New Teacher Session
Marian Shaffner
New instructors, welcome to the Academy! Bring your burning questions to this session. You will leave with tools, information and ideas to make your first semester more successful. Practice planning a lesson and handling typical student interactions. Get your questions answered in a fun and informative session.

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Becoming Engaged (not Enraged) by Student Evaluations of Teaching
Scot Crisp
Eileen Everett
P. Rachel Levin
Feedback on student evaluations can range from the sublime ("I loved the interactive demos!") to the ridiculous ("More cowbell."). In this workshop, you'll learn how to interpret--or disregard--student comments in order to fine-tune your teaching. We'll also develop teacher-made evaluation tools to gather more specific feedback about your class content and activities.

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What Do Students Think of Rubrics?
Natasha Haugnes
Jennifer Russell
We have had many discussions among teachers at the conference about formats, uses, and usefulness of rubrics. But what do students think? Faculty Development conducted a survey of student perceptions of rubric effectiveness this year. Discuss the implications of the survey findings for your own work with rubrics.

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Creating Connections
Rebecca Bennett
Do you ever feel that students don't retain enough from one class (or even one day!) to another? Learn how the brain records information and makes connections. Be more efficient in what you are teaching, ultimately creating connections between classes, lessons, and what students already know and what they're learning.

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Enhance Your Online Critiques with the Audacity Software
Kevin Koczela
Did you know that only 7% of our face-to-face communication takes place through words? Make a stronger connection with your students using audio critiques in your online courses! You'll learn how to set up the Audacity software, and record, save, and upload your audio comments.

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Lesson Planning
Natasha Haugnes
Four step lesson planning ensures that you reach all of the learning styles in your class. In this introductory session, we will use this intuitive approach to create lessons that reinforce and mirror the way people naturally learn.

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Discussing Student Work Online
Jenny Michael
Online classes include tools that allow instructors and students to comment on assignments. This workshop reviews the instructor’s audio-visual critiquing space, the grading interface, and the assignment discussion area. We’ll consider strategies for encouraging students to review one another’s work, timing critiques effectively, and options for public and private dialogue.

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For Writing Teachers Only: Understanding and Responding to ESL Writers
Shalle Leeming
Bob McDonald
Academy writing classes (composition, journalism, screenwriting) pose linguistic and cultural challenges for non-native speakers of English. How can we better understand ESL students? Should we hold them to the same standard as native speakers of English? What can we reasonably expect? Explore strategies to help ESL writers improve while staying true to your course objectives.

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The Art of Motivation
Scot Crisp
Andrea Drillings
The research is clear: creativity and success happen when students feel excited about what they're learning. This interactive workshop will help you tap into your own abilities to inspire others, identify what motivates your students, and in turn, help them feel passionate about what they're learning.

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Bringing Students into the Conversation: Online and in the Classroom
Molly Flanagan
Have you ever posed a question to your students that fell flat? Is the discussion area for your online class empty? Explore ways to engage your students more deeply by getting them talking to you and their peers.

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Let's Hear It from the Students: Peer Critiques
Molly Flanagan
P. Rachel Levin
During critiques students need and value expert guidance. They also need experience identifying and solving design problems on their own. If teachers do all the talking, students may not get the opportunity to identify weaknesses and craft solutions independently. Discuss how to balance instructor feedback with structured peer-directed activities.

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Examining Elements of Creativity
Natasha Haugnes
Jennifer Russell
Marian Shaffner
We know that we value creativity in our students and their work, but how much do we know and teach about it? Explore creativity and its components by visiting stations with activities on these topics, followed by a discussion with colleagues on how these activities connect to your teaching.

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For Art and Design Instructors Only: Writing Resources for Students
Anne Connors
George Schupp
Ellen Supple
Composition courses and the writing labs are key writing resources for our students. What role do they play in helping students with their writing? What exactly are our students' writing needs? What other resources are available? Come learn more about what the composition courses and writing labs can do for students as we discuss their writing needs.

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Igniting Students' Passion In and Beyond the Classroom
Svetlana Bulyzhkina
Ruben Antonio Mosqueda
Beth Sousa
Jay Watson
Artists and designers are passionate about their work. How can we ignite that passion in students and inspire them beyond the classroom so they become better artists and designers, not just better students? Four instructors from different departments will open this round table discussion by sharing their motivational strategies.

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Is This Your Work? Encouraging Academic Integrity
Chantelle Ferguson
Plagiarism has become a frequent occurrence in colleges and universities in many parts of the world. The Academy of Art University is no exception to this trend. This workshop explores the reasons students plagiarize and strategies teachers can use to encourage their students to produce original work.

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Academic Resources 101
Yukari Baba
Andrea Drillings
Naomi Elvove
Sue Rowley
Sue Rowley will speak about grievances, student representatives, and language testing for international students, and representatives from Student Academic Support (SAS), Online SAS (OSAS), and Classroom Services will explain the ARC referral process and give an overview of services for students with disabilities. Finally, the panel will break into small groups to answer questions and discuss specific areas of interest.

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Academic Leadership: Effective Meetings and Department Cohesiveness
Ryan Kasmier
This session addresses a common issue faced by Directors and Coordinators: building community among faculty with busy schedules. Discuss how to build cohesiveness and a unified sense of direction at faculty meetings, as well as strategies to stay connected to faculty throughout the semester.

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Roundtable for Photoshop Faculty
Adam AvRuskin
Ryan Buyssens
Lauren Cohen
Vicente Llopis
Ryan Medeiros
Come together with your colleagues for an interdisciplinary look at the teaching Photoshop, the most commonly taught software program at the Academy. What can we learn from one another's uses and approaches? Panelists will share techniques and sample activities and discuss best practices. Bring a favorite activity or assignment to share.

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Problem-Based Learning
Bryan Hewitt
In this session, find out how to structure assignments and formulate questions that motivate students to learn. Use problem-based learning techniques to give students an understanding of why information and skills, that may initially appear uninteresting, are actually engaging and important.

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Online and Onsite Teaching: Making Connections
P. Rachel Levin
Jenny Michael
Both online and onsite pose similar challenges as we work to align lectures, demos and discussions with course learning outcomes, provide feedback and engage students. Join us as we share strategies for taking the best from each venue to improve the other.

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Spring 2008 Teaching Conference

Help! My Students Can't Write!
Shalle Leeming, Faculty Development
P. Rachel Levin, Faculty Development
Many students struggle with writing because they haven’t had enough practice, or English isn’t their first language, or both! Find out more about why students struggle with writing and help them isolate specific areas for improvement. Learn productive and time-saving strategies for offering feedback and grading while staying true to the goals of your course.

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A Model of Creativity
Matt Cooke, Graduate Computer Arts New Media
Learn about one designer's model of the creative process and how using it improved efficiency and communication with clients and ultimately led to better results. Discuss applications of this model and how it might translate to the classroom. Explore adaptations of the model for a variety of art and design disciplines at the AAU.

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Words, Concept, Design
Mary Scott, Graphic Design
Scot Crisp, Faculty Development
Learn how to help students create concepts that stick and carry through to the design. Explore various tools to harness the power of words that can inspire and shape a concept, and from this, formulate a design system. Award-winning portfolios and sample activities will exemplify this process.

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Not All Great Minds Think Alike
Andrea Drillings, Classroom Services/ARC
Denise Padilla, Classroom Services/ARC
Ever wonder what it's like to have a learning disability? What's the difference between a good challenge and a true barrier to learning? Examine a spectrum of learning styles and discover how small changes to instruction can make big differences in learning for all.

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Difficult Conversations: Resolving Tense Situations in the Online & Onsite Classroom
Jenny Michael, Cyber Campus & Liberal Arts
Kevin Koczela, Cyber Campus
Late, cheating, or angry students present tough communication challenges and touch off our own fears and emotions. In this workshop we will look at the common mistakes people make in discussing difficult topics and practice strategies developed by instructors at the Harvard Negotiation Project for use in emotionally charged situations.

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Attitude Alchemy: Getting Students to Take Responsibility for Their Education
Diane Choplin, Photography
Ever hear students complain about instructors, classes or assignments? Ever wonder what would happen if they dedicated the time spent whining to more productive pursuits? Come share strategies to turn student gripes into professional growth as we take a look at how to better utilize the resources available to us as instructors and professional mentors.

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Supporting Struggling Online Freshmen
Kate Griffeath, Educational Support
Jon Ward, Online Admissions
Toby Silver, InsideTrack
Ryan Kasmier, ARC
Do you have failing freshmen in online classes and not know where to send them, or what to do with them? Learn how Insidetrack (a company providing student success coaching to AAU students), Online Admissions and the Academy Resource Center (ARC) work together to support online AAU students. By discussing case studies of high-risk freshmen, faculty will explore concrete ways to help online students succeed.

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Strategies for a Multi-level Classroom
Camille Andreacchi, ESL
Are you teaching students whose learning abilities are widely different? In this roundtable we will explore different approaches to maintaining course quality for all participants. Come join us as we share experiences and strategies for teaching in this environment.

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Tasty Teaching MISTEAKS and How to Handle Them
Alegria Garcia, Online ESL
Many instructors have a fear of “messing up” in the classroom. However, when a teacher tries a new idea, it involves risk and possible failure. What do you do when things don’t go as planned? Come learn how other teachers handle their mistakes. Develop your own “crisis kit” and prepare to model problem solving for your students.

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E-fficiency 101: Shortcuts, Strategies and Resources for Online Instructors
Carlo Pellegrini, Online ESL
New to online teaching? Hate to use the computer? Learn how to streamline your workflow on the computer by using keyboard shortcuts for the web browser Firefox, MS Word, and the Mac OS. Strategies for organizing the discussion area and using HTML in online classes will also be covered. Bring questions and concerns for discussion.

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Maximizing Learning in the Computer Classroom
Ruben Antonio Mosqueda, Graphic Design & Advertising
Ryan Medieros, Graduate Computer Arts New Media
Kathleen Watson, Graduate Computer Arts New Media
Teaching in a computer-lab classroom presents unique challenges and opportunities. This panel of dynamic and experienced instructors will share their computer classroom management strategies along with activities and support materials that engage students and encourage long-term learning.

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Dynamic Demonstrations: Bloopers Redeemed and Mastery Demystified
Carol Nunnelly, Fashion
Terryl Whitlatch, Illustration
Learn more about how to achieve success with your demos. Do you want to add depth, sizzle, and make your demonstration skills more dynamic? We will cover helpful tips about demystifying your skill level into recognizable and simple steps.

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First Day of Class: Questions and Answers
P. Rachel Levin, Faculty Development
Instructors often have questions about what to do on the first day: How do I build the dynamics of trust and respect? How do I motivate students from the very beginning? Students have questions, too: How can I succeed in this class? How does this class relate to my other classes? In this session we’ll discuss effective lesson plans for the first day.

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Eight Ways to "Go Over" Chapter 3
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Development
Bob Goldie, ARC
"OK! Let's go over the reading. Any questions?" Are you at a loss for how to cover reading assignments in class? Identify several techniques to "go over" (not re-teach) assigned readings. Learn to motivate students to continue reading, ensure they have understood the main points, and engage their critical thinking and creativity.

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Motivating Students
Alana Addison, Foundations
Naomi Elvove, ARC
Jonathan Fung, Motion Pictures & Television
Mitch Gibson, Foundations
Whether a student is motivated to learn can be one of the main predictors of their success in your class…and in their life as a whole. There are many ways to motivate; come find one that fits your teaching style! Some of the Academy’s most motivating instructors share their secrets and strategies for getting—and keeping— students motivated to learn.

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Fall 2007 Teaching Conference

Philosophies of Teaching: Connecting Beliefs to Practice
The Faculty Development Team
Our explicit and implicit beliefs about teaching and learning influence how we teach. In this session, we will identify the characteristics of common teaching philosophies and compare case studies of a variety of teaching practices. Find out what your practices and assumptions reveal about your personal teaching philosophy.

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Learning Styles, Teaching Styles
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Development
Take the Learning Styles Inventory (D. Kolb) and plot your learning style on the Experiential Learning Styles grid. Explore implications of your learning type for your classroom. Research on learning styles and student learning, related brain research, and applications to B. McCarthy’s four-step lesson plan will all be addressed in this 2 ½ hour workshop. Recommended for teachers who have been teaching at least a year at the Academy. (Session repeated from Fall 2005.)

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Meeting the Needs & Expectations of Re-entry Students
Eileen Everett, Liberal Arts
Chances are you’ve had or will have re-entry students in your class, especially if you teach online. Re-entry students are older than typical undergraduate students; they may also be stay-at-home-moms, veterans or adults returning to school after successful careers. In this session, we will practice strategies to address the needs and expectations of this growing population.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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New Teacher Session
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Development
Melissa Sydeman, Motion Pictures & Television & Faculty Development
New instructors, welcome to the Academy! Session facilitators will share tools, information and ideas helpful to teachers in their first semester. Bring your burning questions to this session.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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Advanced Techniques for Facilitating Effective Online Discussions
Lauren Cohen, Graphic Design
Leesa Klotz, Fashion
Session Description:
Move beyond the basics and address advanced issues of facilitating online discussion. In this session, you will explore specific, higher-level techniques and strategies to leverage the online instructor’s time, focus discussion activity on measurable learning outcomes, and improve the overall quality of student participation and rational discourse.

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Concrete Strategies for Connecting Present Learning with Future Skills
Sam Fisk, Motion Pictures & Television
Rachel Levin, Faculty Development
Help students connect what they learn in the present to the skills they'll use in the future as art and design professionals. In this session, learn to embed specialized vocabulary and ways of thinking from a variety of disciplines into every aspect of your class—from tests and projects to 'job titles' you assign.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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Approaches to Dealing with Plagiarism
Chantelle Ferguson, Online ESL
Session Description:
With most students relying on Google and Wikipedia as their main sources of information, plagiarism has unfortunately become a frequent occurrence in colleges and universities. The Academy of Art is no exception to this trend. This workshop addresses strategies for detecting and preventing plagiarism in the classroom.

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Active Learning Techniques
Shalle Leeming, Faculty Development
Experience active learning strategies first-hand. Build a repertoire of teaching activities. In this session, you’ll play the “student” while we engage in a variety of active learning techniques. These techniques are not only fun and engaging; they’ve also been shown to deepen students’ understanding and improve the retention of course concepts.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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Teaching an Online Class You Didn’t Design: Idea Sharing
Anne Pelote, ESL
If you are an online instructor at the Academy, you’ve probably either designed a course taught by someone else, or you’ve had to teach a class built by another instructor. In this roundtable, we will share the challenges of teaching an online course you didn’t design. We will also strategize ways you can make the material your own.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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Using Acting & Nonverbal Skills to Create a Dynamic Classroom
Mark Raphael, Motion Pictures & Television/Acting
Scott Crisp, ESL
Session Description:
Draw from the principles of Acting and Nonverbal Communication to take full advantage of the channels of communication that exist between teachers and students. Through demos and activities in this session, you will explore the approaches, methods, and techniques that actors make use of to communicate effectively .

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Create Interactive Slide Shows with Luna Insight
Heather Cummins, Academy Library
Insight is one of the most interactive digital imaging and slide show software tools available today for classroom use! During this demo, watch and learn how to search image collections, create dynamic presentations, embed Web links into images, and export whole presentations to HTML or PowerPoint with this empowering teaching tool.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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The Fifth Skill: Intercultural Awareness
Alegría Garcia, Faculty Development
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Development
Awareness and sensitivity to students’ cultural differences can be considered a “fifth skill”. This workshop discusses cultural issues that face the instructor when working with international students. Case studies will be examined and best practices will be reviewed.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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How am I Doing? Rating Yourself as a Teacher
Alana Addison, Foundations
Bill Cash, Institutional Research
This session introduces guidelines for evaluating your own teaching effectiveness. Participants will share strategies for engaging students every class, and will be prepared for a formal classroom observation. You will also interpret feedback from student course evaluations. You will leave with a self-assessment tool to make your teaching practice even better.
Session Notes (.pdf)

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There’s More to Teaching Than Content: Modeling Personal & Professional Responsibility
Claudia Holm, Liberal Arts
Session Description:
Have you ever ended the day feeling unsatisfied, wishing you had handled a student interaction differently? As instructors we’re often presented with challenging behavior that requires on-the-spot responses. In this session, we’ll share our experiences with challenging behavior and work together to develop productive responses that model personal and professional responsibility.

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Thief of Time: Time Management for an Online Class
Doris Harrison, Graphic Design
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Development
Session Description:
In this workshop we'll define the ways teaching online can consume time and develop strategies to make it more manageable. Our goal is to create a “Time Guide for Online Instructors." Come share what does or doesn't work for you. Utilizing interactive group work we'll explore innovative ways to conquer the time thief.

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Effectively Incorporating Collaborative Projects
Bill Bankhead, ARC/Liberal Arts
Session Description:
This workshop is intended for instructors seeking to add or improve collaborative projects. Starting with the pedagogical purpose and benefit of such projects, we will then focus in depth on how to prepare students to collaborate effectively. Finally, we will address structuring and grading projects fairly both on-site and online.

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Online Course Rebuilds: Success Stories & Cautionary Tales
Jenny Michael, Cyber Campus & Liberal Arts
Kevin Koczela, Liberal Arts & Cyber Campus
Faculty guest presenters
Session Description:
When you first build an online class, you probably won’t get everything right. The rebuild process is an opportunity to figure out how to do it better once you’ve taught your course material online. What does a successful rebuild entail? This session demos examples of creative rebuilds from various departments. Faculty discuss what made the difference and the difference it's making today in their teaching. Participants will also share cautionary tales and examples of traps to avoid.

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What are AAU Faculty Doing With Rubrics?
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Development
Carol McEwen-Bergeman, Fashion
Session Description:
At the Academy, rubrics are more than scoring tools for student work. Learn how our faculty have creatively expanded both the formats and functions of rubrics in their classrooms. Session participants will examine a range of rubrics used by Academy faculty across the university. Faculty will also share a variety of ways they use rubrics to improve teaching and learning. (Session repeated from Spring 2007).

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Spring 2007 Teaching Conference

Design Basics for Non-Designers
Alexis Melnicki, Materials Publisher for Faculty Development
At the Academy we’re surrounded by technologies for creating presentations, handouts, films, and websites for our classes. However, even with the latest technologies, not all of us have the requisite design skills to communicate graphically. In this workshop we’ll apply 5 guiding principles of design to improve the quality of our classroom materials and PowerPoint presentations. This session is a repeat of the session given at the Fall 06 conference.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Working with International Students both Online and In Class
Robin Niemeyer, ESL Faculty & Faculty Developer
Bob McDonald, Director of ESL
Chantelle Ferguson, Director of Online ESL
Have you ever wondered whether your international students understand what you’re saying? Why so many of them seem to not get their assignments? Come to this workshop, led by some of the Academy’s ESL experts, to learn more about the teaching tools and school resources available. This interactive session will equip you with some very practical communication methods to help your students learn.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Sharpening ONLINE Communication Skills
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Developer
For most people, it easier to explain and discuss ideas in-person than in writing. In online classes, where most dialogue is in written form, instructors often find it necessary to adjust their classroom communication style - and to assist students in becoming more professional online communicators. In this workshop, hone your communication skills for online teaching and discuss strategies for developing students' professional communication skills. This session is a repeat of the session given at the Fall 06 conference.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Acting Out II
Diane Choplin, FT Faculty, Photography
When students act out in a classroom, teachers are often taken off guard, unsure which policy--Academic Freedom and Responsibility? Harassment? Code of Conduct?-- to look to for guidance. Most sticky situations can be interpreted through several lenses. In this follow up to the session from Fall 2006, improvisational actors will present new case studies for discussion. Participants will explore strategies and policies to support faculty in dealing with difficult classroom issues.

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Course Design for Significant Learning
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Developer
L. Dee Fink’s Significant Learning model demystifies the basic components of good course design. Teachers who are redesigning a course, or even rearranging the content of an existing course will benefit from identifying goals, designing significant learning experiences and creating meaningful assessments in this workshop. The resulting course will be not only "significant" for the learners, but also satisfying to teach.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Peer to Peer: Collaborative Activities for Learning
Shalle Leeming, Faculty Developer / Online Faculty Development Coordinator
Kevin Brent Forman, ESL and Liberal Arts Faculty
We know from research that students working in pairs and small groups learn and retain more than when they work alone. In this session, you will learn how to implement collaborative activities by experiencing them first-hand. We will also address common concerns and challenges instructors face when using them in face-to-face and online classes at the Academy.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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The Socratic Method: History, Theory, and Practice
Jose Yulo, Liberal Arts Faculty
The Socratic Method buttresses classical Western education and fulfills the demands of a liberal arts education—an education that sets one free. Developed by Socrates, the Socratic Method utilizes questioning techniques to arrive at the essence of things. In this session, we will learn the basics of the Socratic Method and practice ways to use this pedagogy with our students.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Effective Critiques: Moving Students Beyond “It’s cool.”
P. Rachel Levin, Faculty Developer
We use critiques so students will apply analytical skills to each other’s work as they would in a professional context. Yes, despite our best intentions, students respond with “I like it; it’s cool.” In this session, we’ll develop questions techniques that move students beyond, “It’s cool.” This session is a repeat of the session given at the Fall 06 conference.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Making and Modeling the Connection between School and Work.
Vince de Quattro, Director of Computer Graphics and Visual Effects Online
Ryan Baldwin, Director of Digital Photography
Mary Scott, Director of Graphic Design
Student success in the professional world depends on more than talent. Students need business, presentation, marketing and time management skills. Panel participants will share and discuss strategies for bridging the gap between school and work by creating learning environments that replicate the workplace as closely as possible.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Students Working with Students: Interdepartmental Collaboration-Part 2
Jonathan Fung, Associate Director, Motion Pictures & Television
Instructors who would like to have their students work with students from other departments are invited to come plan collaborative projects for this spring. Jonathan will review a collaborative project template that can be used with your students. Participants will then brainstorm and discuss collaborative partnerships using the template. This roundtable will be capped at 12-15 participants so register early!
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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The Illuminated Syllabus: An Updated Model for the Modern Student
Chantelle Ferguson, Online ESL Director
Joe Ferguson, Dean, LCCW
In this session, we will discuss the findings of a study in which a conceptually organized and illustrated syllabus was used in conjunction with a text-based syllabus on the first day of class to engage and motivate students. Participants will have the opportunity to begin creating their own Illuminated Syllabus and explore its potential use as a teaching tool in their classes. Teachers are encouraged to bring a copy of their current class syllabus.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Building Community in Online Classes
Bill Bankhead, Academic Coach / Online LA55 Coordinator
This roundtable will focus on improving group and interpersonal connections in online classes. The Academy Resource Center (ARC) has found that a better sense of community helps prevent common student problems, including poor participation and low motivation. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own experiences and best practices.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Instructor Panel: Collaborative Activities Online
Panel Moderator: Shalle Leeming, Faculty Developer/Online Faculty Development Coordinator
Panelist: Carolina de Bartolo - Graphic Design
Panelist: Kathleen Watson - Computer Arts New Media
See how Academy instructors are integrating a variety of successful collaborative activities into their online classes. With your colleagues, discuss ways to integrate similar activities into your own courses.
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Seven Principles for Good Practice in Higher Education
Jennifer Russell, Faculty Development Director
Two progressive educators, Chickering and Gamson, published "7 Principles for Good Practice in Higher Education" almost twenty years ago. These principles describe good teaching in a nutshell. This short article is popular on campuses around the world and can guide your teaching practice. Come learn more about this classic work and the implications it can have for you.
Session Notes (Word. doc)

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What Are AAU Faculty doing with Rubrics?
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Developer
Rubrics are usually presented as scoring tools for student work. But preliminary research has shown that our ever-creative AAU teachers have expanded both the formats and functions of rubrics in classrooms across the University. Session participants will examine a range of rubrics used by AAU faculty. AAU faculty will also share a variety of ways they use rubrics to improve teaching and learning. (Note that this is not a "create a rubric" session.)
Session Notes (Word .doc)

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Fall 2006 Teaching Conference

Making it Pretty: Design Basics for Non-Designers
Jim Canning, Graphic Design Instructor
P. Rachel Levin, Faculty Developer
Alexis Melnicki, Materials Publisher/Administrative Coordinator
At the Academy we’re surrounded by technologies for creating presentations, handouts, films, and websites for our classes. However, even with the latest technologies, not all of us have the requisite design skills to communicate graphically. In this workshop we’ll apply 5 guiding principles of design to improve the quality of our classroom materials.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Benefits of Teamwork: A Case Study of Project-Based Learning

Arne Jin An Wong, 2D Illustration Instructor
Arne Jin An Wong has utilized project-based learning (PBL) in his lessons and found it to be valuable to students for their future as professional artists. He will discuss how this process evolved, the benefits and pitfalls in implementing PBL into the classroom and share examples and testimonies of students; both good and bad.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)
Session Notes 2 (Adobe PDF)
Session Notes 3 (Adobe PDF)

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Sharpening ONLINE Communication Skills
Shalle Leeming, Online Faculty Development Coordinator
Jason Bowen, Illustration/ Fine Arts Instructor
For most people, it easier to explain and discuss ideas in-person than in writing. In online classes, where most dialogue is in written form, instructors often find it necessary to adjust their classroom communication style – and to assist students in becoming more professional online communicators. In this workshop, hone your communication skills for online teaching and discuss strategies for developing students' professional communication skills.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Acting Out
Kevin Forman, Faculty Development Coordinator
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Developer
Karen Hirst, MPT Acting Instructor
Ryan Kasmier, Director of Student Academic Support
Diane Choplin, FT Faculty, Photography
When students act out in a classroom, teachers are often taken off guard, unsure which policy—Academic Freedom and Responsibility? Harassment? Code of Conduct?— to look to for guidance. Most sticky situations can be interpreted through several lenses. Improvisational actors will present some of these “sticky” case studies for discussion. Participants will explore strategies and policies to support faculty in dealing with difficult classroom issues.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Learning Snapshots: Quick Takes on Student Learning
Kevin Forman, Faculty Development Coordinator
Assessment doesn't always need to be time-consuming or formal. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) give you a quick snapshot of how well students are learning and where they need support. There’s nothing to grade, nothing to prepare, and everything to gain. Come learn new strategies that foster student-centered learning environments.

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Dig Deeper: Encouraging Critical Thinking
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Developer
Jennifer Russell, Director of Faculty Development
“Critical Thinking” has been a catchphrase in education circles for a long time. The AAU, like all accredited universities, asks its faculty to foster critical thinking in students, with an eye to graduating outstanding, creative, artist-citizens. But what exactly does critical thinking entail, and how does it realistically fit into AAU courses? In this session, we will examine Benjamin Bloom’s model of critical thinking in order to analyze and strengthen what we are doing in our own courses.

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ONLINE Instructor Panel: New Approaches and Insights
Shalle Leeming, Faculty Developer
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Developer
Jennifer Almodova, Foundations Instructor
JR Watson, Foundations/Fashion Instructor
Leesa Klotz, Fashion Instructor
Veteran online instructors present and discuss a variety of topics including planning, organizing, and using pair and small groupwork online for the first time, and insights gleaned from an instructor’s experience as an online student.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Effective Peer Critiques: Coaxing Students to Move Beyond “It’s cool”
P. Rachel Levin, Faculty Developer
We use peer critiques so students will apply analytical skills to each other’s work as they would in a professional context. Yes, despite our best intentions, students respond with “I like it; it’s cool.” In this session, we’ll practice ways to coax students to move beyond “It’s cool.”

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Student Service or Customer Service? Empowering our Students to Learn
Shayla Griffin, Online Student Academic Support Coach
Jennifer Russell, Director of Faculty Development
In this solution-oriented roundtable discussion, we will explore the tensions between doing what we know to be good for our students and doing what makes them happy. Grade inflation, the relevance of course content, student preparedness, and entitlement all come up at one time or another in our classes. Explore the issues in case study discussions with your colleagues and learn how others on campuses around the country handle them.

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Students Working with Students: Interdepartmental Collaboration
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Developer
Nelson Leung, Associate Director of Advertising
Tom McNulty, Graphic Design
Jonathan Fung, Motion Pictures and Television
Come listen to key faculty members describe how they have encouraged their students to collaborate with each other across departments while still fulfilling the objectives in their courses. This roundtable is for instructors to network and discuss the possibilities and logistics of such collaborative projects. Share your ideas, strategies, and questions!
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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A Roundtable Discussion for Instructors Rebuilding an ONLINE Course
Shalle Leeming, Online Faculty Development Coordinator
Andrea Rocha, Online Student Academic Support
Are you in the process of rebuilding a course? Meet with other experienced online instructors who have developed courses to share ideas for course improvement to increase student engagement and learning. We will focus on concrete teaching strategies and dynamic student learning in an online environment rather than specific technical tools.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Voices of Students with Disabilities
Andrea Drillings, Director of Classroom Services
Denise Padilla, Classroom Services Coordinator
Student Panel, Director of Classroom Services
Chances are high that you’ve had or will have a student with a disability in your class. Hear firsthand what’s helpful and what’s not when meeting the needs of this population. A panel of five AAU students with various disabilities will be sharing their stories and answering your questions.

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New Teachers
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Developer
New Academy faculty are invited for a brief overview of tools, information and ideas helpful to teachers in their first semester of teaching at the AAU. There will be time for burning questions and clarification of any ideas presented during the preceding conference sessions of the day.

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Emerging Technologies for Communication and Collaboration
Matt Holbrook, ESL Instructor/Technical Services Manager
Alex Hosmer, ESL Instructor/Multimedia Lab Coordinator
Learn new methods of direct and immediate communication and collaboration with your students through the use of free software and a broadband connection. We will demonstrate how to interact on the internet through the use of audio/video/chat room conferencing, and text based collaborative editors. Covered software will include Skype, iVisit, iChat, and SubEthaEdit.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Spring 2006 Teaching Conference

OL: Critiquing in Studio Classes
Kevin Koczela, Online Trainer & QA Coordinator
Jenny Michael, Online Instructor Trainer and Advisor
Critiques are a core component of classes at the Academy. They not only provide students with constructive feedback, but also provide an opportunity for teaching and reinforcing the concepts in your class. Explore practical strategies for conducting effective critiques in online studio classes.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Developing a Class for Onsite or Online
Mark Badger, New Media/Illustration Graduate Instructor
After writing his first online course, Mark Badger developed (copied, cut and pasted and threw in some of his own spices) a simple approach to writing courses. He reduced his time spent by fifty percent and has seen his in-person and online students increase their understanding and get his jokes. Mark will share this process for development of a course, which includes creating technical and aesthetic goals, and makes creating exercises integrated with the goals, and grading easy. You can walk out of the workshop with a rough outline of your course, almost ready for online or onsite teaching.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Teacher’s Toolbox: Dealing with Pesky Classroom Behaviors
Naomi Elvove, Senior ARC Coach
Your mind is racing as you walk into the classroom--you know that you have to provide your students with critical skills and keep them engaged. You also know that there will be some challenging issues. There will be problems: excuses, anger, boredom, learning issues(such as adult ADD/ADHD), fear and frustration. There will also be hope. We offer practical solutions and positive, concrete strategies for turning that spark of hope into a fire.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Universal Design for Instruction
Kevin Forman, Faculty Developer
Jennifer Russell, Director of Faculty Development
Universal design for instruction anticipates and meets the needs of a variety of learners, employing principles of Universal Design from the field of architecture. Come learn more about these principles and how they apply to your classroom, creating access and flexibility of use. We will also look at how to create a graphic syllabus that lays out your course content in a visual way so that students can easily grasp how ideas are interconnected.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Project-based Learning
Troy Alders, Graphic Design Instructor
Kevin Forman, Faculty Developer
Whether the length of a project is a week, three weeks, or an entire semester, Project Based Learning (PBL) engages students through in-depth questioning and exploration of authentic topics central to the curriculum. This roundtable discussion will explore how PBL helps to increase student motivation, develop their problem solving skills, and strengthen their collaborative and project management abilities.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF) Intro to Project Based Learning (Adobe PDF)

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OL: Managing the Workload
Shalle Leeming, Faculty Developer
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Developer
Moving from the onsite to the online classroom can be an adjustment. Time management, assignments/activities – and even communicating with your students – require a new approach. Bring your challenges; brainstorm and share your strategies for organizing the online teaching workload.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Multimedia Tools to Enhance Onsite Classes
Tad Leckman, FT Animation Instructor
Taking advantage of multimedia and web technologies to enhance both the in-class and at-home experience for your students is becoming easier every semester. Tad Leckman will guide you through the many tools, both simple and complex, that are available to instructors to assist in presenting and reinforcing class material. Tad will discuss how he and other instructors use e-mail, web pages, QuickTime movies and custom DVDs in class.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Power Up Your Voice and Projection -- How to Care for Your Voice and Be Heard
Tom Marcoux, Liberal Arts Instructor
Learn and experience techniques from the acting and public speaking world for posture, breathing, and pacing to improve your classroom presentation. Learn to relax while speaking so that your voice is free to project throughout the room. Use ways to structure your class to give your voice a rest and how to modify the classroom environment to make it instructor’s voice friendly. Learn methods of top professional speakers to capture the attention of the students.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Easy Grade Pro
Craig Marshall, Fine Art and Illustration Instructor
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Developer
Doug Workmaster, Photography Instructor
Easy Grade Pro grade management software makes grading easier, but as with any application, it has its limitations. Come meet fellow users of Easy Grade Pro. Watch a brief demonstration highlighting a few features. Share tips, ask questions and share your solutions.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Environments for Learning: Creatively using classroom space
Jennifer Russell, Director of Faculty Development
Melissa Sydeman, MPT Instructor, ALO Officer
How do effective "environments for learning" vary by art and design discipline? How can we utilize the spaces and resources we have already, and plan for the future? Together, we will look at various Academy learning spaces, think about the kinds of activities we run in our classes, and learn about best practices in designing & using classrooms from other campuses and design experts.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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OL: Ways to Build Community
Bill Bankhead, ARC Coach
Online students (and their instructors) sometimes feel isolated and disconnected in online classes. A strong sense of community significantly improves morale, motivation, and participation in all aspects of the class. Share strategies to create a more engaging atmosphere in your online class.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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The Digital Classroom is Here!
Kevin Forman, Faculty Developer
John Winsor, Director of the Library
Do you use visuals to supplement classroom lectures? Luna Insight is a tool that gives instructors access to over 100,000 digital images, and enables them to create individualized presentations. These presentations can be delivered on demand to any Internet enabled computer on or off-campus. This demonstration will provide an overview of the Insight software and demonstrate how it is being used at the AAU today.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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The Art of Math; the Math in Art
Bob McDonald, ESL Director
Mike Fleming, MPT Editing Instructor
Mark Reynolds, Graphic Design Instructor
Joan Bergholt, Director of Fashion Merchandising
"I spent my college years avoiding math, but learned quickly how important is was in the working world. There can be an art to math and math can inspire your art, if you're open to it." –Mike Fleming. Academy teachers from four departments will discuss the relationship of math to art as well as their strategies for working with art students who have math anxiety.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Diversity and Inclusiveness
Ryan Kasmier, Director of Student Academic Support
Are you concerned about making your classroom a safe space for learning? Are you intimidated when issues of age, race, or gender surface in class? This session will address issues of inclusivity in the classroom and provide you with helpful strategies for fostering a comfortable learning environment for all students. This session will be a repeat of the one held at the Fall 2004 AAU Teaching Conference.
Session Notes (Word Document)

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OL: Facilitating Effective Discussions
Shalle Leeming, Faculty Developer
Marian Shaffner, Faculty Developer
The interchange of ideas between students that helps them to better understand and demonstrate the ideas/skills presented in the course is the ideal. As an instructor, how can you best facilitate an interesting and enlightening discussion? Come to a meeting of the minds to discuss question writing, activity types, and facilitation strategies for creating an active online community.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Academic Freedom and Academic Responsibility
Natasha Haugnes, Faculty Developer
Carolyn Meyer, Director of Galleries/Associate Director of Fine Art
Examine the AAU's Policy On Academic Freedom and Responsibility, and discuss its applications to a variety of classroom situations. Bring your own case studies for discussion.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Managing the Workload for Online Teaching
Learn strategies that will help you organize the online teaching workload and respond to student work effectively and efficiently.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Creating Rubrics for Grading and Feedback
Learn to create a rubric for your own class and hear about the many ways that they can help students’ learning.

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Grading Discussion Participation in Online Classes
In this interactive workshop, we will share assessment guidelines and strategies that can help make the discussion area a valuable part of the teaching/learning process.
Session Notes (same as for 05FA Tips and Tools session) (Adobe PDF)

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Lesson Designs that Motivate Students
It’s not uncommon for students to experience “post-midterm slump”. This hands-on workshop will focus on strategies for designing lessons to keep students motivated and excited about your class.

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Critiquing
Discuss critiquing challenges and techniques to keep the critiquing process interesting, streamlined and effective.
Critique Building Block handouts available here.

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Communication and Community with your Online Students
This workshop will focus on improving teacher-student communication. The Academy Resource Center has found that improved communication leads to a better sense of community, which in turn helps prevent common student problems such as infrequent participation, sporadic attendance, and low motivation. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own experiences and best practices.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Using Team-based Learning in Online Classes
This hands-on session will highlight the benefits of team-based activities and provide guidelines for implementing them in online classes. Teachers will have the opportunity to practice some of the methods during the session.

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Working with ESL Students
Come learn some new techniques for working with international students in your classes and ideas for working with your ESL support teacher.

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Roundtable: The physical learning environment
How do effective "environments for learning" vary by art and design discipline? How can we utilize the spaces and resources we have already, and plan for the future? Bring your ideas to this roundtable discussion.

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De-Escalating Conflict in the Classroom
Discuss a range of approaches for dealing with potential conflict in the classroom.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Teaching and Learning: What’s your style?
“The ability to learn is older-as it is also much more widespread-than is the ability to teach.” (Margaret Mead) How can we build on students’ own natural learning inclinations in the classroom? Gain an understanding of Bernice McCarthy and David Kolb’s research on the Experiential Learning Cycle and take the Learning Type Measure to see what kind of learner and thinker you are. (There are no wrong answers- promise!) Take home tools for designing cohesive lessons that reach all of your students.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Reality Check: Preparing Them for the Real World Using Project-Based Learning
We all have experienced how our students come alive and focus when we are discussing projects from our professional experiences. They are engaged and eager to learn what is done in the “real world”. Implementing project-based learning brings real-world projects into your classroom. Through a presentation, discussion and activities, participants will leave with ideas for implementing project-based learning in their classrooms.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Tips and Tools for Evaluating Online Discussion Participation
The discussion area of an online course is where a substantial amount of learning takes place. But what qualities/behaviors do you look for when grading discussion participation? And how can you most effectively communicate your assessment of performance in this area to students? In this interactive workshop, we will share assessment guidelines and strategies that can help make the discussion area a valuable part of the teaching and learning process.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Building a Common Vocabulary for Design Critiques
Bridging and building are two disciplines of creativity. This workshop will focus on an exercise using heuristics to bridge students’ passion for design with daily practice tools for accessing creativity and establishing a critique checklist to build student vocabulary and critique competency.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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WASC Working Group and Information Session
What is the balance between “academic freedom” and “academic responsibility”? How do these issues affect our classroom interactions at the Academy? As part of our self-review for WASC Candidacy (regional accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges), the Academy faculty is asked to engage in a thoughtful dialogue about these issues on our campus. Session participants will examine a draft of a potential academic freedom policy for the Academy. They will test its effectiveness out against case studies and WASC’s understanding of “academic freedom,” and make suggestions for adjustments to the draft, which will be submitted to the Executive Office this fall. Come and be a part of this exciting process!
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Useful Tools in Online Class Discussions
The participants will receive hands-on training of audio and visual tools and discuss the effective use of these tools to give feedback to student work and provide additional content (mini-lectures, slide shows) in online courses. Participants will receive microphones to take home and use for class-related recording.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Dynamic Demonstrations: A Panel Discussion
Veteran faculty from various departments will present successful approaches they’ve used to deliver dynamic demonstrations. Participants are encouraged to bring ideas, strategies, and questions to this interactive discussion.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Educating Generation “Y”: Effectively Reaching Today’s College Students
What are the expectations and traits of students entering college today? How do they view themselves, their lives, and their careers in higher education? In this session, we will examine the attitudes and characteristics of this group and explore the implications for your classroom practice.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Best Practices in Online Class Discussions: Instructor Panel
AAU online instructors present discussion area activities and facilitation strategies that motivate students and promote learning. Additional strategies gathered from your AAU colleagues and outside resources will also be shared. Bring your own ideas and suggestions to share in the discussion following.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Concept Development: A Roundtable Discussion
Are there any universal principles to good concepts that can be applied to all departments at the Academy of Art University? What are some tools that instructors are using to foster great concept development in the classroom? Please join us for a facilitated discussion on this hot topic.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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New Teachers’ Session
New instructors can bring their burning questions to this session for discussion with teachers who have just completed their first semesters of teaching, as well as a Faculty Developer. Session facilitators will share tools, information and ideas helpful to teachers in their first semester.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Past Seminars

New Teachers
New Academy instructors share their excitement and concerns about teaching at the Academy of Art University with other new teachers. They gather resources to assist in negotiating administrative duties, planning lessons, connect with students and understanding the school.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Rubrics for Grading and Assessment
“Rubric” is the buzzword in assessment these days. Learn how they streamline the grading process and enhance students’ critiquing skills. Hear from Academy departments who have developed rubrics that they are using. Bring your own assignment sheets so that you can develop or refine your own grading tools in this workshop
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Civility in the Classroom: Onsite and Online
Join us for a review and discussion of recent articles on the topic of Civility in post-secondary educational settings. Bring your own case studies-- from both online and the onsite classrooms-- for discussion.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Building Community to Create an Environment for Learning
Learn approaches for making the classroom a safe learning environment and your students a unified team. Panelists will discuss strategies for building trust and community with your students throughout the semester.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Dynamic Classroom Performance Through simple Theatre Techniques
Learn approaches for making the classroom a safe learning environment and your students a unified team. Panelists will discuss strategies for building trust and community with your students throughout the semester.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Mapping the Class: Planning for your 15 week semester
OK, I've got my syllabus…How am I going to teach it? Learn how to focus, organize and prioritize the components of your syllabus in this hands-on workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring their syllabi, lesson plans and / or activities that have proven to be successful. Practical teaching tips relevant to both the novice and seasoned instructor will be provided.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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EasyGrade Pro Training
Organize your grade book at the start of the semester and learn how to navigate this user-friendly software that will help you track student grades, attendance, and communicate student progress with ease. Bring your syllabus and a list of any assignments you’ll be giving.

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Structuring Activities to Help Students Learn
Current educational theory suggests that instruction should proceed developmentally so that learners are completing tasks that they would be unable to do without assistance. In this workshop, we look at ways to create an effective sequence of learning for concepts and skills required in art and design courses at Academy of Art University.

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Building Student Confidence in the Creative Process
In this presentation, we look at the issue of self-confidence. Lack of self-confidence is one of the largest stumbling blocks for students and it interferes significantly with their ability to think creatively. We discuss ways to help them feel more sure of themselves and their creative capabilities. The presenter outlines the steps of the creative process and how trusting and using the process actually enhances all phases of creative projects. Finally, we discuss strategies for helping students deal with creative blocks and let go of the censorship they practice that keeps them from blossoming as creative, confident artists and designers.

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Taking it to the Streets: Real-World Projects in the Classroom
This session brings an awareness of the importance of collaboration between faculty and students. This workshop introduces some basic ideas on how to implement professional projects involving a client into the classroom and how to empower students within that process. The creative exchange of ideas and application introduces professional practices and standards that take place daily in the industry. The result helps the student to achieve academic excellence inside and outside the classroom by challenging and motivating them with “real-world” projects.

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Grading & Assessment
In this workshop participants voice issues, questions and concerns they have around assessment, discuss the process of assessment, and learn tips for setting up effective assessment for class assignments. Participants learn about rubrics and score sheets and see examples of them. Participants come away from this workshop, with an understanding of principles of assessment, and with the beginnings of a rubric and score sheet for an assignment they are likely to use in their teaching this semester.
Session Notes (Adobe PDF)

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Working with International Students in the Classroom
A large percentage of the students in your classes each semester will be international. What are the special challenges and considerations of working with this population in the classroom? Learn to assess the language needs and address the cultural differences of international students at the Academy and find out about the range of available support services through the ESS Department.

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New Tricks for Old Lessons
Each day in the classroom offers us as teachers the opportunity to develop lasting skills in our students that will serve them in their life’s work. Will we develop and nurture individual creative thinkers? That depends upon our approach to our mission and goals. This workshop promotes the joy of teaching, creation of a co-learning environment, and help you to avoid burnout. Insuring that students can continue to receive your talents without you feeling drained and pushed beyond your ability to give, is our goal.

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Teaching to a Diverse Population
This presentation focuses on three groups of students with special needs at the Academy: students with disabilities (specifically ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, and Asperger’s Syndrome); those with behavioral problems that may or may not stem from a disability; and international students for whom English is a second language. The presenter explains some of the characteristics of these populations and, through a discussion of the theory of multiple intelligences and an examination of various learning styles, offers ways of tapping into the strengths of our diverse student body. Participants take a Learning Styles Inventory test and brainstorm ways of incorporating multi-sensory “teachniques” and alternative instructional methods, assignments, and projects into their teaching, in order to meet the needs of their students.

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Panel Discussion:Critiquing
Get critiquing tips from veteran faculty from several Academy of Art University art and design departments as they discuss strategies and formats for leading critiques in various studio classes. Discussion following presentations-participants are encouraged to bring their questions.

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Panel Discussion: Real World Projects in the Classroom
Real-world projects in the classroom bring an awareness of the importance of collaboration and prepare students for the professional demands awaiting them upon graduation. This workshop introduces some basic ideas on how to implement “real-world” and client-driven projects into the classroom and how to empower students within that process. The creative exchange of ideas and application introduces professional practices and standards that take place daily in the industry. The results help students achieve academic excellence inside and outside the classroom by challenging and motivating them.

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Tools to Help Students Remember (studio & lecture classes)
You can help your students remember what you teach them better! This workshop will offer tools that you, as teachers, can easily integrate into your lessons in order to assist students in using their memories more efficiently. Proper categorization and emphasis of material and use of mnemonics for example, can enhance students' retention of material as well as recall when the information is needed. This workshop will have an interactive format in which teachers will add their own ideas.

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Teaching Presentation and Critiquing Skills
The session includes an overview of principles important in the teaching of presentation skills and suggestions for increasing student participation in classroom critiques. Presenters illustrate methods they have found effective in the classroom and examples will be analyzed by participants. An interactive discussion follows focusing on how strong skills in presentation and critique can transfer and apply in the art and design industries. Participants have an opportunity to draw up a set of criteria to aid both in critiquing artwork and in evaluating student presentations.

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Students with Disabilities: Understanding and Meeting Their Needs
The presenters give an overview of the population of disabled students the college serves, outline typical deficits and problems these students face, and provide various teaching tips and strategies that address these difficulties. Participants are given the opportunity to problem-solve possible solutions for students with various processing deficits. Although the presenters touch on various disabilities, greater emphasis is placed on specific learning disabilities since these affect more than 80% of the population we serve. Issues such as student confidentiality, accommodations, as well as common misconceptions and myths surrounding students with disabilities are also be discussed. Handouts are be provided.

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Promoting Learning in the Lecture-Based Classroom
“How can I make sure students are engaged and learning during my three-hour lecture class?” In this workshop, presenters discuss brain-based learning and how it can be applied it to teaching. Participants exchange teaching strategies and instructional activities they have used to promote learning in the classroom.

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Motivate and Inspire Students with Confidence-building Techniques and the Creative Process
As instructors we find ourselves in the difficult position of needing to grade our students with very high standards while at the same time nurturing and motivating them. The presenter shares techniques for dealing with motivated students, those who become easily discouraged, and those who have personal challenges and situations that we have to address.

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Balancing Creativity and Rebellion in the Classroom
Teachers are often asked to "draw the line" between creativity and rebellion in the classroom. Where does that line fall? And how does it differ across the various artistic disciplines? Some of our most brilliant students are also the most rebellious. Participants bring their own case studies to this discussion of how to respond to the creative, rebellious student.

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Teaching to Mixed Levels
Do you find a large variety of abilities in your classes? At the AAU, students come with a wide range of educational experience, skills and expertise. In this workshop, we will discuss the challenges of working with mixed levels and learn effective teaching strategies. Participants will share their experiences in this solution-oriented workshop. Handouts of teaching strategies will be provided.

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Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment
Are you concerned about making your classroom a safe space for learning? Are you intimidated when issues of age, race, or gender surface in class? This session will address issues of inclusivity in the classroom and provide you with helpful strategies for fostering a comfortable learning environment for all students.

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Creative Concept Development in the Classroom
The goal of this workshop is to facilitate conceptual and contextual project development in the classroom. We will seek to explore the creative process through: brainstorming for posing thesis concepts; taking research and implementing it towards original ideas; understanding target audiences; awareness of the medium and how it can shape a project.

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Increasing Interaction in Computer Classes
Are you competing with the monitors for students’ attention? Get ideas for managing your computer-based classroom. Panelists from various departments will present strategies for grouping students and creating activities that encourage student participation, and ways to assess student progress. Bring an assignment or case study from your own class.

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Incorporating Sustainability into Your Curriculum
We’re facing an environmental crisis. Shifts in our climate and resources occurring over the next 50 years will present future designers with new challenges.This workshop will demonstrate how to incorporate Sustainable Design practices into your curriculum, regardless of department or discipline. Using case studies and clear explanations, we will discuss step-by-step actions to implement that even a beginner to sustainability will understand.

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Online Teaching Topics

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New Features in AAU Online Classes
Join us for a review and discussion of recent articles on the topic of Civility in post-secondary educational settings. Bring your own case studies-- from both online and the onsite classrooms-- for discussion.

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Teaching Online at Academy of Art University
This session includes several short presentations on recent changes in online support available from OES, Cyber Campus, and the Library. A round table discussion follows of issues relevant to new and continuing online faculty including course management, plagiarism, class participation, and technical problem resolution. The workshop includes case studies of several online teaching scenarios and participants share their strategies for resolving them. Experienced online instructors then facilitate brown bag discussion groups focusing on issues specific to various types of online classes.

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Identifying and Dealing with Online Plagiarism
This session concentrates on the issue of Plagiarism in Art and Design and Liberal Arts classes. Experienced online instructors from each of these areas facilitate small-group discussions to help instructors identify plagiarized work, interact effectively with students who have plagiarized, and take important steps to prevent plagiarism.

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Hot Topics in Academy of Art University Online Education This session is designed to address recurring challenges in the Academy of Art University online teaching community. Experienced online instructors from Art and Design, Liberal Arts, and Cyber Campus facilitate small-group discussions on:
• Managing the Online Teaching Load
• Encouraging Dynamic Online Discussions
• Course Design
• Keeping Classes Current
• Dealing with Technical problems.

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Groupwork in Online Classes
This practice-based session highlights the benefits of group work for both students and teachers as well as provide methods for implementing group projects in online classes. Teachers have the opportunity to practice some of the methods during the session.

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Transitioning from Onsite to Online Teaching
Many teachers feel confident in traditional classrooms but feel lost in online classes. Instructors experienced in both settings will discuss specific techniques for transitioning from onsite to online teaching. Following the presentations, small groups will discuss possible solutions to other online lesson-planning challenges.

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Online Secrets for Great Student Educational Experiences
Participants will learn how to respond to students online in ways that they know the instructor cares. Instructors will guide students to improve their efforts. Instructors learn to praise and encourage in meaningful ("not cheesy") ways. Methods are based on education theory, neurolinguistic programming, and research on persuasion and communication.