Monday, Seminar 1: Introduction to CUNY, 1-2:15pm

Topics/Skills: Getting to know CUNY and your students, the Importance of Accessibility, First day of class activities, Free-writing, Facilitating discussion

Following the morning’s discussion about the history of CUNY, Monday’s seminar meeting will focus on how being at CUNY informs our teaching. By considering the central role of students in course planning, we’ll explore the importance of thinking about accessibility and how to foster an inclusive teaching and learning environment. In this session, attendees will share their own concerns about their first semester teaching at CUNY, and their expectations and goals for the Seminar.

Tuesday, Seminar 2: Conceptualizing Your Course, 1-2:15pm

Topics/Skills: The Story(Map) of Your Course, Syllabus Design, Learning Goals and Backward Design, Assignment Design, Peer Review

A course is much more than a collection of topics and themes; there should be an arc that ties the content and components together. By thinking about the arc of a course and its purpose, we are better to develop specific learning goals through backwards design, and can begin to create assignments that reflect the pursuit of those goals.

Wednesday, Seminar 3: In The Classroom, 1-2:15pm

Topics/Skills: Museum Pedagogy, Lesson Planning, Designing Activities, Active Learning, Time Management

This session will offer the opportunity to translate into our own classrooms some of the lessons learned about conceptualizing an exhibition during our visit to the Morgan Library & Museum. We will also discuss lesson planning, emphasizing the importance of active learning design, and attendees will prepare and share preliminary lesson plans for their courses.

Thursday, Seminar 4: Positionality and Persona, 1-2:15pm

Topics/Skills: Assessment, Grading, Rubrics

Grading is often seen as a problematic chore. When properly employed, though, feedback is a powerful tool that motivates and inspires our students. In this session, we’ll discuss many of the challenges of grading, share and develop strategies together for effective assessment within the context of individual attendees’ classes, and explore how rubrics can establish clear expectations and guidelines.

Friday, Seminar 5: Reflection and Translation, 1-2:15pm

Topics/Skills: Reflection, Evaluation

The final day of the seminar offers the opportunity to look back at the lessons learned and identify any support necessary before the start of the semester. In doing so, we’ll also learn the value of reflection as an opportunity for self-assessment and evaluation within the context of our own teaching. Attendees will have time to work on their own class materials as they prepare to enter the classrooms.