In his 2019 monograph, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein defends the importance of developing a diverse skillset to achieve career success through a close investigation of some of the world’s top performers and experts. Generalists, he argues, are creative, out-of-the-box problem-solvers who fully embrace the power of knowing a little… Read more »
Course Design
Integrating Community Engaged Learning in Your Course
Why do you teach what you teach? Why should students care to learn what you teach? I think almost all instructors care deeply about the subject matter they’re studying and teaching because we understand the impact of our scholarship on the world, although this isn’t true with all our students. Community engaged learning is a… Read more »
How to Introduce Your Syllabus
I hope you enjoyed Dr. Sean Sidky’s previous blog post, Creating a warmer and more inclusive syllabus. Now that you have created your syllabus, how do you introduce it to students? Can you share the decisions you made in constructing the syllabus and designing the class? This transparency along with giving students input on parts… Read more »
Rejecting the Deficit Model in the Classroom
As instructors, many of us may prioritize the materials and skills that we want students to learn. But studies have shown that too much of a focus on the skills and knowledge that students have yet to develop may perpetuate bias and inequitable learning environments within the classroom (Williams & Toldson, 2020; Garriott, 2020). Specifically,… Read more »
Quick Tip Title: Finding Scholarship from Black Authors for Black History Month
An important approach to diversifying representation in your courses is incorporating scholarship from Black authors. You may be asking yourself, “Where do I find these types of resources?” Luckily, the CITL is here to help! Below you will find popular journals of Black studies, primarily written by Black scholars. The Journal of Black Studies provides… Read more »
Essay Revision: Emphasizing Process Over Product
Convincing students of the value of crafting essays can be a daunting task at the best of times. With services such as ChatGPT that offer easy alternatives to the painstaking work of drafting and revision, many instructors are concerned that students may be more tempted than ever to forego the time commitment of writing and… Read more »