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TEACHING CIRCLE MEETINGS SCHEDULED: THE COURAGE TO TEACH (by PARKER PALMER)

A teaching circle focusing on Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach will have its first meeting on Wednesday, October 15th at 3:00 p.m. in the Cosgrove Hall private dining room. Over 75 faculty participated in reading the book over this past summer. Drs. Terry Schlabach (Occupational Therapy) and Brenda Peters are organizing this teaching circle which they project will meet monthly, probably on Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m.

Although this teaching circle will focus on the book, Courage to Teach, by Parker Palmer, we encourage anyone interested in the topics to attend whether you have read the book or not. We have several discussion questions listed below to initiate the first discussion, but the overall theme that we hope to explore is how knowing ourselves translates into authentic teaching and enhances our connections with students. The book by Parker Palmer as well as the teacher circle celebrates the art of teaching while at the same time encouraging us to reflect and grow as teachers. Please join us to enrich our conversations and enlighten us with your personal experiences.

See the discussion questions for the first meeting:

../teaching_circles.htm

[Thank you! to Dr. Christine Urish who coordinated the purchase, dissemination, and reading of this book.]

PUBLICATION RECEIVED

The Teaching Professor, 22:8 arrived this weekend and will be available in the wall pockets early this week. It includes articles on recognizing "teaching moments," "When teachers are "Present,"" successful classroom management, how blended learning works, the truly participatory seminar, and vocabulary tests as game shows. The cover article on "teaching moments" focuses on those times when the syllabus should become a suggestion rather than a constraint. Thinking outside the box is a suggestion about using a box and its contents to demonstrate the various degrees of attention by students and the results thereof. There are some interesting pieces here and worth a look over a cup of something warm. It will be in all of the wall pocket locations by midweek.

PRESENTATION ON THE NEW FACULTY/COURSE EVALUATION FORM

Thanks to Paul Koch and Corinne Winter for their presentations this past Tuesday, September 30 on the new (to SAU) faculty/course rating form (SIR II from ETS). Dr. Koch has agreed to repeat his presentation at a future date still to be determined. Paul Koch spoke about the form itself and distributed copies of it to all of those attending. Corinne Winter spoke about the way that course evaluation forms only one part of a richer and more detailed collection of data used by the PTS committee. Dr. Koch presented an analysis of the new form itself.

Announcement of the repeat presentation on the SIR II evaluation form will be announced in a future number of the News from the Center.

MFS SEMINAR ANNOUNCED FOR OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 1 LAST CALL

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 should communicate their interest in attending to Paul Jacobson as soon as possible this week.  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 attending--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 this one.  Recent attendees have included: Sandy Quinn (CrJu), Joe DeFrancisco (Theo), Barbara Pitz (English), 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?

PRESENTATION ON BLACKBOARD--INTERMEDIATE LEVEL--BEING PLANNED

After the success of the presentations at the President's Assembly at the opening of the semester, the Center has asked Dr. Jim VanSpeybroeck to offer a follow-up workshop on on using blackboard-intermediate level for interested faculty. Jim has agreed and we will schedule his presentation for a Tuesday afternoon later this semester. A complete announcement with detailed information will be included in a future number of the News from the Center.

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. TheTeaching 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.