New for Fall 2019: Professional Development Fridays

By Gayle (G.G.) Golden

Welcome to all HSJMC adjuncts and faculty to the start of a new academic year.

These beautiful last days of summer break sometimes act like siren songs as we prepare for the semester's start next week. But wait! Here's something truly enticing to add to the calendar:  HSJMC will be holding professional development sessions on selected Fridays devoted to teaching issues.

I want to urge everyone -- regular faculty as well as adjuncts -- to come to these gatherings and, if you have not already done so, to fill out this survey asking what you'd like the sessions to address. There's still ample time to consider topics for spring.

The fall dates for these sessions are Oct. 4 and Nov. 15 -- both at 8:30 a.m. That's early, I know. But we'll have nourishment at the first. (And the spring sessions will begin at 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 28 and April 17.)

Our first fall gathering on Oct. 4 will cover technology tools you can use to enhance teaching. So far, that's a top pick on the survey. We'll combine that with advice on how to get the most out of your Canvas sites, with tips from HSJMC's instructional technology adviser Rachel Dallman. Please post on this Google document your questions or your suggestions for any technology you use to teach in innovative ways.

On Nov. 15, our session will focus on managing controversial topics in class discussions. What are best practices around that? What are your main concerns? How do you balance some students' objections to oppressive speech with protection of free speech? How have these issue evolved on campuses? We'll come in with some guidelines offered by the Office for Equity and Diversity, a recent PEN America report that includes information from a series of conversations on this campus last year as well as other resources; and then we'll discuss some scenarios where the answers aren't clear. We'll help each other through it. Please post any questions or issues you'd like covered on this Google document.

These sessions will be held in Murphy 100.

I look forward to seeing you all soon. Meanwhile, happy glorious end of August.

As always, if you have a comment or a question about teaching, or want to add anything to the discussion at ProActive Teaching, please do so with the comments below or email me at ggolden@umn.edu.

G.G.