Discussion Series Offered For Faculty This Spring Term

Each day our brains are bombarded with steady streams of sensory information while also managing continuous, conscious, and unconscious thoughts. These and many other factors can have a profound impact upon how we teach and learn.

Key questions include:

• How do mindset and motivation impact engagement and learning?
• Why are some experiences considered important enough to remember, while others seem to flow literally in one ear and out the other?
• How are relevant bits of information sifted from the rest of the daily noise?
• How does sleep impact learning and memory?
• How can we use this knowledge to maximize student engagement and learning in our respective classes?

Discuss, Design, Workshop

An ongoing series at the Tang Institute, convened and coordinated by Tang Fellows Christine Marshall Walker and Noah Rachlin, along with other colleagues, aims to engage these topics and more. Sessions will begin on March 27, 2017, and continue for eight Mondays, through May 22. Open to all faculty and community members, these sessions will take place in Pearson C at 5:30 p.m., prior to faculty meeting. No preparation is necessary; simply show up for an interesting conversation on these topics. Dinner will be provided.

As the term unfolds, participants will take time to discuss, design, and workshop different classroom strategies for respective courses. Along the way, the programming will feature examples from various disciplines and will integrate projects and ideas emerging from classrooms and teaching experiences.

This series builds upon the interest of many colleagues, including those who participated in discussions emerging from the EdX course on The Science of Learning during winter 2016–2017.

Join the Conversation

Feel free to sign up for all of the sessions or for certain ones that interest you. Upcoming sessions include:

• March 27, Learning Disposition, Noah Rachlin
• April 3, Learning & Memory: Sleep with Christine Marshall Walker
• April 10, Learning & Memory: Engagement with Christine Marshall Walker
• April 24, Learning & Memory: Neuroplasticity with Christine Marshall Walker
• May 1, Beyond Compliance: Fostering engagement and enjoyment in the classroom with Noah Rachlin
• May 8, Learning: Purpose, Meaning, and Motivation with Noah Rachlin and Christine Marshall Walker
• May 15, Working session with David Yeager, PhD, who will also address faculty meeting that evening.
• May 22, Trish Russell on “Can a school credit and present student learning differently?” (www.mastery.org)

RSVP

RSVP to [email protected]. To receive updates and information about the series as it progresses and to share your thoughts and ideas, please subscribe to the discussion listserv.

The primary goals of this series are to share a bit of time with one another and further hone and integrate collective knowledge about these topics, while exploring and developing associated teaching and assessment strategies.

If you would like to join the conversation, please email [email protected]. To receive updates and information about the series as it progresses and to share your thoughts and ideas, please subscribe to the discussion listserv.