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This article is a component of the Resources for Teaching After Crisis playlist.
Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shootingresource for parents from the American Psychological Association [article]Series of tips for parents to help children through their distress after a community or school shooting.
Resiliency After Violence: After Uvalderesource from the education research outreach site Usable Knowledge, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Expanded from their 2016 article on the same topic [article]This article shares strategies from psychologist Richard Weissbourd for age-appropriate conversations about difficult events involving trauma and community violence. Also focuses on student activism and protests, positive school culture and student inclusion in decision-making, and reducing bullying / creating welcoming school climates.
Responding to Tragedy: Resources for Educators and Parents Edutopia resource compiled by Matt Davis [list of links]This list of resources focuses on addressing children’s trauma and grief.
Managing Fear After Mass Violence New York Times Parenting article by Jessica Grose [article]Suggestions from psychiatrists and pediatricians about how parents can handle increased anxiety and fear connected to school shootings, and how they can support their children to do the same.
When Bad Things Happen: Help kids navigate our sometimes-violent world article by Sean McCollum in Learning for Justice magazine, by Southern Poverty Law Center [magazine feature]Article about children and teens’ experiences of community violence, the danger of toxic stress, psychological first aid frameworks, recovery, and healing (2013).
Childhood Traumatic Grief: Youth Information from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network [factsheet]This factsheet is designed for a youth audience to explain the normal range of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that make up grief; the characteristics of traumatic grief; and ways to feel better and cope with grief-related traumatic reactions.
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

Peer-Educator Dialogue Guide[*]
This is a "Checklist" guide, not a scaled rating or evaluation form. This guide is intended to be used as a tool to enable educators… “who teach, supervise and/or support students’ learning to gain feedback from one or more colleagues as part of the process of reflecting on their own practices” (University of Exeter). It asks peer-educators to indicate the presence of teaching activities/behaviors already established as indicative of high-quality teaching.  Individual educators, units, departments, etc. can determine which of the items in the categorized lists below reflect their priorities; a targeted set of items per list will make the guide easier for educators to use.
Date:Time:  Instructor-educator name:Course #:Course Title:Modality:No. Students:Peer-Educator name:                                                       
Peer-educator instructions:  Indicate with a check (√) the presence of the following actions and behaviors that indicate high quality teaching.  Leave blank items you do not observe.  Use N/A if an item is not relevant for this experience or the instructor’s teaching style. 
Variety and Pacing of Instruction
The instructor-educator:

uses more than one form of instruction
pauses after asking questions
accepts students’ responses
draws non-participating students into activities/discussions
prevents specific students from dominating activities/discussions
helps students extend their responses
guides the direction of discussion
mediates conflict or differences of opinion
demonstrates active listening
provides explicit directions for active learning tasks (e.g. rationale, duration, product)
allows sufficient time to complete tasks such as group work
specifies how learning tasks will be evaluated (if at all)
provides opportunities and time for students to practice

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Organization
The instructor-educator :

arrives on time
relates this and previous class(es), or provides students with an opportunity to do so
provides class goals or objectives for the class session
provides an outline or organization for the class session
knows how to use the educational technology needed for the class
locates class materials as needed
makes transitional statements between class segments
follows the stated structure
conveys the purpose of each class activity or assignment
completes the scheduled topics
summarizes periodically and at the end of class (or prompts students to do so)

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Presentation Skills
The instructor-educator:

is audible to all students
articulates words so that they are understandable to students, and/or visually represents words that might he difficult for students to hear
varies the tone and pitch of voice for emphasis and interest
speaks at a pace that permits students to understand and take notes
establishes and maintains eye contact
avoids over-reliance on reading content from notes, slides, or texts
avoids distracting mannerisms
uses visual aids effectively (e.g. when appropriate to reinforce a concept, legible handwriting, readable slides)
effectively uses the classroom space

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):

Clarity
The instructor-educator:

notes new terms or concepts
elaborates or repeats complex information
uses examples to explain content
makes explicit statements drawing student attention to certain ideas
pauses during explanations to ask and answer questions

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Content Knowledge
The instructor-educator:

makes statements that are accurate according to the standards of the field
incorporates current research in the field
identifies sources, perspectives, and authorities in the field
identifies diverse sources, perspectives, and authorities in the field
communicates the reasoning process behind operations and/or concepts

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Instructor-Student Rapport
The instructor-educator:

attends respectfully to student comprehension or puzzlement
invites students’ participation and comments
treats students as individuals (e.g. uses students’ names)
provides periodic feedback
incorporates student ideas into class
uses positive reinforcement (i.e. doesn’t punish or deliberately embarrass students in class)

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):

General Peer-Educator Reflection:
What did you observe that went well?
What suggestions for enhancement do you have?
Additional Comments:
 
[*]  Adapted 1/2006 from Chism, N.V.N. (1999) Chapter 6: Classroom Observation, Peer Review of Teaching: A Sourcebook.  Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, by Angela R. Linse, Executive Director, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Penn State.  If you further adapt this form, please include this source citation.

Tools for Multimedia Presentations
 
Why should students use a variety of tools?
People process information in a variety of ways, and the most effective method that information is transmitted varies depending on the audience, goals of the presenter and the information itself. By encouraging students to explore different methods of relaying information, you are also teaching them how to explain things to a diverse audience.
 
How to Get Started:
Explore the tools on the back of this sheet, or any others you know of. Pick one or two that you like and are comfortable with. Then, pick one project or presentation that is usually done in PowerPoint or as an essay, and adapt some or all of it for the new tool.  You can always contact IT and meet with an Instructional Designer if you’d like to bounce ideas off of someone else. They can also come to your class to demonstrate the tools to your students. 
 
When to Use: 
This can be incorporated into most courses, at really any level. For students who are new to the material, or the university, it would be useful to provide guidance, and restrict assignments to a few tools. As students grow more confident, the amount of freedom of choice can be expanded
 
Resources and Tools
 
Video

Davinci Resolve – Free Video Editor
Media Space – MSU’s Internal Video Platform
Adobe Spark – Free Video and Presentation
Zoom – Video Conferencing and Recording 

Audio

Audacity – Free Audio Editor and Recorder
Free Music Archive – Repository of CC Music 
Pod Bean – Free Podcast Hosting

Graphics

Pixabay – Repository of CC Images
Piktochart – Infographic Creation Tool
Canva – Image Creation Tool
Sketch Up - 3D Modeling
Sway – Online Presentations

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash
 
The Learning Styles Myth
 
The Myth: “I’m a visual learner,” Similar to the left vs. right brain, another prevalent neuromyth in education is the belief that students have distinct learning styles–meaning that their ways of learning (i.e., visual, kinesthetic, auditory, etc) require different teaching practices [1].
 
The Facts: While some students may prefer different types of information delivery, there is no existing research to date to suggest that there is any benefit in teaching them in their preferred learning style [2]. In fact, everybody uses a mix of these styles, and some of us are dominant in one or the other. We may also use one style in a situation and another under different circumstances [1].
 
The Alternative: There is a variety of ways to engage students with the material they are learning. One of the most popular teaching methods that incorporates both student-centered learning and the multiple representations of information is the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a set of principles that helps teachers design flexible learning environments that adapt to the variability of learners. 
 
The Critical Window of Time for Learning Myth
 
The Myth: “I’m too old to learn this.” This misconception is often linked to the “myth of three,” which postulates that the brain only retains information during a critical period–rendering the first three years of a child’s life decisive for future development and success in life.
 
The Facts: While critical periods have been observed in animal behavior, scientists have agreed that these are not as delineated in human beings, and instead favor the term “sensitive periods” which can be impacted by many factors [3]. Instead, research in neuroscience shows that different brain systems showcase different types and amount of changes with experience. This is called plasticity–the capacity that the brain has to change through learning [4]. So while some skills can be acquired during optimal times (i.e., grammar rules), it doesn’t mean that exposure and training beyond that could not lead to changes and learning.
 
The Alternative: Many educators have been enthusiastic about the idea of a “growth mindset” in opposition to a fixed learning pathway. While the idea is popular, there is also growing concern that teachers might not have the resources to use the concept effectively in the classroom. For instance, a recent nationwide survey of K-12 teachers reported that 85% of them wanted more professional development in the area [5]. 
 
How to Avoid Neuromyths
Start with skepticism! Look beyond mere claims and dig a little deeper to research the science behind these claims. For instance, research shows that we get seduced by explanations that are accompanied by images of the brain, no matter how random they are. This doesn’t mean being a complete pessimist, but to try to strike a balance between popular facts and scientific research. Is the claim being sold as a cure-all? What does the evidence say? Does it sound too simple? One of the best ways to do so is to be informed and knowledgeable about the brain.
 
Resources

http://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/34926352.pdf
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi
http://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/neuromyth1.htm
https://www.edcan.ca/
https://www.edweek.org/media/ewrc_mindsetintheclassroom_sept2016.pdf

"I would like to Thank Tracy because she was extremely helpful throughout the course. She made sure that students understood what was going on before moving forward and she always welcomed questions and made things easier for us students. She is overall a great person and really deserves to be thanked for all her hard work and patience with struggling students."
-A fellow Spartan
 

 
Tracy is a doctoral student in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources' (CANR) Fisheries and Wildlife Department. According to MSU Today, "Melvin has an extensive conservation background. She has served as a Science to Action Fellow for the United States Geological Survey's National Climate Adaptation Science Center and in 2018 was chair of the Wildlife Society’s Climate Change and Wildlife Working Group." Her dissertation focuses on stewarding climate-induced ecological transformation in the context of global biodiversity conservation. According to Tracy, her work is "global in scope, but focuses on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska as a case study". Tracy has also taught an "award-winning study abroad program, titled 'A Fragile Fiji: Integrating Ecosystems and Human Dimensions in the Face of Climate Change,' with MSU." 
 
In addition to her scholarly and in-class educator roles, Tracy serves as the Graduate School's Leadership Fellow in CANR. She has embarked on her third and final year in this role, and through this position has led in-college initiatives such as CANR Rising, a public storytelling event in which key leaders in the college shared their experiences with failure and how they have resiliently persisted to be where they are today. Tracy describes her fellow activities as "an eclectic mix of 1. Determining the health, wellness, and needs assessment of the graduate students in her college through a unique survey 2. Creating an-all college website for graduate students to learn about self-care and resiliency, and 3. Creating opportunity for all-college community building through graduate student focal activities meant to build resilience, including physical fitness, personal finances, meditation, and faculty-student communication."

The primary goal: students should be working on day one"The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher" by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong is a staple in teacher preparation programs and k-12 districts across the country. It is a comprehensive guide for teachers, particularly those new to the profession, focusing on techniques and strategies to establish effective classroom management from the very beginning of the school year. While the book is primarily focused on K-12 education, it offers principles and strategies that can be effectively adapted and applied to higher education settings. The application of these strategies in a university environment involves recognizing the unique context and needs of adult learners while maintaining the core principles of effective teaching. The book emphasizes the importance of the first days of school in setting the tone for the entire year. It discusses practical methods for creating a positive classroom environment, establishing routines, and building relationships with students. Wong advocates for the idea that effective teaching is not just about subject matter expertise but also involves being an effective manager of the classroom. This management includes clear communication of expectations, consistent procedures, and fostering a sense of respect and responsibility among students.A key theme in Wong's work is the concept of the teacher as a facilitator of learning rather than just a transmitter of knowledge. He suggests that well-organized classrooms with clear rules and procedures enable students to engage more effectively in the learning process. Specifically, he details pre-course and early-course actions that educators can take to help ensure the effective facilitation of learning. Before the Semester1. Course Design and Syllabus Preparation: Develop a detailed syllabus that outlines course objectives, expectations, grading policies, required materials, and a schedule of topics and assignments. Ensure that the syllabus aligns with the learning outcomes and includes policies on attendance, late submissions, academic integrity, and inclusivity. The Teaching Center provides syllabus templates in the semester start-up playlist.2. Learning Environment Setup: If teaching in a physical space, consider the classroom layout and how it can foster interaction and engagement. If teaching ina room you are not familiar with, visit the room before the first day of class to get to know the workings of the classroom technology cart. For online courses, organize the digital learning environment in D2L, ensuring that all resources are accessible and user-friendly. MSU IT offers multiple D2L training resources, also detailed in the semester start-up playlist here.3. Instructional Planning: Plan your lessons for the first few weeks. This includes lecture content, discussion questions, group activities, and any multimedia resources you intend to use. Think about how these align with your course objectives and how they cater to diverse learning styles.4. Communication Channels: Set up and familiarize yourself with the communication platforms you will use, whether it’s email, a learning management system, or online forums. Consider how you will use these tools to communicate with students and facilitate discussions. Consider using the Registrar's Office "email my class" tool for early semester communications.On the First Day1. Welcome and Introduction: Do all you can to arrive early to the classroom. If possible, greet students at the door as they enter. 2. Post the Agenda: Post the day's agenda and key learning outcomes. Make it clear to students what they will do during the class session. If possible, assign seats. This gives students a sense of place in the room and helps reduce students' first day stress.3. Put the Students to Work: The primary goal of the first moments of class is to get students working. Give students a task to complete immediately at the start of class; the task should be relevant to the course content and should yield a tangible deliverable. This will set the tone that the class is a place where things happen, where students work, and where learning is defined by activity. Often this first task involves having students demonstrate their prior knowledge of the course's concepts.  4. Save the Syllabus: The least effective way to spend time on the first day of school is to review the syllabus. Use 50 percent of the first class session for content-specific, important work. Use 40 percent of the time on personal introductions and community building, and use the last 10 percent on policy. Never underestimate the power of a strong start to a semester. Define your semester by spending the first day clearly establishing procedures, setting high expectations, and modelling the value of work. This tone-setting is vital to creating a sustainable culture of learning for the rest of the semester. Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

The "Welcome to My Classroom" series functions like a pedagogy and practice show and tell where educators from throughout MSU's ecosystem share something from their teaching and learning practice. Today, Casey shared the ways he has adapted two of his XA courses to be designed with generative AI integrated from day one!

Here are some key take-aways from Dr. McArdle:


Be open and honest with students, don't run and hide. Being open for students to bring up their concerns so they can be addressed together is critical.
Intentionality is key. Work with your units and/or curriculum committee to develop policies that work for program learning outcomes and goals. (Every decision should connect intentionally back to your learning outcomes and goals)
Inputs matter.  If users aren't exact with inputs, generative AI will pull data and make a guess. "“Generative AI enables users to quickly generate new content based on a variety of inputs. Inputs and outputs to these models can include text, images, sounds, animation, 3D models, or other types of data.” - NVIDIA
Know your limits. When it comes to using these types of systems, understand their limitations. Even ChatGPT acknowledges it "may occasionally generate incorrect information", "may occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content", and "has limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021"
MSU has LOTS of resources! Chech out MSU's generative AI resources on iteach.msu.edu! You may be intersted in Michigan State University on Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) [playlist], Generative AI Use Codes [article], Generative AI Syllabus Guide [playlist], and ChatGPT FAQ for MSU Educators [article]. 

Resources for Continued Growth:
To support your ongoing professional development please consider these resources:

Slide Deck: Access Casey’s Welcome to My Classroom slide deck which has an overview of MSU’s guidance on generative AI, examples of how Casey acknowledged AI in his conversations with learners, and examples of AI-integrated activities from two courses, by logging into Google with your MSU netID.
Online Discussion: Based on the content of Casey’s presentation, you may be interested in joining the asynchronous online discussion happening in the “AI & Education” group on iteach.msu.edu. Login with your MSU netID to connect with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and seek further guidance.
Recording: In case you missed the session or would like to revisit it, you can view the full recording on MediaSpace (also embedded below).

Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation’s (CTLI) Welcome to My Classroom with Dr. Casey McArdle session on 09/14/23.

For teachers who have lost a student as a casualty of an unexpected and tragic event. This must be a very difficult time for you and all who knew and loved the student. You may be exeriencing a range of emotions and grief, including shock, disbelief, and even anger. These feelings are all natural responses to such a tragic event. It is important to care for yourself during this time, and seek support from others who can offer comfort and understanding. The university and the broader community offers counseling services and support groups for faculty and staff as well as students, please consider using these services to support your own needs. Some of your colleagues may have experienced this in the past and will be especially understanding, and capable of offering guidance.Addressing the loss of your student in the first class meeting with their classmates is an important and delicate manner. You will need to consider the size of the class and the context of your relationship with the students to adapt the following advice to suit your situation. It is important to, in some way, acknowledge the loss and express your self while remaining sensitive to the feelings of the students. Some of your students may already be aware and may have discussed the situation with their classmates, while others may be coming to class unaware. Here are some suggestions on how to address the loss in the first class meeting:Acknowledge the lossBegin by acknowledging the loss of the student and express your condolences to their classmates. You might say something like: "Before we begin today's class, I want to acknowledge the loss of your fellow classmate [name]." What follows might be different depending on the situation. "Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family and friends during this difficult time." or "They need to take an extended recess to recover medically, and I will let you know later if they plan to rejoin us, for the time being we will continue the class without them."Explain supportEncourage the student to reach out to and utilize the support and counseling services available from the university. Make sure you have information about these services with you for class. You can say something like "I want to remind you that there are resources available to you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to get connected to service that can help you process your thoughts and feelings." Explain your availability, boundaries, and what you are comfortable talking about if you invite them to connect with you individually.Be conscientiousStudents are likely to experience a wide range of emotions over a significant period of time. It is important to be sensitive to their needs on the first day, and over time, and to encourage them to support eachother. To express your sensitivity, and encourage their empathy you might say: "I know that this may be a difficult time for many of you, and I want to remind you that it is okay to take time to process your feelings. We are all here to support each other."Allow for discussionIf appropriate, you may want to allow time for students to share their thoughts and feelings about the loss. You might prompt them with, "If anyone would like to share their thoughts or feelings about [name], please feel free to do so. We are all here to support each other, and to remember our classmate."Communicate Expectations and ChangesAfter a traumatic loss, many students will find focusing and organizing to be more difficult. Before class, prepare a revision to your syllabus if needed. Plan on communicating and changes to schedule, content covered, activities, and especially assignment or testing due dates explicitly and in multiple formats. Repetition will help students reorient to new expectations and reorient themselves.SummaryRemember, there are many possible ways to address the loss of a student. It is important to consider the context of your specific course and the relationships between the students when planning for your first meeting. Try to be flexible and responsive to the needs and reactions of the students. By acknowledging the loss and offering support, you may help your students to process their thoughts and feelings. You can model for students the meta-cognitive task of surfacing the uncomfortable, acknowledging it, and consciously refocusing on important values and goals, without supressing or denying the discomfort of loss. Most importantly you will be showing students the strength that comes from supporting eachother in a learning community.
Resources for you, the teacherThis article on “How to Handle the Death of a Student” is written from the perspective of a secondary teacher who has had to handle similar situations. Much is transferrable to college students. Additionally, PERSPECTIVE: Teaching Through Trauma (by Dave Stieber for TRiiBE, a digital media platform for Black Chicago [perspective]) is an article is from the point of view of a public school teacher reflecting on what educators do when a student dies. There are links within to further resources that will help instructors consider what to say, and what not to say.
This guide from grievingstudents.org offers a framework for discussions between educators, 1:1 or in small groups, that may help you process the loss and begin moving forward. Educators who are experiencing the immediate impact of a missing student, may find support from peers in a similar situation to be the most compelling to aid them in grief and prepare them to help other students process the loss.