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Posted on: #iteachmsu
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Educator Book Discussion: "What Inclusive Instructors Do"
The Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation and educators discussed the title “What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching” By Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, Mallory SoRelle (published by Routledge in 2021) on 11/2/23. This title is available in print at the MSU Main Library (Call Number: LB2331 .A34 2021) or as an eBook (via ProQuest EBook Central).
If you missed the discussion or want to continue your reflection, in addition to the great reflection questions incorporated in each chapter of the book, here are the prompts we used for our discussion:
The book defines inclusive instructors as the “literal embodiment of inclusion. Inclusive instructors generate spaces through their scholarship, service, mentorship, teaching, activism, and their very selves. To be an inclusive instructor is to critique and challenge traditions, systems and structures that were constructed to exclude and marginalize”.Is this aspirational or achievable? How / what would you add or change in the definition of an inclusive instructor?
What are you currently doing to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments? How do you incorporate inclusivity in the beginning, middle, and end of the course? How do these things create and support educational equity and belonging?
The book talks about the importance of growth mindset in this work. That as humans we never "fully arrive". How do you (currently or aspire to) continue your learning and development journey in this area?
In your opinion, how can educators measure the effectiveness of their inclusive teaching practices? What indicators or assessment tools can help them gauge the impact of their efforts? The naming and framing of this work is important. How can/do you tell the story of your inclusive educator practices?
The group had a conversation rich with activities and resources. Here are a few of the items that came up:
Resources:
Microvalidations
Power Wheel
OFASD Learning Communities
Practices and ideas from the group:
smaller assessments give students feedback on a limited amount of knowledge and they’re less likely to forget everything after the midterm
removed all grades related to "participation" or attendance
1 min check outs (What rocked today? What sucked today?)
Break large exams into the smallest chunks for learning assessments… this allows educators to demonstrate flexibility in large courses
“made a mistake and I had total points of 105 - rather than correcting it, it gave students some room to miss deadlines on some of discussion forums”
small-group exams
“I have my quizzes open Monday and close Friday each week, and they can take as many times as they want while it is open - I still have students who don’t do them, so they will typically use the drops”
“I've been offering flexibility in assignment format. Granted, I teach small grad-level courses so this might not work for larger undergrad courses. But I give students the option to do a traditional academic paper, powerpoint presentation with recorded narrative, or if they have other ideas I ask them to meet with me to talk it through.”
If you’d like to nominate a title for a future CTLI book discussion and/or volunteer to co-facilitate a discussion, please reach out to Makena Neal at mneal@msu.eduCover-photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
If you missed the discussion or want to continue your reflection, in addition to the great reflection questions incorporated in each chapter of the book, here are the prompts we used for our discussion:
The book defines inclusive instructors as the “literal embodiment of inclusion. Inclusive instructors generate spaces through their scholarship, service, mentorship, teaching, activism, and their very selves. To be an inclusive instructor is to critique and challenge traditions, systems and structures that were constructed to exclude and marginalize”.Is this aspirational or achievable? How / what would you add or change in the definition of an inclusive instructor?
What are you currently doing to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments? How do you incorporate inclusivity in the beginning, middle, and end of the course? How do these things create and support educational equity and belonging?
The book talks about the importance of growth mindset in this work. That as humans we never "fully arrive". How do you (currently or aspire to) continue your learning and development journey in this area?
In your opinion, how can educators measure the effectiveness of their inclusive teaching practices? What indicators or assessment tools can help them gauge the impact of their efforts? The naming and framing of this work is important. How can/do you tell the story of your inclusive educator practices?
The group had a conversation rich with activities and resources. Here are a few of the items that came up:
Resources:
Microvalidations
Power Wheel
OFASD Learning Communities
Practices and ideas from the group:
smaller assessments give students feedback on a limited amount of knowledge and they’re less likely to forget everything after the midterm
removed all grades related to "participation" or attendance
1 min check outs (What rocked today? What sucked today?)
Break large exams into the smallest chunks for learning assessments… this allows educators to demonstrate flexibility in large courses
“made a mistake and I had total points of 105 - rather than correcting it, it gave students some room to miss deadlines on some of discussion forums”
small-group exams
“I have my quizzes open Monday and close Friday each week, and they can take as many times as they want while it is open - I still have students who don’t do them, so they will typically use the drops”
“I've been offering flexibility in assignment format. Granted, I teach small grad-level courses so this might not work for larger undergrad courses. But I give students the option to do a traditional academic paper, powerpoint presentation with recorded narrative, or if they have other ideas I ask them to meet with me to talk it through.”
If you’d like to nominate a title for a future CTLI book discussion and/or volunteer to co-facilitate a discussion, please reach out to Makena Neal at mneal@msu.eduCover-photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Authored by:
Makena Neal & Monaca Eaton
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Educator Book Discussion: "What Inclusive Instructors Do"
The Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation and educators discu...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Tuesday, Nov 7, 2023
Posted on: #iteachmsu
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
Source MSU Faculty Handbook (Last updated: 7/27/1984)
IV. ACADEMIC HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES (Cont.)
The following policy was approved by the Board of Trustees on July 27, 1984.
The Bylaws of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees state that "the Constitution (of the State of Michigan) confers upon the Board of Trustees the freedom, power, and responsibility to develop a free and distinguished university and to promote the welfare of mankind through teaching, research, and public service." 1,2,3
As the primary functions of an academic community, learning, teaching, scholarship, and public service must be characterized by a fundamental commitment to academic freedom and maintained through reasoned discourse, intellectual honesty, mutual respect and openness to constructive criticism and change. Faculty members, as central to this community, serve as scholars pursuing the search for knowledge and its free expression, as teachers instructing students, and as professionals and citizens contributing special knowledge and skills through public service and community participation. In the performance of all these functions faculty members are held accountable to the University, in accordance with established policies and procedures, by the Board of Trustees which, as an elected body, is responsible to the people of the State of Michigan. 4
In order to carry out the mission of the University, faculty members, as members of both the academic and the broader public community, have the right to a clear statement of academic freedom, tenure, and other fundamental faculty rights and responsibilities. The purpose of this document is to acknowledge these fundamental rights and responsibilities. 5
Academic Freedom and Responsibility
Michigan State University endorses academic freedom and responsibility as essential to attainment of the University's goal of the unfettered search for knowledge and its free exposition. Academic freedom and responsibility are fundamental characteristics of the University environment and are always closely interwoven and at times indistinguishable. Academic freedom and responsibility are the twin guardians of the integrity and quality of universities. The University looks to its faculty members to exercise their rights responsibly and to meet their obligations fully as professionals. Faculty acceptance of their responsibilities to students, colleagues, the scholarly community, and the public explains in great part why society historically has accepted the concept of academic freedom and has afforded its protection through the institution of academic tenure.
For faculty members, the principal elements of academic freedom include:
The right, as teachers, to discuss in the classroom any material which has a significant relationship to the subject matter as defined in the approved course description;
The right to determine course content, grading, and classroom procedures in the courses they teach;
The right to conduct research and to engage in creative endeavors;
The right to publish or present research findings and creative works;
The right to engage in public service activities; and
The right to seek changes in institutional policy through established University procedures and by lawful and peaceful means.
Academic freedom carries with it responsibilities. For faculty members, the principal elements include:
The responsibility to carry out assigned teaching, research, and public service duties in a professional manner and in keeping with University policy;
The responsibility, as teachers, to refrain from introducing matters which are not consistent with their teaching duties and professional competence and which have no significant bearing on the subject matter of the course as approved under University procedures;
The responsibility to pursue excellence and intellectual honesty in teaching, research, and other creative endeavors and in public service activities; and in publishing or presenting research findings and creative works;
The responsibility to encourage students and colleagues to engage in free discussion and inquiry; and to evaluate student and colleague performance on a scholarly basis;
The responsibility to work in a collegial manner with appropriate individuals and bodies to encourage the free search for knowledge; its free exposition, and the University's continuing quest for excellence; and
The responsibility to differentiate carefully their official activities as faculty members from their personal activities as citizens and, when the situation warrants, to make it clear that, when speaking as private citizens, they do not speak for the University.
The above list provides a summary outline of the principal elements of academic freedom and responsibility. More detailed and explicit definitional statements applicable to specific faculty rights and responsibilities are set forth below under the following headings: Academic Tenure, Academic Governance, Teaching, Research and Creative Activity, Public Service, Relations with Colleagues, Relation to the University and the Community, and Resolution of Conflicts.
Footnotes:
1 The terms, "faculty" or "faculty members," as used in this document, apply to individuals appointed in the tenure system with the rank of instructor through professor. (However, as applicable in the context of assigned duties and responsibilities, the provisions of this policy apply to all faculty and academic staff).
2 Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as amended January 24-25, 1980, Preamble, page 1.
3 "The Board of Trustees, the administration, and the faculty carry out their respective responsibilities not as isolated entities, but as major and primary constituents of the total University organization and structure which remain mutually independent and must be supportive of each other's purposes, functions, and obligations. It is within this context that the rights and responsibilities of the faculty are to be construed" (Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as amended January 24-25, 1980, Article 7, page 7.)
4 "The Board of Trustees, elected by the voters of the State and responsible to all the people of Michigan, exercises the final authority in the government of the University, within the limits fixed by the State Constitution. In exercising its responsibility, the Board delegates to the President of the University and through the President to the faculty, appropriate authority and jurisdiction over matters for which they are held accountable by the Board. These matters include educational policy and the development of a strong and efficient organization with which to accomplish the objectives of the University." (Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as amended January 24-25, 1980, Preamble, page l.)
5 Some faculty rights and responsibilities referred to in this document are stated elsewhere (see Appendix A).
Source MSU Faculty Handbook (Last updated: 7/27/1984)
IV. ACADEMIC HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES (Cont.)
The following policy was approved by the Board of Trustees on July 27, 1984.
The Bylaws of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees state that "the Constitution (of the State of Michigan) confers upon the Board of Trustees the freedom, power, and responsibility to develop a free and distinguished university and to promote the welfare of mankind through teaching, research, and public service." 1,2,3
As the primary functions of an academic community, learning, teaching, scholarship, and public service must be characterized by a fundamental commitment to academic freedom and maintained through reasoned discourse, intellectual honesty, mutual respect and openness to constructive criticism and change. Faculty members, as central to this community, serve as scholars pursuing the search for knowledge and its free expression, as teachers instructing students, and as professionals and citizens contributing special knowledge and skills through public service and community participation. In the performance of all these functions faculty members are held accountable to the University, in accordance with established policies and procedures, by the Board of Trustees which, as an elected body, is responsible to the people of the State of Michigan. 4
In order to carry out the mission of the University, faculty members, as members of both the academic and the broader public community, have the right to a clear statement of academic freedom, tenure, and other fundamental faculty rights and responsibilities. The purpose of this document is to acknowledge these fundamental rights and responsibilities. 5
Academic Freedom and Responsibility
Michigan State University endorses academic freedom and responsibility as essential to attainment of the University's goal of the unfettered search for knowledge and its free exposition. Academic freedom and responsibility are fundamental characteristics of the University environment and are always closely interwoven and at times indistinguishable. Academic freedom and responsibility are the twin guardians of the integrity and quality of universities. The University looks to its faculty members to exercise their rights responsibly and to meet their obligations fully as professionals. Faculty acceptance of their responsibilities to students, colleagues, the scholarly community, and the public explains in great part why society historically has accepted the concept of academic freedom and has afforded its protection through the institution of academic tenure.
For faculty members, the principal elements of academic freedom include:
The right, as teachers, to discuss in the classroom any material which has a significant relationship to the subject matter as defined in the approved course description;
The right to determine course content, grading, and classroom procedures in the courses they teach;
The right to conduct research and to engage in creative endeavors;
The right to publish or present research findings and creative works;
The right to engage in public service activities; and
The right to seek changes in institutional policy through established University procedures and by lawful and peaceful means.
Academic freedom carries with it responsibilities. For faculty members, the principal elements include:
The responsibility to carry out assigned teaching, research, and public service duties in a professional manner and in keeping with University policy;
The responsibility, as teachers, to refrain from introducing matters which are not consistent with their teaching duties and professional competence and which have no significant bearing on the subject matter of the course as approved under University procedures;
The responsibility to pursue excellence and intellectual honesty in teaching, research, and other creative endeavors and in public service activities; and in publishing or presenting research findings and creative works;
The responsibility to encourage students and colleagues to engage in free discussion and inquiry; and to evaluate student and colleague performance on a scholarly basis;
The responsibility to work in a collegial manner with appropriate individuals and bodies to encourage the free search for knowledge; its free exposition, and the University's continuing quest for excellence; and
The responsibility to differentiate carefully their official activities as faculty members from their personal activities as citizens and, when the situation warrants, to make it clear that, when speaking as private citizens, they do not speak for the University.
The above list provides a summary outline of the principal elements of academic freedom and responsibility. More detailed and explicit definitional statements applicable to specific faculty rights and responsibilities are set forth below under the following headings: Academic Tenure, Academic Governance, Teaching, Research and Creative Activity, Public Service, Relations with Colleagues, Relation to the University and the Community, and Resolution of Conflicts.
Footnotes:
1 The terms, "faculty" or "faculty members," as used in this document, apply to individuals appointed in the tenure system with the rank of instructor through professor. (However, as applicable in the context of assigned duties and responsibilities, the provisions of this policy apply to all faculty and academic staff).
2 Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as amended January 24-25, 1980, Preamble, page 1.
3 "The Board of Trustees, the administration, and the faculty carry out their respective responsibilities not as isolated entities, but as major and primary constituents of the total University organization and structure which remain mutually independent and must be supportive of each other's purposes, functions, and obligations. It is within this context that the rights and responsibilities of the faculty are to be construed" (Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as amended January 24-25, 1980, Article 7, page 7.)
4 "The Board of Trustees, elected by the voters of the State and responsible to all the people of Michigan, exercises the final authority in the government of the University, within the limits fixed by the State Constitution. In exercising its responsibility, the Board delegates to the President of the University and through the President to the faculty, appropriate authority and jurisdiction over matters for which they are held accountable by the Board. These matters include educational policy and the development of a strong and efficient organization with which to accomplish the objectives of the University." (Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as amended January 24-25, 1980, Preamble, page l.)
5 Some faculty rights and responsibilities referred to in this document are stated elsewhere (see Appendix A).
Posted by:
Makena Neal
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
Source MSU Faculty Handbo...
Source MSU Faculty Handbo...
Posted by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Monday, Aug 23, 2021
Posted on: Educator Stories
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Featured Educator: Marilyn Amey
According to the College of Education website, "Marilyn Amey is a professor of higher, adult, and lifelong education and chairperson of the Department of Educational Administration. In 2017, she was appointed as the Dr. Mildred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education. She studies educational partnerships, particularly those of community colleges, leadership, including how leaders learn, post-secondary governance and administration, and faculty concerns, including interdisciplinary academic work. Her current work focuses on education partnerships including a multi-year evaluation of a multiple- institutional interdisciplinary consortium and factors affecting student transfer and degree attainment."
What one Spartan said about Dr. Amey: "I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Amey. After taking one of her doctoral courses as a part of my PhD electives, I asked Marilyn to be the chair of my dissertation committee (and while the HALE department is filled with talented educators - I feel this was one of the best decisions of my doctoral career). Not only is Marilyn competent in her field and extremely knowledgeable, she is a fantastic educator who creates spaces where learning happens in multiple directions. She is kind, compassionate, and thoughtful - all things she demonstrates as my committee advisor and as a departmental leader. There are few people who have recognized and accommodated me as a "whole person" (with things in my life outside of school), and I will feel forever indebted to her for that. MSU needs more faculty, administrators, and educators like Dr. Marilyn Amey!"
Marilyn practices gratitude and recognition herself. Here is what she recently said about the graduate students she works with via the Graduate School's Grad Student Appreciation Week initiatives: "Students with whom I work most closely are all adult learners with very complex lives during these difficult times. They are eldercare providers, researchers whose studies have been totally interrupted as they neared completion of dissertations, those hoping for employment next year on and off campus now on hold due to hiring chills and freezes, those who have to find ways to focus on class while becoming homeschool teachers, and those who have put up my constantly shifting schedule of an academic administrator. Yet, they continue to show up to meet with me on zoom and email, inspire through their insights and leadership in these challenging times, find ways to bolster each other in virtual writing groups, and make it clear that postsecondary education will be in good hands. They remind me why I wanted to be a faculty member and are my motivation every day. Thank you isn't enough to each of them."
What one Spartan said about Dr. Amey: "I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Amey. After taking one of her doctoral courses as a part of my PhD electives, I asked Marilyn to be the chair of my dissertation committee (and while the HALE department is filled with talented educators - I feel this was one of the best decisions of my doctoral career). Not only is Marilyn competent in her field and extremely knowledgeable, she is a fantastic educator who creates spaces where learning happens in multiple directions. She is kind, compassionate, and thoughtful - all things she demonstrates as my committee advisor and as a departmental leader. There are few people who have recognized and accommodated me as a "whole person" (with things in my life outside of school), and I will feel forever indebted to her for that. MSU needs more faculty, administrators, and educators like Dr. Marilyn Amey!"
Marilyn practices gratitude and recognition herself. Here is what she recently said about the graduate students she works with via the Graduate School's Grad Student Appreciation Week initiatives: "Students with whom I work most closely are all adult learners with very complex lives during these difficult times. They are eldercare providers, researchers whose studies have been totally interrupted as they neared completion of dissertations, those hoping for employment next year on and off campus now on hold due to hiring chills and freezes, those who have to find ways to focus on class while becoming homeschool teachers, and those who have put up my constantly shifting schedule of an academic administrator. Yet, they continue to show up to meet with me on zoom and email, inspire through their insights and leadership in these challenging times, find ways to bolster each other in virtual writing groups, and make it clear that postsecondary education will be in good hands. They remind me why I wanted to be a faculty member and are my motivation every day. Thank you isn't enough to each of them."
Posted by:
Makena Neal
Posted on: Educator Stories
Featured Educator: Marilyn Amey
According to the College of Education website, "Marilyn Amey is a p...
Posted by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021
Posted on: #iteachmsu Educator Awards
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
College of Education 2020 #iteachmsu Educator Award Recipients
The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Education. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Alexandra Lee: Alexandra’s research focuses on the social-psychological processes underpinning achievement motivation specifically implicit theories of intelligence, competence beliefs, and achievement goals. She has taught in the K-12 setting and in a variety of cultural contexts, prior to coming to MSU (in Thailand, Singapore, rural Mississippi, and Denver, CO). As is currently the instructor of record for TE 150 (Reflections on Learning). Alexandra shared her teaching expertise and enthusiasm at a recent Lunch and Learn session with Graduate Teaching Assistants at MSU. Those in attendance really enjoyed learning from her and her expertise. We hope to have Alexandra share more of her great work in the teaching space for all those interested in teaching.
Lori Bruner: For always having my back! For being patient and flexible when I was diagnosed with arthritis. For teaching me how to be organized and new technology tricks. For being a great leader and mentor to other graduate and undergraduate students! Thank you for being there and helping me with teaching tasks when I needed it the most!
Eliana Castro: In addition to being an incredible, brilliant scholar and a devoted, compassionate teacher educator, Eliana Castro is a generous, contributing citizen in our Department. She provides invaluable service in myriad ways: mentoring other doctoral students, serving on a search committee for a new social studies colleague, helping to recruit incoming doctoral students, among many other ways. She is also a warm, kind person of whom we are all so proud. Thank you, Eliana!
Marilyn Amey: I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Amey. After taking one of her doctoral courses as a part of my PhD electives, I asked Marilyn to be the chair of my dissertation committee (and while the HALE department is filled with talented educators - I feel this was one of the best decisions of my doctoral career). Not only is Marilyn competent in her field and extremely knowledgeable, she is a fantastic educator who creates spaces where learning happens in multiple directions. She is kind, compassionate, and thoughtful - all things she demonstrates as my committee advisor and as a departmental leader. There are few people who have recognized and accommodated me as a "whole person" (with things in my life outside of school), and I will feel forever indebted to her for that. MSU needs more faculty, administrators, and educators like Dr. Marilyn Amey!
Courtney Kosloski: Courtney truly has "the backs" of the graduate students in the HALE Department. Every time I interact with her she is professional and kind in helping answer questions and connect me with relevant resources. She keeps students' best interests in mind and takes it upon herself to reach out when better supports can be accessed. She's a wonderful person, and an asset to HALE and MSU.
Mallory Weiner: Mallory is my co-instructor in ANR 310. This class is unique in that our students come in with a blank syllabus and they create one from scratch, deciding what they want to learn, how they want to learn, and how they want to assess their learning. Mallory has been instrumental in supporting the learning of our students by preparing them to become self-directed learners with the capacity to practice democratic decision making. It isn't easy for a student who is a peer to the students in her class to take on the responsibility of instructor, but Mallory wears the crown with ease. She is an excellent communicator, the ideal partner who doesn't hesitate to take action when necessary, and a supportive co-learner. I'm proud to know that she will be educating the next generation of learners in K12 classrooms beginning next year.
Austin Wellette-Hunsucker: Austin regularly goes above and beyond his duties as a graduate teaching assistant. Not only does he provide tremendous support to the instructor, but he is always willing to go the extra mile for the students. I appreciate his time and effort with the students and the course, and am thankful for his assistance this semester.
Taren Going: Taren worked with me as a TA for my TE 407 course. As a 5 credit course, the work is demanding - there are 5 hours of lab per week and 3 hours of seminar. Taren showed tireless dedication to students' success in the course. Her primary responsibilities were to support students' work in their labs, but she often attended seminar to help her understand the core ideas of TE 407 and support students' learning from the lab. She also regularly sought feedback on her performance as a TA because of her genuine concern for students' learning. I could trust Taren to seek help when she needed it. Taren inspires others to work hard and be their best, and I am so grateful she gave so much of her talents and energy to this course.
Juan Mascorro-Guerrero: I appreciate Juan because he is our graduate advisor for culturas de las razas unidas outside of helping us with our roles on e board he always offers to help us with applications for scholarships, finding internships, or just provides us a space to talk. Juan is an assistant community director in Wilson Hall , he has a busy schedule but never fails to provide support and help those around him. Juan is the true definition of Latino/Latinx Excellence.
Terry Edwards: Terry Edwards is the rock that anchors the TE department. I thanked her last year but that is not enough, not nearly enough for all that she does in the department. Over this semester, Terry has helped me and several other doctoral students in numerous ways. She is always making sure that the doctoral students are thriving--physically and mentally. She ensures to talk to everyone and showers us with affirmations, love, and praise. I am grateful for Terry and also recognize that she does a lot of the emotional and physical work of supporting doctoral students. Terry's commitment is not merely about her role but a much deeper commitment, a commitment that is about creating a space that is welcoming to all and one where everyone feels seen and heard. She has helped me track down packages that are lost. She brought a sewing machine off craigslist because some of us wanted to use it for our work. She plays a crucial role in organizing a department potluck. She is always advocating for us. And no matter what issue you are facing, Terry will do her best to help you find a solution. We are so grateful for Terry and everything she does for us.
Olivia Furman: I (Naseeb) entered into community with Olivia through WOCI, which she co-leads. Last Fall, Olivia worked with an MSU alumnus, Shakara Tyler, to promote a nature centered self-care program, where folx were able to engage in forest walks, soil meditation, and herbal foraging. As a first-year Ph.D. student, I have tremendously valued Olivia’s commitment to addressing the isolation graduate students often experience through holistic wellness practices. Most notably, Olivia has modeled for me how to leverage research to support the wellness of communities our inquiry is based upon. For example, I had the opportunity to engage in an educational research methods course with Olivia this past fall. Despite the overwhelming valuation of quantitative methods in educational inquiry, Olivia drew upon bell hooks, Audre Lorde, the Combahee River Collective and other Black womxn feminisms, as well as her professional experiences with K-12 teaching, to weave together arts-based research methods with Black feminist epistemologies to explore how Black girls experience schooling. She was met with subtle, and sometimes direct, resistance from the course peers who failed to see the transformative and community-based nature of her methodological position. Despite this, she actively pursued her arts-based research agenda, refusing to spend time justifying her methodological decisions and instead carried out her efforts with integrity and creativity. As a non-Black WOC, I have valued Olivia’s leadership example in leveraging the critical practices of wellness found in Black and Brown communities (e.g. quilts, knitting, and ceramics) to reform teaching and learning practices at MSU.
Kristi Lowrie: Kristi is an integral part of the TE department and has supported doctoral students tirelessly! She has been pivotal in me having a successful semester. Kristi is always willing to help and goes above and beyond to find resources/solutions. Several times when I walked into her office with a challenge/issue she would drop everything else and help me figure things out. I appreciate Kristi and her relentless support for doctoral students in the program. Thank you, Kristi!
Sheila Orr: In her first year, Sheila has contributed extensively not only to the improvement of secondary mathematics methods courses in teacher education but also to the success of my NSF UTEMPT project. In only a few short months "on the job," Sheila conducted independent analyses of new data for the project and took the lead in presenting this data at a national conference in Pheonix in February. She also went beyond in her role to shadow TE 407, the first mathematics methods course for prospective secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs), by taking the lead in several sessions to help PSTs try out new mathematics teaching practices. I continue to be impressed not only by her passion and drive for learning to teach future teachers, but also by her engagement with improving MSU's coursework, in concert with innovations supported by the UTEMPT project, to better support PSTs' learning.
Teacher Education Undergraduate Staff: The undergraduate students working for the TE department are integral to the success of doctoral students. We are deeply appreciative of their hardwork and support. They are always willing to support us with crucial tasks--supplies, scans, photocopies, etc. Even though several of the students are not in the TE program, they go above and beyond to understand the needs of doctoral students and willing to support us. I have also learned a great deal from each of them about their respective fields and appreciate how they brighten up the department with their indomitable spirit! Thank you all for your work.
Dr. Amey’s HALE Graduate Students: Students with whom I work most closely are all adult learners with very complex lives during these difficult times. They are eldercare providers, researchers whose studies have been totally interrupted as they neared completion of dissertations, those hoping for employment next year on and off campus now on hold due to hiring chills and freezes, those who have to find ways to focus on class while becoming homeschool teachers, and those who have put up my constantly shifting schedule of an academic administrator. Yet, they continue to show up to meet with me on zoom and email, inspire through their insights and leadership in these challenging times, find ways to bolster each other in virtual writing groups, and make it clear that postsecondary education will be in good hands. They remind me why I wanted to be a faculty member and are my motivation every day. Thank you isn't enough to each of them.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Alexandra Lee: Alexandra’s research focuses on the social-psychological processes underpinning achievement motivation specifically implicit theories of intelligence, competence beliefs, and achievement goals. She has taught in the K-12 setting and in a variety of cultural contexts, prior to coming to MSU (in Thailand, Singapore, rural Mississippi, and Denver, CO). As is currently the instructor of record for TE 150 (Reflections on Learning). Alexandra shared her teaching expertise and enthusiasm at a recent Lunch and Learn session with Graduate Teaching Assistants at MSU. Those in attendance really enjoyed learning from her and her expertise. We hope to have Alexandra share more of her great work in the teaching space for all those interested in teaching.
Lori Bruner: For always having my back! For being patient and flexible when I was diagnosed with arthritis. For teaching me how to be organized and new technology tricks. For being a great leader and mentor to other graduate and undergraduate students! Thank you for being there and helping me with teaching tasks when I needed it the most!
Eliana Castro: In addition to being an incredible, brilliant scholar and a devoted, compassionate teacher educator, Eliana Castro is a generous, contributing citizen in our Department. She provides invaluable service in myriad ways: mentoring other doctoral students, serving on a search committee for a new social studies colleague, helping to recruit incoming doctoral students, among many other ways. She is also a warm, kind person of whom we are all so proud. Thank you, Eliana!
Marilyn Amey: I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Amey. After taking one of her doctoral courses as a part of my PhD electives, I asked Marilyn to be the chair of my dissertation committee (and while the HALE department is filled with talented educators - I feel this was one of the best decisions of my doctoral career). Not only is Marilyn competent in her field and extremely knowledgeable, she is a fantastic educator who creates spaces where learning happens in multiple directions. She is kind, compassionate, and thoughtful - all things she demonstrates as my committee advisor and as a departmental leader. There are few people who have recognized and accommodated me as a "whole person" (with things in my life outside of school), and I will feel forever indebted to her for that. MSU needs more faculty, administrators, and educators like Dr. Marilyn Amey!
Courtney Kosloski: Courtney truly has "the backs" of the graduate students in the HALE Department. Every time I interact with her she is professional and kind in helping answer questions and connect me with relevant resources. She keeps students' best interests in mind and takes it upon herself to reach out when better supports can be accessed. She's a wonderful person, and an asset to HALE and MSU.
Mallory Weiner: Mallory is my co-instructor in ANR 310. This class is unique in that our students come in with a blank syllabus and they create one from scratch, deciding what they want to learn, how they want to learn, and how they want to assess their learning. Mallory has been instrumental in supporting the learning of our students by preparing them to become self-directed learners with the capacity to practice democratic decision making. It isn't easy for a student who is a peer to the students in her class to take on the responsibility of instructor, but Mallory wears the crown with ease. She is an excellent communicator, the ideal partner who doesn't hesitate to take action when necessary, and a supportive co-learner. I'm proud to know that she will be educating the next generation of learners in K12 classrooms beginning next year.
Austin Wellette-Hunsucker: Austin regularly goes above and beyond his duties as a graduate teaching assistant. Not only does he provide tremendous support to the instructor, but he is always willing to go the extra mile for the students. I appreciate his time and effort with the students and the course, and am thankful for his assistance this semester.
Taren Going: Taren worked with me as a TA for my TE 407 course. As a 5 credit course, the work is demanding - there are 5 hours of lab per week and 3 hours of seminar. Taren showed tireless dedication to students' success in the course. Her primary responsibilities were to support students' work in their labs, but she often attended seminar to help her understand the core ideas of TE 407 and support students' learning from the lab. She also regularly sought feedback on her performance as a TA because of her genuine concern for students' learning. I could trust Taren to seek help when she needed it. Taren inspires others to work hard and be their best, and I am so grateful she gave so much of her talents and energy to this course.
Juan Mascorro-Guerrero: I appreciate Juan because he is our graduate advisor for culturas de las razas unidas outside of helping us with our roles on e board he always offers to help us with applications for scholarships, finding internships, or just provides us a space to talk. Juan is an assistant community director in Wilson Hall , he has a busy schedule but never fails to provide support and help those around him. Juan is the true definition of Latino/Latinx Excellence.
Terry Edwards: Terry Edwards is the rock that anchors the TE department. I thanked her last year but that is not enough, not nearly enough for all that she does in the department. Over this semester, Terry has helped me and several other doctoral students in numerous ways. She is always making sure that the doctoral students are thriving--physically and mentally. She ensures to talk to everyone and showers us with affirmations, love, and praise. I am grateful for Terry and also recognize that she does a lot of the emotional and physical work of supporting doctoral students. Terry's commitment is not merely about her role but a much deeper commitment, a commitment that is about creating a space that is welcoming to all and one where everyone feels seen and heard. She has helped me track down packages that are lost. She brought a sewing machine off craigslist because some of us wanted to use it for our work. She plays a crucial role in organizing a department potluck. She is always advocating for us. And no matter what issue you are facing, Terry will do her best to help you find a solution. We are so grateful for Terry and everything she does for us.
Olivia Furman: I (Naseeb) entered into community with Olivia through WOCI, which she co-leads. Last Fall, Olivia worked with an MSU alumnus, Shakara Tyler, to promote a nature centered self-care program, where folx were able to engage in forest walks, soil meditation, and herbal foraging. As a first-year Ph.D. student, I have tremendously valued Olivia’s commitment to addressing the isolation graduate students often experience through holistic wellness practices. Most notably, Olivia has modeled for me how to leverage research to support the wellness of communities our inquiry is based upon. For example, I had the opportunity to engage in an educational research methods course with Olivia this past fall. Despite the overwhelming valuation of quantitative methods in educational inquiry, Olivia drew upon bell hooks, Audre Lorde, the Combahee River Collective and other Black womxn feminisms, as well as her professional experiences with K-12 teaching, to weave together arts-based research methods with Black feminist epistemologies to explore how Black girls experience schooling. She was met with subtle, and sometimes direct, resistance from the course peers who failed to see the transformative and community-based nature of her methodological position. Despite this, she actively pursued her arts-based research agenda, refusing to spend time justifying her methodological decisions and instead carried out her efforts with integrity and creativity. As a non-Black WOC, I have valued Olivia’s leadership example in leveraging the critical practices of wellness found in Black and Brown communities (e.g. quilts, knitting, and ceramics) to reform teaching and learning practices at MSU.
Kristi Lowrie: Kristi is an integral part of the TE department and has supported doctoral students tirelessly! She has been pivotal in me having a successful semester. Kristi is always willing to help and goes above and beyond to find resources/solutions. Several times when I walked into her office with a challenge/issue she would drop everything else and help me figure things out. I appreciate Kristi and her relentless support for doctoral students in the program. Thank you, Kristi!
Sheila Orr: In her first year, Sheila has contributed extensively not only to the improvement of secondary mathematics methods courses in teacher education but also to the success of my NSF UTEMPT project. In only a few short months "on the job," Sheila conducted independent analyses of new data for the project and took the lead in presenting this data at a national conference in Pheonix in February. She also went beyond in her role to shadow TE 407, the first mathematics methods course for prospective secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs), by taking the lead in several sessions to help PSTs try out new mathematics teaching practices. I continue to be impressed not only by her passion and drive for learning to teach future teachers, but also by her engagement with improving MSU's coursework, in concert with innovations supported by the UTEMPT project, to better support PSTs' learning.
Teacher Education Undergraduate Staff: The undergraduate students working for the TE department are integral to the success of doctoral students. We are deeply appreciative of their hardwork and support. They are always willing to support us with crucial tasks--supplies, scans, photocopies, etc. Even though several of the students are not in the TE program, they go above and beyond to understand the needs of doctoral students and willing to support us. I have also learned a great deal from each of them about their respective fields and appreciate how they brighten up the department with their indomitable spirit! Thank you all for your work.
Dr. Amey’s HALE Graduate Students: Students with whom I work most closely are all adult learners with very complex lives during these difficult times. They are eldercare providers, researchers whose studies have been totally interrupted as they neared completion of dissertations, those hoping for employment next year on and off campus now on hold due to hiring chills and freezes, those who have to find ways to focus on class while becoming homeschool teachers, and those who have put up my constantly shifting schedule of an academic administrator. Yet, they continue to show up to meet with me on zoom and email, inspire through their insights and leadership in these challenging times, find ways to bolster each other in virtual writing groups, and make it clear that postsecondary education will be in good hands. They remind me why I wanted to be a faculty member and are my motivation every day. Thank you isn't enough to each of them.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Posted by:
Makena Neal
Posted on: #iteachmsu Educator Awards
College of Education 2020 #iteachmsu Educator Award Recipients
The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu E...
Posted by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Monday, Jun 29, 2020
Posted on: #iteachmsu
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Application of Studio Culture in University Schools of Music
A central part of the student experience as a music major in a school or department of music is the studio. Studios are essentially a home-away-from-home for students and is where some of the most fruitful learning and social opportunities can occur. One could equate studios with working in a research lab in the sciences. With this in mind, the culture and atmosphere of studios and how studios interact with others are central to the culture and effectiveness of the larger school or department.
Music students often enter higher education with a fairly high standard of what classroom culture looks like. Ensemble music courses that music students likely took in high school, such as band, choir, and orchestra, foster a high-level classroom culture and community by the nature of the activity. This creates an expectation that music education, at any level and in any situation, will have that same sort of cooperation and community. The ensemble nature of large group instruction fosters a strong sense of shared identity and a culture that defines everything from day-to-day classroom routine to learner outcomes. University music programs (departments, schools, colleges, or conservatories) are structured in order to teach, perform, and experience music in a variety of ways. While the large ensemble (band, choir, orchestra, opera, etc) is a significant part of the school – and perhaps the most visible to the general public – learning also occurs in traditional classrooms and labs where foundational knowledge such as music theory, music history, music technology, music education, and aural skills are taught.
The core of a college or university music program or conservatory, however, is the studio. Each area of performance is organized by a studio and led by an applied teacher. At Michigan State, for example, within the College of Music there are areas of study for composition, conducting, jazz, voice, brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings and piano. Each of these areas consist of studios led by artist-teachers. The woodwind area, for example, consists of studios for flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone and an applied teacher for each of those studios. For many students, especially graduate students, they elect to come to certain school to specifically study with that applied teacher. While students participate in ensembles, take classroom courses, and are educated through several avenues, the studio teacher is their major professor and advisor, and typically has the most contact time and influence on that student.
Studios in schools of music, however, can sometimes seem isolated from each other. This can occur for several valid reasons and not the fault of any one student or faculty member. Unlike large ensembles, where cooperation and a mutual understanding of each member’s role is an essential aspect to music-making, studios often focus on specific pedagogical goals based around the expertise of the individual teacher. And studios can have very specific ideas of what they want their “sound” or approach to playing to be. This can sometimes lead to issues in understanding the priorities of other studios and creates a divide in the school where philosophical conflicts may arise between teaching goals and strategies. This conflict is not the fault of the teachers, and usually is not caused or perpetuated by faculty. Faculty typically understand this dynamic because they have a vision of what they want their studio to be and each understands that other faculty may have different goals. While it is possible they may disagree with certain choices in other studios, each teacher comes to the job with their own unique set of skills and priorities. As long as students are choosing to come to the school, being successful within the school, and being productive musicians contributing to the field after school – the teacher’s work is often judged as a success.
Sometimes the breakdown occurs with how students perceive the work of other studios. Learning does not occur in a vacuum. While the studio is often the hub of the learning, much of a student’s time is spent in performing ensembles. It is in cooperative spaces like this that the breakdown can come to a head. Teachers have different priorities and students have different goals. When one person’s goal rubs against another’s goal, conflict can arise. Each instrument has inherent attributes that make them unique and different from others – and therefore difficult to compare. Oboist have to learn to make reeds, tubists may also need to learn euphonium, violinists sometimes also learn viola, trombonists may need to learn to read tenor clef, and saxophonists are always stretching their skills with extended performance techniques. Every instrument has its own challenge, and the fundamental knowledge necessary before moving onto the next step of learning varies considerably between all of them. Furthermore, every student focuses their study in order to be competitive for differing jobs following graduation. Students seeking college teaching positions may need to study theory pedagogy in addition to learning to play their instrument well, while other students may focus on obtaining an orchestral playing position – which has very specific skills you need to perfect. These are facts often overlooked in the frustration that occurs when goals do not align in rehearsal. Understanding where students are coming from and the different paths and pacing each needs to take to meet different goals is something that my colleague and fellow DMA student Evan Harger calls “vocational empathy.” These unique and varied paths sometimes create a flawed perception of what really is progress.
Large ensembles are led by conductors who guide the direction, philosophy, and culture of the learning environment. Conductors navigate through the web of individual philosophies of each studio and performer to create an ensemble experience that proves to be a successful composite of a variety of pedagogical approaches. In addition to large ensembles, another significant performance opportunity for students are chamber ensembles. In these small groups, students have more autonomy and sometimes conflict can arise between contrasting ideologies and rehearsal priorities. It is not uncommon in chamber ensembles, where there is little faculty input and the music-making is purely student-led, to have differing approaches to the ensemble experience. Everything from rehearsal strategies and what components of the music needs addressing to ideas about performance practice and interpretation can differ and pose potential conflicts. While these are issues and topics to consider in any ensemble opportunity, even in the professional ranks, academia sometimes creates environments where students develop tunnel vision to their own learning biases and objectives.
In order to create healthier ensemble experiences, understanding and developing positive studio culture allows students to not only feel comfortable and foster deeper learning within their studios but also allows for more meaningful cross-studio learning. By allowing students the opportunity to understand the focus and approaches of other studios, students are able to more easily collaborate with those who might approach the same musical issue from an entirely different angle. This awareness of multiple ways to view the same idea, or even being presented with new ideas entirely, creates an environment where cooperation happens more deeply, naturally, and genuinely. This allows for the development of stronger ensemble skills in rehearsal and contributes to more authentic performances. Additionally, this awareness of why certain studios focus on particular aspects allows for students to be better colleagues in future professional, academic, and business environments. We approach conflict and problem-solving through a lens developed in rehearsal and through conversations in the studios. For future teachers and professors, we have a deeper toolbox of instructional strategies to pick from to use in our own future classrooms and studios. This shared knowledge combats the issue of tunnel-vision-learning that limits our capacity for performance as well as the capacity for understanding, cooperation, and growth.
An awareness of vocational empathy creates an avenue where students can share what they value in their studios and as individual learners in order to better understand the values of others. To be a successful 21st century musician, a wide variety of skills are necessary. But what we focus on, the degree to which one does, and the end goal of that study is something that cannot be compared. Richard Floyd, a noted music educator and State Director of Music Emeritus for Texas, calls this space where students are engaged and seeking to learn in a variety of ways a “happy workshop.” And within this workshop, there are a lot of people doing a lot of different jobs in a lot of different ways that all work together to teach and learn from each other. This healthy culture knocks on the door of Paulo Freire’s view that teaching and learning are interchangeable and that the student and teacher do both.
Through working with the Graduate School as a Leadership Development Fellow, I was able to dig into what defines a successful studio culture and how we can best connect these cultures to foster a positive and productive learning environment within the entire College of Music. This past year served as essentially a fact-finding year: defining, through research and student voice, what a productive studio culture looks like and where conflict can arise and how to work through conflict. Higher education music rarely defines this awareness and implications of how studio culture effects an entire school. By and large, music studios look very similar today as they did twenty-five or even fifty years ago. Generally, many teachers still teach the way they were taught. MSU is fortunate that we have many innovative and progressive educators, but the notion of still teaching as we were taught is all too common in academia.
To define best practices in studio culture and to compare the music field to other fields, I looked for defining qualities in classroom culture in higher education. Some of the most relevant ideas of studio culture came from architecture. The American Institute of Architecture Students In-StudioBlog travels to architecture studios across the country, asking many of the same questions that we are asking in the College of Music.
Describe your studio culture.
Give one tip that helped you succeed in studio.
What motivated you to work hard in studio?
What aspect of your studio experience do you think will help you get a job?
What can professors do to create a helpful and supportive studio culture?
What should a high school student understand about studio at my university?
What can the College do to help improve your studio experience?
What would be your ideal studio care package?
I love my studio because….
Schools of architecture have a fairly well-thought out approach to what culture looks like in their studios. The Princeton University School of Architecture has a detailed “Studio Culture Policy” which aligns well with similar concerns in a music studio. From speaking with students in the College of Music, topics raised in these architecture policies are similar to concerns shared here – and I would venture to say any classroom can benefit from tough conversations about culture and productive, cooperative learning environments. These same conversations can apply to other close learning environments in the arts such as dance studios and theater programs; but they are equally relevant and impactful in scientific research labs.
Through the Graduate School’s Leadership Development Fellowship, we’ve created a forum where music students can share what makes their studio’s unique, what brought them to study at MSU, and also concerns or suggestions they have to improve our College. In an open environment where all can share ideas, we not only create a space where cooperation and understanding are built, but also allow ourselves to deepen our own toolbox that can be used in the professional world and in future classrooms and studios. An initial meeting of this forum quickly veered away from talking about our own studios and personal interests, but to larger questions in the discipline of music: ideas about music and its role in global citizenship, entrepreneurial skills in the performing arts, repertoire selection and variety, and diversity and representation. These are important topics beyond the scope of studio culture, but agreement exists that each studio can make a significant difference in these areas. Studios can be the start of grassroot change in tackling bigger issues in music and music education. When we come together to talk about these significant issues and how each studio confronts them, we are making positive change – not only in our studios and the College of Music – but in music and music-making at large. This year we just barely scratched the surface of the impact that we can have on understanding and developing the culture in our studios. From the initial research and student conversations, it is apparent that these ideas make a meaningful difference on our learning environment in real ways that will have impacts far beyond the walls of the College of Music.
Music students often enter higher education with a fairly high standard of what classroom culture looks like. Ensemble music courses that music students likely took in high school, such as band, choir, and orchestra, foster a high-level classroom culture and community by the nature of the activity. This creates an expectation that music education, at any level and in any situation, will have that same sort of cooperation and community. The ensemble nature of large group instruction fosters a strong sense of shared identity and a culture that defines everything from day-to-day classroom routine to learner outcomes. University music programs (departments, schools, colleges, or conservatories) are structured in order to teach, perform, and experience music in a variety of ways. While the large ensemble (band, choir, orchestra, opera, etc) is a significant part of the school – and perhaps the most visible to the general public – learning also occurs in traditional classrooms and labs where foundational knowledge such as music theory, music history, music technology, music education, and aural skills are taught.
The core of a college or university music program or conservatory, however, is the studio. Each area of performance is organized by a studio and led by an applied teacher. At Michigan State, for example, within the College of Music there are areas of study for composition, conducting, jazz, voice, brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings and piano. Each of these areas consist of studios led by artist-teachers. The woodwind area, for example, consists of studios for flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone and an applied teacher for each of those studios. For many students, especially graduate students, they elect to come to certain school to specifically study with that applied teacher. While students participate in ensembles, take classroom courses, and are educated through several avenues, the studio teacher is their major professor and advisor, and typically has the most contact time and influence on that student.
Studios in schools of music, however, can sometimes seem isolated from each other. This can occur for several valid reasons and not the fault of any one student or faculty member. Unlike large ensembles, where cooperation and a mutual understanding of each member’s role is an essential aspect to music-making, studios often focus on specific pedagogical goals based around the expertise of the individual teacher. And studios can have very specific ideas of what they want their “sound” or approach to playing to be. This can sometimes lead to issues in understanding the priorities of other studios and creates a divide in the school where philosophical conflicts may arise between teaching goals and strategies. This conflict is not the fault of the teachers, and usually is not caused or perpetuated by faculty. Faculty typically understand this dynamic because they have a vision of what they want their studio to be and each understands that other faculty may have different goals. While it is possible they may disagree with certain choices in other studios, each teacher comes to the job with their own unique set of skills and priorities. As long as students are choosing to come to the school, being successful within the school, and being productive musicians contributing to the field after school – the teacher’s work is often judged as a success.
Sometimes the breakdown occurs with how students perceive the work of other studios. Learning does not occur in a vacuum. While the studio is often the hub of the learning, much of a student’s time is spent in performing ensembles. It is in cooperative spaces like this that the breakdown can come to a head. Teachers have different priorities and students have different goals. When one person’s goal rubs against another’s goal, conflict can arise. Each instrument has inherent attributes that make them unique and different from others – and therefore difficult to compare. Oboist have to learn to make reeds, tubists may also need to learn euphonium, violinists sometimes also learn viola, trombonists may need to learn to read tenor clef, and saxophonists are always stretching their skills with extended performance techniques. Every instrument has its own challenge, and the fundamental knowledge necessary before moving onto the next step of learning varies considerably between all of them. Furthermore, every student focuses their study in order to be competitive for differing jobs following graduation. Students seeking college teaching positions may need to study theory pedagogy in addition to learning to play their instrument well, while other students may focus on obtaining an orchestral playing position – which has very specific skills you need to perfect. These are facts often overlooked in the frustration that occurs when goals do not align in rehearsal. Understanding where students are coming from and the different paths and pacing each needs to take to meet different goals is something that my colleague and fellow DMA student Evan Harger calls “vocational empathy.” These unique and varied paths sometimes create a flawed perception of what really is progress.
Large ensembles are led by conductors who guide the direction, philosophy, and culture of the learning environment. Conductors navigate through the web of individual philosophies of each studio and performer to create an ensemble experience that proves to be a successful composite of a variety of pedagogical approaches. In addition to large ensembles, another significant performance opportunity for students are chamber ensembles. In these small groups, students have more autonomy and sometimes conflict can arise between contrasting ideologies and rehearsal priorities. It is not uncommon in chamber ensembles, where there is little faculty input and the music-making is purely student-led, to have differing approaches to the ensemble experience. Everything from rehearsal strategies and what components of the music needs addressing to ideas about performance practice and interpretation can differ and pose potential conflicts. While these are issues and topics to consider in any ensemble opportunity, even in the professional ranks, academia sometimes creates environments where students develop tunnel vision to their own learning biases and objectives.
In order to create healthier ensemble experiences, understanding and developing positive studio culture allows students to not only feel comfortable and foster deeper learning within their studios but also allows for more meaningful cross-studio learning. By allowing students the opportunity to understand the focus and approaches of other studios, students are able to more easily collaborate with those who might approach the same musical issue from an entirely different angle. This awareness of multiple ways to view the same idea, or even being presented with new ideas entirely, creates an environment where cooperation happens more deeply, naturally, and genuinely. This allows for the development of stronger ensemble skills in rehearsal and contributes to more authentic performances. Additionally, this awareness of why certain studios focus on particular aspects allows for students to be better colleagues in future professional, academic, and business environments. We approach conflict and problem-solving through a lens developed in rehearsal and through conversations in the studios. For future teachers and professors, we have a deeper toolbox of instructional strategies to pick from to use in our own future classrooms and studios. This shared knowledge combats the issue of tunnel-vision-learning that limits our capacity for performance as well as the capacity for understanding, cooperation, and growth.
An awareness of vocational empathy creates an avenue where students can share what they value in their studios and as individual learners in order to better understand the values of others. To be a successful 21st century musician, a wide variety of skills are necessary. But what we focus on, the degree to which one does, and the end goal of that study is something that cannot be compared. Richard Floyd, a noted music educator and State Director of Music Emeritus for Texas, calls this space where students are engaged and seeking to learn in a variety of ways a “happy workshop.” And within this workshop, there are a lot of people doing a lot of different jobs in a lot of different ways that all work together to teach and learn from each other. This healthy culture knocks on the door of Paulo Freire’s view that teaching and learning are interchangeable and that the student and teacher do both.
Through working with the Graduate School as a Leadership Development Fellow, I was able to dig into what defines a successful studio culture and how we can best connect these cultures to foster a positive and productive learning environment within the entire College of Music. This past year served as essentially a fact-finding year: defining, through research and student voice, what a productive studio culture looks like and where conflict can arise and how to work through conflict. Higher education music rarely defines this awareness and implications of how studio culture effects an entire school. By and large, music studios look very similar today as they did twenty-five or even fifty years ago. Generally, many teachers still teach the way they were taught. MSU is fortunate that we have many innovative and progressive educators, but the notion of still teaching as we were taught is all too common in academia.
To define best practices in studio culture and to compare the music field to other fields, I looked for defining qualities in classroom culture in higher education. Some of the most relevant ideas of studio culture came from architecture. The American Institute of Architecture Students In-StudioBlog travels to architecture studios across the country, asking many of the same questions that we are asking in the College of Music.
Describe your studio culture.
Give one tip that helped you succeed in studio.
What motivated you to work hard in studio?
What aspect of your studio experience do you think will help you get a job?
What can professors do to create a helpful and supportive studio culture?
What should a high school student understand about studio at my university?
What can the College do to help improve your studio experience?
What would be your ideal studio care package?
I love my studio because….
Schools of architecture have a fairly well-thought out approach to what culture looks like in their studios. The Princeton University School of Architecture has a detailed “Studio Culture Policy” which aligns well with similar concerns in a music studio. From speaking with students in the College of Music, topics raised in these architecture policies are similar to concerns shared here – and I would venture to say any classroom can benefit from tough conversations about culture and productive, cooperative learning environments. These same conversations can apply to other close learning environments in the arts such as dance studios and theater programs; but they are equally relevant and impactful in scientific research labs.
Through the Graduate School’s Leadership Development Fellowship, we’ve created a forum where music students can share what makes their studio’s unique, what brought them to study at MSU, and also concerns or suggestions they have to improve our College. In an open environment where all can share ideas, we not only create a space where cooperation and understanding are built, but also allow ourselves to deepen our own toolbox that can be used in the professional world and in future classrooms and studios. An initial meeting of this forum quickly veered away from talking about our own studios and personal interests, but to larger questions in the discipline of music: ideas about music and its role in global citizenship, entrepreneurial skills in the performing arts, repertoire selection and variety, and diversity and representation. These are important topics beyond the scope of studio culture, but agreement exists that each studio can make a significant difference in these areas. Studios can be the start of grassroot change in tackling bigger issues in music and music education. When we come together to talk about these significant issues and how each studio confronts them, we are making positive change – not only in our studios and the College of Music – but in music and music-making at large. This year we just barely scratched the surface of the impact that we can have on understanding and developing the culture in our studios. From the initial research and student conversations, it is apparent that these ideas make a meaningful difference on our learning environment in real ways that will have impacts far beyond the walls of the College of Music.
Authored by:
Hunter Kopczynski
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Application of Studio Culture in University Schools of Music
A central part of the student experience as a music major in a scho...
Authored by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Posted on: Qualtrics Users
Retake survey Links
Would you like survey respondents to be able to return to their responses and edit them? Retake Survey Links might be the solution.
What is a Retake Survey Link?
Retake survey links allow you or your respondent to go back into a survey response and edit it after it’s been submitted. This is useful if a respondent wants to change their answer to a question, or if the respondent’s incomplete response was closed because of inactivity, but they would still like to finish the survey.
Types of Retake Survey Links
Retake Response: The edited response replaces the original response.
Retake as New Response: The edited response is saved in addition to the original response.
Issuing Retake Links
Manually One at a Time
Navigate to the Data section of the Data & Analysis tab.
Select the 3 dots next to the response you need to retake.
Select the retake link type.
Copy the link that pops up.
Caution: Anyone can use a retake link to retake that particular response, so be sure to send it to the correct respondent.
Manually in Bulk
Download the data.
Add columns in the data.
Use the guidelines for building retake links (described below).
Use the function concatenate in Excel to build the links in a column. You’ll need a column for the anonymous link, a column that contains ?Q_R=, and optionally a column that contains &Q_R_DEL=1.
In the column that will contain the retake link, you will concatenate the anonymous link with ?Q_R= and the Response ID for that row of data. Optionally, you will add &Q_R_DEL=1 to the end.
Building Retake Links in a Qualtrics Workflow
Perhaps you want to immediately send a retake link to a respondent or another person once the initial survey is submitted. For example, you might have a survey filled out by students, which then triggers an email with the retake link to the Program Director. The PD then fills out additional questions about the applicant and resubmits the information. Retake links can be constructed outside the Data & Analysis tab and can be used in end of survey messages and email tasks.
Navigate to the Workflows tab of your survey.
Create a new workflow.
Select Started by an event.
Select the Survey Response event and choose Response created.
Fetch the anonymous link to the survey from the Distributions tab and return to the Workflow you were editing.
Using the plus sign, add an email task to the workflow.
Paste the anonymous link into the body of the email (do not paste it as a hyperlink).
Append ?Q_R= to the end of the anonymous link.
Place your cursor after the equal sign.
Click the piped text icon, {a}.
Hover over Response and select Response ID.
Your link should look like this: qualtrics.msu.edu/jfe/form/SV_1234567890?Q_R=${e://Field/ResponseID}
If you want the retake link response to replace the original response, append “&Q_R_DEL=1” to the end of the link, after the Response ID piped text.
Your link would look like this: qualtrics.msu.edu/jfe/form/SV_1234567890?Q_R=${e://Field/ResponseID}&Q_R_Del=1
You might want to insert that long URL into a hyperlink.
Next, just finish the email task and save your workflow. The individual who receives the email task will have a link that allows them to see the original response and change its answers.
Learn more here
What is a Retake Survey Link?
Retake survey links allow you or your respondent to go back into a survey response and edit it after it’s been submitted. This is useful if a respondent wants to change their answer to a question, or if the respondent’s incomplete response was closed because of inactivity, but they would still like to finish the survey.
Types of Retake Survey Links
Retake Response: The edited response replaces the original response.
Retake as New Response: The edited response is saved in addition to the original response.
Issuing Retake Links
Manually One at a Time
Navigate to the Data section of the Data & Analysis tab.
Select the 3 dots next to the response you need to retake.
Select the retake link type.
Copy the link that pops up.
Caution: Anyone can use a retake link to retake that particular response, so be sure to send it to the correct respondent.
Manually in Bulk
Download the data.
Add columns in the data.
Use the guidelines for building retake links (described below).
Use the function concatenate in Excel to build the links in a column. You’ll need a column for the anonymous link, a column that contains ?Q_R=, and optionally a column that contains &Q_R_DEL=1.
In the column that will contain the retake link, you will concatenate the anonymous link with ?Q_R= and the Response ID for that row of data. Optionally, you will add &Q_R_DEL=1 to the end.
Building Retake Links in a Qualtrics Workflow
Perhaps you want to immediately send a retake link to a respondent or another person once the initial survey is submitted. For example, you might have a survey filled out by students, which then triggers an email with the retake link to the Program Director. The PD then fills out additional questions about the applicant and resubmits the information. Retake links can be constructed outside the Data & Analysis tab and can be used in end of survey messages and email tasks.
Navigate to the Workflows tab of your survey.
Create a new workflow.
Select Started by an event.
Select the Survey Response event and choose Response created.
Fetch the anonymous link to the survey from the Distributions tab and return to the Workflow you were editing.
Using the plus sign, add an email task to the workflow.
Paste the anonymous link into the body of the email (do not paste it as a hyperlink).
Append ?Q_R= to the end of the anonymous link.
Place your cursor after the equal sign.
Click the piped text icon, {a}.
Hover over Response and select Response ID.
Your link should look like this: qualtrics.msu.edu/jfe/form/SV_1234567890?Q_R=${e://Field/ResponseID}
If you want the retake link response to replace the original response, append “&Q_R_DEL=1” to the end of the link, after the Response ID piped text.
Your link would look like this: qualtrics.msu.edu/jfe/form/SV_1234567890?Q_R=${e://Field/ResponseID}&Q_R_Del=1
You might want to insert that long URL into a hyperlink.
Next, just finish the email task and save your workflow. The individual who receives the email task will have a link that allows them to see the original response and change its answers.
Learn more here
Authored by:
David V. Howe
Posted on: Qualtrics Users
Retake survey Links
Would you like survey respondents to be able to return to their res...
Authored by:
Saturday, Jul 6, 2024
Posted on: #iteachmsu
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
New MSU Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation to Open in Main Library
The Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology is transforming into a new unit under the Office of the Provost umbrella, within the MSU Libraries: the MSU Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (Center for TLI).
In a recent message to the MSU educator community, Provost Woodruff explained that this transition represents a deliberate effort to locate fundamental support for educators at the academic heart of the university, the Main Library. Centrally located, and central to the lives of our faculty and instructional staff, this new role and added portfolio of services will bring together outstanding faculty and academic staff from across campus to advance teaching and learning methodology, technology, and innovation at MSU.
The Center for TLI will be staffed by a combination of former Hub and current library employees. According to a message from Dean of Libraries and Interim Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation Joe Salem, the Center for TLI will also be looking for additional staff next year.
“The team and I know there are already invaluable educator support efforts in place across campus. We intend to collaborate with and help amplify those,” says Salem. “The Center for TLI will use a networked approach, keeping a core team supporting educator efforts centrally while working closely and collaboratively with center affiliates in colleges, departments, and units across campus.”
As a new initiative, The Center for TLI is still evolving. Salem wants to ensure the process of building out the unit involves stakeholders in the crucial, early phase of development. “As part of our process, a small group of educator development stakeholders are being asked to participate in a kick-off summit this January,” he says. “Together, this team will synchronously contribute to developing ideas for how a networked approach can best complement the existing MSU educator ecosystem and fill gaps in support.”
Salem adds that in addition to the kick-off summit and follow-up work with educator development stakeholders, his team will be offering additional engagement opportunities for educators themselves in the new year.
This engagement and the feedback collected will be used to help shape the vision and mission of the unit.
“There is a remarkable amount of expertise on our campus regarding teaching and learning innovation,” says Salem. “We are extremely excited to have the Provost’s support in aligning the great work so many are already doing, and just as excited to break new ground in this space. We’re bringing together a team of cross-unit educators to plan opportunities for MSU educators to share ideas about making the Center for TLI as supportive and collaborative as it can be.”
While still under construction, the evolving vision for the Center for TLI has at its core an unalterable value: faculty and staff success. As stated unequivocally in MSU’s recently unveiled strategic plan, faculty and staff are MSU’s biggest investment and most important asset. The Center for TLI will be a place to fortify this crucial strategic pillar. Stakeholders across campus can expect a continued commitment from the Center for TLI to iterate on the colossal professional development strides and technological innovation created as a response to the demands of remote teaching and learning.
In a recent message to the MSU educator community, Provost Woodruff explained that this transition represents a deliberate effort to locate fundamental support for educators at the academic heart of the university, the Main Library. Centrally located, and central to the lives of our faculty and instructional staff, this new role and added portfolio of services will bring together outstanding faculty and academic staff from across campus to advance teaching and learning methodology, technology, and innovation at MSU.
The Center for TLI will be staffed by a combination of former Hub and current library employees. According to a message from Dean of Libraries and Interim Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation Joe Salem, the Center for TLI will also be looking for additional staff next year.
“The team and I know there are already invaluable educator support efforts in place across campus. We intend to collaborate with and help amplify those,” says Salem. “The Center for TLI will use a networked approach, keeping a core team supporting educator efforts centrally while working closely and collaboratively with center affiliates in colleges, departments, and units across campus.”
As a new initiative, The Center for TLI is still evolving. Salem wants to ensure the process of building out the unit involves stakeholders in the crucial, early phase of development. “As part of our process, a small group of educator development stakeholders are being asked to participate in a kick-off summit this January,” he says. “Together, this team will synchronously contribute to developing ideas for how a networked approach can best complement the existing MSU educator ecosystem and fill gaps in support.”
Salem adds that in addition to the kick-off summit and follow-up work with educator development stakeholders, his team will be offering additional engagement opportunities for educators themselves in the new year.
This engagement and the feedback collected will be used to help shape the vision and mission of the unit.
“There is a remarkable amount of expertise on our campus regarding teaching and learning innovation,” says Salem. “We are extremely excited to have the Provost’s support in aligning the great work so many are already doing, and just as excited to break new ground in this space. We’re bringing together a team of cross-unit educators to plan opportunities for MSU educators to share ideas about making the Center for TLI as supportive and collaborative as it can be.”
While still under construction, the evolving vision for the Center for TLI has at its core an unalterable value: faculty and staff success. As stated unequivocally in MSU’s recently unveiled strategic plan, faculty and staff are MSU’s biggest investment and most important asset. The Center for TLI will be a place to fortify this crucial strategic pillar. Stakeholders across campus can expect a continued commitment from the Center for TLI to iterate on the colossal professional development strides and technological innovation created as a response to the demands of remote teaching and learning.
Posted by:
Gregory C Teachout
Posted on: #iteachmsu
New MSU Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation to Open in Main Library
The Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology is transforming i...
Posted by:
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Thursday, Dec 16, 2021
Posted on: Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation
JUSTICE AND BELONGING
Overview: Accessible Design Checklist
Accesible Design Checklist: Overview
This post provides an overview checklist for some digital composition accessibility requirements. This is meant to serve as a starting place, rather than a complete list or expert regulations. Accessibility should be considered throughout all parts of the design process, and designing accessible compositions benefits all people, not just those with disabilities. This post is the first part of the Accessible Design Checklist series:
Overview
Text and Content
Multimedia
Overall Design Accessibility
When looking at the design, composers should consider the overall structure and content.
Design FormatFor digital distribution, web pages with HTML or CSS are the most accessible. Other accessible options (when following the design checklist) are Word or Google Docs. PDFs are only accessible if they have been remediated correctly. DisplayInformation is set to be perceivable in either landscape or portrait modes. The design should not require users to scroll in both up/down and left/right. The design can be zoomed in without losing meaning. The design should be able to be navigated and interacted with using a keyboard alone. HeadingsHeadings use tagged heading structures with hierarchies. The headings do not skip levels. Use the Level 1 Heading designation only once per design.LanguagesThe design’s language is set to the primary language of the document. Any words or phrases in additional languages are set for those words as a different language. NavigationThe design allows for more than one way to find relevant pages within a set of pages. The design also provides content overviews with links so that users may bypass content.OrderThe design provides an easily understandable order to the content. When using lists, use bullet points and order the information logically, such as alphabetically or by data size.TitleThe design has a specific title. This title is displayed in the document name or the tab of a website.
References and Resources for Accessible Design
Level Access’ Must-Have Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Checklist
Michigan State University’s Create Accessible Content
University of Washington’s Accessibility Checklist
Web Accessibility in Mind’s WCAG 2 Checklist
Web Accessibility Initiative's Design and Develop Overview
Continue to read more about the checklist in the next part of the series, Accessible Design Checklist: Text and Content.Accessible Design Checklist: Overview © 2024 by Bethany Meadows is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. The cover photo, "Close checklist wooden surface" is marked with CC0 1.0.
This post provides an overview checklist for some digital composition accessibility requirements. This is meant to serve as a starting place, rather than a complete list or expert regulations. Accessibility should be considered throughout all parts of the design process, and designing accessible compositions benefits all people, not just those with disabilities. This post is the first part of the Accessible Design Checklist series:
Overview
Text and Content
Multimedia
Overall Design Accessibility
When looking at the design, composers should consider the overall structure and content.
Design FormatFor digital distribution, web pages with HTML or CSS are the most accessible. Other accessible options (when following the design checklist) are Word or Google Docs. PDFs are only accessible if they have been remediated correctly. DisplayInformation is set to be perceivable in either landscape or portrait modes. The design should not require users to scroll in both up/down and left/right. The design can be zoomed in without losing meaning. The design should be able to be navigated and interacted with using a keyboard alone. HeadingsHeadings use tagged heading structures with hierarchies. The headings do not skip levels. Use the Level 1 Heading designation only once per design.LanguagesThe design’s language is set to the primary language of the document. Any words or phrases in additional languages are set for those words as a different language. NavigationThe design allows for more than one way to find relevant pages within a set of pages. The design also provides content overviews with links so that users may bypass content.OrderThe design provides an easily understandable order to the content. When using lists, use bullet points and order the information logically, such as alphabetically or by data size.TitleThe design has a specific title. This title is displayed in the document name or the tab of a website.
References and Resources for Accessible Design
Level Access’ Must-Have Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Checklist
Michigan State University’s Create Accessible Content
University of Washington’s Accessibility Checklist
Web Accessibility in Mind’s WCAG 2 Checklist
Web Accessibility Initiative's Design and Develop Overview
Continue to read more about the checklist in the next part of the series, Accessible Design Checklist: Text and Content.Accessible Design Checklist: Overview © 2024 by Bethany Meadows is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. The cover photo, "Close checklist wooden surface" is marked with CC0 1.0.
Authored by:
Bethany Meadows
Posted on: Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Overview: Accessible Design Checklist
Accesible Design Checklist: Overview
This post provides an overview...
This post provides an overview...
Authored by:
JUSTICE AND BELONGING
Monday, Jul 29, 2024