Spring Workshops and Events
The Center for Integrated Professional Development spring workshops and events are free and open to all faculty and to AP, civil service, and graduate students on campus. Please note that non-faculty may be put on a wait list for some workshops until 1 business day before the event.
If you have questions, or if you need a special accommodation to fully participate in an event, please email ProDev@ilstu.edu.
Seminar Series
Foundations of Diversity and Inclusion
This seminar series tackles tough questions involving culture, identity, and responsive teaching in a friendly, non-threatening environment. Topics include: Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, and Privilege and Power. Participants who complete all three seminars in the series will receive a certificate of completion.
Begins Friday, January 21 - Learn more and register
Seeing White: A Journey to Becoming Anti-Racist
Critically examine the ideas of whiteness, white-supremacy, color-blind ideology, and aversive racism.
Begins Friday, January 28 - Learn more and register
Foundations of Equitable and Inclusive Teaching
Shift your course design by intentionally reflecting on your teaching practices with student diversity in mind.
Begins Friday, February 11 - Learn more and register
Learning Communities
Learning Communities are small groups of faculty and staff (5-12 members) who meet regularly each semester to discuss specific topics of shared interest or to meet the needs of specific groups. Each group has a contact person who works with interested participants to establish meeting times.
Professional Development Circles
Join your peers in a Professional Development Circle to share ideas, discover new approaches to teaching and student learning, reduce your stress, and increase your success! Circles are led by a facilitator who will guide group discussion, arrange contacts with key individuals, and provide information about campus resources and opportunities.
Early Career Professional Development Circle
Future Faculty Learning Community Circle
Workshops
Applying the Quality Matters™ Rubric (Synchronous Workshop)
Register by Monday, January 17
Thursday, January 20 • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, January 27 • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Linda Summers, Center for Integrated Professional Development
The Quality Matters™ rubric is used to review the design of online and blended courses. This workshop is intended for a broad audience, including full- and part-time faculty, instructional designers, and administrators. It is particularly helpful to those new to Quality Matters or those considering the adoption of a quality assurance process for online and blended learning.
In addition to learning about the rubric and the course review process, participants will learn to apply the concept of alignment and draft helpful recommendations for course improvement. Please note: Participants should plan of spending at least 10 hours per week to achieve the workshop’s learning objectives. Some participants report spending at least 15 hours per week. Registration is required.
Mentoring Undergraduate Students Effectively (for Graduate Students)
Register by Wednesday, January 26
Synchronous sessions:
Wednesday, February 2 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 16 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 2 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 30 • 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
David Giovagnoli, Center for Integrated Professional Development
A challenge for any teaching assistant is to navigate what can be a somewhat fraught role: not being the instructor of a given course, and so not the final arbiter of a student's evaluation, while also having substantially more expertise than the undergraduate students they are working with. The goal of this learning community is to explore evidence-based practices in tutoring (which is often a substantial part of any TA's responsibilities) and the mentoring of writing, to help teaching assistants become more effective in their roles, and develop practices that will translate directly to possible future teaching assignments.
This experience is designed for graduate assistants who do not have an instructor of record assignment but is appropriate for any graduate student who wants to learn more about tutoring and gain skills in mentoring undergraduates. Participants will receive a copy of The Master Tutor by Ross B. MacDonald, and we will use this text to ground our study of tutoring. Participants should plan on attending all five sessions. Registration is required.
Improve Your Online Course
Register by Monday, January 31
Thursday, February 3 • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, February 10 • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Linda Summers, Center for Integrated Professional Development
Improve Your Online Course explores the Quality Matters™ rubric and provides a framework to improve the quality of online courses. It’s designed for anyone with an existing online course they want to include. Participants will use the QM Rubric to review their own online courses and develop a course improvement plan. The content is based on the essential Specific Review Standards of the Quality Matters Rubric. Participants come away with a plan for course improvement so enrolling in the workshop with a pre-developed online course is required (those who want to build new courses should take Design Your Online Course instead). Registration is required.
Safe Zone for Instructors
Synchronous sessions:
Wednesday, February 3 • 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Stevenson 401
Monday, February 21 • 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (repeats)
Location: Stevenson 401
Thursday, March 31 • 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (repeats)
Location: Stevenson 401A
Facilitator:
David Giovagnoli, Center for Integrated Professional Development
LGBTQ+ youth, including college students, are vastly more likely to suffer from mental health challenges, bullying, and domestic violence than their peers. It’s important that we make our classrooms environments where all our students feel seen, heard, and respected, as well as places where they feel safe to express themselves. This is sometimes easier said than done, however, and many instructors feel ill-equipped to talk about LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom.
Safe Zone-style workshops take several forms, and this program is tailored specifically for instructors with scenarios that offer some guidance for common classroom situations. We will explore core vocabulary and discuss the complex web of identities represented under the LGBTQ+ umbrella (and, indeed, why this acronym itself can be limiting and non-inclusive), as well as scenarios related to coming out, microaggressions, and handling difficult conversations in the classroom. We hope that participants will begin to think of being an ally as an active, intentional practice: let's make ally a verb, and not a state of being.
This workshop is appropriate for all experience levels, including those who have already completed a Safe Zone-based training either at ISU or at another institution.
Registration is required
.
Fostering Academic Integrity and a Plagiarism-Free Classroom
Note: This workshop as been cancelled.
Friday, February 4 • 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Allison Rand, Milner Library
Plagiarism and academic integrity are hardly black and white issues. A 2016 study found that nearly 60% of students embroiled in academic dishonesty believed that their actions were legitimate. Meanwhile, the Illinois State University Student Code of Conduct puts the burden of defining academic dishonesty and plagiarism on the instructor.
This workshop will cover not only what academic integrity is, but how instructors can foster academic integrity in their classrooms. We will cover techniques for constructing course policies and assignments that discourage plagiarism, while elucidating Illinois State’s policies on academic integrity and the responsibilities of instructors. Registration is required.
Developing Mentoring Relationships
Synchronous sessions:
Friday, February 11 • 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Williams 105
Facilitator:
Dana Karraker, Center for Integrated Professional Development
One overlooked and underestimated avenue for professional development is one-on-one mentoring relationships. The goal of a mentoring relationship is for a more experienced professional to connect with a newcomer, introducing them to several aspects of the institution and helping them to grow professionally in that structure. Mentors also can learn a great deal from their mentees, who bring fresh ideas and contagious enthusiasm. Mentoring situations happen informally and naturally but can also be a more structured and intentional relationship.
This workshop will focus on how to develop and sustain mentoring relationships whether you are mentoring new faculty colleagues, interns, students in your courses, or students in other disciplines. Participant will have the opportunity to explore the roles mentors play and the types of interactions that build trusting working relationships. We will also discuss aspects of instructional coaching which includes observations and formative feedback. Registration is required.
Design Your Online Course
Register by Monday, February 14
Thursday, February 17 • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, February 24 • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Linda Summers, Center for Integrated Professional Development
This workshop, aimed at instructors who are new to online teaching, includes an overview of the Quality Matters™ rubric and provides a framework for participants to design an online course plan. An integral element of the workshop is an exploration of the eight General Standards of the QM Rubric, focusing on learning objectives and overall course alignment. Participants will complete a Course Development Plan. The plan includes all of the essential Specific Review Standards (SRS) with a column for how the participant will meet the SRS in their course and what resources they will need. Participants should plan to spend 8 to 10 hours per week outside of the schedule sessions to achieve the courses’ learning goals. Registration is required.
Teach Students to Navigate the Information Landscape (for Graduate Students only)
Tuesday, February 22 • 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Lindsey Skaggs, Milner Library
Please note: This workshop is for graduate students who have a teaching assignment, a teaching assistantship, or who wish to teach in the future. This workshop counts as an additional professional development opportunity for those participating in the Future Faculty certificate program.
With so much technology at our fingertips, our society has become inundated with information. This has left students in a challenging position, susceptible to fake news and unsure how to find and use reliable, scholarly sources. This workshop will provide participants with strategies and tools to help their students evaluate the resources they interact with, both when working on assignments and in their daily lives. We'll cover how to approach our changing information landscape and discover strategies for helping students understand information sources—be it fake news, scholarly articles, or something in-between. At the end of the workshop, participants will develop a resource evaluation activity for one or more of their courses. Registration is required.
Use Authentic Learning to Engage Students with the Research Process (for Graduate Students only)
Tuesday, March 22 • 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Lindsey Skaggs, Milner Library
Please note: This workshop is for graduate students who have a teaching assignment, a teaching assistantship, or who wish to teach in the future. This workshop counts as an additional professional development opportunity for those participating in the Future Faculty certificate program.
84% of undergraduate students say that getting started is the hardest part when working on a research project. Motivation can play a key role. Instructors can take a learner-centered approach that encourages students to connect the assignment with their true interests.
This workshop will explore how instructors can use autonomy-supportive teaching strategies and authentic learning to approach the library research process, helping students understand that research is personal and can be engaging and exciting, whatever the assignment. We’ll cover how to introduce the research process to students, how to help students craft meaningful research questions that matter to them within the parameters of an assignment, and how students can develop search strategies to position them for success. Registration is required.
Teaching with Digital Mapping
Thursday, March 31 • 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Milner Library
Anne Shelley, Milner Library
Digital maps are a way for students in any discipline to discover and create relationships between physical locations, and relate these locations to events, people, and more. Creating maps is also a good way for instructors to provide course content in an engaging, potentially interactive way.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn about easy-to-use, freely available tools for creating geographic and story maps. We will also discuss ways you can immediately start incorporating digital mapping into course assignments and activities. After the workshop, an optional working session will provide additional time for participants to continue exploring the resources covered in the workshop. Registration is required.
Teaching with Digital Timelines
Thursday, April 7 • 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Online
Facilitator:
Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Milner Library
Anne Shelley, Milner Library
Digital timelines provide a simple way to include visually rich, interactive narratives into teaching and course assignments. The ability to freely mix text, images, and multimedia resources with a focus on contextualizing the information within time periods and specific dates makes them flexible and engaging resources.
In this hands-on workshop participants will learn about easy-to-use, freely available tools for creating timelines. We will also discuss ways you can immediately start incorporating digital timeline creation into course assignments and activities. After the workshop, an optional working session will provide additional time for participants to continue exploring the resources covered in the workshop. Registration is required.