- C. Roland Christensen -
“[E]ffective preparation for discussion classes takes more time, because instructors must consider not only what they will teach, but also who and how. And the classroom encounter consumes a great deal of energy; simultaneous attention to process (the flow of activities that make up a discussion) and content (the material discussed) and requires emotional as well as intellectual engagement…The discussion teaching is planner, host, moderator, devil’s advocate, fellow student, a judge – a potentially confusing set of roles. Even the most seasoned group leader must be content with uncertainty, because discussion teaching is the art of managing spontaneity.”
Faculty Development
The most important elements of my personal faculty development are not bullet points but the extended periods of time that I’ve been able to spend with great mentors and dynamic groups of committed educators. This extends back to my time as an undergraduate. More it recently includes the dedicated professors and professional faculty developers that I’ve worked with on multiple campuses, especially during my time at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown. More easy to discuss in this forum, however, are the following specific programs that I’ve been a part of, either as a participant or facilitator:
Engelhard Project for Connecting Life and Learning
Doyle Engaging Difference Program
Teaching to the Whole Persons Faculty Cohort
Initiative for Technology Enhanced Learning
Office of Publications Writing Group
The Teaching, Learning, and Innovation Summer Institute