Faculty Development Workshops
The QEP Faculty Development Workshops are designed to keep faculty members abreast of the latest pedagogical innovations in writing instruction. The workshops are great places to learn from one another, interact with other faculty members interested in using writing as a tool for learning, share experiences and suggestions, and build your personal portfolio.
Workshops
Spring 2017:
May 3, 2017: Assessment Day
- Assessment Plans, by Dr. Lisa Yount
- Assessment 101, by Dr. Lisa Yount
- LiveText Rubric Approval Process, by Dr. Nancy Linden
- Creating Assignments, Attaching Apporved Rubrics, and Evaluating Student Work in LiveText, by Dr. Nancy Linden
- How to Write Measurable Student Learning Outcomes, by Anita Kirkpatrick
- Identifying Strategic Program Goals and Outcomes, by Dr. Nancy Linden
March 28 & 29, 2017 and April 11 & 12, 2017: Campus Learning Community to discuss Dr. Saundra McGuire's book Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation
January 4, 5 & 6, 2017: General Assembly
- Keynote Speaker: Dr. Saundra McGuire: "Maximizing Impact on Student Success at Savannah State: It Takes the Whole Village!"
- Concurrent Workhop Sessions:
"Motivation and Mindset: Keys to Improving Student Success", by Dr. Saundra McGuire
"Best Practices for Teaching Online", by Dr. Niranjan, Dr. Staviskie, Dr. Rukmana, Dr. Blood
"Assessing the Educational Journey, Inside and Outside of the Classroom", by Dr. Trammel and Dr. Tuggle
- Assessment in Service
- SACS COC 3.3.1.1 Compliance Work
Fall 2016:
December 14 & 15, 2016: "Assessment in Service," Dr. Lisa Yount
November 9 & 10, 2016: "Academic Assessment 101," Dr. Kate McConnell
October 26, 2016: "Complementing the Classroom: Developing and Assessing Co-Curricular Learning Outcomes," Dr. Mihaela Munday
Spring 2016:
February 3, 2016: "Creating Cohesion through Curricular Mapping: Enhancing Teaching, Learning, and Assessment," Dr. Kate McConnell
February 3, 2016: "Assessment Meetings," Dr. Kate McConnell
February 2, 2016: "Creating Cohesion through Curricular Mapping: Enhancing Teaching, Learning, and Assessment," Dr. Kate McConnell
February 2, 2016: "Assessment Meetings: Behavior Analysis," Dr. Kate McConnell
Fall 2015:
November 5, 2015: "Plagiarism in the 21st Century: Detection, Response, and Prevention: Session III," Dr. Jonathan Elmore
The third session is an assignment design workshop, wherein faculty can design assignments for their own courses, that meet the curricular needs, engage students, and discourage plagiarism.
October 1, 2015: "Plagiarism in the 21st Century: Detection, Response, and Prevention: Session II," Dr. Jonathan Elmore
The second session offers faculty the opportunity to discuss and learn about TURNITIN.COM as a tool for detecting plagiarism, but also, and more importantly, as a tool for responding to student writing, preventing plagiarism, and streamlining grading.
September 17, 2015: "Transforming Students into Professional Writers: Lessons Learned," Dr. Linda Samuel (CLASS)
"Students obtaining professional degrees must be competent writers who produce clear and concise reports, written histories, assessments, summaries, case studies, and scholarly articles. Therefore, it is important that faculty seek innovative ways to teach students how to succeed in producing quality writing. The implementation of discipline specific writing assignments will amplify and enrich the student's learning experience as they transition into their chosen profession. The presenter will discuss ways to help students embrace the "write attitude" as they integrate and enhance their critical thinking and professional writing skills."
August 27, 2015: "Plagiarism in the 21st Century: Detection, Response, and Prevention: Session I," Dr. Jonathan Elmore
The first session introduces faculty to the scholarship, issues and discussions surrounding plagiarism in the context of 21st century higher education.
Spring 2015:
April 30, 2015: "Writing Coaches and Writing Craft: A Report on Practices," Dr. Dustin Michael (CLASS)
"Writing Coaches and Writing Craft: A Report on Practices" will discuss best practices from several sessions from the 2014 Student Success in Writing conference, focusing specifically on methods for increasing student writing proficiency through collaboration, multimodal literacy, and creativity. It will address the idea of using students as peer writing coaches within the traditional classroom framework, incorporating creative writing techniques in the drafting stages of argumentative and expository formal writing assignments, and assisting students as they navigate a rapidly expanding universe of online resources.
March 24, 2015: Faculty Development Session - LiveText Tutorial for Writing Assessment.
March 19, 2015. "The Good, the Bad, and the Wiki: A Report and Reflection on Wikis in the Classroom" Dr. Jordan Dominy
"Some have observed that the social Internet makes writers out of readers; if so, wikis in particular make writers, editors, collaborators, and even authorities out of readers. This presentation will overview scholarship on the pedagogical usefulness of wikis, as well as present and reflect on my experiences using wikis in the classroom."
Fall 2014:
December 4, 11 & 12, 2014: Faculty Development Session - LiveText Tutorial for Writing Assessment.
September 25, 2014: "Everything you need to know about Rubrics to Effectively evaluate course-embedded student work," Dr. Kate McConnell
September 25, 2014: "Taking the Complexity out of the Complex," Professor Maliece Whatley (COBA)
"Taking the Complexity out of the Complex" discusses the importance of developing the professional writing skills of accounting students. While strong analytical skills are important for a successful career in accounting, strong communication skills are equally important. The most successful accountants are those that can clearly and concisely communicate technical information to all management levels within an organization. In addition to discussing the types of writing skills that employers expect of accounting staff, the presentation will provide a review of innovative approaches to incorporating writing in the accounting curriculum."
September 24, 2014: "Everything you need to know about Rubrics to Effectively evaluate course-embedded student work," Dr. Kate McConnell.
Spring 2014
April 24, 2014: Dr. Adegboye Adeyemo
April 15, 2014:"Writing for Engineering Technology Students," Dr. Mir Hayder (COST)
"Results of a recently conducted survey on the writing attitude of Engineering Technology students at SSU will be shared in this presentation. It is a longstanding myth among Engineering Technology students that technical skills and writing skills are mutually exclusive - both cannot go together; "brains that can rapidly calculate are not supposed to have a way with words." Traditionally, Engineering Technology students identify themselves as problem-solvers. Many of them believe that their success will arise from solving problems, not from writing about them. The survey was designed to investigate the reasons why our students struggle with technical writing and the areas where they need more help to improve their writing skill. The presentation will also focus on how writing can be incorporated in both upper- and lower-level Engineering Technology courses that can enhance student learning, in addition to providing them the opportunity of writing training."
April 3, 2014: "Writing Past the Personal," Dr. Dustin Michael
March 13, 2014: "Writing in the Visual Arts," Professor Marlene Seidman (CLASS)
"Writing in the Visual Arts" will examine some methods for integrating arts into the writing curriculum and how writing can be used to enhance studio arts courses. By facilitating reoccurring discussions, group dialogue, peer critiques, and critical analysis writing exercises, visual arts students and those in similar fields can gain valuable skills to improve expression of ideas, focus content, and expand context. Workshop participants will create a book as a way of experiencing one of the pedagogical approaches Professor Seidman uses with her students.
February 18, 2014: "Them, Us and Nonfiction Writing: Best Practices When Millennials Learn from Boomers," Professor Sandra Earley (CLASS)
The students now filling our classrooms require new and adapted teaching techniques in order to learn effectively. Today's college students are Millennials by generation, born between 1982 and 2002. To reach Millennials, compared with earlier generations of students, it is no longer enough to be expert in a discipline and good at conveying that knowledge to undergraduates in traditional lectures and writing exercises. With Millennials, faculty must expect to entertain while teaching, provide students with a high degree of choice in the classroom, support their belief that they're special and deserving of much individual attention in and out of class, all further sweetened with the visuals and technology rather than the traditional written word. Millennials don't perform because it's the right thing to do; they perform because it's fun and because they choose to. The secret is to teach where they are and what they are. Successful techniques for teaching Millennials are easy to see in the teaching of journalistic nonfiction writing. This presentation will describe Millennials and their needs and wants in the classroom and suggest an array of tips for reaching them.
February 13, 2014: "A Home-Grown, Practical Approach to Developing Advanced Student Writing: Adventures from the MPA Program," Dr. Behrooz Kalantari (CLASS)
This presentation focuses on a practical model to improve students' writing at the graduate level (but could be applied to upper-division courses, as well). This approach is unique due to its development through several years of working with students in the MPA program. It is cultivated from meticulous and gradual interactions with students and many trials and errors. The presentation is divided into two main parts: the first part focuses on the diagnosis of characteristic writing problems at the graduate level. The second part deals with the structured steps that are taken to successfully overcome the deficiencies in a short period of time.
Fall 2013
November 13, 2013: "Are Scientists from Mars and Non-Scientists from Venus? Grooming the Scientist for Universal Communication," Dr. Sue Ebanks (COST)
One of the most commonly cited complaints that non-scientists have for scientists is that science is so complicated or that scientists make non-scientists feel inadequate. While addressing scientific questions often involves a high degree of complexity, the ability to communicate findings to members of all components of society is crucial for environmental sustainability to become a true possibility. By engaging students in cross-communication amongst disciplines and in outreach to citizens of multiple age groups, budding scientists gain vital experience in sharing science-centered material within and external to the scientific community. This communication skill is essential. Furthermore, there is a growing demand from some organizations (i.e., the NSF) for scientists to be able to share scientific discoveries with citizens of diverse backgrounds, including, but not limited to government managers, legislators, school-aged children, and voters. Dr. Ebanks' presentation is informed by her attendance at the recent International Writing Across the Curriculum conference.
November 6, 2013: "JUST WRITE: Incorporating Low-Stakes Writing Activities in Your Classroom," Professor Yvonne Warren (Center for Academic Success)
This presentation introduces classroom writing activities that get students to engage with course content through the practice of writing. Since the activities are low-stakes assignments, they do not require much time from the instructor for grading or evaluation. Professor Warren's presentation is informed by her attendance at the recent International Writing Across the Curriculum conference.
September 24, 2013: "Using Music to Stimulate Creative Scientific Writing," Dr. Karla Sue Marriott (COST)
Many will agree that music is a pwoerful part of their personal life as it transcends a variety of categories. Music is one of the cornerstones of accelerated learning techniques and has been used for example in the background during lectures, vocabulary decoding and group readings. Music has the ability to enhance our creativity, concentration, memory, comprehension, and productivity. We can use music to motivate us to strive towards the highest level of our abilities, as it causes major changes in our mood and perceptions. Let us examine how we can use music to enhance our creative scientific writing.
August 29, 2013: "Low Stakes to High Stakes Confidence Building in the Applied Arts," Professor Nicholas Silberg (CLASS)
This workshop will examine some of the methods for building writer confidence in the applied arts. Through regular discourse, peer and interim critiques, and critical writing exercises, students in the applied arts and other laboratory courses can improve their high stakes writing abilities by developing a voice through low stakes writing.
Spring 2013
April 23, 2013: "Peer Review: The Joys and Pains of Student-Led Writing Instruction," Dr. Chante Martin (CLASS)
It is a known fact that today's students are visual and kinesthetic learners. In other words, they learn by "doing." Lecture-based teaching paradigms practically are obsolete. For instructors in most fields, this knowledge requires a revamping of age-old teaching strategies. Writing instruction is an area where reinvention is a must. Peer-review is one strategy for engaging students in hands-on learning. Workshop attendees will discuss some of the advantages of this pedagogical approach as well as the apprehensions expressed by students and instructors regarding its use. Participants will also learn about two types of peer-reviewing methods and generate career-oriented strategies for implementing peer-review within their academic disciplines.
April 16, 2013: "Plato, Politics, and Pyongyang: The Importance of Arguments," Dr. Geoffrey Bowden (CLASS)
This presentation will focus on the different types of essays that students of political science should be able to read and write. Most undergraduate political science students struggle to differentiate between writing that takes stock, writing that opines, and writing that analyzes. The presentation will distinguish between six types of essays, all of which are critical for work in political science. The presentation will then suggest ways in which the reading and writing skills of students can be sharpened and thesis-centered. Until our students learn to read an argument (not just de-code), they will not be able to write arguments. The presentation will argue that textbooks are necessary for class work, but not sufficient to teach our students how to read and write arguments. Further, our students need to be doing small, thesis-driven research exercises on a weekly basis, exercises which force them to both construct projects and reverse-engineer projects.
This presentation will briefly examine the sociolinguistic underpinnings of dialect and examine techniques that [Dr. Setliff] uses in the classroom to increase students' awareness about using Standard English forms while, at the same time, appreciating their unique sociolinguistic backgrounds.
March 21, 2013: "Creative Journaling-Funny, Fantastic, and Fruitful!," Professor Donna Youngblood (CLASS)
Creative Journaling in the composition classroom is an excellent beginning for many students who are hesitant about writing as well as for those who thrive on writing. This presentation will examine some of the different kinds of journals that instructors may use for their students to pique their interests in writing. The presentation will include ideas for the funny, fantastic, and fruitful journal sessions in and out of the classroom. The presentation will include samples of journal ideas and how journaling may lead to essay writing.
March 19, 2013: "Developing Survey Instrument Assignments for Social Sciences Research," Dr. Deden Rukmana (CLASS)
This presentation is based on Dr. Rukmana's teaching experience of Research Methods classes for graduate students of MPA and Urban Studies and Planning programs. In the Research Methods classes, Rukmana assigned the students to complete two major assignments including the data collection assignment and the survey instrument assignment. In the survey instrument assignment, the students were expected to formulate a research question on their topic of interest. The students were expected to apply the basics of crafting good questions and develop a questionnaire from their research questions. The basics of crafting good questions include the guidelines for choosing words, forming questions, and ordering questions. The presentation will discuss the effectiveness of the survey instrument assignments in developing writing skills to enhance student learning in research methods classes.
March 7, 2013: "Effective Strategies for Reducing the Grading Load," Ms. Dee Dee Botticelli (The QEP)
Many faculty members teach four (or even five) full-enrolled courses. Requiring numerous student assignments becomes a challenge, given the sheer volume of grading. However, assigning and evaluating several quality assessments doesn't need to be an exhausting proposition. There are many strategies and processes that can be effectively utilized to maintain rigor and meet the challenge. This presentation will discuss items like productive group work, cover sheets, grading rubrics, and portfolio instruction.
February 28, 2013: "Writing Assignments for Real World Audiences," Ms. Trelani Duncan (The QEP)
Students are accustomed to speaking to global audiences by way of blogging, social networking, YouTube, etc. Consequently, this has altered the way that they think and learn. These outlets should not solely be thought of as entertainment sources, however. Instead, some writing assignments could be molded around this format to keep student writers connected to these populations. This presentation demonstrates examples of practical writing assignments for real audiences such as brochures, marketing plans, letters, contracts, and grant proposals. Such assignments will also require reaching out to the local community.
February 7, 2013: "Let's Get Intense: Writing in the Freshman Year Experience Class," Ms. Jessica Eppinger (The SSU Writing Center)
This presentation demonstrates how to incorporate writing intensive projects into FYE classes. I will discuss how including writing intensive activities and workshops will not only enhance the students' writing overall, but will provide them with basic skills and knowledge on how to write specifically for their discipline. It is understood that different disciplines write differently and require different writing skills, thus these skills should be introduced in the FYE course. The FYE courses should be tailored for that discipline, affording the student the opportunity to learn and grow in the writing of that discipline.
Fall 2012
October 30, 2012: "Effectively Using Student Writing Fellows in Writing-Intensive Courses," Ms. Zavieta Stripling
The QEP Student Writing Fellows Program is an important way to improve student attitudes about writing about campus. This pilot program, launched in Spring 2012 helps to meet the mission of the QEP by placing excellent upper-class Student Writing Fellows (SWFs) in foundational courses, to assist professors and students with student writing. This presentation will discuss effective pedagogy for utilizing the SWF; rubrics for small classroom workshops; and specific low-stakes writing assignments in all disciplines.
October 16, 2012: "Writing Doesn't Have to be 'Rocket Science,' So Let's Get Down to 'Business'!," Ms. De'Monica Banks
This presentation focuses on ways that professors in COST and COBA can infuse more writing-based pedagogy in their classrooms. Drawing on ideas presented at the 2012 International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference, I will highlight simple ways for professors in these disciplines to create useful low-stakes writing assignments.
September 11, 2012: "That's Considered Writing?," Professor Darryl Thompson(CLASS)
Our syllabi include statements like "The student must write X number of pages for this class," and we give them assignments to fulfill this requirement. However, what should be done with all the writing the student does outside of the "official" assignments? What should we count as fulfilling the writing requirements? Professor Thompson will address the topic of implicit vs. explicit writing, and will share "best practices" in writing pedagogy on this topic. Professor Thompson's presentation is informed by his attendance at the recent 2012 International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference.
April 12, 2012: "Accountability Scoring vs. Course-Based Grading: Keeping Your Eye on the SLOs," Dr. Judy Wilkerson