The pandemic brought with it major shifts in education and an abundance of opportunities to try new strategies and practices. During Planning Week 2021 several faculty members presented some of their pandemic success and how these best practices can continue to be utilized as we adjust to a new normal.
Associate Professor of Spanish Débora Maldonado-DeOliveira demonstrates how she used tools like Brightspace Quizzes and audio options to enhance her Spanish language classes.
About the Faculty PDCs
All Best Practices for the New Normal presenters were chosen from our Faculty Professional Development Cohorts (PDCs). Here is a little more information about the PDCs from our Instructional Designers Stacy Muse and Paul Keys.
The Instructional Design and Academic Technology team has enhanced faculty expertise in teaching, service, advising and scholarship through conducting Professional Development Cohorts every semester. Each PDC group consists of 5 faculty members who attend weekly, 1 hour sessions that include:
- Discussions surrounding successes and challenges faculty faced over the previous week
- Peer collaboration on various research-based pedagogies and the implementation of technological tools
- Q&A facilitated by members of the IDAT team
- Live demonstrations of technological tools
By structuring the PDC sessions using this format, the IDAT team has successfully enhanced faculty expertise in teaching, service, advising and scholarship through training, consulting and additional services provided during the Professional Development Cohorts.