and democracy across the globe; critics claim that this practice violates our national ideals and increases global instability and violence. Military struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the looming possibility of expanded engagement in the Middle East, do little to resolve questions about America’s global role. Instead, they underscore how important it is to approach this thorny issue with thoughtful discussion and analysis. Is the American model of democracy a universalizable one? What counts as a democratic system, and what conditions are required for effective democracy? Can we resolve the tensions between a democratic electoral system and the exercise of imperial power? 


MIDWEST FACULTY SEMINAR ANNOUNCES SEMINAR TOPICS FOR THE YEAR

The Midwest Faculty Seminar (at the University of Chicago) has announced the four seminar topics and their dates fore the current school year.  They are: 

"American Empire and the Exportation of Democracy" on Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2008, 
                  "The Dialectic of Enlightenment" on January 15-17, 2009, 
                   "Troubled Waters" (re: water scarcity) on March 5-7, 2009, and 
                    "Religion and Morality" on April 16-18 2009.  
St. Ambrose has four spaces available this school year for faculty to attend these seminars at the University of Chicago. More information about the MFS seminars and information about applications to attend will be sent in future numbers of the News from the Center. Send any inquiries about this program to Paul Jacobson.

 

 

TEACHING CIRCLE TO DISCUSS PARKER PALMER BOOK

 

A teaching circle has been formed to discuss Parker Palmer's book "The Courage to Teach."  The circle will be led by Terry Schlabach and Brenda Peters.  The first meeting of the group is scheduled for October 15 at 3:00 p.m. in the private dining room of Cosgrove Hall.  No doubt, refreshments will be available.  

 

If any faculty member wishes to read the book, copies are available upon request from Christine Urish of the Occupational Therapy Department.  Over the summer more than 50 faculty read the new edition of Palmer's  book with copies provided by the CTE.  Two faculty who read it and wrote brief reviews are Jim VanSpeybroeck and Rachel Serianz.  Either of them, I feel sure, would be happy to give a quick recommendation to any faculty member who is considering reading it.     

 

 

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED 

The Online Classroom for September 2008 arrived recently and is being circulated to those faculty who  have asked to be included on the circulation list.  It includes articles on students who want synchronous learning, some tips from the pros on engaging students through multi-modal course design, some lessons for responsible textbook selection, using surveys to improve online courses, programs and instruction, and teaching online with Errol.  There are a couple of other articles in this number that might be of interest to faculty who use online instruction.  If you would like to be included on the routing list, please let Paul Jacobson know and your name will be added.
One of the articles makes a couple of suggestions that make a lot of sense not only for online courses but for regular classroom sessions as well.  They are: involve as many sensory modes as possible to break the monotony and reinforce the learning; and change the activity every 15-20 minutes.  Repeating the core of the lesson in multiple different modes of delivery reinforces the message and helps students with different learning styles learn it more easily.  "A typical lesson might include a web page, an animated PowerPoint presentation and perhaps a video."  This whole article on "The Tips from the Pros" is brief, to the point, very suggestive of strategies that work and worth reading.
Do consider checking it out. 

The National Teaching and Learning Forum 17:5 for September 2008 arrived this week.  It includes articles on first day questions for the learner-centered classroom,  cognitive assemblies: an exercise in course design, reconsidering mission statements, linking merit pay to better and better teaching, and finally a suggestion that maybe reading texts AFTER class makes more sense.  I found the last article (less than a page long) very interesting.  The suggestion is that in some cases a form of pre-reading skimming and creating a "mini organizer of a student's own" makes a great deal of sense and can be an excellent preparation for class, especially for very challenging texts that are filled with information.  The article on mission statements reconsiders how mission statements might be used in a corse--e.g., as a syllabus, as a way or establishing class mission and class community, and a way of encouraging integrity in the accomplishment of the mission.
This number of the FORUM s definitely worth a look if any of these topics tickle your interest.  It's available in the wall pockets 24/7. 



NEW DELL LAPTOP NOW AVAILABLE IN LIBRARY

Deb Duley, media services librarian, has announced that the new Dell laptop computer purchased by the Center for Teaching Excellence has arrived and is available for faculty checkout through Media Services in the Library.  It is available to use on or off campus and for longer and shorter periods of time.  Note that Media Services also has available for checkout portable data projectors and other electronic equipment that faculty may find useful when making presentations off campus or when traveling.



THE PROFESSOR IN THE CLASSROOM TIP ON COMMUNICATION SKILLS 

We have to give students input, advice, and feedback often. Therefore, be aware that any time you can give input, advice, and feedback to students without being judgmental, you’ll be much more effective in shifting the responsibility for performance to the student. And any time a student accepts the responsibility for his or her own performance, half the job of guiding students to better achievement has been accomplished.
Therefore, when talking to students, instead of saying “Your report is wrong or incomplete,” say “Add ‘this or that’ to your report’s table of contents—or focus more on this specific area.” Then, you’ll find students more receptive to your advice. 


ANNOUNCEMENT OF DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS IN TEACHING

Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships Program for Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching. During the next ten days, the Fellowships Office will mail you a promotional flyer describing this program. Full eligibility information and on-line applications are available on the National Academies Web site at: http://nationalacademies.org/fellowships 
Eligibility Requirements:
U.S. citizen or national;
Planning a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in a research-based field of science, social sciences, or humanities
Stipends and Allowances:
Predoctoral--$20,000 to the fellow, institutional allowance of $2,000 for three years
Dissertation--$21,000 for one year
Postdoctoral--$40,000 for one year, $1,500 employing institution allowance, to be matched by employing institution
Awardees have expenses paid to attend one Conference of Ford Fellows
Approximately 60 predoctoral, 35 dissertation, and 20 postdoctoral fellowships sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by the National Research Council of the National Academies
Application Deadline Dates:
Predoctoral: November 14, 2008
Dissertation: November 28, 2008
Postdoctoral: November 28, 2008

For further information, contact:
Fellowships Office, K576
National Research Council of the National Academies 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 334-2872
Fax: (202) 334-3419
E-mail: infofell@nas.edu


CTE SUPPORTED EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR CHECKOUT

The new DELL laptop computer purchased by the Center for Teaching Excellence is being imaged and will be available through Deb Duley in Media Services in the St. Ambrose Library (lower level) by Wednesday of this week.  Also available for check out in the library are portable data projectors, other computers, a set of audience response hardware and software, and other associated equipment for faculty use.  This past summer the CTE also purchased a high quality digital movie recorder that has already been put to use by Dr. Sandy Quinn in Criminal Justice.  Faculty are encouraged to find out what equipment is available through the media services office in the library and consider how you might make use of it in your courses.


CTE PERIODICAL SUBSCRIPTIONS ALWAYS AVAILABLE 

     The Center subscribes to College Teaching and CHANGE.  Back issues of these publications are in the latice-doored shelves in the reading area on the first floor (northwest corner) of the library.  Enjoy a beautiful view of campus and gorgeous sunsets as you peruse the back issues of the Center's publications.
     Three other publications subscribed to by the Center are available in several places on campus.  The Teaching Professor, The Professor in the Classroom and the National Teaching and Learning Forum are available as they arrive in three wall pocket locations: in the old snack bar area in Ambrose Hall (in Stingers, near the elevator, ground level), in the Cosgrove Hall private dining room near the drink dispenser, and in the coffee shop on Harrison St.-- as well as at ACCEL with Neala McCarthy and through Allison Ambrose in the College of Business. 
     Back issues of these publications are kept in the shelves in the Library on the first floor, northwest corner (along with the Center's book collection). All of the Center's subscription materials are available during the hours the St. Ambrose Library is open.  Most of the Center's book collection has been  catalogued into the general library collection but it is still kept in the latice-doored shelves. 

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Please contact any member of the CTE Advisory Committee with your suggestions or evaluations of our sponsored events, publications and programs.  The members of the Center's advisory committee for the 2008-2009 school year are:

      Shannon Mackie, Biology    Brenda Peters, Biology
      Sandra Quinn, Criminal Justice David O'Connell, Management
      Christine Urish, Occupational Therapy Paul Jacobson, Philosophy (Director)