We found 82 results that contain "adapt"

This week, we are featuring Dr. Jim Lucas, Assistant Dean of Global Education & Curriculum.  Dr. Lucas was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high-impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Dr. Lucas’ perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by his responses!
 

 
You were recognized via the Thank an Educator Initiative. In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? 
Mentor
Share with me what this word/quality looks like in your practice?
Mentors help personally and professionally by pushing you to be your best. I think being a mentor is a good way to think about being an educator. As a mentor, you have to connect with the student where they're at by being developmental and helping them progress as a student and as a person. I also think you need to put yourself out there and empathize with your students. You have to be willing to be a real person with your students, ask the tough questions, and put in the time and the effort to get through to them. Sometimes I think if we all cared more about each other as people that some of the problems we think of as insurmountable would be less insurmountable.
I always tell my students, once a student, always a student. Once they come into my life, they always have access to me as a mentor. I don’t cut students off once the class ends. I am there for them throughout their college experience. 
Have your ideas on this changed over time? if so how?
As an administrator, it’s important to have one foot on the ground. It’s easy to forget life from a students’ perspective. It’s important to keep yourself real, keep yourself honest, and keep yourself connected to the students so you can try to relate to them in a way that seems authentic. 
When I talk to other educators about how to create curricular experiences or how to work with students, I encourage them to keep doing the work. I don't want to be one of those people that taught 20 years ago but hasn't been in a classroom since. I stay connected to students, particularly first-year students, so I can serve them better. But it also helps me professionally, to help other people think about how to mentor and teach students.
Every time that I'm confronted with a topic that I want to teach, I start by asking myself “how do students learn?”I always push myself to think about how to present topics in the most engaging, exciting, and fun way possible. So I'm constantly pushing myself to think about new ways to do activities and assignments in class. I realize the students I'm teaching in 2021 are different from the students I taught in 1999.
Tell me more about your educational “setting.” This can include, but not limited to departmental affiliations, community connections, co-instructors, and students. (Aka, where do you work?)
I work with first-year students through UGS offerings, integrative studies teaching, and also teach several education abroad courses. 
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role?
I feel that today’s world is very complicated. All students don’t come to college with the mindset and resilience to be successful. We’ve changed so much as a society. Whether students are coming with more home life issues and less social capital or overly structured lives with hovering parents. Figuring out the right balance of challenge and support is hard because you want to challenge them without harming them. You need to find the appropriate way to challenge them to promote growth. Sometimes, we solve problems for students, rather than empowering them to solve the problems themselves, but conversely, sometimes we leave students hanging by a limb expecting them to figure it out on their own. It is a messy grey space. 
Another challenge I experience is the lack of recognition or value attributed to teaching in all forms. I think we need to remove the “Grand Canyon” of academic versus student affairs and teaching versus research. I think if you want to work with students, you need all types of people and perspectives. You also need to value your teachers and reward them for putting in the time that it takes to promote growth and learning.
Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this?
Having a sense of structure is really important. I always start the class by reviewing prior content and answering any questions students have about the past week. At the end of class, I review where we've been, preview where we're gonna go next week, and talk about what’s due. Also, I create a routine for my class, even more so during COVID, with a set structure they can come to understand the ebb and flow of class. 
I work very hard to set norms in my class. I think that a lot of faculty assume that just putting expectations in the syllabus is enough. In my experience, you have to keep talking about and revisiting norms. And if you’re going to set a norm, you have to model it. I can't just say I want you to have good dialogue skills, I have to model it for the students by showing them what I expect, holding them accountable, and managing the issues as they come up. I start every class in small groups and rotate so they get to know each others’ names and have to work across differences. 
I'm really trying to set that tone during the first day that we're an active learning community, that we need to learn to listen to each other, and that we all have opinions that are valid to be listened to, but yet also remember not to be racist, sexist, etc., I try to set all that that tone on that very first day. The other thing I would say to anyone that's new to teaching is that it's helpful to have peers and or a more experienced mentor to ask questions. When I first started teaching, I had an elder faculty member in the department that I could go to, or when I was teaching EAD 315, I could go to other grad students and be like, how is this working for you? Did it work? Did it not work? 
Teaching is as much of an art as it is a science and I think you have to adapt. For new instructors, I’ll say this: You haven’t taught anything until you’ve taught it three times. After teaching a course three times, you start to realize your own structure and flow. Teaching is like theatre--you have to figure out what you're going to put on stage and what you're going to keep behind the curtain. I think an error that many educators make is putting way too much “behind the stage.” I think students do better when you're more transparent about what you expect, and why you're doing what you're doing. And I think that they respect you for telling them.
Sometimes teachers think that they need to have an air of superiority or infallibility in the classroom. It’s okay to admit “I'm not perfect” and admit to the students when you’re not perfect. For example, I’ll let students know I've had a really bad week, and I'm sorry that I couldn't get to your papers or that the D2L site is messed up. 
Be honest and human with the students. These actions are role modeling the behaviors that you want them to see. One of the things that I learned as an educator is how a student assesses you on the first day of class is highly correlated to the way they'll evaluate you later on. The first day of class is super important. 
I don't start with a syllabus. I start with some form of fun, engaging activity that sets a tone for my class. So if I'm doing, for example, sustainability I might do like a human barometer activity that gets the students up and moving and establishes dialogue in the classroom where they're hearing from each other more than they're hearing from me. And I make it clear that that's what my class is going to be. 
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
Using class time to give voice to students is really important. Create a positive climate in your classroom where students feel valued and where they can ask questions. I build five minutes at the start and end of every class. Some people might say, well, I'll cover less content. But, you know, my belief is, it doesn't matter if you cover it if they don't retain it. And they're not going to retain it if they're not in a classroom where they feel that they're listened to, and that they're engaged. Figure out the right mix of process and content is important for any teacher. The process of how you run your class is just as important as the information that you're giving.
Also, I'm a big fan of backward design. People need to start with their learning outcomes and go through a process of curricular prioritization. IAs I said, you haven't really taught anything until you've taught it at least three times. In those three times, you start to realize what's important and what's not important. 
Next, I like the teaching perspectives inventory (http://www.teachingperspectives.com/tpi/). I encourage educators to work on themselves to understand who you are as a teacher and figure out if the way you run your class aligns with your thoughts about teaching and learning. Ask yourselves questions like do your values as a teacher align with the way you do your learning outcomes, assessment, and all that or is aligned with your values as a teacher? For this reason, I never use a canned curriculum or activity. I take ideas and structures from other places, but I need to adapt them to my needs, outcomes, and teaching style.
What topics or ideas about teaching and learning would you like to see discussed on the iteach.msu.edu platform? Why do you think this conversation is needed at msu? 
A greater range of activities that hit multiple levels of professional experience. Mid-high level conversations about sticky, difficult issues. What do you do when a student has a breakdown in the middle of your classroom? These are things that I've confronted, but I'm not always sure that I had the best possible approach. 
For example, I had a student who checked out of his housing and was effectively homeless, and then I was with the police on campus looking for the student one night-- as an educator I find myself in the middle of these situations. I would love to have a space to talk with kindred spirits about how to do that work, where our limits reside, how have other people navigate it, and how do we make the system better? I want to make the campus a better place for everyone. And I'd like to be involved in those conversations, not so much tips and tricks for my own classroom.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) next semester?
Looking forward to face-to-face teaching and education abroad. I want to see my students and talk with them. I feel very disconnected from them in a remote environment. I decided not to teach online for Spring. As a person that likes to create community in small, experiential educational settings, it is hard for me to do that online.

This article provides an overview of example syllabus language for discourse, especially for Fall 2024. This post is the third part of the Civil Discourse in Classrooms series and playlist.
Attendance policies can vary widely for various factors, such as educator values, classroom size, and discipline. MSU does not have a specific attendance policy, but does state: 
There is no university-wide regulation requiring class attendance. However, attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process. In any course in which attendance is necessary to the achievement of a clearly defined set of course objectives, it may be a valid consideration in determining the student's grade. It is the responsibility of the instructor to define the policy for attendance at the beginning of the course.
This statement makes it clear that while attendance is important to learning, there is not a specific policy from the university. However, if an educator wants to have a policy, then they must communicate this at the beginning of the course being sure to be clear how it will factor into grades, if applicable. Below, we will provide various pathway examples of attendance policies that can be adapted to individual educational contexts.
Attendance Policy Unrelated to Grades Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has smaller class sizes without exams, values students’ agency to make their own decisions about attendance to place flexibility with life events. This educator believes that there is a natural consequence built in already if students don’t attend class, which is that they miss content.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Active learning and discussion needs everyone to participate and be present to their capacity. I understand that absences may occur and no excuse notes are needed.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Regularly missing class makes it difficult for your own and others’ learning processes.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “If there’s a regular pattern of absence, we will have a conversation about ways we can better support your learning.”

Attendance Policy Linked to Participation Grade Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has discussion-based classes, values regular attendance because it is integral to everyone’s learning. They also want to build in some flexibility to life events. 
Frame: An example framing could be, “Discussion and participation is an integral part of this class. Attendance is recorded for each class session and contributes to the participation component of the final grade.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students may miss 3 class periods without question, and additional absences must be documented and communicated with the instructor as soon as possible. Excused absences with documentation include medical emergencies, family emergencies, religious observances, and university-sanctioned events.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Unexcused absences beyond 3 missed class periods will result in no participation points for that day’s class (see grading scheme for more details on final grade calculation).”

Attendance Policy Linked to Final Grades Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has hundreds of students in each class, values regular attendance to ensure students are engaging with the content. They want to make it transparent that they use a systematic attendance recording method. 
Frame: An example framing could be, “Attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students must sit in their assigned seats for each class period. Attendance is recorded within the first five minutes of each class period based on presence in one’s assigned seat. Students must attend at least 90% of class sessions.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “For students that go below 90% of missed class sessions, there will be a 1% drop to the final grade for each class period below the 90%.”


Continue to read more about in the next article, “Classroom Norms & Disruptions,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.

Topic Area: Online Teaching & Learning
Presented By: Angela Wholehan, Michelle Markstrom
Abstract:
Laboratory classes are arguably one of the most difficult courses to transfer online - key hands-on experiences are inevitably lost in the process. However, all is not necessarily lost! With some creative thinking, a meaningful instructional experience can still be provided! This presentation will focus on how a core introductory laboratory course in the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics program was adapted into an online course during the pandemic while managing to maintain student learning and engagement. This course is an essential component of our program, as it connects students with key skills and disciplines of laboratory medicine, allowing them to begin to plan their future career paths. Strategies discussed will include the use of online simulations, such as Labster, images for laboratory result interpretation, recorded videos of instructors performing laboratory activities, allowing for students to collect and evaluate real data, and opportunities to connect concepts and methods to real-world applications. The last point was achieved through inviting weekly visitors from our robust pool of alumni to discuss how they applied their BLD degree (including key concepts introduced in this course) to their career paths or advanced education. We will also discuss student feedback that we received from these experiences.

This article is a component of the Resources for Teaching After Crisis playlist. These external organizations are taking action and advocating to eliminate gun violence in schools and communities and/or affect legislation.

March For Our Lives
Everytown 
Sandy Hook Promise 
Moms Demand Action 
Mothers of the Movement

If you want to contribute a resource to the above list, please email the link or attachment to us or add it by commenting below.
Adapted from materials curated with love and solidarity by Kaitlin Popielarz, PhD  Dr. Popielarz is an MSU alum and you can contact her at: kaitlin.popielarz@utsa.edu

Alison Green of "Ask a Manager" discusses what an informational interview is for and offers a number of good questions to adapt and ask in informational interviews.

As the pandemics continue to impact our personal lives, many educators are exhausted, stressed, and overworked. Some are burned out. The constant “pivoting”, adapting, working more, differently and harder has taken its toll. Selfcare is not the usual ‘go to’ for educators who are inclined to help others. But research, science, experience, stories tell us taking time for ourselves [including listing to a podcast!] is very important. We invite you to experience …  
The Spartans Will, Spartans WELL Podcast: A space where educators can dock to get a second wind
During this biweekly podcast, guests respond to questions submitted by educators with stories and strategies that can inspire hope as listeners deal with challenging realities that have changed their lives. Spartans Will, Spartans WELL is hosted by members of the MSU Community with expertise in educator and student well-being. The podcast has been designed to let listeners know they belong, they matter, and they make a difference.
New episodes, which are released every other week, are determined by listener suggestions.  Find this podcast at Spartans Will Spartans WELL Podcast Playlist.
Connect with us!
Please send comments, ideas, questions, suggestions for future podcast topics to worklife@msu.edu.

The MSU Libraries’ Open Educational Resources (OER) Award Program call for applications for academic year 2021-2022 has been extended to January 31, 2022.
Now on its 3rd year, the OER Award Program provides financial incentives and support for instructors interested in adopting, adapting, or creating OER as an alternative to traditional textbooks to advance our goals of affordability, access, equity, and student success.
You can download the Call for Proposals overview to learn more about the application categories, eligibility, participation requirements, timelines, and criteria for evaluation. The OER Advisory Committee will meet to review applications and successful awardees will be notified on February 14, 2022.
Application forms are available in the OER LibGuide. Please submit your proposals via email to Regina Gong, OER & Student Success Librarian at gongregi@msu.edu. Deadline for submission of proposals is 5:00 pm, January 31, 2022.
If you have questions about the OER Award program and the application categories, Regina offers a one-on-one project consultation. Please send an email to gongregi@msu.edu to schedule a session.
 

Open Educational Resources
The acronym OER refers to open educational resources. These are teaching, learning and research materials that are found within the public domain or are released with an intellectual property licence (i.e. Creative Commons) that allows for free use, adaptation, and distribution.
OERs are typically:

    Free to access.
    Free to reuse.
    Free to modify or adapt to your needs.
    Intended to support active teaching and learning.

There are several ways to explore and use OERs for your course. First, you may want to consult the MSU Library for information on the OER program ( https://lib.msu.edu/oer ). Second, you may wish to explore commonly used OER repositories to see what useful materials may be available for your course. One such resource is MERLOT (https://www.merlot.org). Others you may want to explore:
 

    Mason OER Metafinder (MOM) - https://oer.deepwebaccess.com/oer/desktop/en/search.html
    OASIS - https://oasis.geneseo.edu/index.php
    OER Commons - https://oercommons.org/
    Lumen Learning - https://courses.lumenlearning.com/catalog/lumen
    Openstax - https://openstax.org/
    Teaching Commons - https://teachingcommons.us/

 
Remember it is a good idea to look for the licensing information for any resources that you use. If you are unclear of this, check with the MSU OER program for guidance.