The Four-Year Classroom: Student Development in the Liberal-Arts College
This semester, the Center for Teaching and Learning continues its year-long conversation about the developmental aspects of a liberal-arts education. Do we have a shared vision of the four-year arc of our students’ learning? Is it up to students to discover their own arc, or do faculty have a role in helping them describe it? Do materials and procedures, like portfolios or advising practices, play a role? What motivates students to pursue the kinds of experiences—research, interdisciplinary work, community engagement—that build bridges from course to course and semester to semester?
Toward the Capstone: Student Perspectives
Thursday, February 6 — Common Hour
Three distinguished seniors—Taylor Murtaugh (Chemistry), Sade Parham (International Studies, Hispanic Studies), and Victoria Trentacoste (English, Studio Art)—narrate their own paths toward and through major senior projects. In dialogue with select faculty who have mentored them—Tim Curran (Chemistry), Tom Harrington (Hispanic Studies), and Ciaran Berry (Engilsh) and Joe Byrne (Studio Art)—these students explore the ways their coursework, study abroad, laboratory research, and other academic endeavors led them to the transformative experience of a major independent project. And their mentors reflect on what it takes for students’ first three years at Trinity to build toward a senior capstone.
Student Portfolios: Charting the Four-Year Classroom
Tuesday, April 10 — Common Hour
How does the practice of keeping a portfolio—of tracking one’s progress through Trinity—shape the experience of the four-year classroom? Join coordinators of COLL 199, Trinity’s ongoing experiment with student portfolios, for a conversation about electronic portfolios and student learning.
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Introduction to Problem-Based Learning: Fenna Hanes (New England Board of Higher Education) and James DeLaura (Central Connecticut State University)
Thursday, March 13 — Common Hour
In problem-based learning (PBL), students are presented with real-world, challenging problems and work collaboratively to find solutions. PBL requires students to use collaborative learning and critical thinking skills to determine possible solutions, and it motivates them to become independent thinkers by applying their classroom learning to real-world issues. PBL also can help students from different backgrounds pool their knowledge and begin to see that the solutions to most problems require multiple ways of thinking.
This presentation will define PBL, show an on-line Challenge, and describe both teacher resources—such as technical background, assessment strategies, and a guide to creating your own Challenges—and student resources such as Whiteboards for solving problems. For more information, visit www.pblprojects.org.
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CTL Fellows Final Presentations
The CTL Fellows program supports full-time faculty undertaking a project of innovation in their teaching. The Fellows sustain a wide-ranging conversation about pedagogy, meeting once per in a colloquium to discuss their projects. They will present the results of their year-long teaching projects to the Trinity community at the end of this semester. Join us at 12:15 pm on Tuesday, April 15, and Thursday, April 17, to learn more about the work they have done.
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Junior Faculty Workshop
Thursday, March 27 18, 4:30-6:00 pm — Gallows Hill
CTL invites all tenure-track assistant professors to a session devoted to major milestones in their careers at Trinity. The workshop will feature a former member of the Appointments & Promotions Committee as well as seasoned younger faculty speaking on three key topics:
• Preparing for your 3rd-year Review
• Making the Most of your Junior Faculty Leave
• Preparing for your Tenure Review
Also ongoing for first-year tenure-track faculty: the New Faculty Seminars, designed to help facilitate incoming faculty members’ transition to life at Trinity College. A centerpiece of the center’s efforts, the seminars cover a wide range of topics and provide a safe space for new faculty to share ideas and concerns about teaching. The center also invites veteran faculty from previous years to be part of the group and provide the perspective of more seasoned junior faculty. This year’s returning second-year mentors are Cheyenne Brindle, assistant professor of chemistry, and Lisa Schulkind, assistant professor of economics
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Fostering Engagement in the Classroom through Community Learning & Research
Friday, March 28 — 12:00-2:30 pm
co-sponsored with the Community Learning Initiative
Join us for a lively discussion about how and why to integrate community learning into one of your new or existing courses. We will begin with a keynote address by Dr. Kerrissa Heffernan, Director of Faculty Engagement at the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University. Following Dr. Heffernan’s presentation, faculty will be encouraged to remain for an optional small group discussion on the nuts and bolts of integrating or refining course-related community learning opportunities. Colleagues from Wesleyan University, Connecticut College, and member institutions of the Hartford Consortium will be in attendance. Lunch will be served.