Its that time again!
Over the next few months, the University of Windsor will be negotiating its next Strategic Mandate Agreement with the province. This agreement outlines what makes our university unique, what our strengths and priorities are, and where we’re headed over the next three to four years. One part of that process is proposing new academic programs that we will develop in line with our vision and the government’s priorities.
Some key elements: new programs have to be innovative, both in content and in how we deliver them. And they should also include an experiential or work-integrated learning component that will enhance and further develop skills students can take into their employment after graduation.
This month’s question is:
What new, innovative, experiential/work-integrated learning types of programs would you like to see developed here at the University of Windsor? Or to put that another way, what programs do you wish UWindsor had had when you were applying to come here?
This Month’s Prize:
A University of Windsor Hoodie
Submission deadline:
November 30, 2016
Please send your response to vpacademic@uwindsor.ca.
ADAM GOODWIN
Adam Goodwin is the 2016 recipient of the GATA Award for Educational Leadership. Adam is a Master’s Candidate in the Faculty of Human Kinetics where he worked as a graduate teaching assistant for three semesters as well as a research assistant on a teaching and learning grant dedicated to understanding the teaching practices being used in the undergraduate Kinesiology program. Through this work Adam is leading change in the areas of curriculum development and refinement. Over two years, Adam has spearheaded a number of teaching and learning initiatives that have resulted in seven (7) peer-reviewed oral publications. Through these efforts he is leading initiatives for pedagogical information-sharing. Adam currently works with The City of Red Deer, Alberta as a Community Facilitator, leading the corporation’s non-market housing and homelessness files.
The GATA Network Coordinators conducted the following interview with Adam:
1. What was the most difficult part of the nomination process?
Letting go. When I started the process, I thought it was just another nomination process. The structure of the award process forces nominees to deeply reflect on their teaching and learning philosophies, strategies, successes, and areas for future growth. This helped me think deeper about teaching and learning than I had in the past. Eventually, I had to let go and complete the actual nomination package (it was submitted 30 minutes prior to the deadline!).
2. Had teaching and learning been a big part of your life before you won the award? How did the award change your views on teaching?
Yes and no. I did my undergraduate degree at a university with 60,000 students that is heavily focused on research. Many professors cared deeply about their students and teaching but their main focus, in part due to the institution’s tenure and promotion criteria, was research. The environment that I completed my degree in was one in which I left believing that research was the purpose of universities. It was not until I came to the University of Windsor that I realized how many opportunities there are in teaching and learning in higher education; the number of faculty, staff, and students who are putting tremendous resources into thinking about, researching, and leading a renewed focus on what it means to balance teaching and learning with many, many other time commitments that come with working in higher education. Along the way, I have met many individuals who have opened my eyes to realizing that it is okay to be great at teaching and learning, research, and service, or to just want to focus on one particular area.
3. How has the GATA Award impacted your life, if at all?
Yes, the award has. I am fairly quiet. There is a misconception that educators have to be these spunky, charismatic actors/actresses who jump on desks to get students’ attention and illustrate a point, which, unfortunately, I find, even really intelligent people believe. When colleagues and peers find out I received this award, I think it helps them move past their own assumptions about my skills and abilities (I have spoken in front of crowds of 3000+ twice with no sweat or butterflies), and assumptions they may have about what it means to be an educator. I think the award has helped others better understand me, and see that just because I have high enough self-esteem and confidence not to have to speak all the time (i.e., I reject many Western academic-centric views that the one who speaks the most is the most engaged or has the most knowledge or is the best, and that oral communication is the only way to share ideas), and that just because I am usually the guy sitting in some corner with earphones on doing work, I am just as comfortable being in front of a class/crowd/group as I am living in my own little world.
4.What is the most rewarding or best part about being a GA/TA?
I had the opportunity to be a graduate assistant for Functional Anatomy, one of Kinesiology’s tougher undergraduate courses. I was responsible for leading three weekly laboratories. I had taken a few physiology courses during my undergraduate degree, which made me quickly realize that physiology and anatomy, although closely related, are very different ways of thinking. So the most rewarding part was being humbled and having to re-think my original strategy of teaching the material (which my old brain had a tough time soaking up) to facilitating student learning. That was a big jump for me, but it made me appreciate different teaching philosophies and approaches, never to pretend that I know everything, or that I am the smartest person in the room (I had the students that scored in the 99 percentile in my lab…).
5. What is your favourite GA/TA memory?
It was likely outside the actual GA role; the many connections I built with students and the GA supervisors, through my GA roles, over the term are great memories.
6. Is there any advice that you would give others who are considering being nominated for a GATA award?
The process to compile the dossier will take time: 1) start early, 2) spend time thinking and planning what the dossier means to you and could look like, and 3) use it as a process rather than just the end result. I used the nomination process as a tool to reflect on what teaching and learning means to me, and how I would like to incorporate it into my life in the future. Oh, and start early.
Great work, Adam!
For more information regarding descriptions and criteria of the GATA Awards, visit the CTL Website.
Now that the rush of September is behind us, Provost Douglas Kneale is re-activating his successful Question of the Month contest, where he asks you to respond to a question about yourUWindsor experiences.
The author of the winning entry will receive a UWindsor hoodie!!
Over the last couple of weeks, the University has been unveiling a new awareness campaign about the University of Windsor, communicating something that a lot of people on campus identify as a core characteristic of our students, staff, and faculty: Promise. So, the Provost is asking you to relate that to your own experiences at the U.
This month’s question is: What does “promise” mean to you?
Please send your response, for another chance at that amazing UWindsor hoodie, to vpacademic@uwindsor.ca by
You are invited to the University of Windsor’s annual Graduate and Professional Schools Fair hosted by Co-op, Career and Employment Services in partnership with the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
What’s going on? More than 40 different institutions over two days will be available to answer your questions and provide information about the many post graduate programs they offer. Note that the institutions on each day will vary.
Medicine, Health, and Education related programs
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Business, Law, Graduate Studies and College programs
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where? CAW Student Centre, main floor commons area
We highly encourage students from all year levels and programs to attend so that you can learn more about educational opportunities and programs, the admission requirements and deadlines to apply. Many university students continue their studies after their undergraduate degree.
Did you know: Students/graduates from almost any degree program can apply to most law schools and many MBA programs? You don’t have to be a science major for many MD programs. Many colleges offer specialized programs for university graduates. Graduate Studies include Master’s and PhD programs. There are so many options out there, why not explore them in-person.
The Graduate and Professional Schools Fair is a perfect opportunity to speak to representatives from over 40 institutions and learn about a variety of graduate and professional programs in the areas of health, medicine, law, business, education, masters and PhDs, post graduate certificates and more.
No matter what year of study you are in, you’re encouraged to come out and explore your options. Note that different institutions will be represented on different days so please check the website to see who is attending, what they are promoting and when they will be here!
UWill Discover 2017 will take place in the CAW on Friday, March 31, 2017. The event is seeking volunteers in the following categories:
- Two coordinators: one to supervise the recruitment and training of student volunteers, and one to recruit and assign faculty and grad student judges for the day of the conference
- A large number of reviewers are needed to review abstracts submitted for consideration. The review work will mostly be done between December 1 and January 15, 2017. Please mention your areas of expertise.
- A goodly number of judges will be needed on the day of the conference. Please mention your areas of expertise.
The following article, written by Adam Blood, examines the art of speaking well. Tips for practicing concise but impactful speeches are also provided.
The original post can be found here.
As a graduate student, talking about your research to a non-specialist can be tricky. Even more of a challenge is translating what you’ve done in graduate school to how it makes you a great fit for your next career. While you may have a general idea of what you’d talk about for two or three minutes, presenting that information well can be daunting.
As a public speaking instructor and debate coach, what stands out to me about these short speaking situations is their ability to wreak havoc on the nerves of either those who are nervous about speaking to strangers, or those who are naturally quiet and would prefer to avoid being put on the spot. The key here is that speaking well in these situations is something that can often take a lot of practice, even for those who naturally have the gift of gab. These tips will show you how to practice these kinds of speeches so that you can be ready when the situation arises.
What is the Elevator Speech?
The Elevator Speech is a short speech between 20-30 seconds and two minutes. It got the name “elevator speech” or “elevator pitch” because it’s the length of an elevator ride. In this short time period, the speaker is expected to quickly and effectively relay information about an organization, a product, a process, or even their own credentials as a potential employee or contact. The scenario is usually something like this: you get onto an elevator with a person who could help you or your organization. Until those elevator doors open, you have a captive audience. The trick is making every second count and effectively conveying your message.
There are a few challenges connected to this kind of speech. First, it is almost entirely an impromptu speech, meaning it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to have the advantage of preparation, notes or reference material, or visual aids. It also means you don’t know who your audience is—you may be speaking with an expert from your field or an employer who has a vague idea about your research. What complicates the impromptu nature of these speeches is that until they happen, they’re referred to completely in the hypothetical. You may not know who the audience is, what exactly the message needs to be, or what other factors are going to come into play, until the moment arises. After all, when you ride the elevator, you speak with both people you know well and relative strangers.
That said, the real challenge is how to say everything you need to say in such a short time.
TIP 1: KEEP THE SITUATION IN MIND
As odd it may seem, it helps to practice for impromptu speaking situations. Imagine a scenario where you run into a promising contact in an elevator. This could be a potential employer or a potential client. Since it’s basically an imaginary scenario, feel free to have some fun with it. You could practice how you’d introduce yourself if your childhood hero happened to get into an elevator. What matters most is that you practice speaking confidently and energetically as you communicate your message.
Depending upon your audience and the situation, you can then give these practice speeches more context. If you’re talking about your research, you can practice a 20-30 second explanation of your research and its greater implications. If you’re out on the job market (or will be soon), you can practice telling about yourself, your credentials and why you’re right for the job. The best thing about these practices is that they don’t take much time, so you can practice them whenever you feel like it.
TIP 2: ECONOMIZE WORDS
Word economy is the ability to communicate as much as you can with the fewest words possible. There are a couple of ways to practice this. First, consider the most common elevator speech situation, wherein you’re meeting a potential contact, and what you’re pitching is yourself. For many people, it takes more than just a few words to describe what they do, and it’s easy to get lost in the small details. Prioritize what you talk about and how much you say—you may not say much about your daily tasks when you explain your skills or why your research is important. Realize that the big picture is central to these short speeches. You may not be able to describe in precise detail every element of your job or your skills, but you can come up with a phrase or sentence that captures the big picture of who you are and what you do.
Another drill you can run to practice word economy is the “shrinking” speech. In this drill, you practice giving a slightly longer speech (about three minutes) on a fun topic you’re familiar and comfortable with, like your favorite lesson from a class or even the plot of your favorite movie. Once you’ve practiced giving a three minute speech on this topic, cut the time down to two minutes, then one minute, and then finally, thirty seconds. This exercise forces you to focus on the most important details of the topic so you learn to say more using fewer words.
Once you’ve practiced this a few times with a fun topic, apply it to your elevator speech. Practice talking about your credentials and experience, and each time, work on finding the most effective and efficient ways to get the message across.
TIP 3: TACKLE YOUR WEAKNESSES
When it comes to speaking, we all have weaknesses. Some people battle with nervous energy, which makes them fidget or gesture too much. Other speakers have a monotonous tone, making it hard to really show energy or engage the listener. When you practice these short speeches, treat this as an opportunity to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and once you’ve found an area that can use improvement, let that be one of the key focus areas for your practice.
To correct a weakness, it can help to overdo it in the other direction. For instance, if you struggle with sounding monotone when you speak, practice with an over-the-top tone of voice and overly animated facial expressions. If you speak too fast, make your speech uncomfortably slow. Doing this in practice will stretch your speech pattern. When you’re actually expected to speak, you will naturally come down to a “new normal” in the way you speak.
TIP 4: GET FEEDBACK
Sometimes the biggest challenge of practicing public speaking is that practice happens in private. So, if you really want to come up with an outstanding elevator speech, a friend or mentor willing to listen may be just the ticket to figuring out what to work on. These listeners can provide encouragement, help you find areas that need improvement, and—if they know you well enough—they can help you highlight and play to your strengths.
If you’re on the job market, it may help to find a mentor: someone who has been in your situation and has reached the place you’re hoping to go. Ask for feedback on your speech, paying special attention to what your listener (in this case, potential employer) would most want to learn about.
This is where the brevity of these elevator speeches works in your favor. Because these speeches are incredibly short, you’re requesting very little time from the people you recruit to help you practice. This is the kind of favor that can take less than five minutes out of their day, and goes a long way to helping you reach your goals.
Conclusion
The elevator speech can be intimidating, because it is such a spur of the moment occurrence. However, with just a little bit of practice, you can put together a speech that will help you shine at a moment’s notice. If you’re willing to practice these tips a little bit at a time, you’ll be more than ready to make an impression when the opportunity presents itself. After all, you never know whom you might meet on an elevator.
Hello!
The Centre for Teaching and Learning will have several Work Study positions for senior students or graduate students. Are you interested in learning more about teaching at the university and contributing to a team this year?
You must be approved for Work Study before you can receive an interview. To find out more about Work Study, and to see if you qualify, check the online information: http://www1.uwindsor.ca/
Position: Teaching and Learning Project Assistant
Job ID#: 43308
Provide organizational and practical support for projects and events, including communications, event support, reviewing literature and writing reports.
Position: Student Learning Management System (LMS) Project Assistant
Job ID : 43016
Provide administrative/project support through the implementation of a Learning Management System, Blackboard and its components, including assisting in providing training and support.
More details about the job duties and qualifications can be found on the Mysuccess page https://success.uwindsor.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Erika and the CTL Team
If you’ve ever had to hand in any scholarly writing you’ll likely be familiar with the “cryptic hieroglyphics”, that is, written comments provided for feedback. Written commentary can be hard to read and relatively generic, so you’ll be happy to hear that it is not the only option for providing criticism.
Audio-recorded response is beginning to be recognized as an effective alternative to written commentary, with its benefits cited as being detailed, personable, and timesaving. This variation in the approach to feedback suggests a shift away from judgment and toward mentorship.
This bibliography highlights audio response as an evolving feedback strategy and reviews a growing body of literature that dates back to 1958.
Also, this video further supports the argument for audio commenting, taking a focus on pedagogy and practice.
How might you use audio response in place of traditional written comments?
We invite you to share your thoughts!
The GATA Network is happy to announce a new addition to this year’s list of GATAcademy Workshops!
Teaching with Stats and Data: Tools, Tips and Tricks
Schedule: Wednesday, September 07, 2016, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Odette Room 507
Instructors: Dan Edelstein, Kristi Thompson
Do you find data or statistics intimidating? Do your students? No need to fear the numbers! This workshop will present the basics of finding and using data and demonstrate tools and websites that can be useful in your teaching, whether you are teaching statistics, a methods class, or just want to bring concepts alive with current, hard data. We will share tips we’ve derived from years of teaching basic data concepts to students at a variety of levels and in a variety of disciplines. We will also discuss how the Academic Data Centre (ADC) in Leddy can help you use data, statistics, and statistical software in your teaching as a GA/TA (and as a student too). Bring questions!
To register for GATAcademy 2016 workshops like this one, please visit: http://cleo.uwindsor.ca/workshops/ctl/98/
It’s back – our favoured tradition here at the University of Windsor where faculty, students, and staff gather every Fall for a unique day of workshopping called GATAcademy. This means a full day of teaching and learning workshops designed especially for graduate assistants (GAs) and teaching assistants (TAs). This year, the tradition continues on Wednesday, September 7th. Will you be joining us?
You can be the first to register by visiting http://cleo.uwindsor.ca/workshops/98/. Here you’ll find detailed descriptions of each workshop and brief introductions from the talented individuals leading them.
Being a GA or TA is a truly unique experience. That’s partly because no two GA/TA positions are the same, but it’s also because of the incredible impact those roles can have on your personal and professional development. GATAcademy is all about making sure GAs/TAs are fully prepared for the exciting opportunities before them. Whether you’re a GA/TA for the first time this Fall, or even if you’ve been a GA/TA a dozen times before, GATAcademy is a chance to refresh, review, and reconnect. Consider GATAcademy an open invitation to get in touch with your student teacher identity and meet some other student teachers along the way. Come with questions; leave with answers and resources on where to find them. GATAcademy is the first step towards building your new support network.
Here’s the best part: the whole event is FREE to GAs and TAs. That includes a FREE lunch.
The Details
What: GATAcademy 2016: A Day of Personal and Professional Development
When: Wednesday, September 7th, 2016
9:00am – 2:30pm
Where: Odette Building
Who: GAs, TAs, and students interested in teaching and learning are all welcome
We’ve collected a group of seasoned veterans from the UWindsor teaching circuit to lead this year’s workshops, including a few national award winners. The day will be broken into three sessions, and participants register for individual workshops, so your participation can be as full or as limited as you see fit. Many workshops will be repeated in more than one session, so you can build your schedule to avoid missing out on your favourite topics.
Workshops and presenters will include as follows:
- Assisting with Marking with Alexandra Gayowsky, Marissa Reaume
- Conducting Effective Labs and Tutorials with Phil Graniero, Jacqueline Stagner
- Culturally Competent Communication, Teaching & Learning with Marcela Ciampa
- How do you know when your teaching is working with Jenni Hotte
- Individual Differences in Students and Academic Risk-Taking with Ashlyne O’Neil , Joan Craig , Kathryn Lafreniere
- Teaching with Technology with Elizabeth Ismail, Alicia Higgison
- Designing Lessons with Pierre Boulos, Michelle Krieger
- Ethical Issues Encountered by GAs and TAs with Kathryn Lafreniere, Kristin Schramer
- Introducing Blackboard with Tim Au-Yeung, Tomas Dobos, Allyson Skene, Lorna Stolarchuk
- Student, Researcher, Teaching Assistant: Balancing the Demands of Graduate School with Ashlyne O’Neil , Joan Craig
- The First Day with Dwayne Barris, Kristy Smith
- Copyright, Publishing and Open Access with Dave Johnston
Register Today
These workshops tend to fill up fast, so make sure you register ASAP to guarantee a seat in those workshops you find most interesting. Visit http://cleo.uwindsor.ca/workshops/98/ to register today!
This is also your chance to register for the FREE lunch. Once you have, be sure to email Marilyn at ctlworkshops@uwindsor.ca with any allergies or dietary needs (no later than 12:00 pm on Wednesday, August 26th, 2016).
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