UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State will offer a short course, reading programs, and writing sessions and retreats for faculty during summer 2023. Some events have limited space and registration deadlines are coming up in April.
2023 Teaching and Learning Scholarship (TLS) Academy: Student Voice and Choice
Each summer, the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence offers a Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (TLS) Academy. Participants in the TLS Academy learn more about an emerging teaching and learning practice so that they can integrate it into their class(es); then they work together to develop a collaborative research project to assess its effectiveness.
For the 2023-24 academic year, the academy will focus on the integration of student voice and choice into instruction. Student voice refers to giving students a say in decisions about the learning that takes place in the classroom; student choice refers to providing options for students based on what they learn, how they learn, or how their learning is assessed. Both practices can be an integral part of an inclusive, student-centered, and highly engaged classroom environment.
Academy members will meet in person from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, May 22 at the University Park campus (travel support is included), with approximately eight hours of additional virtual meetings to be scheduled over the summer.
By the end of the academy experience, participants will have the opportunity to expand their teaching toolkit, learn how to develop new relationships with students and gain experience with research in teaching — not to mention a few additions to a CV/FAR report in the form of published research and presentations.
All full-time and part-time faculty, graduate students and instructional staff at Penn State are eligible to apply. Travel support is available for participants residing outside of State College.
Apply here for the Teaching & Learning Scholarship Academy.
Summer reading groups on teaching, learning and emotion forming now
As the focus on student mental and emotional health continues to rise, many educators want to understand how they can best support student well-being in learning environments.
Join one of the Schreyer Institute’s sponsored reading groups to discuss the book “Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge” (2023) by Sarah Rose Cavanagh. Cavanaugh is a psychologist, professor and senior associate director for Teaching and Learning at Simmons University. Group members will discuss how they can incorporate ideas and practices from the book into their own teaching. Synchronous and asynchronous groups are available. Participants will receive a copy of the book.
Register for a reading group or form your own by April 24.
DEIB Summer Journal Club
Faculty interested in learning more about teaching and learning research related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging can join the Schreyer Institute’s DEIB Summer Journal Club. This series of virtual discussions will feature peer-reviewed teaching and learning literature and participants will have the chance to exchange ideas, consider how they might apply these ideas, and connect with peers from across the Penn State community.
This summer's DEIB Journal Discussion Series will focus on inclusive and equitable assessment.
Sessions will be hosted every other Friday throughout the summer, from 2 to 3 p.m. on June 2, 16, 30, July 14, 28, and Aug. 11. Participants can join as many discussions as they wish. All articles will be accessible through Penn State University Libraries.
Register for the DEIB Summer Journal Club at the Schreyer Institute’s events page.
Writing About Teaching: Virtual Writing Group
Faculty can join a writing group during summer 2023. Groups meet periodically to dedicate time to writing and hold each other accountable for their teaching- and learning-related research projects. Guests can drop into a writing group from 1 to 3 p.m. every Friday through the end of the spring semester to see what they are like. Spring events are listed on the Schreyer Institute's events page.
Writing About Teaching Retreats, Summer 2023
In a recent article from AAC&U's Liberal Education magazine, University of British Columbia professor Patrick Culbert makes the case that “...if you want to improve your teaching, you should write about it.”
The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence wants to support instructors in their writing about teaching, whether for personal reflection or publication. Instructors are invited to one or both of the Schreyer Institute’s all-day "Writing About Teaching" retreats on Friday, May 12, and Friday, May 19.
Both retreats will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. It is not necessary to attend for the entire day, and participants are welcome to drop in and leave as their schedule permits.
The retreats will both take place in the co-working space located in the new Eric J. Barron Innovation Building, 123 S. Burrowes Street in downtown State College. The Schreyer Insitute will provide space, lunch, coffee, peer support and (optional) coaching to enable participants to focus, think and write.
Register for Writing About Teaching Retreats.
The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence is a part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.