8
Be sure to RSVP for the Week 8 Teaching & Learning Day! Registration has been extended until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 17th just in case this post convinces you to join us.
Sorry to disappoint, Lonnie, but it's going to be. pic.twitter.com/RG8UNhPk9h
— FlemingLDS (@FlemingLDS) October 14, 2016
Engaging Teaching
Classroom Creepin’
At the Teaching & Learning Day next Thursday, you’ll get the opportunity to get your creep on and peek into how active learning looks in different spaces (high-tech/low-tech/ even-in-between-tech). You will creep, lurk and sneak from stop to stop, spending creepy minutes experiencing and discussing active learning opportunities in different learning spaces. Active learning spaces are designed with the content, learners and engaging learning experiences in mind. See these Principles for Designing Teaching and Learning Spaces from McGill.
On the Classroom Creepin’ Tour, you’ll explore active learning with handheld devices, whiteboards and group work, among other creepy activities. We’ll discuss active learning techniques and how students and teachers can best make use of different spaces. You will be asked to consider how you might adapt the active learning ideas to your space, content and style, if you dare! MWAHAHAHA!
Learning Technology
You may be scratching your head wondering what a ‘makerspace’ is. Well hopefully the next quoted lines of text that you read will provide you with some context and a ‘definition’. Words are amazing!
“A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build.”
From: 7 things you should know about… https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7095.pdf
We have taken and ‘Flemingized’ the makerspace concept (why not right??) and included two places where the makerspace will happen. The physical location of our makerspace will be the social learning spaces in the D Wing (KTTC) as well as in the computer lab that overlooks the social learning space.
A large part of our focus for Week 8’s makerspace is ‘Digital Storytelling’. We will have a host of stations in the computer lab area of the makerspace where we can use tools associated with digital storytelling. Such as:
- How to record audio for podcasts
- How to create and adapt videos, images & animated gifs
- How to create your portfolio or start a blog
In fact, in order to make this makerspace seem more real to you, here is a sampling of what you can expect at our makerspace in this digital storybook that we created…
What is a Maker Space? A story told by Flipping Book
Policies & Procedures
Navigating Attendance & Accommodations
Did you know that Fleming has a new Class Absence Procedure? It appeared in a previous Teaching Hub post, so our collective self-esteem in the LDS Team is currently riding on the fact that you’ve heard about it before. Also, have you read the memo regarding Retroactive Accommodations and are looking for more information?
The Navigating Attendance & Accommodations session at our October 27th Teaching & Learning Day will explore the relationship between the Class Absence Procedure and retroactive accommodations, using case scenarios, and we’ll discuss how in this instance, accommodations don’t mean what they usually do at Fleming. A panel of Fleming staff will be on hand to help us actively work through the scenarios, and collaboratively come up with possible solutions to more complicated situations.
Services for Students
**Health warning: If you are able to take advantage of all of the tips below, we cannot promise that it won’t make the neurons in your brain fire so hard that they shoot out your ears. **
Passive learning is so passe, that’s why the Learning Strategies team at Fleming loves active learning! They’re always on trend. Also, active learning supports memory, attention, processing, abstract thinking, expression and lots of other brainy stuff. Creating a study tool is one way that the Learning Strategies team helps students practice active learning. Creating your own study tool (instead of reading and re-reading notes) supports long-term memory, provides feedback opportunities, nurtures creativity, and generally makes everything in the world better. Layer up your study tools with the 6 strategies for effective learning from the Learning Scientists listed below and you’ll have some serious neurons firing. Also, no promises, but we may also link to videos elaborating on the list afterwards.
- Elaboration – explain and describe ideas with many details
- Retrieval Practice – practice bringing information to mind
- Spaced Practice – space out your studying over time
- Dual Coding – combine words and visuals
- Interleaving – switch between ideas when you study
- Concrete Examples – use specific examples to understand abstract ideas
…and here’s the link to the videos that we didn’t even promise to provide. If you let your students know about these strategies, they will go on to become so successful that you may get invited to dinner at their moon cottage some day.
Fleming has some internal resources, too. Check out the tip sheets on the Success Strategies resources page. And hey! You can make your own study tool with Laura Gibson, Learning Strategist extraordinaire, at the MakerSpace on the Teaching and Learning Day.
College Departments
This week, in order to determine who gets to say a thing or two in this space, we held an ‘Extreme Ironing‘ competition. Our own Learning Design & Support Team member Terry won the competition by perfectly pressing a pair of corduroy slacks while paddle-boarding on the Otonabee River. We failed to mention to him that we never actually invited any of the other departments to join the competition, but we all got a kick out of the spectacle.
So, what do we want to say to you in our hard-won space? It’s simple. We want to let you know that we are excited to host the October 27th Teaching & Learning Day! Here are our hopes and dreams for what you, the participant, will get out of the day:
- Learn different ways to make learning experiences more active
- Experience some active learning yourselves
- Make something that will contribute to active learning in your courses
- Contribute to our “What is Active Learning” documentary
Hope to see you there! And if you can’t make it, stay tuned for the aforementioned documentary before it goes on its unlikely run through international film festivals.
Chatter
Nothing but crickets last week in the chatter department! Holler at us via comment section below. We’re so lonely.
More Information
Looking for more information? Visit the LDS Team website, give us a call at extension 1216, follow us on Twitter @FlemingLDS or send us an email: LDSTeam@flemingcollege.ca!
