Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) are small groups of faculty and instructors who meet regularly throughout the year about a specific topic related to teaching and learning.
FLCs provide opportunities to:
Conventional wisdom blames smartphones, laptops, and other technologies for the difficulty that students have with focusing and paying attention in class. In Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It, Lang argues that our brains are the problem, not the technology. In this book club, you will read Distracted and discuss the strategies Lang provides for cultivating student attention.
Student success is always important to us, but it is critical in our gateway courses - those that are either necessary for students to advance within a major or are required to complete general studies requirements. When students struggle in these courses, it can prevent them from achieving their academic goals. In this community, you will work with your peers to identify and implement strategies to support student success and reduce equity gaps.
Teaching a hybrid course, with students who are in-person and remote simultaneously, can be challenging. How do you manage two groups of students and the technology? How do you ensure remote students are able to be active members of your class? This FLC provides the opportunity for you to address these questions by sharing your experiences and learning from your colleagues.
NIU is full of diverse students with unique learning abilities. Blackboard Ally is a powerful tool that allows students to choose formats that work best for them while simultaneously providing you with guidance and feedback on how to improve the accessibility of your course materials. This community is a companion to the Fall 2021 pilot of Blackboard Ally, which is open to anyone who teaches at NIU.
FLCs are different from CITL’s other programs and services, so here are a few hints for what to expect from the experience:
Registration for Fall 2021 FLCs is open until September 17, 2021. To register, click the button below and complete the survey. A CITL staff member will contact you by September 24, 2021 to ask about your availability for FLC meetings.
Phone: 815-753-0595
Email: citl@niu.edu
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