We found 27 results that contain "say something"
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Posted by
about 4 years ago
Have you heard of "THE PALS APPROACH"?
PALS is a methodology to use when you hear someone say something that may be problematic or hurtful to a specific group of people or yourself. The major objective of this approach is to stay connected with the person and speak your truth clearly.
Click the attachment below for a full description of P.A.L.S.
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
PALS is a methodology to use when you hear someone say something that may be problematic or hurtful to a specific group of people or yourself. The major objective of this approach is to stay connected with the person and speak your truth clearly.
Click the attachment below for a full description of P.A.L.S.
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Posted on: Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Posted by
over 1 year ago
Our Spring Conference on teaching and learning was focused on the guiding philosophy of our Teaching Center: Engaging and Equitable Education for All. This philosophy not only guides our center's educational development and pedagogical strategies but also reflects our commitment to creating learning environments where every student feels valued and empowered. Indeed, it's at the core of MSU’s mission to ensure that all students can succeed, and the work educators do is central in the pursuit of that mission.
The conference was a day not just to celebrate successes in the classroom, but also to offer sincere thanks for the work Spartan educators do to make MSU a place of deep and meaningful learning. Educators are well aware of the powerful role gratitude plays in higher ed. Gratitude is not just about saying 'thank you.' It is about acknowledging the hard work and passion of everyone involved in the educational endeavor—recognizing that each contribution, no matter how small it might seem, enriches our students’ collective experience and understanding.
I’ve seen that enrichment play out in my own family over the past four years. Just last weekend my son graduated from James Madison College. His growth as a writer, a thinker, a critic, and a leader has been remarkable to watch. His college experience was defined by all the things that make MSU so great – football games, RSOs, dorm food, parking tickets, an unforgettable study abroad experience, wicked winter walks between Wells Hall and Case. But ask him today what stood out the most and he’d without question say it was in the classroom where he changed the most. His experience is typical of so many of the 6,200 students that walked across stages all last weekend. They leave here more prepared to thrive and lead because of what MSU’s educators gave them day in and day out in class. And it’s because of those thousands of changed lives that it’s so important to pause on occasion to thank educators.
CTLI’s “Thank an Educator” initiative, which launched 2018, exemplifies the ethos of gratitude that I hope to elevate in the Teaching Center. Since it's inception over 900 educators have received notes of gratitude for the excellent work they do. They all are testaments to the varied ways in which education can impact the lives of the members of the Spartan community. I encourage you to click the Thank and Educator link to the left or visit https://iteach.msu.edu/home/thank_an_educator so you can thank an educator yourself!
At the Teaching Center we celebrate and recognize the diverse array of educators across roles on our campus; each one plays a crucial role in shaping the vibrant educational ecosystem at MSU. At CTLI, our definition of educator is broad and inclusive. We believe that everyone here contributes to our teaching and learning mission. From the lab supervisor engaging with students in hands-on research to the campus tour guide sharing the Spartan spirit with prospective students to the veteran professor delivering that inspiring lecture, you are all educators in the fullest sense. The interactions educators foster and the knowledge they share underscore our “Spartans Will” ethos—demonstrating determination, resilience, and a commitment to excellence.
The conference was a day not just to celebrate successes in the classroom, but also to offer sincere thanks for the work Spartan educators do to make MSU a place of deep and meaningful learning. Educators are well aware of the powerful role gratitude plays in higher ed. Gratitude is not just about saying 'thank you.' It is about acknowledging the hard work and passion of everyone involved in the educational endeavor—recognizing that each contribution, no matter how small it might seem, enriches our students’ collective experience and understanding.
I’ve seen that enrichment play out in my own family over the past four years. Just last weekend my son graduated from James Madison College. His growth as a writer, a thinker, a critic, and a leader has been remarkable to watch. His college experience was defined by all the things that make MSU so great – football games, RSOs, dorm food, parking tickets, an unforgettable study abroad experience, wicked winter walks between Wells Hall and Case. But ask him today what stood out the most and he’d without question say it was in the classroom where he changed the most. His experience is typical of so many of the 6,200 students that walked across stages all last weekend. They leave here more prepared to thrive and lead because of what MSU’s educators gave them day in and day out in class. And it’s because of those thousands of changed lives that it’s so important to pause on occasion to thank educators.
CTLI’s “Thank an Educator” initiative, which launched 2018, exemplifies the ethos of gratitude that I hope to elevate in the Teaching Center. Since it's inception over 900 educators have received notes of gratitude for the excellent work they do. They all are testaments to the varied ways in which education can impact the lives of the members of the Spartan community. I encourage you to click the Thank and Educator link to the left or visit https://iteach.msu.edu/home/thank_an_educator so you can thank an educator yourself!
At the Teaching Center we celebrate and recognize the diverse array of educators across roles on our campus; each one plays a crucial role in shaping the vibrant educational ecosystem at MSU. At CTLI, our definition of educator is broad and inclusive. We believe that everyone here contributes to our teaching and learning mission. From the lab supervisor engaging with students in hands-on research to the campus tour guide sharing the Spartan spirit with prospective students to the veteran professor delivering that inspiring lecture, you are all educators in the fullest sense. The interactions educators foster and the knowledge they share underscore our “Spartans Will” ethos—demonstrating determination, resilience, and a commitment to excellence.
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Posted by
over 3 years ago
If ever you have utilized a collaborative approach in your courses, you might be familiar with the following. Sometime just after the middle of the semester, a student contacts you complaining about various problems and/or people within their team during the first nine or ten weeks of the term. Typically, it is clear from the language of such emails that these young adults want someone else to step in and address the litany of issues described. Yet a large part of student-centered learning is providing young minds with the tools necessary to help them navigate our courses with a reasonable amount of success as well as the skills necessary for our students to address any related interpersonal challenges. For many undergraduates in 2022, learning to manage the latter, in particular, is one area where guidance is often necessary. Here is the language I now use to provide helpful suggestions that keep students in the driver's seat without helicoptering in to the rescue myself:
Thank you for your email X. Your frustration is certainly understandable. The issue(s) you describe are something that the entire team should address together in order to determine a concrete and efficient way forward. Communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and revision of team work habits or processes are all part of effective collaboration.
With that in mind, take a proactive approach to the points outlined in your email. That means ALL of you should collaborate to identify the exact problems hindering the team. A passive ‘wait and see’ approach will not change the situation. Neither will a round of strident text messages or email back and forth between team members. What will help is for all team members to prioritize a meeting in real time plus their direct involvement in making concrete decisions to improve the dynamic and move ahead in the most efficient way possible.
Whether your team meets online or face to face, have an honest yet civil discussion to determine and implement the changes team members deem necessary. This is not easy, but it is vital for improving the situation. Positive change in a team setting comes through strategic, organized, and well-executed plans with specific goals identified and carried out in an orderly manner.
Beginning this sort of conversation might feel uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Contact your other team members right away. Arrange a meeting in real time to pinpoint and address the ongoing issues within the team. Brief explainer videos, part of each course module, provide tips for effective collaboration, but here are three for review that are most relevant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDX61xCHN74&t=58s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BghSivQlhVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIuTi83L0vE
It is also beneficial for the entire team to revisit its list of values developed early in the semester plus the specific member roles determined at that point. These tasks were part of Week Three team activities when weekly collaboration began. Likewise, have a look again at your collective responses to questions on the team assessment worksheets, part of the collaborative work for Week Six and Week 11. On those, your team took stock of its processes and work habits followng completion of Project #1 and Project #2. Your team also identified collective steps it could take to improve collaboration as part of that work.
Keep in mind that active collaboration to address team issues is solid practice for life in the globalized digital economy of the 21st century where 'teams' are the norm. In most fields now, no single person is responsible for project research, development, and completion. Cohesive teamwork is the name of the game.
Careful attention to the guidance above will help your team have a productive discussion, pull together, and move forward more effectively in the time remaining this semester. Your student learning team is in the driver’s seat and has the power to do this.
Kind Regards,
Prof. Y
Keep in mind that the intent is to guide and empower young adults in navigating their own lives. The language offered above might be too forthright for some, but it gets to the heart of the matter and communicates to students that their interpersonal issues are something they must learn to handle now if they have not already done so. After all, the adult world following graduation is not that far off, and we do our students no favors by taking care of their problems for them.
The language presented works for individual queries but can also be sent to the entire student learning team as a reminder with appropriate changes made. If this idea sounds like something you might like to try yourself, feel free to tailor the reply above to your own needs.
Thank you for your email X. Your frustration is certainly understandable. The issue(s) you describe are something that the entire team should address together in order to determine a concrete and efficient way forward. Communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and revision of team work habits or processes are all part of effective collaboration.
With that in mind, take a proactive approach to the points outlined in your email. That means ALL of you should collaborate to identify the exact problems hindering the team. A passive ‘wait and see’ approach will not change the situation. Neither will a round of strident text messages or email back and forth between team members. What will help is for all team members to prioritize a meeting in real time plus their direct involvement in making concrete decisions to improve the dynamic and move ahead in the most efficient way possible.
Whether your team meets online or face to face, have an honest yet civil discussion to determine and implement the changes team members deem necessary. This is not easy, but it is vital for improving the situation. Positive change in a team setting comes through strategic, organized, and well-executed plans with specific goals identified and carried out in an orderly manner.
Beginning this sort of conversation might feel uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Contact your other team members right away. Arrange a meeting in real time to pinpoint and address the ongoing issues within the team. Brief explainer videos, part of each course module, provide tips for effective collaboration, but here are three for review that are most relevant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDX61xCHN74&t=58s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BghSivQlhVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIuTi83L0vE
It is also beneficial for the entire team to revisit its list of values developed early in the semester plus the specific member roles determined at that point. These tasks were part of Week Three team activities when weekly collaboration began. Likewise, have a look again at your collective responses to questions on the team assessment worksheets, part of the collaborative work for Week Six and Week 11. On those, your team took stock of its processes and work habits followng completion of Project #1 and Project #2. Your team also identified collective steps it could take to improve collaboration as part of that work.
Keep in mind that active collaboration to address team issues is solid practice for life in the globalized digital economy of the 21st century where 'teams' are the norm. In most fields now, no single person is responsible for project research, development, and completion. Cohesive teamwork is the name of the game.
Careful attention to the guidance above will help your team have a productive discussion, pull together, and move forward more effectively in the time remaining this semester. Your student learning team is in the driver’s seat and has the power to do this.
Kind Regards,
Prof. Y
Keep in mind that the intent is to guide and empower young adults in navigating their own lives. The language offered above might be too forthright for some, but it gets to the heart of the matter and communicates to students that their interpersonal issues are something they must learn to handle now if they have not already done so. After all, the adult world following graduation is not that far off, and we do our students no favors by taking care of their problems for them.
The language presented works for individual queries but can also be sent to the entire student learning team as a reminder with appropriate changes made. If this idea sounds like something you might like to try yourself, feel free to tailor the reply above to your own needs.
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Posted by
almost 2 years ago
Responding to conflict or a heated moment? Begin response statements with some combination of your levels of understanding and agreement:
I understand what you’re saying but I disagree with…
I don’t understand this element of your statement…
I agree with you on some of the things you’ve said, but in this way I disagree…
Help me to understand…
Check out the attached file for additional conflict resolution sentence starters "for Healthy Conflict" from Elena Aguilar's (2016) "The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools" (published by Jossey-Bass).
I understand what you’re saying but I disagree with…
I don’t understand this element of your statement…
I agree with you on some of the things you’ve said, but in this way I disagree…
Help me to understand…
Check out the attached file for additional conflict resolution sentence starters "for Healthy Conflict" from Elena Aguilar's (2016) "The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools" (published by Jossey-Bass).
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Posted by
about 4 years ago
Dialogue is a specific form of communication that encourages people with differing ideas to build meaningful relationships across difference through building generous and empathetic listening skills. Dialogue is about adding to the common pool of knowledge. Dr. Harold Saunders of the Dialogue Institute says “Dialogue is a process of genuine interaction through which human beings listen to each other deeply enough to be changed by what they learn."
Click the attachment below to read more about the goals of dialogue (and how it is different from debate and discussion).
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Click the attachment below to read more about the goals of dialogue (and how it is different from debate and discussion).
SOURCE: MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Posted on: CISAH
Posted by
over 3 years ago
Hope this is the right place to share this:
10 Individual Reflections @ two points each (essentially “Gimmes”).
Starting in Week Two, students are asked to develop (guided) reflections on their independent and (starting in Week Three) collaborative coursework for a given week. Not only do they articulate their new learning, they connect that to prior knowledge as well as examine their work habits and related choices. Students have the following options for these reflections:
• Traditional 2-3 page essay
• 5-6 minute Voice Recording or Video
• Sketchnotes (a hybrid of note-taking and creative doodles that presents students’ grasp of new information, gleaned from scholarly reading, and connection of those ideas to specific novels, plays, or films in the course)
Collaborative Project #1 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week Five)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two recent journal articles (less than ten years old) on material presented during the first third of the course. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• TV Newscast (WeVideo)
• TV Talkshow (WeVideo)
• Podcast -- starting in Fall 2022 – (anchor.fm)
Collaborative Project #2 @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 10)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two books, two journal articles, and two digital sources to have to do in some way with intersections between course material on one hand, and systems of power, oppression, equity, and justice on the other AND create a readers’ guide based on that work. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Readers’ Guide Flipbook (Flipsnack)
• Reader’s Guide Infographic (Canva)
Collaborative Project #3 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week 14)
Student learning teams 1) revisit five to six novels, plays, or films presented in the course, 2) examine them in terms of power, oppressions, equity, and justice, AND 3) brainstorm practical solutions to how we might better address similar longstanding ills in 21st century society. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Interactive Academic Poster (Power Point or Prezi)
• Interactive Digital Scrapbook (Canva)
Capstone Project – Individual Semester Reflection @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 15)
Students develop a guided reflection in which they revisit and evaluate their learning for the course. Students have the following options:
• Traditional Five to Six-page Self-Assessment Essay
• Five to Six-minute Self-Assessment Video
Questions for “Guided” Individual or Team Reflection
• For you introduction, describe your work and related activities for the week/semester in general.
• Briefly describe the projects, processes, and skills you will discuss.
• Discuss three points/projects you found most enjoyable and explain why.
• Explain three processes for the projects described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding.
• Explain three skills you gained or improved upon during the week/semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• How might you improve your independent and/or collaborative work habits and related choices in the course?
• Describe your biggest “A-ha Moment” this week/semester.
• How does that same “A-ha Moment” connect to something you have learned in other courses?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about team members, assignments, the course, instructor, or previous grades.
10 Individual Reflections @ two points each (essentially “Gimmes”).
Starting in Week Two, students are asked to develop (guided) reflections on their independent and (starting in Week Three) collaborative coursework for a given week. Not only do they articulate their new learning, they connect that to prior knowledge as well as examine their work habits and related choices. Students have the following options for these reflections:
• Traditional 2-3 page essay
• 5-6 minute Voice Recording or Video
• Sketchnotes (a hybrid of note-taking and creative doodles that presents students’ grasp of new information, gleaned from scholarly reading, and connection of those ideas to specific novels, plays, or films in the course)
Collaborative Project #1 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week Five)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two recent journal articles (less than ten years old) on material presented during the first third of the course. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• TV Newscast (WeVideo)
• TV Talkshow (WeVideo)
• Podcast -- starting in Fall 2022 – (anchor.fm)
Collaborative Project #2 @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 10)
Student learning teams review and evaluate two books, two journal articles, and two digital sources to have to do in some way with intersections between course material on one hand, and systems of power, oppression, equity, and justice on the other AND create a readers’ guide based on that work. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Readers’ Guide Flipbook (Flipsnack)
• Reader’s Guide Infographic (Canva)
Collaborative Project #3 @ 20 possible points (Due at the end of Week 14)
Student learning teams 1) revisit five to six novels, plays, or films presented in the course, 2) examine them in terms of power, oppressions, equity, and justice, AND 3) brainstorm practical solutions to how we might better address similar longstanding ills in 21st century society. The project also includes a works cited or bibliography page and collaboratively written (guided) reflection on team work habits and related choices. Teams can choose between:
• Interactive Academic Poster (Power Point or Prezi)
• Interactive Digital Scrapbook (Canva)
Capstone Project – Individual Semester Reflection @ 20 Possible Points (Due at the end of Week 15)
Students develop a guided reflection in which they revisit and evaluate their learning for the course. Students have the following options:
• Traditional Five to Six-page Self-Assessment Essay
• Five to Six-minute Self-Assessment Video
Questions for “Guided” Individual or Team Reflection
• For you introduction, describe your work and related activities for the week/semester in general.
• Briefly describe the projects, processes, and skills you will discuss.
• Discuss three points/projects you found most enjoyable and explain why.
• Explain three processes for the projects described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding.
• Explain three skills you gained or improved upon during the week/semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• How might you improve your independent and/or collaborative work habits and related choices in the course?
• Describe your biggest “A-ha Moment” this week/semester.
• How does that same “A-ha Moment” connect to something you have learned in other courses?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about team members, assignments, the course, instructor, or previous grades.
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Posted by
almost 4 years ago
If we are completely honest with ourselves, many students come into our courses lacking basic planning and organization skills. Even when armed with a syllabus, course schedule, or online course modules, many still have difficulty planning for and carrying out weekly assignments and/or projects by designated due dates.
To assist them, I suggest that we include due dates for assignments, projects, quizzes and exams not just in our syllabi or online course modules, but that we should also include what I call an 'Important Due Dates' tab in the D2L pages we set up for our courses. Likewise, I suggest we do so whether we teach in a traditional face to face setting, hybrid, or online.
A quarter century of teaching undergraduates leads me to conclude that few consult the syllabus (or online modules) in more than a cursory way after Week One. More generally, when people have to search for something, they are less likely to find it. So, be sure to drag your 'Important Due Dates' tab to the very top of all other tabs on the left side of your D2L course content page, making it as easy as possible for students to find.
They will then be able to access all of the dates for assignments, projects, quizzes, or exams in one place without the need to wade through denser, text heavy syllabi, course schedules, or weekly course modules. At a glance, they can find what they need to know and prepare accordingly.
Given the various challenges so many young people seem to face in 2021, why not make things as easy as we can for the students in our courses?
To assist them, I suggest that we include due dates for assignments, projects, quizzes and exams not just in our syllabi or online course modules, but that we should also include what I call an 'Important Due Dates' tab in the D2L pages we set up for our courses. Likewise, I suggest we do so whether we teach in a traditional face to face setting, hybrid, or online.
A quarter century of teaching undergraduates leads me to conclude that few consult the syllabus (or online modules) in more than a cursory way after Week One. More generally, when people have to search for something, they are less likely to find it. So, be sure to drag your 'Important Due Dates' tab to the very top of all other tabs on the left side of your D2L course content page, making it as easy as possible for students to find.
They will then be able to access all of the dates for assignments, projects, quizzes, or exams in one place without the need to wade through denser, text heavy syllabi, course schedules, or weekly course modules. At a glance, they can find what they need to know and prepare accordingly.
Given the various challenges so many young people seem to face in 2021, why not make things as easy as we can for the students in our courses?
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: GenAI & Education
Posted by
7 months ago
AI Commons Bulletin 2/24/2025
🚫 No More Guidance from USDE
Beyond the AI guidance for schools and the toolkits for educators and developers, the entire Office of Educational Technology website is gone. tech.ed.gov now directs to the USDE website.
Learn More: https://www.ed.gov/
📽️ Try This: Create AI Video for YouTube
Short videos can be useful tools for teaching something, or that students can use to demonstrate something. YouTube now offers tools to use AI to generate video based on a text prompt.
Learn More: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/heres-how-you-can-create-ai-videos-in-youtube-shorts-thanks-to-google-veo/
🤔 AI Operator Can Take e-Learning Courses For You
OpenAI’s Operator tool can take an online course, which means it’s time to rethink asynchronous course design.
Learn More: https://benbetts.co.uk/the-fall-of-click-next-e-learning-what-operator-means-for-training/?ref=2ndbreakfast.audreywatters.com
✍️ Should We Invent New Words to Talk to AI?
Want a fresh way to discuss AI literacy? These authors argue we need new words—not just human vocabulary—to grasp AI. Encourage students to create neologisms for human concepts AI should learn or machine ideas we must understand. What might they invent?
Learn More: Hewitt, Geirhos, & Kim, (2025). We Can’t Understand AI Using our Existing Vocabulary.
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
🚫 No More Guidance from USDE
Beyond the AI guidance for schools and the toolkits for educators and developers, the entire Office of Educational Technology website is gone. tech.ed.gov now directs to the USDE website.
Learn More: https://www.ed.gov/
📽️ Try This: Create AI Video for YouTube
Short videos can be useful tools for teaching something, or that students can use to demonstrate something. YouTube now offers tools to use AI to generate video based on a text prompt.
Learn More: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/heres-how-you-can-create-ai-videos-in-youtube-shorts-thanks-to-google-veo/
🤔 AI Operator Can Take e-Learning Courses For You
OpenAI’s Operator tool can take an online course, which means it’s time to rethink asynchronous course design.
Learn More: https://benbetts.co.uk/the-fall-of-click-next-e-learning-what-operator-means-for-training/?ref=2ndbreakfast.audreywatters.com
✍️ Should We Invent New Words to Talk to AI?
Want a fresh way to discuss AI literacy? These authors argue we need new words—not just human vocabulary—to grasp AI. Encourage students to create neologisms for human concepts AI should learn or machine ideas we must understand. What might they invent?
Learn More: Hewitt, Geirhos, & Kim, (2025). We Can’t Understand AI Using our Existing Vocabulary.
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).