Between grading, dissertation chapters, research deadlines, and maybe even walking a hyperactive dog or managing a toddler’s sudden obsession with dragons, graduate life can feel like a constant juggling act. That’s why we at the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) are always so inspired by the graduate students who make time for intentional… Read more »
Instructor Spotlight: “It was nice to do something different, unexpected, active and collaborative”
Are you a planner like I am? My colleagues often tease that I love to-do lists. My brain is happiest when I take a massive task and break it into digestible chunks. Are you similar? Or maybe you find big tasks daunting and you want help identifying smaller steps? However you approach tasks, I… Read more »
Quick Tip: Get all your Students Moving!
Seeing students getting sleepy? Try the “human histogram” classroom activity. Create a continuum along one wall. For example, one side of the wall may represent “strongly agree” and the opposite side represents “strongly disagree.” Pose a statement and have students arrange themselves along the continuum based on their opinions. Once students are settled, debrief as… Read more »
Announcement! We want to give YOU money!
Did that title grab your attention? Good! Because it’s the truth! The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) sponsors several grants, many of which have application deadlines in late February. While we’ll be thrilled if you apply for any of our grants, today I want to tell you about the Active Learning Grant. Some… Read more »
Quick Tip: From Hypothesis to Understanding – A Simple Classroom Activity
Looking for a new classroom activity that combines critical thinking and collaboration? Try “Demonstration Prediction!” Here’s how it works: Set the Stage: Introduce a demonstration that relates to the course material, keeping the outcome a mystery. Make Predictions: Ask students to predict the results of the demonstration; have them articulate their reasoning based on prior… Read more »
Quick Tip: Handling the Grad School Transition
This is my last “quick tip” in the series sharing what I learned from the amazing IUB instructors who facilitated workshops during our annual Associate Instructor Orientation. In case you missed the earlier ones (although I like to assume you read our blog posts as soon as they land in your inbox), I’ve already shared… Read more »