We found 47 results that contain "dialogue"

Michigan State University is a big place. Literally. The campus itself is 5,192 acres (just over 8 square miles). Over 900 registered student organizations exist, along with over 60 greek organizations, 275+ study abroad opportunities, and a student-run organic farm; and that’s just co-curriculars! MSU offers more than 200 programs of undergraduate, graduate and professional study across 17 degree-granting colleges. It takes A LOT of human capacity to support Spartans. MSU has over 13,000 employees - many of whom are educators of some kind!
In such a large organization, it can be difficult to find others with common interests, share ideas and reflections, and ultimately elevate small successful approaches to larger audiences. Here on the #iteachmsu Commons, you can join or create an informal learning community through the site’s Group function! Groups can be public where anyone with a MSU netID can op-in to joining, or private where members have to be invited to join. Already there are groups related to topics like online and remote teaching, accessible course design, and new technologies. Were you looking for a group but didn’t find one that matched your interests? Any logged in user can start their own group; the only required information is a group name, brief description, image, and which category most represents the group. In a group, the feed can be used for group-specific dialogue, where users can post and respond to one another. Additionally, once a public group is created, any member can share content (articles, posts, playlists) specifically to that group! For step-by-step instructions on building a group, visit the Creating a Group article in the Getting Started resources.
If you’re looking for a more structured Learning Community experience look no further than our colleagues at the Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development (formerly Academic Advancement Network)! According to their website, “Learning Communities provide safe and supportive spaces for complicated conversations about curriculum and pedagogy. Michigan State University has supported these initiatives since 2004 and continues to do so through a funding program administered by the Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development. All communities, however, share three things in common: they meet monthly across the academic year, explore important educational themes, and welcome all members of MSU’s instructional staff, regardless of rank or discipline.” To access a current list of the Learning Communities supported by the Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development, check out this Learning Community webpage! (Some of the 2021-2022 Learning Communities have even created #iteachmsu Groups! Check out the "Reading Group for Student Engagement and Success" as one example.)

Recognizing the unrealistic expectations around failure was a challenge for graduate students in her college, Tracy organized the first ever CANR Rising event last year, where leaders in the institution and college vulnerably shared their lived experiences of overcoming failure. She continued this work this year and had a second CANR Rising event scheduled, which she had to cancel due to COVID-19. "[CANR Rising] mapped onto change oriented work in the CANR, because it allowed for open, authentic and vulnerable dialogue between multiple layers of power. It created a space of equality and support. People really reached out and said they were changed by it, and we have been asked to do it again, other students have asked to do it in their colleges, I’ve been asked to present it at 2 national conferences." -Tracy Melvin

This article provides an overview of preparing for classroom norms, especially for Fall 2024. This post is the fourth part of the Civil Discourse in Classrooms series and playlist.
Norms can help set expectations for students that will lessen any confusion that arises when students are not sure of what is appropriate. It is recommended that you set classroom norms through collaborating with students on norms and/or setting norms yourself from the beginning. Some example lesson plans for collaboratively setting norms are detailed on Carleton’s website, Stanford’s Teaching Center, and on MSU’s iTeach article on setting ground rules.
In addition, if an educator wants to set their own norms for students, some common norms may include:

Respect for All Voices: Listen actively, avoid interrupting, and ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.
Inclusivity and Equity: Encourage diverse perspectives and make space for quieter voices.
Open-Mindedness: Approach discussions with an open mind, considering different viewpoints.
Empathy and Compassion: Show empathy and support classmates in a non-judgmental way.
Confidentiality and Trust: Respect the confidentiality of personal stories and sensitive information.
Constructive Feedback: Offer respectful and constructive feedback, focusing on ideas and behaviors.
Accountability and Responsibility: Hold yourself and peers accountable to the agreed-upon norms.
Active Participation: Engage actively in class activities, coming prepared and contributing meaningfully.
Punctuality and Preparation: Arrive on time, be prepared, and complete assignments in advance.
Inclusive Language and Distraction-Free Environment: Use inclusive language, minimize distractions, and respect the learning environment.

Classroom Management Strategies
In addition to the tips provided on iTeach playlist on managing difficult classrooms, classroom management strategies can be extremely effective at establishing rapport, trust, and transparency with students. Managing disruption in a classroom is challenging, and having clear plans in place proactively is often helpful. Some classroom management strategies, as shared in the inclusive classroom activities article, include: 

Build rapport with learners, as it is one of the most effective ways to increase learners’ belonging and decrease problematic behavior. There are many ways to build rapport, such as sending introductory emails, asking learners to introduce themselves, having asynchronous check-ins with learners, getting to know their interests and goals through one-on-one interactions, providing feedback that also centers praise, and having email check-ins with all learners throughout the semester. Another way to build rapport is to learn learners' names and pronouns (if they share) and how to pronounce their names correctly.
Anticipate subject matter that may need content warnings and incorporate pathways for learners to opt-out of content that would put them in a place they can no longer learn effectively. You may also want to reflect and think about bringing up “controversial” issues into the classroom. 
Structure discussions to include all learner voices, such as “take a queue, ask to hear from those who have not spoken, wait until several hands are raised to call on anyone, use think-pair-share activities” (Oral Roberts University).
Acknowledge difficult current events (but do not force learners to discuss them) and provide learners with student resources if they want further support.
Provide opportunities for learners to give feedback throughout the semester. For example, you may distribute an anonymous survey near mid-terms asking learners what they would like to continue, what they want to see changed, and any open questions/concerns they have. 


Continue to read more about in the next article, “Preparing Before a ‘Hot Moment’ Occurs,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.

A design sprint is a multi-day process that allows selected team members to brainstorm, review ideas, define and discuss business problems, and dialogue about potential solutions. Design sprints consist of the following steps:

Day 1 — Map: This portion of the sprint is used to establish structure for the week’s activities, most notably focusing on your long-term goals (e.g., addressing the “why” of the event) and questions, concerns, and or issues you feel should be addressed during the week. It should be noted that assumptions your team currently embrace can be rephrased as questions and deliberated upon to foster more success.
Day 2 — Sketch: The goal of this step is to generate several ideas (as quickly as possible), including tapping into existing ideas that are useful to consider.
Day 3 — Decide: This is the phase where the team collectively decides which of the ideas presented on Day 2 are the most viable and doable.
Day 4 — Prototype: On day 4, it’s time to start creating visualizations of the most viable ideas and prepare for validation.
Day 5 — Test: If possible, present the ideas you generated to understand and validate how well they would

These five steps provide the ability to validate ideas and bring others to the surface that might be overlooked, collectively helping to optimize success for your initiative.
When it comes to design sprints, you don’t have to go it alone. The Hub offers design sprint support as one of its services. We can assist your team by organizing and facilitating the sessions, as well as prescribing a plan to execute the results from your sprint.

 
Twitter Ed Chats provide opportunities to share resources, crowdsource ideas, and strategize ways to further improve teaching and learning. #iteachmsu was born on Twitter as graduate student educators sought out a platform to elevate their voices and expertise in the landscape of MSU teaching and learning. Thus, the #iteachmsu Commons is committed to continuing engagement in Twitter Ed Chats as a part of our mission to foster conversation around teaching and learning at MSU. You can flexibly join the chat anywhere you would like by engaging virtually, please know that there are a plethora of articles, posts, and groups on the #iteachmsu Commons where you can also engage in dialogue. (note: you will have to log in to iteach.msu.edu using your MSU netID to access engagement functions like sharing content, joining groups, and commenting)
To join the chat virtually, search for the hashtag “#iteachmsu” on Twitter. The prompts for this Ed Chat will be posted by the Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology (@MSUHUB). Each question will begin with the letter “Q” followed by a number (representing the question under discussion). If responding to a given question, please begin your response with the letter “A” followed immediately by the number of the question under discussion to help others place your response in the larger chat. Also, don’t forget to add “#iteachmsu” in your tweet! Responses will come from people all over Twitter and you can reply to their answers as well! 
Never participated in a Twitter Ed Chat? Don't worry! You can also take a look at the following blog post on Twitter chats for a brief orientation to Twitter chats: https://hub.msu.edu/introducing-the-iteachmsu-edchat/.
We recommend using a tool like TweetDeck to help you participate. Please do your best to provide descriptive alternative text on images if you’re posting live or using a platform like TweetDeck, so our chat can be as accessible as possible. For more tips on making your tweets accessible, check out this resource from AbilityNet. According to their website, "AbilityNet supports anyone living with any disability or impairment to use technology to achieve their goals at home, at work and in education."

The first fellow in his college, Hunter spent the majority of the Fall building relationships and raising awareness of the fellowship and him as a resource. He then turned his focus to Studio culture within the College of Music, working with the Dean to determine this was an area of need. In particular, they worked towards increasing connections and transparency regarding how Studios were run within and across the College. He is currently working with the College to determine the best ways to investigate and engage in dialogue about existing Studio cultures.

The following are a collection of publicly sourced articles related to the recent rise of artificial intelligence in everyday applications. note: following each [hyperlinked] title/subtitle are abstracts generated by ChatGPT after receiving prompts from M. Neal. "Write an abstract for [article link]" is indicated with [URL] abstract. "Write an abstract for [article text]" is indicated with [text] abstract. These very similar prompt-responses are shared consecutively in the hope that reading the abstracts will showcase the variations in ChatGPT output (despite similar input). Big Tech was moving cautiously on AI. Then came ChatGPT.
Google, Facebook and Microsoft helped build the scaffolding of AI. Smaller companies are taking it to the masses, forcing Big Tech to react.
[URL] Abstract: "ChatGPT, the Large Language Model developed by OpenAI, has been acquired by Google for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition has been widely seen as a move to improve Google's AI capabilities and stay ahead of competitors in the field. The ChatGPT model will be integrated into various Google services and products, including search, voice assistants, and translation services. This acquisition highlights the growing importance of AI technology and the increasing demand for advanced language models like ChatGPT."
[text] Abstract: Meta's Blenderbot, a chatbot released by Facebook's parent company three months before OpenAI's ChatGPT, was deemed a failure due to its over-cautious content moderation. In contrast, ChatGPT's conversational style, which allows for discussion on controversial topics, has made it a mainstream success. As ChatGPT continues to grow in popularity, tech giants such as Meta and Google are feeling pressure to speed up their own AI processes, potentially disregarding safety concerns. This has sparked concerns among AI ethicists, who fear that big tech's rush to market may expose billions of people to potential harms before they have been fully studied. Despite these concerns, companies like OpenAI continue to release their AI tools to the public, viewing it as the only way to assess real-world harm. The fast pace of AI progress requires companies to prioritize making the right decisions and releasing AI models that best serve the community, while considering the broader societal impacts of these innovations.ChatGPT Is Dumber Than You Think
Treat it like a toy, not a tool.
Abstract: "The deployment of AI language models like ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, in writing and journalism raises questions about the ethics of AI-generated content. ChatGPT is capable of producing human-like text, making it difficult to distinguish between AI-generated content and content written by a human. The ethical concerns include issues of accuracy, accountability, and bias in AI-generated writing, as well as the potential for AI systems to manipulate public opinion. The article highlights the need for transparent and responsible deployment of AI language models in journalism and writing, and the importance of considering the ethical implications of AI-generated content."
ChatGPT could be used for good, but like many other AI models, it's rife with racist and discriminatory bias
[URL] abstract: ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI, is prone to biases like many other AI models. Despite its impressive performance in generating human-like text, the model has been found to have biases based on the training data it was exposed to. These biases can be a result of various factors such as the demographic representation in the training data, cultural norms and values, and other systemic biases present in society. It is crucial for developers and users to be aware of these biases and take steps to mitigate them.
[text] abstract: ChatGPT, an advanced artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI, is at the forefront of the debate on the potential and dangers of AI. Although the chatbot can assist with writing and speaking tasks and provide entertainment, it has also been used to cheat, plagiarize, spread misinformation, and enable unethical business practices. Furthermore, like many chatbots, it has a history of being biased. OpenAI added guardrails to prevent problematic responses, but these were easily bypassed by users. As AI is increasingly used to make important decisions in various industries, such as healthcare and law enforcement, the issue of bias must be addressed to prevent amplifying existing inequalities. This problem is not unique to ChatGPT and is well-documented, with studies showing the negative effects of biased algorithms. The AI industry is divided on who should be held responsible for these biases and whether harmful models should be released. Despite these concerns, AI models are becoming more prevalent in our lives and researchers are urging caution on the potential for harm due to AI biases.
The US Copyright Office says an AI can’t copyright its art[text] abstract: The US Copyright Office has rejected a request to copyright a work of art created by an AI algorithm named Creativity Machine. A three-person board determined that the AI-generated image lacked the necessary "human authorship" required for protection under copyright law. The board emphasized the vital role of the human mind in creative expression, citing past court decisions which have consistently found that non-human expression is ineligible for copyright protection. This decision highlights the importance of human agency in machine-produced works and raises questions about the limits of AI in the realm of art and copyright.[Google] An important next step on our AI journey[URL] abstract: This blog post provides an overview of BARD (Bidirectional Attention Representation for Documents), a new AI-powered search system developed by Google. BARD leverages the latest advances in natural language processing and machine learning to deliver more relevant and accurate search results, even for complex queries. The system utilizes a bidirectional attention mechanism to better understand the context of each word in a document and make connections between words, which helps to improve the relevance of search results. With BARD, Google aims to provide users with a more intuitive and seamless search experience, enabling them to find what they're looking for more quickly and easily.[text] abstract: Google has opened up its experimental conversational AI service, Bard, to trusted testers ahead of wider availability. Bard aims to combine the world's knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of large language models, drawing on information from the web to provide high-quality responses. Bard will initially be released with a lightweight version of LaMDA, the company's language model for dialogue applications. The release will be used to gather feedback and improve quality and speed. AI-powered features in Google Search, which will distill complex information and multiple perspectives, will soon be rolled out. Google also plans to onboard individual developers and enterprises to build on top of its best AI models.
last updated on 02/06/2023

Title: Increasing learners' motivation in gender and sexuality study through making activist animation and video gamePresenter: Dan Li (Center for Gender in Global Context)Format: WorkshopDate: May 11th, 2023Time: 2:45 - 3:45 pmClick here to viewDescription: In this workshop, I will share how I engage undergraduate students to discuss gender and sexuality issues in a university core course through making educational animations and video games. Students critique gender stereotypes presented in everyday scenarios and visual culture. Students from diverse majors bring their perspectives into the classroom to deconstruct gender stereotypes and open a dialogue to the public to promote a more just society.