GATAcademy 2017
GATAcademy 2018 is a full-day professional development event open to all current and prospective UWindsor graduate assistants (GAs) and teaching assistants (TAs).
Offering a series of interactive workshops led by experienced professionals from across the campus, GATAcademy 2017 will feature resources and activities relevant to both new and experienced GAs/TAs. Topics will include mastering technology in the classroom, conducting effective labs and tutorials, best practices in grading and feedback, and a whole lot more!
GATAcademy 2018 will be held on September 4th, from 9:00am-2:30pm, in Dillion Hall.
Remember: Workshops are concurrent, so register for one workshop per time slot. Please be sure to register below if you would like to attend lunch.
GATAcademy is generously sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, Student Life Enhancement Fund, Graduate Student Society (GSS), the Organization of Part time University Students (OPUS), and faculties at the University of Windsor.
Past offerings
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
8:00 AM
Registration
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 08:00 AM – 09:00 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 256
9:00 AM
Connecting Best Practices for Teaching Linguistically-Diverse International Students with International Student Satisfaction
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 350
Instructors:
Clayton Smith,
Deena Wang
In this session, you will learn about some of the best practices for teaching linguistically-diverse international students and how they connect with international student satisfaction. A student panel of current UWindsor international students will discuss their preferred teaching practices. Participants will leave with a concept map that shows how best practices for teaching linguistically-diverse international students connect with international student satisfaction.
Crossing the Rubricon: Exploring Criteria Sheets and Scoring Guides for Grading
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 264
Instructors:
Amanda Gatto,
Veronika Mogyorody
Establishing clear grading criteria can make the process of assessment more efficient for those doing the marking, and less confusing for the students whose work is being graded. Rubrics are a great way to improve communication and can benefit both you and the students your grading. In this hands-on workshop you will be introduced to how to design and use rubrics, as well as how to assess their quality and effectiveness. We will discuss how providing students with more informative feedback can help make the assessment process more objective and consistent while reducing the time required to mark. The value of rubrics is getting students to move past simply providing what they think the instructor/GA/TA wants to what criteria actually makes the assignment, paper, project excellent. Come explore how to help students perform better through rubrics.
Ethical Issues Encountered by GAs and TAs
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 354
While it is widely recognized that professors face a number of potential ethical dilemmas in the course of their work, the specific ethical issues faced by GAs and TAs are often overlooked. The work of GAs and TAs typically involves interacting with students and professors, grading student work, and enforcing course policies, all of which can give rise to ethical missteps. How can you recognize the ethical issues underlying the situations you encounter as a GA/TA? When ethical violations occur, how might you engage in damage control to keep things from getting worse? This workshop will present examples of commonly occurring ethical issues in the GA/TA context, and will introduce a problem-solving approach to help you deal with them.
Gathering Evidence and Articulating Your Teaching Identities Through Dossiers
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 253
Instructors:
Laura Chittle,
Jessica Raffoul
A teaching dossier is a portfolio designed to articulate your teaching responsibilities, approaches, and goals, and inspire critical, useful self-reflection and development.
In this session, we will focus on the many ways you can begin documenting your teaching narratives, preparing for the development of a teaching dossier that effectively reflects your beliefs about teaching and learning and your teaching-related activities and accomplishments.
Join us during this interactive session as you explore ideas to better help you transition into your roles as college or university instructors!
Hearing more than crickets: How to engage students using active learning strategies
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 359
Instructors:
Sara Santarossa
Tired of standing in front of unresponsive and disconnected students? Looking for new ways to encourage student engagement and interaction? In this highly interactive workshop, participants will be exposed to active learning strategies and the importance of student-centred teaching in the classroom. Participants will have an opportunity to experience hands-on examples of various types of active learning techniques and/or tools through demonstrations. (Please bring a wifi enabled device such as a cellphone or laptop!)
Leading Effective Discussions
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 265
Instructors:
Ashlyne O’Neil ,
Michelle Krieger
Do you dream of lively student discussions but dread the silent stares of disengaged learners? This workshop will touch on why discussion is a valuable teaching tool and introduce strategies for facilitating engaging and productive discussions. You will practice developing discussion questions/strategies in groups and leave with resources to use in your classes.
Trending now: #teachingstats #madeEASY
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 255
Instructors:
Fabrice Mowbray ,
Kathy Pfaff
This workshop provides learners with practical and engaging strategies to teach statistics. The focus will be on conducting and interpreting basic and multivariate statistics. The session intends to increase confidence among instructors and learners who may shy away from using statistics in the classroom and/or appraising quantitative research studies. Be prepared for a few chuckles.
10:30 AM
Break
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Location:
Dillon Hall 2nd Floor Lobby
Coffee and refreshments will be generously provided by the Graduate Student Society (GSS).
10:45 AM
Copyright and Open Access
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 350
Instructors:
Scott Cowan,
Dave Johnston
Our ability to access and use information impacts our work as both researchers and teachers. Issues of copyright and ownership of information are often at the heart of this discussion. This session will explore these issues and cover topics such as open access publishing, open educational resources, and provide an overview of copyright, including tips on what can and cannot be done, what to look out for, and where to go for help.
Do You Need Blackboard for What You Do? (GATA)
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
University Computer Centre
Instructors:
Lorna Stolarchuk
Discover the power of the University of Windsor’s learning management system, Blackboard Learn. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to participate in an introductory hands-on Blackboard experience from a GA or TA’s perspective, and test out key features and tools that you may be expected to use in your role. Come join us to learn more about Blackboard and where to access further resources to help you maximize its potential.
This workshop is being held in the University Computer Centre-G01.
Please visit the Campus Map for directions.
.
Ethical Issues Encountered by GAs and TAs
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 354
While it is widely recognized that professors face a number of potential ethical dilemmas in the course of their work, the specific ethical issues faced by GAs and TAs are often overlooked. The work of GAs and TAs typically involves interacting with students and professors, grading student work, and enforcing course policies, all of which can give rise to ethical missteps. How can you recognize the ethical issues underlying the situations you encounter as a GA/TA? When ethical violations occur, how might you engage in damage control to keep things from getting worse? This workshop will present examples of commonly occurring ethical issues in the GA/TA context, and will introduce a problem-solving approach to help you deal with them.
Grading and Providing Effective Feedback
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 264
Instructors:
Curtis Hyra
One of the biggest responsibilities of a TA/GA is grading and providing effective feedback. It is also one of the most complex tasks, as you will likely draw on your critical judgement, social intelligence, and time management skills, not to mention the task of mediating between the students and professors. Luckily, there are strategies that can make your life easier. This session will provide tips and tricks that will help to coordinate assigning grades between you and the course instructor, as well as advice for making the most of the opportunities you have to help the students improve.
Hearing more than crickets: How to engage students using active learning strategies
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 359
Instructors:
Sara Santarossa
Tired of standing in front of unresponsive and disconnected students? Looking for new ways to encourage student engagement and interaction? In this highly interactive workshop, participants will be exposed to active learning strategies and the importance of student-centred teaching in the classroom. Participants will have an opportunity to experience hands-on examples of various types of active learning techniques and/or tools through demonstrations. (Please bring a wifi enabled device such as a cellphone or laptop!)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Engaging Large Classes
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 253
Instructors:
Elizabeth Ismail,
Anthony Meloche
Do you find it difficult to engage your large class? Supporting learners in larger classes can be challenging, but the good news is there are effective techniques that can be used to extend your reach, motivate students, and enhance the learning experience. This session will offer participants an opportunity to apply a variety of active and technology-based strategies, as well as to determine the most effective methods for the courses you are facilitating. Participants will leave with resources and information to support the engagement of learners in their current GA/TA assignments.
Leading Effective Labs and Tutorials
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 265
Instructors:
Natalie Gosselin,
Tanya Noel
Labs and tutorials are a key part of science courses, helping students engage in what they’re learning, gain hands-on experience, and practice problem-solving and critical thinking. Labs/tutorials not only help students learn concepts and techniques, but also provide a window into the nature of science and research. GAs and TAs play a vital role in the success of labs and tutorial sessions.
Whether you are new GA/TA beginning your teaching, or an experienced GA/TA interested in further developing your skills, this workshop will provide you with practical tips and evidence-based methods to help you make your labs and tutorials interactive, engaging, and effective. We will discuss best practises, try out different teaching methods, and explore scenarios that GAs/TAs may encounter in their teaching roles.
Student, Researcher, Teaching Assistant: Balancing the Demands of Graduate School
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 255
Being a GA or TA can be stressful and time consuming when also balancing the responsibilities of academic requirements and developing your own program of research. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of various considerations for you to reflect on as a student researcher and teaching assistant. We will also give you strategies and resources for maximizing your time and dealing with stressful situations, in an effort to make your academic endeavors more efficient and rewarding.
The First Day
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 355
Instructors:
Brandon Sabourin
Congratulations! You’re a GA/TA! And the first class is days away…
So what should you do on the first day of class? What could you do? Simply reading the syllabus aloud is boring (remember?) and likely doesn’t set the tone you want to set for the rest of the semester. The first day is also your first opportunity to present yourself as a teacher to your class. For some, it might even be the first time you’ve ever introduced yourself as a teacher or GA/TA. Students’ first impressions of a class and instructor are important, so why make the first class of the semester dull and unengaging? “My class is boring and it’s a waste of your time to attend,” said no instructor ever.
In this session, we’ll discuss various ways to approach the first day of class as a GA/TA. Together, we’ll explore how you might set the tone for the semester, and begin to think about how your beliefs about teaching and learning will shape your identity as a GA/TA. YOU WILL have an influence on the teaching and learning experiences in your class, so make sure you attend this session to plan for a great first day, and a great semester!
12:15 PM
Lunch
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 12:15 PM – 01:00 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 2nd Floor Lobby
Once you have registered for lunch, be sure to email Marilyn at ctlworkshops@uwindsor.ca with any allergies or dietary needs (no later than 12:00 pm on Tuesday, August 15th, 2017).
1:00 PM
Do You Need Blackboard for What You Do? (GATA)
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
University Computer Centre
Instructors:
Lorna Stolarchuk
Discover the power of the University of Windsor’s learning management system, Blackboard Learn. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to participate in an introductory hands-on Blackboard experience from a GA or TA’s perspective, and test out key features and tools that you may be expected to use in your role. Come join us to learn more about Blackboard and where to access further resources to help you maximize its potential.
This workshop is being held in the University Computer Centre-G01.
Please visit the Campus Map for directions.
.
Grading and Providing Effective Feedback
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 264
Instructors:
Curtis Hyra
One of the biggest responsibilities of a TA/GA is grading and providing effective feedback. It is also one of the most complex tasks, as you will likely draw on your critical judgement, social intelligence, and time management skills, not to mention the task of mediating between the students and professors. Luckily, there are strategies that can make your life easier. This session will provide tips and tricks that will help to coordinate assigning grades between you and the course instructor, as well as advice for making the most of the opportunities you have to help the students improve.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Engaging Large Classes
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 350
Instructors:
Elizabeth Ismail,
Anthony Meloche
Do you find it difficult to engage your large class? Supporting learners in larger classes can be challenging, but the good news is there are effective techniques that can be used to extend your reach, motivate students, and enhance the learning experience. This session will offer participants an opportunity to apply a variety of active and technology-based strategies as well as to determine the most effective methods for the courses you are facilitating. Participants will leave with resources and information to support the engagement of learners in their current GA/TA assignments.
Leading Effective Labs and Tutorials
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 365
Instructors:
Natalie Gosselin,
Tanya Noel
Labs and tutorials are a key part of science courses, helping students engage in what they’re learning, gain hands-on experience, and practice problem-solving and critical thinking. Labs/tutorials not only help students learn concepts and techniques, but also provide a window into the nature of science and research. GAs and TAs play a vital role in the success of labs and tutorial sessions.
Whether you are new GA/TA beginning your teaching, or an experienced GA/TA interested in further developing your skills, this workshop will provide you with practical tips and evidence-based methods to help you make your labs and tutorials interactive, engaging, and effective. We will discuss best practises, try out different teaching methods, and explore scenarios that GAs/TAs may encounter in their teaching roles.
Student, Researcher, Teaching Assistant: Balancing the Demands of Graduate School
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 255
Being a GA or TA can be stressful and time consuming when also balancing the responsibilities of academic requirements and developing your own program of research. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of various considerations for you to reflect on as a student researcher and teaching assistant. We will also give you strategies and resources for maximizing your time and dealing with stressful situations, in an effort to make your academic endeavors more efficient and rewarding.
Teaching with Technology
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 354
Instructors:
Alicia Higgison,
Darko Milenkovic
Integrating technology into the educational environment can support student learning and teacher effectiveness in a number of ways. This workshop will address what is meant by “technology” and will dive into various examples of using technology in the classroom. We will explore how educators can assess student learning with different tools and consider what pitfalls might arise when beginning to implement new technologies. Ideas for enhancing the relationship between new and innovative uses of technology and best practices in teaching and learning will be examined.
The First Day
Registration for this event is now closed.
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM
Location:
Dillon Hall 355
Instructors:
Brandon Sabourin
Congratulations! You’re a GA/TA! And the first class is days away…
So what should you do on the first day of class? What could you do? Simply reading the syllabus aloud is boring (remember?) and likely doesn’t set the tone you want to set for the rest of the semester. The first day is also your first opportunity to present yourself as a teacher to your class. For some, it might even be the first time you’ve ever introduced yourself as a teacher or GA/TA. Students’ first impressions of a class and instructor are important, so why make the first class of the semester dull and unengaging? “My class is boring and it’s a waste of your time to attend,” said no instructor ever.
In this session, we’ll discuss various ways to approach the first day of class as a GA/TA. Together, we’ll explore how you might set the tone for the semester, and begin to think about how your beliefs about teaching and learning will shape your identity as a GA/TA. YOU WILL have an influence on the teaching and learning experiences in your class, so make sure you attend this session to plan for a great first day, and a great semester!
3:00 PM
Graduate Studies Orientation
Schedule:
Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 03:00 PM – 04:30 PM
Location:
Erie 1120
The Graduate Studies orientation for New Graduate and Teaching Assistants (GAs & TAs) will take place in Erie Hall 1120 from 3:00pm - 4:30pm.
No registration for this event is necessary.