We found 383 results that contain "communities"

Topic Area: Pandemic Pivot
Presented by: Ryan Thompson, Andrew Dennis, Valeta Wensloff
Abstract:
When MSU’s campus activity closed due to COVID-19, units and departments across campus sought solutions to transition to remote learning and maintain student engagement. The game development program in the Department of Media and Information turned to a familiar source; a video game communication platform called Discord. While we were already using Discord for casual links and outside of class communication, the quarantine put our server into overdrive. Now, our community Discord is a thriving community spanning 30 classes, 10 faculty, and over 800 members. It is helping game developers of all stripes learn, share, and communicate in a screen dominated era, and keeping faculty, students, and alumni connected and collaborating.
Join three Media & Information faculty as they discuss their experience building, fostering, growing, and maintaining this online community consisting of hundreds of game and interaction design students on Discord. By involving alumni and forthright peers, they found a natural balance between professionalism and creative expression.

Increasingly, students are looking for and benefiting from learning experiences connecting them with the community beyond textbooks and tests. Engaging students with communities outside the classroom can provide students with opportunities to learn more about what is immediately around them, help them understand why particular problems exist, and teach them how they can be active participants in communities. Depending on intent of the course, the community of focus can range in scale and scope from students’ own communities on campus to local and international communities that they may have never been engaged with before. Added benefits to students who participate in community-engaged courses include better performance on assessments, increased student retention, and increased political awareness and civic engagement (Reed, Rosenberg, Statham, & Rosing, 2015; Simons & Cleary, 2006; Strage, 2000). Representatives of community partner organizations have also indicated that under ideal conditions, engagement between students and communities can support client outcomes, organizational and community enrichment, and foster the growth of social justice (Sandy & Holland, 2006).
The Spectrum of Engagement
We visualize the types of community engagement on a spectrum, ranging from the least resource-intensive to the most resource-intensive activities (see image below). These resources include instructor, student, and community partner contribution. Course topic and learning objectives help determine the level of engagement and community settings appropriate for your class. As an instructor, you can even immerse students in community issues without leaving the classroom through articles and videos, or by bringing in a guest speaker who is a part of the topic being presented. More resource-intensive activities include asking students to do observations in their communities, interviewing community members, participating in aphotovoice project, or working with a community partner on a service learning project.  Full immersion of students in a new community might include participating in a study abroad program.

Four Ways to Determine How Community Engagement Fits Into Your Course
The prospect of engaging students outside of traditional textbooks and classroom instruction can be exciting. But incorporating community engagement into a course can feel daunting and like a lot of extra work. But it doesn’t have to be.The following can help you through the process:

Ask yourself why you want to engage students with  the community. Reflecting on your own reasons for the importance of community engagement can help you prioritize and decide the amount of time and effort you are willing to put into incorporating community engagement.


Decide on the amount of added time and resources you want to put into community engagement. Using the spectrum of community engagement, you may decide that for your first course you have minimal time and resources to commit to engaging students with the community, but can find meaningful articles and videos, enhanced by a knowledgeable speaker to engage students on a specific topic covered in the class.


Assess the community’s ability & interest to be engaged. Connect with community members about the activities you would like to do and determine their willingness and ability to engage with students. Be prepared to modify your original plan in order to meet your community partners’ needs.


Incorporate student and community feedback into the engagement activity. Consider doing a brief evaluation with students after the activity to find out the extent to which it was helpful to them. If your students are engaging directly with community members or organizations, seek feedback from individuals in those settings as well. You can close the feedback loop by reporting out to students and community members about what you learn and the aspects of the experience you plan to approach differently in the future.

Now that community engagement has your attention… stay tuned for the next two blog posts where we will  describe the activities we’ve used in our own classrooms and how you can implement them too! In the meantime, tell us what you think: What factors do you take into account when incorporating community engagement into your course? For those of you considering community engagement, what are the challenges you foresee? Seasoned community engagers, what are your rock star success stories? Post in the comments below!
 

 
Originally posted at “Inside Teaching MSU” (site no longer live): Lawlor, J. and Gregory K. Building Community Engagement into Your Course: Preparation. inside teaching.grad.msu.edu

Dear #iteachmsu Community,
Imagine this: a podcast dedicated to the vibrant world of teaching and learning at Michigan State University. Picture insightful conversations with educators, broadly defined as faculty, staff, students, and educational experts, all sharing their experiences, strategies, and innovative ideas.
What if such a podcast existed? What if there was an #iteachmsu podcast? Let's delve deeper into the possibilities.
Podcasts have become powerful tools for professional development, community building, and knowledge dissemination. However, to harness their full potential, we need your insights and perspectives.

Here's why:

Accessibility: Podcasts provide convenient access to valuable insights and resources, enhancing opportunities for professional growth.
Diversity of Voices: By committing to recruiting a diverse range of guests, we can ensure that the podcast reflects the varied experiences and perspectives within the #iteachmsu community.
Celebrating Educators: Rather than solely focusing on new or novel topics, the podcast aims to elevate and celebrate the great work of educators at MSU, inspiring others to innovate in their own classrooms.
Building Community: Through meaningful discussions and engagement, the podcast seeks to foster a sense of community among educators, promoting collaboration and mutual support.

As we embark on this journey, we invite your thoughts, suggestions, and input on the notion of an #iteachmsu podcast. What topics would you like to see explored? Which guests would you like to hear from? How can we ensure that the podcast reflects the diverse interests and needs of our community?
To gather comprehensive feedback, we'll be launching this survey alongside this article. Your participation will help shape the direction and content of the podcast, ensuring that it truly serves the #iteachmsu community.
Thank you for your commitment to excellence in teaching and learning at MSU. Together, let's explore the potential of an #iteachmsu podcast and celebrate the incredible work happening within our community.
Sincerely,
Dave Goodrich
#iteachmsu Community Member

Topic Area: DEI
Presented By: Ryan Smith, Jennifer Cobbina, Kendra Pyle
Abstract:
Restorative Justice in education facilitates learning communities that “nurture the capacity of people to engage with one another and their environment in a manner that supports and respects the inherent dignity and worth of all” (Evans & Vaandering, 2016, p. 8). Through this lens faculty, staff, and students from across campus formed an interdisciplinary learning community in 2019 to discuss how we can further incorporate restorative practices into our work and relationships in and out of the classroom. Over the last two years, community members have engaged in shared readings and discussions, community building circles, trainings, and supporting one another’s efforts at utilizing restorative practice to build inclusive and engaging communities, including racial healing circles. This session will model restorative practice as we discuss our work, and the ways we have incorporated RP on campus to further community, equity, and healing.Session resources:
Community Building Mini-circle (Document)
Racial Healing Circles FAQ (PDF)

Please apply here by February 19:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N3H76YYEDzlYuN1jZKp3EVy6K7mbo9AivP-142eyd9I 
Epistemic Justice Fellows: Incorporating Students’ Home and Community Knowledge in Teaching and Learning 
 
To instructors in the arts, humanities, and natural sciences and STEM fields: 
We invite faculty (of any appointment type), academic specialists who teach, and graduate students who teach to apply for the interdisciplinary Epistemic Justice Fellowship for this Spring 2025.   
 
This Fellowship is designed to support instructors who want to add or change an assignment, activity, or module/unit in a course to incorporate students’ home and community knowledge, such as students’ home languages, student knowledge about their communities, or home and community knowledge about the natural world. Incorporating and valuing student experiences as assets can positively impact student learning about subject matter as well as enhance student engagement, enjoyment, and belonging. 
 
Fellows will receive $500 at the conclusion of the fellowship. Fellows are expected to:

Develop a new or change an existing activity/assignment/module to incorporate students’ home or community knowledge, and present this work to the cohort
Provide a collegial community for the rest of the cohort who will also be working on their own courses
Attend three Fellow meetings (most in person) from 10AM-12PM on the following Tuesdays:

February 25: Kickoff - foundational concepts and identifying changes to your courses
March 25: Midpoint meeting - check in and group discussion on fellows’ projects, followed by mini-workshop on “Facilitating Teaching Workshops”
April 22: Presentations of fellows’ change or addition to their courses 

Attend the lecture/workshop series connected to this topic, consisting of 3 public talks, some in person and some virtual, throughout the semester (dates TBA - but exceptions/alternatives can be made if those dates are not feasible for a fellow)  
Commit to offering a workshop or mentorship opportunity in the future for colleagues in your own field related to valuing home and community knowledge  

Please apply here by February 19:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N3H76YYEDzlYuN1jZKp3EVy6K7mbo9AivP-142eyd9I 
 
Please note that if you are not sure if your course would be make sense for this fellowship, you are very welcome to contact the organizers at mollelle@msu.edu and troutma1@msu.edu to ask; for example, if you wanted to allow an existing assignment on any topic to be written in the student’s home language for a first draft, that could apply to any subject matter in any course with any writing. 
 
This Fellowship and lecture series are graciously supported by:
Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant from Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Office of the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Arts and Letters
Office of the Assistant Dean for STEM Education in the Office of Undergraduate Education
 
Organizers: Denise Troutman, Sophie Huss, Ellen Moll
Additional PIs: Kristin Arola, Marcie Ray, Stephen Thomas

No-Tech Ideas:

Provide personalized, timely feedback that takes learners' contexts into account.
When communicating with your learners, prioritize and focus on their wellbeing and emotions. If this is a new way of thinking for you, that's okay, we still encourage you to try it. Your learners will be appreciative!

Low-Tech Variations:

Provide opportunities for learners to engage in non-threatening, low-stakes discussions as they learn to communicate in online spaces. Use prompts and protocols to scaffold and provide equitable participation.
Send a weekly recap video just recorded from your phone.  Maybe even walking around outside. Do not edit it! They will appreciate it raw.
Provide a means for students to provide feedback to you (e.g., email, polls, Google Forms, or Microsoft Forms), and be willing to adjust your approaches if they aren't meeting learners' needs. Consider a mid-term survey or focus group and share out what you learn and how you will respond.

High-Tech Variations:

Give learners the opportunity to see and hear each other through videos (for example, set up a video discussion forum or daily check-in with Flipgrid).
Set up shared, editable Google Slides or PowerPoint through Office Online and allow learners to add an animated GIF to describe how they're feeling.
Using tools like ezgif, you can add some personal flare to email and content or have your students create their own GIFs to personalize communication.

SOIREE Team:
Design Lead: Sarah Wellman
Content Leads: Kate Sonka, Stephen Thomas, and Jeremy Van Hof
Content Authors: Jason Archer, Kevin Henley, David Howe, Summer Issawi, Leslie Johnson, Rashad Muhammad, Nick Noel, Candace Robertson, Scott Schopieray, Jessica Sender, Daniel Trego, Valeta Wensloff, and Sue Halick

When I was teaching EAD315, a face-to-face undergraduate course of about 30, I wanted to set the tone for our semester together by utilizing a Circle. The benefits were multifold - we all learned more about each other, we set community norms for our time together, and we established our space as one we could show up as our whole selves in. This activity was informed by Restorative Justice Circles training provided by now Dr. Megumi Moore, MSU Graduate Life and Wellness. Here is the basic outline for the activity with some notes about possible modifications: MSU is on land known as Nkwejong (nuh-quay-juhon) (Where the Rivers Meet), a territory of the Three Fires of Anishinaabeg, including Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. Circles are a regular activity for dialogue and decision-making in indigenous populations, and we all have had experiences building community in circles (think about a bonfire). 
In a circle, everyone has an equal opportunity to speak. When the talking piece gets to you, you can choose to share your response to the current round’s question, or you can pass- that decision is yours. The other role of the talking piece is to remind us to be present in listening to one another. When we have the talking piece, we have the space to share, when we don’t have the talking piece- we have the space to listen. We also ask that as a group we respect the confidentiality of the circle. The stories that individuals share here are their stories only. 
Introduce my talking piece: Select at least one talking piece that is significant to you. As you’re introducing the concept of the Circle, share why you selected that object as a talking piece. 
Modification: include more than one object that serves as talking pieces, describe each (making sure each one represents a unique reason), place on rug/blanket in the center of the circle, allow participants to exchange the talking piece that is handed off to them for another that is more meaningful
We’ll start and close with a quote...
Opener: pick a quote that sets the tone you’re trying to achieve… be conscious of the speaker (and what identities they represent), not just the content
“It’s easy to judge. It’s more difficult to understand. Understanding requires compassion, patience, and a willingness to believe that good hearts sometimes choose poor methods. Through judging, we separate. Through understanding, we grow.” – Doe Zantamata
Rounds: you can determine the number of rounds and the questions asked in each… this is a valuable first day, first activity because it can also serve as an “ice breaker”. It is recommended to include an introduction round to start and a check-out round to conclude. The number of participants and the number of rounds are the main factors in the amount of time that should be allotted for this activity. More people/more rounds = more time. 

 Introductions (name, pronouns, program, year, anything else you think is important that we know)
If you could invite one guest to dinner, dead or alive, who would your guest be?
Who is one person you admire and why do you admire them (in one sentence)?
What does [key course theme/topic] mean to you?
What two values do you think are most important for our success as a cohort in this community?*
Any other values missing, or discussion on these values?*
One-word check out for the last round of the circle. 

Closer: pick another quote 
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott KingRounds 5 and 6 in the Circle outline were aimed specifically at helping set our class values (AKA community norms). You can modify the Circle by giving participants time before the first values round to think about the prompt and write it down. When I do this activity, I provide markers and small paper plates - asking that learners write one value per plate. When they're sharing out, I ask them to show us their plates. (The goal is that everyone feels comfortable sharing and doesn't feel subdued or silenced by group think.) This round, as the Circle Keeper/facilitator, I may ask follow-up questions (disclose this in advance of the round, as it deviates from the talking piece rules). For example, if a student said "respect" is a value, I would ask, "what does respect mean to you?" or "what does that look like in practice?". After the activity is concluded, I add the agreed-upon values to the syllabus. Photo by Tegan Mierle on Unsplash

The Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology supported a new Online Engagement & Community Building workshop on March 12, 2021. This workshop was led by Dr. Ellie Louson (Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology and Lyman Briggs College) and Dr. Melissa Usiak (College of Education). During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to learn more about engaging their students in the online environment and creating a community online. Facilitators answered questions and shared resources. You’ll walk away with at least one strategy to try in your course. For anyone who previously completed SOIREE, this workshop will go more in-depth and build on the strategies covered in SOIREE. 
 
If you have questions related to the SOIREE workshops, please reach out to Ashley Braman (behanash@msu.edu) for additional support.Do you have tools, tactics, or approaches that have worked for you in building community online? Please share them in the comments below!