April 2024 – Newsletter

April Showers Bring Educational Powers! 
CETL’s spring offerings can blossom into new teaching strategies.

Active Teaching Lab
Writing, AI and Rhetorical Thinking Across the Disciplines

Wednesday, March 6 from 9:00am to 10:00am
In-person in Engelmann B73 or Virtual

Join us April 3rd as Shevaun Watson and David Kocik from the English department show us how to merge the realms of artificial intelligence and rhetorical thinking to enhance student writing. Shevaun and David will begin with an examination of the concept of rhetorical focus – writing that is purpose-driven, audience-oriented, and context-sensitive. Next, through hands-on activities, we’ll use this understanding of rhetoric to revise AI-generated content in a way that infuses it with nuance, detail, and complexity.


Get Your Weekends Back:
10 Practical Strategies for Handling the Paper Load

Tuesday, April 9 from 11:00am to 12:15pm
In-person in Engelmann B73

Because instructors have only limited time to spend on student writing, the goal of this session is to explore how to use that time as efficiently as possible. We will share ten time-saving strategies for coaching students as they work on writing assignments, enabling students to produce their best work, while keeping the grading load manageable.


EdTech Talks: New Zoom (AI) Companion Features
New Zoom (AI) Companion Features

Thursday, April 11 from 12:00pm to 12:30am
Virtual

The EdTech Talks series focuses on the effective use of educational technology tools. Each session offers instructors practical tips and tricks that can enhance teaching and learning in their classes.


Strategies for Ensuring Accessibility in Canvas

Thursday, April 25 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
In-person in Engelmann B73

This training will review concepts and tools in Canvas for making curriculum accessible and will provide hands-on activities to apply what you learn in your own Canvas course sites. Be sure to bring your laptop.


Lane in the Library; Live CETL Help

Wednesday, April 3, 10, 17, and 24 from 10:30am to Noon
Golda Meir Library

Join us each Wednesday in the library for an exclusive opportunity to enhance your teaching strategies and master Canvas, our Learning Management System (LMS). Led by CETL’s very own, Lane Sunwall, this drop-in series offers personalized support tailored to your needs. 


Accessibility Training
Available asynchronously online

UWM is strongly committed to maintaining an environment that provides students with disabilities full access to its educational programs, activities, and facilities. The purpose of this self-paced online training is to provide you with the resources you need to support students with disabilities and to make your course accessible for all students.


Open Textbook and Open Educational Resource (OER)

Self-Paced Online Training


Self-Paced Workshops for Educators

Available asynchronously online

Enroll to access this alphabetical list of offerings such as: 
   – Class Discussions and Silence
   – Class Presentations: Who Is Learning?
   – Grading Schemes for Active Learning
   – Scaffolding for Success 


Canvas Quick Start Guide

Available asynchronously online

Everything you need to get started in Canvas with EASY access to guided information. Click here to enroll and access these quick start resources. There is something for the beginner to expert here.


Student Resource List

Please add this resource document to your Canvas courses to help students. 


Save the Date — Teaching & Learning Conferences

Improving University Teaching Conference

Wednesday through Friday, July 31 to August 2, 2024

This is a fantastic opportunity to participate in the 50th anniversary year of a well-established international and interdisciplinary teaching conference hosted in Milwaukee this year. 


OPID Spring Conference

Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19, 2024

Universities of Wisconsin hold an annual Spring Conference for educators to share experiences and teaching practices. The conference is designed to reinvigorate participants’ passion for teaching and learning in Wisconsin.