News from the Center

Open Classroom Weeks
Open to faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and staff

Sign up for Open Classroom Weeks – there are a limited number of spots available! Sit in on a colleague's course or athletic practice. Learn a new approach to teaching. Find connections across disciplines and expertise. Start a conversation with colleagues that share your passion for teaching and commitment to student learning.

Starting Monday, September 30 and running through Friday, October 11, Brown faculty and coaches will open their classrooms and athletic practices to colleagues interested in exploring teaching strategies and techniques across the university. If you have any questions regarding Open Classroom Weeks, please email: sheridan_center@brown.edu.

Generative AI

What do students think about generative AI tools such as ChatGPT? This roundtable discussion will center the student perspective. Sheridan Center-affiliated students (such as Writing Fellows, Problem Solving Fellows, and graduate Writing Associates) will discuss their observations on the affordances and drawbacks of generative AI for the learning, writing, and problem-solving process at Brown. Brief remarks from panelists will be followed by open Q&A. A light lunch will be served at 11:45. Please register.

The Faculty-Athletic Coaches learning community has been meeting for over seven years, bringing together Brown athletic coaches and instructors for monthly discussion. On Oct 10, we invite others in the Brown faculty and staff community to join us for an informal discussion about the role of generative AI in athletics and academics. The session will meet in person, in an athletics space. Please register for location information and a copy of discussion prompts. For questions, please contact Mary_Wright@brown.edu or Sean_Hendricks@brown.edu.

Fall Programs

As a graduate student, you may have opportunities to practice your conference presentations or papers in advance, but what about the moments of impromptu speaking that conferences often offer? This workshop, offered by English Language Support, will unpack speaking scenarios you may encounter at conferences, such as Q&A sessions and networking conversations. The session is primarily designed for multilingual and international-identifying graduate students, though all are welcome to attend. Apply to join by September 27. The same workshop will be offered on both dates; please select which mode (online or in-person) you prefer.

Find new ways to build your own resiliency in academia by learning how to utilize the Change Mindset Model to overcome imposter syndrome and adapt to change through the lens of a growth mindset. Participants will employ self-awareness practices to complete their own professional and personal self-reflection guide through the Change Mindset Model, and will create personalized goals that support them in the areas of facing challenges, encountering difficulties, applying effort, receiving feedback, seeing success in others, making mistakes, and accepting, giving, and/or seeking help. Please visit the CIRTL website for more information and to register.

Having Difficult Conversations in the Online Classroom 
Tuesday, October 15, Noon-12:40pm via Zoom
Asynchronous Canvas module
Open to faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and staff

Would you like to learn how to negotiate difficult conversations when teaching in Canvas, Zoom, and other digital platforms? Then register for this quick (40-minute) lunchtime Zoom session on handling difficult conversations in the online classroom. You’ll learn how to build community online, facilitate productive Zoom breakout sessions, assist learners to “loop for understanding,” and other techniques for engaging in online conversations. This session is for faculty, staff, and graduate students who teach online or remote-accessible courses, and is offered through the Sheridan Center’s Digital Learning & Design hub. It will be supplemented by an optional asynchronous Canvas self-paced module, which can also be completed on its own. You can register through this Google form. (Please register by October 21 if doing only the self-paced module.)

Teaching Statements & Teaching Portfolio Peer-Review Sessions
Open to faculty and postdoctoral scholars

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are invited to sign up for a teaching statement, teaching portfolio, and diversity statement peer-review workshop, held via Zoom. Participants will have multiple opportunities for peer review and can select the session that works best for them:

• Wednesday, October 2, from 1:00-2:00 PM

• Tuesday, October 15, from Noon-1:00 PM

• Wednesday, November 13, from 5:30-6:30 PM

Register for a peer-review session here

Note that these workshops require the completion of the asynchronous Teaching Statements, Portfolios, and Diversity Statements workshop. For questions, contact Dr. Sara Misgen (sara_misgen@brown.edu).

Call for Feedback 

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently convened an ad hoc committee on equitable and effective teaching in undergraduate STEM education. This resulted in a consensus study report entitled, “Equitable and Effective Teaching in Undergraduate STEM Education: A Framework for Institutions, Educators and Disciplines.” 

Dr. Logan Gin, Assistant Director of STEM in the Sheridan Center, served as one of the peer reviewers for a draft of this report. The public comment draft is currently available for feedback with the final version set for release in late 2024. To access the draft and to submit comments and feedback, visit the NASEM website.

Fall Teaching and Learning Communities

Faculty of any rank and any staff are invited to participate in a Faculty Writing Group. Writing groups can be an invaluable source of motivation and accountability, and the Faculty Writing Group is a “guilt-free” group that prioritizes spending time in community and goal-setting together. Each group meeting begins with a brief goal-setting exercise and concludes with a short reflective conversation. Writing projects can be any works in progress, and historically have ranged widely from articles to conference presentations to letters of reference.

Register to receive the Zoom link for the sessions. Questions can be directed to Annie Gjelsvik (Public Health; Provost’s Faculty Teaching Fellow) at annie_gjelsvik@brown.edu.

STEM Ed Fridays
Select Fridays, Noon - 1:00 PM
SciLi 720 (lunch provided) and Zoom

Are you interested in discussing STEM education at Brown? STEM Ed Friday is a vibrant learning community where STEM instructors and staff members share ideas, experiences, and challenges related to STEM education. 

Next session is Friday, October 11: Register for this session.

Please register for an upcoming session:

• Register for October 25

• Register for November 8

• Register for November 22

• Register for December 6

Brown Learning Collaborative 

The Brown Learning Collaborative provides opportunities for undergraduate fellows to collaborate with faculty and peer partners in key academic areas: Data Science, Problem Solving, and Writing.

Asynchronous Resources and Programs

Access through this link: https://canvas.brown.edu/accounts/81823/external_tools/34223?launch_type=global_navigation

Faculty will also benefit from this Sheridan newsletter on Teaching Metacognition.

Creating a Teaching Portfolio

This online, self-paced Canvas workshop from the Sheridan Center guides participants through the process of writing a teaching statement and creating a teaching portfolio. For more information and to register, see the Sheridan website.