H. Naomie Nyanungo
Last week a colleague shared that students in their class wanted to engage in discussions on the Ukraine situation. Did you observe the same in your classes and what, if any, adjustments did you make to allow for this conversation in your classes? Are you interested in talking with other instructors about what they are seeing in their classes and the strategies they are using to support and engage with students. We now have a university-wide forum, the Faculty Teaching Commons, where faculty can connect with other faculty to share experiences and exchange ideas and resources for enhancing teaching practice. The CAT launched the Faculty Teaching Commons (the Commons) earlier this year as a space for faculty to engage in discussions on topics on all things related to teaching.
You probably already have spaces where you talk to peers about teaching. For example, conversations with colleagues in your department or program or participation in discipline-specific online communities or listservs. The Commons offers an opportunity to engage with instructors from all disciplines, campuses, rank and tenure across Temple University. As a large institution, the nature of the issues and topics that arise in our classes will vary widely. The cross-disciplinary nature of the Commons will undoubtedly lead to a rich exchange of ideas and resources because something that may apply in one discipline or setting may not apply to others.
Topics or questions discussed on the Commons can be general teaching issues/strategies, or specific to certain teaching contexts. For example, a recent post asks this question: What is the ‘rule’ or practice around sharing poll results or jamboards (like a screen shot) after students have completed them? I am certain that this is something that some of us do but have not really thought about it. (By the way, there is an answer to this question shared on the Commons.) In addition to asking questions and sharing ideas, faculty can also recommend articles and other resources related to teaching.
To access the Commons discussion forum, log into TU Portal, click on the ‘Faculty Tools’ tab and then click on ‘Faculty Teaching Commons’ as shown in the screenshot below.
In addition to the online Faculty Teaching Commons, the CAT invites you to attend the next Faculty Teaching Commons Live session: Wednesday, March 16 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Hosted in Person in TECH 109 (Details Here)
Please join us at the Commons Live for discussion and fellowship with your Temple colleagues. We’re the host, but the agenda for the discussion is set by you, the faculty!
We look forward to seeing you in the Faculty Teaching Commons!
H. Naomie Nyanungo is Director of Educational Technology at Temple’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching.