Teaching Circles

AI Pedagogy Teaching Circle

Travis Grandy

This teaching circle will meet as a reading group and delve into Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning, exploring how artificial intelligence is dramatically changing teaching and learning. Over multiple sessions this fall semester, you will engage with practical strategies to foster AI literacy, reimagine creative work in the classroom, and redefine quality in student work. We will collectively consider how to adapt assignments and assessment strategies, and whether to leverage AI as a partner to cultivate essential human skills like critical thinking, problem formation, and ethical collaboration, preparing our students for a rapidly evolving world of work and intellectual inquiry.

Free Books Available

The first 20 faculty to RSVP for the AI Pedagogy Teaching Circle will receive a free copy of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (Johns Hopkins University Press).

Best Practices for Meeting Student Accommodations Teaching Circle

Mona Kulp, Maria Bickar, Shiya Cao, Caitlin Willis

Accommodations are essential for an equitable learning environment and are not just legal requirements. They foster a sense of belonging and empower learning. However, implementing the best practices for meeting accommodations isn't always straightforward. This teaching circle will review literature for evidence-based strategies and also offer an informal space to discuss common types of accommodations encountered and current practices across disciplines at Smith as well as surface potential challenges to meeting accommodation requests. We also hope to discuss the intersection between universal design and meeting specific accommodations. RSVP for the Best Practices Teaching Circle.

Formative and Summative Assessment of Analytical Inductive and Deductive Processes

Alicia Grubb, Allie Strom

This teaching circle is organized for faculty teaching technically and procedurally challenging courses in highly analytical fields. We will discuss how to create assessments to gauge deep learning and ways of assessing synthesis and transfer. Our focus this semester will be questions that assess preparation for future learning (PFL) and participants will be asked to bring concrete assessment questions to lunches and discuss how they fit into their broader course plan. Please reach out to the organizers with any questions. RSVP for the Formative and Summative Assessment of Analytical Inductive and Deductive Processes Teaching Circle.

*meeting only 3 times on September 26th, October 24th and November 14th and participants are asked to RSVP early and attend all 3 sessions.

Human Rights Teaching Circle

Carrie Cuthbert, Loretta Ross

The Human Rights Teaching Circle is designed as an informal space for those who are engaged in human rights education inside and/or outside the classroom, interested in learning about the field of Human Rights Education, including human rights-based pedagogical practices, and/or wish to benefit from ongoing peer conversations about integrating a human rights lens into their teaching. Funding and schedules permitting, we will bring in a guest speaker. Our hope is to build on last year’s teaching circle to establish a human rights education “community of practice” at Smith. All are welcome. RSVP for the Human Rights Teaching Circle.
 

Joy and Fun in the Classroom

Jessica Bacal, Cat McCune

Smith educators often infuse joy and fun in students’ classroom experiences—but we don’t always take the time to tell each other about how we do it, and we should! Having fun together builds class community and can make everyone feel more at ease when approaching difficult work. We will run this circle not as “experts in joy and fun,” but as colleagues who want to learn from each other and from you. We will bring strategies that we have used, including games and exercises, and hope that everyone will leave each session with inspiration and ideas for lightening things up during these difficult times. RSVP for the Joy and Fun in the Classroom Teaching Circle.

Languages Across the Curriculum Teaching Circle

Ilona Sotnikova, May George

This teaching circle provides an informal space for language educators and faculty across disciplines to discuss ways to collaborate and connect world languages and with other majors and areas of student interest and promote languages and research at Smith. The teaching circle also explores recent approaches to teaching, learning, and technology adaptation in classes, in addition to discussing ways to motivate students’ learning and enhancing their progress and future careers. Faculty from all disciples are encouraged to attend! RSVP for the Languages Across the Curriculum Teaching Circle.

Teaching-Focused Faculty Teaching Circle

Reid Bertone-Johnson

The Teaching Circle for TFF (Teaching Focused Faculty) will offer an informal space for TFF across disciplines at Smith to make connections, build community and share helpful resources. We hope this will provide a space for new and veteran TFF to connect. RSVP for the TFF Teaching Circle.

Ungrading, Grading, and the In-Between Teaching Circle

Kementari Whitcher

Join our informal conversations to discuss ungrading and related alternatives (like contract, specs, and labor-based grading), and their benefits and challenges. We also explore course learning objectives and ways of giving feedback. Come discuss how you can incorporate even small elements of ungrading/alternative grading in your classes. Guests in this circle may include some experienced “ungraders,” others who use other grading methods, and those curious to explore the options. RSVP for the Ungrading, Grading, and the In-Between Teaching Circle.