What does it mean to think critically and creatively about teaching? The invitation to do instructional development at the intersection of these two concepts is what guided my participation in the Reinert Center’s Winter Institute on January 7. As each presenter facilitated discussion on a variety of teaching-related topics, I noticed two themes begin to… Continue reading 2016 Winter Institute Reflection
How Do You Teach Creative Thinking?
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center As we welcome you back to campus, we’re reminding you of our theme for the year: Thinking Critically, Thinking Creatively. As I explained here, back in the fall, we’re spending this year examining what it means to think critically and/or creatively and how we teach students to do it. … Continue reading How Do You Teach Creative Thinking?
Impactful Reflective Practices
by Ludwig Weber, Graduate Assistant in Reinert Center, Graduate Student in English Continuous critical reflection is one of the most essential processes effective teachers employ. By constantly reflecting on the choices, successes, and failures experienced in the classroom, we learn to grow as pedagogues, and the impactfulness of our instruction grows with us. While this… Continue reading Impactful Reflective Practices
Reinert Center Announces Fall 2016 Innovative Teaching Fellows
The Reinert Center is pleased to announce Fall 2016 Innovative Teaching Fellows. These fellows will work with the center’s instructional developers in the spring 2015 session to prepare for teaching in the learning studio in fall 2016. The fellows and their courses are: Chris Carroll, Ph.D., Civil Engineering “Structural Analysis” Cathleen Fleck, Ph.D, Fine and… Continue reading Reinert Center Announces Fall 2016 Innovative Teaching Fellows
Congratulations Fall 2015 Certificate in University Teaching Skills Recipients!
The Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning honored eight Certificate in University Teaching Skills recipients and two Foundations Certificate in University Teaching Skills recipients at our Fall Ceremony on Friday, December 4, 2015 from 3:30-5:00 in Boileau Hall. Long-time board member and professor in the Department of Economics, Dr. Patrick Welch, began the ceremony… Continue reading Congratulations Fall 2015 Certificate in University Teaching Skills Recipients!
Communicating Engagement, Engaging Communication: Part 2
by James Fortney, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Earlier this fall, I posted a short entry in The Notebook about the role of communication in developing and sustaining classroom engagement. I described engagement as a “potentially inventive conversation between communities with differences,” wherein members work together to generate new ways of thinking and talking (Deetz, 2008,… Continue reading Communicating Engagement, Engaging Communication: Part 2
Collaborations in Teaching and Learning: A Transformative Experience
by Lenin Grajo, Assistant Professor, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy In the Fall semester of 2013, I started having conversations about an international teaching and learning collaboration with a colleague and mentor of mine from the Department of Occupational Therapy in the University of the Philippines in Manila (UPM) for implementation in the fall of the following… Continue reading Collaborations in Teaching and Learning: A Transformative Experience
How Do I Get My Students to Read the Assignment?
by Kim Levenhagen PT, DPT, WCC, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training This has been a problem for me since my early years of teaching: I would come to class after assigning a reading ready for a robust conversation in the classroom. Then, I would pose a softball of a question to the class to… Continue reading How Do I Get My Students to Read the Assignment?
Teaching History As the “Great Unknown”
by Doug Boin, Assistant Professor, History There’s a cliche among people outside the historian’s guild: History is about names and dates, memorization of facts, and the knowledge of content crammed into textbooks. Ten years ago, there were probably some truths to this cliche, back in the era before YouTube and Wikipedia. These days, the same… Continue reading Teaching History As the “Great Unknown”
Trick or Treat
by Steve Sanchez, Assistant Provost Since this blog entry was due on Halloween, I thought it might be appropriate to share a “treat” from recent research conducted by SLU’s Office of Institutional Research (OIR) on the experiences of SLU undergraduates. The “trick” part of all this is regularly and intentionally acting on the research data… Continue reading Trick or Treat
The Notebook 