Center for Teaching, Learning and Research

Guest speaker Joshua Tucker from New York University and co-author of The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage will lead us in a discussion on how we speak to a general audience about our research. Whether the topic is data science, climate change, policy, history, or art, it can seem difficult for those of us steeped in the details of a subject to present our work in ways that are accessible to non-experts. In this workshop we will hear from an expert on bridging the expert-non-expert gap and will be reminded of resources at Middlebury that can assist us in broadening the audience for our work.

This workshop, led by Catharine Wright, Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric/GSFS will focus on writing assignments that delve into big ideas, that invite students to explore new genres, and/or that help students develop specific skills, with emphasis on ways to design and scaffold assignments to support student success. Faculty from several programs and departments, including the Writing and Rhetoric Program, will each briefly showcase an assignment with attention to course context as well as to how students might transfer what they learn to other contexts.

Kirsten Behling is the Associate Dean of Student Accessibility & Academic Resources at Tufts University and an adjunct professor in the Disability Services in Higher Education Graduate Certificate Program at Suffolk University. This session will introduce the concept of Universal Design for Learning as a tool to support that effort. It will start by acknowledging the hard work that faculty have already done, and encourage them to adopt just one more strategy to increase access for a wide variety of learners.

What have you learned from teaching during the pandemic thus far, and how will those lessons inform your teaching this winter and spring? In this session co-hosted by Jim Ralph and Michaela Kubacki, we will learn from one another. Our format will involve a rotating series of three 15-minute breakout group discussions on a number of topics. The session will conclude in a plenary fashion highlighting key takeaways from this teaching roulette. 

Click here to register for this event.

2021 Contemporary Liberal Arts Teaching Series: In this workshop by the Axinn Center for the Humanities’ Public Humanities Labs Initiative, faculty will discuss the Middlebury resources available to prepare and teach a public humanities lab or class this spring or in the future. Presentations and panelists include Marissa Brown from Brown University’s Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, The Vermont Folk Life Center, Rebekah Irwin for Special Collections, Kathy Morse for MiddData, Amy Collier for DLINQ, and Diane Munroe for Community Engagement.

2021 Contemporary Teaching in the Liberal Arts presents Voices from the Writing Center: A Roundtable Discussion with Faculty and Peer Writing Tutors

Are you teaching a writing-intensive CW (College Writing) or FYS (First Year Seminar) course soon and want to change-up your pedagogical practices?
Are you looking for ideas of how to incorporate a peer writing tutor into your spring course?
Are you excited by writing and want to share your experiences with your colleagues in a collegial setting?

Join us for the launch of the Middlebury Teaching & Learning Knowledge Base, an online repository of teaching ideas contributed by Middlebury faculty, for Middlebury faculty. With the Knowledge Base, faculty can: share a teaching activity, strategy, or approach that works in your classes; find teaching ideas submitted by colleagues; and grow existing teaching ideas by adding your own experiences and resources.

Click here to register for this event.

This workshop will be suitable for any faculty member wanting an introduction to project-based learning (PBL), as well as faculty, particularly those in STEM fields, looking to adapt their current PBL practices to new/flexible course modalities. With guidance from PBL leaders at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, we will discuss the key elements of designing a PBL learning experience and how to utilize technology most effectively—for faculty and students—to apply PBL in flexible course settings.

In this opening presentation to the 2020 Contemporary Teaching in the Liberal Arts Series, noted futurist and educational commentator Bryan Alexander will analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic is transforming American higher education and will outline the key dynamics that will shape the post-pandemic college. Bryan’s presentation will set a broad and deep context for the rest of the sessions in this year’s series. Bryan will also respond to questions and comments from attendees.

Are you dealing with challenges that come with the end of the semester—such as issues with grading, handling late work, students in crises, and the like? If so, consider joining this Office Hours for Teachers where you can problem-solve with experienced colleagues and a student life dean. We can also use the breakout group function if the problems to be addressed require more confidentiality.