Faculty Development

Cool Tools for Teaching Workshops

Cool Tools Workshops introduce faculty to a variety of issues and strategies to complement or enhance current teaching methods. These include high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech tools and workshops open to all, including but not limited to Adjunct Faculty, Full-time Faculty, Master's Instructors, and graduate teaching instructors.

We will also offer Cool Tools at the very beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters in a week-long intensive format. Descriptions and calendars can be found below.

Summer I Cool Tools Sessions

To register for these sessions, please visit the Workshop Registration Page. Once you have logged in, change "Type" to Cool Tools to view all the upcoming sessions.

Cool Tools Summer 2012 Calendar
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
May	7	8	9	10	11
9 - 12				Using Cases
1 - 2:30				Online Quizzes
3 - 5				Online Quizzes

May	14	15	16	17	18
9 - 12
1 - 2:30
3 - 5

May	21	22	23	24	25
9 - 12	Group Work 1		Group Work 2
1 - 2:30			Discussions Theory
3 - 5			Discussions Hands On

May	28	29	30	31	1
9 - 12				Demonstrating Competencies
1 - 2:30			iClicker Theory	Intro to Elearning Theory
3 - 5			iClicker Hands On	Intro to Elearning Theory

June	4	5	6	7	8
9 - 12		Course Redesign 1		Course Redesign 2
1 - 2:30	Rubrics Theory	Webcasting Theory		Social Media
3 - 5	Rubrics Hands On	Webcasting Hands On		Prezi

Summer II
August	20	21	22	23	24
9 - 12			Creative Classrooms		Course Redesign 1
1 - 2:30			Online Discussions Theory	Online Quizzes Theory	Demonstrating Competencies
3 - 5			Online Discussions Hands On	Online Quizzes Hands On	Using Cases

August	27	28	29	30	31
9 - 12	Course Redesign 2
1 - 2:30	Rubrics Theory	iClicker Theory
3 - 5	Rubrics Hands On	iClicker Hands On

Session Descriptions:

Best Practices for Teaching with Student Response Systems (Clickers)

Student response systems (Clickers) offer an interactive tool that can keep student attention during lectures, gather instant comprehension data from students during class, and help students see their own learning in comparison with their peers in a safe way. There are definite best practices associated with clickers, and participants will leave with an understanding of the pedagogical theory and research behind the use of clickers, as well as best practices for implementing them.

Course Redesign

This is a two-part session. Please sign up for both days. This session will help you rebuild a course from the ground up, ensuring that it is on strong pedagogical footing. It is intended for people who are actively redesigning a course, or are soon to start.

Demonstrating “Professional Competence” through Multiple Approaches

Participants will leave this workshop with a teaching portfolio model that incorporates multiple approaches for maximizing student completion of the ICES Online end-of-course evaluation AND other approaches to gathering formative data for self-assessment of their teaching that will directly support their demonstration of professional competence for tenure and promotion.

Effectively Utilizing Group Work (Part I and II)

This session works to assist instructors with the implementation of group work in courses both large and small. Participants will leave with an understanding of why and when to use groups, what they can accomplish, and how to help groups work effectively. Session I focuses on Getting and maintaining student cooperation: team norms, contracts, and follow through, and observing teamwork: formal vs. informal group management. Session II focuses on Designing assignments for group work: changing methodologies and rubrics to reflect the group situation as part of the grading process. Linking assignments to learning outcomes.

Fostering Effective Discussion in Class and Online

We all fear the “deer in the headlights” and the wan, wandering discussion in class. This highly interactive session will explore and demonstrate ways to prepare students for focused and engaging discussion, to manage discussions and address the most common discussion problems, and to assess students’ participation in discussion – both in class and online. Please bring your laptop computer to this session.

This session is immediately followed by a hands-on session incorporating the content with Elearning, presented by the FTC. You may enroll in either or both sessions.

Introduction to Elearning

Using Desire2Learn (D2L) will assist you in becoming part of WMU's "Go Green" initiative. In this session, you will be introduced to all the tools needed to become green. The discussion for each tool will include time for hands-on experience.

Online Quizzes, Tests, and Assignments: Pearls and Perils

There are excellent reasons to put quizzes and tests online, and to have students submit papers and projects through the Learning Management System (LMS). Such approaches can free up class time for more active learning and can support faster feedback. There are pedagogical and logistical challenges, however, that need to be considered and addressed. Participants will leave this workshop with an understanding of the pros and cons of online testing and assignment submission, and approaches to making them work in their specific course contexts.

This session combines both theory and application. Please bring your laptop computer to this session.

Pod and Video Casting

Podcasting and video casting can be a great way to “push the content delivery out of the classroom” or supplement in-class explanations of key concepts. Done right, they are easy to create and easy to maintain and update. This session will introduce participants to simple approaches to pod and video casting using university supported technology.

Arrangements may be made with the teacher for one-on-one hands-on training following the session. Please email our office for more information.

Understanding and Applying Social Media

As social media become more ubiquitous, people around the world have developed new methods of student engagement. This session will explain different forms of social media, and will discuss how you can use them in your classes. Please bring your laptop computer to this session.

Using Cases for Problem Based Learning

“Cases” – real-life or simulated situations (written or multi-media) that offer realistic issues associated with our course content and skills – can serve as powerful foundations for student problem-solving and critical thinking. Participants will discuss the use of cases with facilitators from different disciplines and will leave with concrete ideas about how to find or create, utilize and assess case-based work in their courses.

Using i>Clicker: An Introduction to the Hardware and Software

Are you a first-time i>clicker user? Or, have you used i>clicker before but would like a refresher on the basics? If so, then this is the session for you! During this interactive session, you will learn how to:

Set up your i>clicker course
Use i>clickers in the classroom
Utilize the i>grader grade book
Integrate with your Course Management System

If you wish to have an expanded knowledge in using the system, then stick around for the second session.

Using Grading Rubrics to Improve Student Performance -and cut down your grading time!

Rubrics lay out clear expectations for student work, identifying what excellent, average, and poor performance looks like for our assignments. They assist students in understanding and working toward our expectations, and assist us in justifying the grades and feedback we give. Participants will leave with an understanding of the fundamentals of rubrics, where to find pre-designed rubrics that can be applied directly to our assignments or easily modified, and if necessary, how to start from scratch building rubrics.

This session is immediately followed by a hands-on session incorporating the content with Elearning, presented by the FTC. You may enroll in either or both sessions. Please bring your laptop computer to this session.

Web 2.0: Prezi

This new presentation platform offers an exciting alternative to Powerpoint. Bring a presentation topic you would like to develop for this hands-on tutorial. Please bring your laptop computer to this session.

Cool Tools on the Road:

Beginning in Fall of 2010, Cool Tools will go "on the road”! We are moving to a new approach to the Cool Tools offerings, inviting departments to elect to have any of the CT workshops delivered to their faculty and staff during a regular meeting time for the department or other mutually convenient times.

Available offerings:

Web 2.0: Prezi – Dynamic Presentation Platform

Effectively Utilizing Group Work (Part I)

(You must register for both I and II)

Effectively Utilizing Group Work (Part II)

(You must register for both I and II)

Using Cases for Active Learning

ICES Online and Beyond: Demonstrating “Professional Competence” through Multiple Approaches

Helping All Learners Succeed Using “Expectation Gap” Analysis

Best Practices in Peer Observations of Teaching

Fostering Effective Discussion in Class and Online

Helping All Learners Succeed: Working with International, Veteran, Adult, and Underprepared Learners

Web 2.0: Blogs, Wikis, and Teaching

Online Quizzes, Tests, and Assignments: Pearls and Perils

Pod and Video Casting

The Foundations: Best Practices in Syllabus Construction and First Week of Class

Using Grading Rubrics to Improve Student Performance (and cut down your grading time!)

Pedagogy of Clickers

Workshops must have a minimum enrollment of three participants. All enrollees will be notified two days before the workshop.

If you are interested in scheduling any of our workshops please feel free to contact us at faculty-development@wmich.edu.

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