Teaching and Learning Committee Hosts First Symposium on Teaching May 5

The Teaching and Learning Committee is hosting its first Symposium on Teaching 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in Oeschle Hall Auditorium, room 224, and various classrooms.

Entitled “Explicating Pedagogy,” the symposium will feature guest speakers and workshop sessions with Carnegie Scholars, who will discuss their projects. Participants will have a chance to meet informally at a wine reception to close out the day.

“The symposium will provide our faculty with a chance to meet with others across the College to speak about our most important endeavor – teaching,” says Patricia Donahue, professor of English and director of the College Writing Program. “The symposium will begin to develop a language for talking about pedagogy that the future Center [for Teaching and Learning] will be able to build upon and develop. The symposium will also provide a language for talking about teaching in terms of ‘best practices’ and for talking about learning in terms of what can be made visible and thus available for further reflection.”

Anthony Cummings, provost and dean of the faculty, initiated the idea of the symposium as a way to provide faculty with a forum to discuss teaching with each other. It also will allow those interested in the proposed Center for Teaching and Learning the opportunity to share ideas on how the Center can be most effective.

“Even though the symposium comes at an exhausting time of year, I believe that the faculty who attend will experience a sense of renewal,” says Donahue. “It’s going to be a great day.”

All interested Lafayette faculty are invited to attend. For further information or to register for all or part of the day, contact Donahue at x5242 or email.

“Explicating Pedagogy” schedule of events:

• 9 a.m. – Coffee
• 9:30 a.m. – Welcoming Remarks: Cummings.
• 9:45-10:45 a.m. – Plenary I: “How the Best Teachers Teach:” Ken Bain, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Montclair State University and author of the award winning book of the same name.
• 11 a.m.-noon: Break Out Sessions with Carnegie Scholars: Each scholar will share his or her project related to the scholarship of teaching and learning and then facilitate a discussion.
• Heidi Eldenmorf, associate professor of biology at Georgetown University, will present “Community Based Learning in Biology.” She will discuss how she uses community based learning projects to involve students in the study of biology.
• Kate Berheide, professor of sociology at Skidmore College, will present “Engaging Students.” She will discuss the difficulty of determining student engagement in undergraduate courses.
• Jose Feito, associate professor of psychology at St. Mary’s College, will present “What Students Tell Us About Discussion Courses.” He will explore the role of discussion in helping students learn.
• Lorraine Fleming, professor of engineering at Howard University, will present “Reflection in an Engineering Capstone Course.” She will discuss how she developed disciplinary reflection in an engineering capstone course.
• noon-1 p.m. – Lunch for registered participants.
• 1-2:15 p.m. – Plenary II: “Making Invisible Learning Visible:” Randy Bass, executive director and assistant provost for teaching and learning initiatives and professor of American studies and American literature at Georgetown University.
• 2:30-3:30 p.m. – Break Out Sessions with Carnegie Scholars. See above for descriptions.
• 3:30-4 p.m. – Coffee break.
• 4-5 p.m. – Panel discussion: Cummings, Bain, Bass, Eldenmorf, Berheide, Feito, and Fleming.
• 5 p.m. – Wine reception.