Adapt 2023 Schedule

Presented by Silvia Bettez & Lalenja Harrington
9:00 – 9:50 AM

In this highly interactive workshop participants will learn about and engage in embodied practices that help us become more in tune with ourselves to practice self-care and cultivate joy.  In current times, as the demands of our work increase with budget cuts and students sometimes require intensive care to stay motivated with coursework, it is imperative that we intentionally practice self-care.  We will begin by guiding participants through interactive activities to encourage better self-awareness of feelings and sensations.  This attunement can help us recognize when we need to refocus on our own needs and desires. We will then lead participants through interactive activities to bring more awareness to how to cultivate joy.

Presented by Melanie Eley & Abby Callaway
10:00 – 10:50 AM

UDL and accessibility practices share a common goal – to make our content available to a variety of learners. Accessibility is very much connected to UDL, as it is one of its foundational components. When both concepts are aligned to form accessible UDL practices, we can address learner variability while also meeting the needs of students with disabilities. This session will provide an introduction to UDL and will examine why it is important, how UDL and accessibility are connected, and how all students (with and without disabilities) benefit from accessible UDL practices.

Presented by Trish Kemerly
10:00 – 10:25 AM

I’d like to discuss ways in which instructors can build inclusivity into their course curriculum through the power of choice. We will discuss techniques that can be applied to both small and large class sizes. In smaller-sized classes, contract grading can be a way to allow students to choose their level of depth – and ultimately final grade level – and how they engage with the material that speaks to them most significantly. In larger-scale classes, offering options within existing assignments that share the same rubric can be a way to allow students to submit work they feel confident about while not adding time/effort in grading to professors. I also plan to discuss ways of engaging students to share a variety of opinions in class discussion as well.

Featuring Anne Wood, Lauren Kennon, Amy Vetter, & Amelia Mattocks
10:30 – 10:55 AM

In this lightning round session on Active Learning, each presenter will take 5 minutes to share quick tips, best practices, and research findings related to a specific topic that can be immediately implemented in your teaching practice. We’ll save 5 minutes for Q&A at the end of the session. Look forward to the following sessions:

• Seven Day Active Learning Assignments 
• Bloom’s Taxonomy for Active Learning 
• Leading, Producing, and Composing in an Online Classroom
• Connecting with Students through Discussions Boards

Presented by Debra Holzberg, Ryan Milligan, & Lisa Pluff
11:05 – 11:55 AM

This session will focus on leveraging our students’ diverse backgrounds and strengths through a UDL lens. Do you want to create a path of least resistance and facilitate access to your courses’ identified learning outcomes? Embracing the principles and practices of UDL increases access and decreases the need for accommodations, through a strengths-based approach, by providing students with a wider range of opportunities for achieving your courses’ SLOs. In this session, we will discuss how to identify barriers in traditional instruction and ways to mitigate those barriers through choice and voice in instruction; describe and discuss instructional practices that align with the principles of UDL; and share ideas for creating more accessible learning opportunities for students. We will discuss furthering ways to get out from the podium to meet students where they are while embracing proactive ways to facilitate access to the identified learning outcomes.

Presented by Jessica McCall, Jodi Pettazzoni, & Frances Bottenberg
11:05 – 11:55 AM

The MAC (Minerva’s Academic Curriculum) offers students an opportunity to develop competencies in 11 areas.  These competencies encourage students to develop the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary to be a lifelong learner, an ethical and independent decision maker, a critical and creative thinker, a clear and effective communicator, and a responsible citizen. Join us as we reflect on ways to help students understand and appreciate MAC courses. Collaboratively we will share best practices and tips to enhance MAC student learning and prepare students for the future.

Presented by Dr. Sarah Egan Warren of NC State University
12:00 – 12:50 PM

Dr. Sarah Egan Warren has spent her career developing curricula and delivering presentations, training, and instruction in undergraduate, graduate, and industry settings. Currently, she is on the faculty at the Institute for Advanced Analytics at NC State University. She created and teaches the technical communication and ethical data storytelling curriculum for the Institute. 

This session provides a brief overview and demonstration of ChatGPT and key considerations for incorporating ChatGPT in your own classrooms.  We will touch on the rapidly evolving landscape of AI text generators, best practices, and ethical implications. Read Dr. Warren’s latest article on ChatGPT called Three Classroom Strategies for ChatGPT.

Presented by Audrey Bryk-Lee, Austin Craven, & Heather Moorefield Lang
1:00 – 1:50 PM

For content to be accessible, accessibility must be considered at the beginning and during the content creation process. Much like a muffin or other baked goods, it’s extremely difficult to add accessibility to course materials after they’ve been created – how hard would it be to add blueberries to a muffin AFTER you’ve baked it? Join this lightning round-style session to get some quick bite-sized accessible UDL tips for your courses. This session will showcase quick, but effective real-world accessible UDL strategies to address student engagement, assessments, and working with educational technology.

Presented by Marcus Perkins, Lauren Kennon, Ashante Price, & Heidi Liles
1:00 – 1:25 PM

Student experiences shape the culture and attitude of an institution, but how does their experience show up in their academic classes? Are we as faculty and staff creating a welcoming environment that encourages meaningful connections and healthy disclosure? In this workshop, we will go over the importance of hearing student voices and letting them inform and shape curriculum and lessons, understanding our role as faculty while supporting a student in crisis and how to apply these techniques in a first-year setting.

Presented by Joya Robertson
1:30 – 1:55 PM

In this session the presenter will share her journey of being diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer in her first year of teaching at UNCG and how through self reflection and personal research she began to shift her perspective of the work/life balance and implement effective changes into her routines in order to preserve her mental health as she battled cancer. The audience will learn practical tips they can apply immediately to begin their journey towards creating a better work/life balance and better manage the stresses of life. Additionally, ideas for modeling and teaching these concepts will be shared to spark ideas for how to pass on mental health practices to our students.

Presented by Stephanie Guzman & Anita Faulkner
2:00 – 2:50 PM

Students and instructors alike are experiencing the impacts of ongoing collective trauma on teaching and learning. In particular, our ability to regulate our emotions and engage in goal-directed behaviors have been greatly affected. This session will explore specific strategies for practicing self-regulation and improving executive functioning through the lenses of Universal Design for Learning and Trauma-Informed Pedagogy. Our aim is to help instructors find agency and choice in our teaching practice. Participants will acquire approaches that can be immediately applied in the classroom to benefit both students and instructors.

Featuring Sara Nevedal & Evan Kelly
2:00 – 2:50 PM

In this session, we plan to take and address any of your questions about the use of the new Microsoft 365 products available at UNCG.

Presented by Lauren Doyle & Rachel Mills
9:00 – 9:50 AM

Increased personal self-awareness can combat stressors commonly experienced by students. A holistic approach to education, which includes increasing self-awareness though personal development and wellness is important to the success of college students. Instructors in the UNCG Genetic Counseling graduate program recognize the natural integration of holistic education as it models practices of holistic care, which are core to genetic counseling. This session will highlight activities and strategies used by UNCG-GC instructors engaged in holistic education. The session will begin with a brief didactic presentation of evidence supporting utilization of holistic education. Speakers will demonstrate an activity that instructors can use in the classroom related to the eight dimensions of wellness. Participants will engage in the activity and consider how it may be adapted for their courses. Finally, additional activities and examples of integrating educational content and activities connected to wellness and personal development will be described and discussed.

Presented by Iglika Pavlova
Featuring Haley Bond, Elisabeth Caldwell, William N. Eichhorn, Tyler Niles, & Jasmine Galbreath
10:00 – 10:50 AM

The best educational experience ideally would connect with a student’s interests, identities, experiences, knowledge, and goals. To create more inclusive classrooms, instructors can open up and connect more directly in a variety of ways with their diverse students and their ever-changing realities. The session will present a number of options with examples, ranging from more familiar ones (such as via homework or in-class activities) to exciting ways to engage students more fully as collaborators and creators. Undergraduate student presenters in the session will provide examples of how they have engaged to improve course inclusivity. In the second part, instructors will reflect, discuss, and have the opportunity to receive feedback on how they can enhance student input and collaborations in their own classes.

Presented by Heidi Liles, Lauren Kennon, Ashante Price, & Marcus Perkins
11:00 – 11:50 AM

In the midst of student crises, faculty and staff across campus provide support and pour into students who are facing struggles, personal and academic challenges, as well as mental health issues. How do we then pour back into ourselves as professionals as we pour out into students? We will be sharing our experiences as staff members who teach multiple sections of a MAC Foundations course for first year students and how we navigated this as new and emerging professionals. We hope to create a space to connect others across campus who are also doing work to support students in crisis and share ideas of how we support our own well-being.

Presented by Matt Loyd, Elise Eifert, Brooke Holt, Miranda Lim, & Nathan Myers
12:00 – 12:50 PM

Planning and developing a course as part of a team may be an unusual or new experience for many instructors. Our panel of faculty and instructional designers will discuss their expectations going into the process, their experiences working together, and the results of this collaboration. We’ll also discuss different ways to partner with instructional designers on your own courses.

Presented by Maggie Tolodziecki & Miranda Lim
1:00 – 1:25 PM

Give your Canvas course the “Wow!” factor by adding graphic design elements (with functionality!). In this session a UTLC Graphic Designer and Instructional Designer will share strategies to make your Canvas content more visually appealing to students. Integrating graphic design elements can help you better organize your content, make specific page elements stand out, and give your course a unique identity. We’ll also break down key accessibility considerations to keep in mind, such as high color contrast and alt text. Sophisticated html and graphic design skills are not required—our tips are designed for Canvas users of all experience levels.

Presented by Shawn O’Neil
1:30 – 1:55 PM

Explore strategies for writing quality test items to avoid cultural bias and promote an equitable testing experience for all students. 

Presented by Erin Cassidy
2:00 – 2:50

The past several years have considerably limited our interactions with others; because of this we have seen a decline in help seeking behaviors. A low stress, high impact strategy for connecting students with academic support is peer mentoring. Peer mentoring allows students to develop a personal, reciprocal relationship built on trust and focused on achievement with classmates. Mentoring in university settings has shown increased academic performance (Asgari & Carter, 2016), higher levels of intent to stay (Collings et al., 2014), and improved retention (Crisp, 2010; Larose et al., 2011).   The Academic Achievement Center has developed a number of peer mentoring programs to support student success and retention. During the 2022-2023 year we implemented the SMART Academic skills program and the BIO peer mentoring program, along with our existing peer tutoring and coaching programs. Feedback from students suggests that peer mentoring on our campus is extremely beneficial. Throughout the presentation, we will discuss peer mentoring, how it is currently used on the campus, and how faculty and staff can incorporate it into their work.