Welcome to Volume 11 Issue 1 of the Teaching & Learning @ Penn State York Newsletter!
It is hard to believe that this starts the 11th year of putting this together for you all! Hope you’ve had a fun and rejuvenating summer even though I know you’ve also been working hard on your research and getting your courses ready for the fall! I haven’t done a newsletter since last fall since it has been really hectic with Canvas and other projects, but it is time to get this rolling again! So here goes…
This picture represents a shift in my own thinking and practice as an educator – to view what we do in the classroom more holistically: intellect, emotions, and physical well-being all play a role in the environment we set in our classrooms and certainly play a key role in our students’ ability to learn and thrive. The intention stone in the image is something I carry in my pocket every day. On it is written, “Healthy Choices” – a reminder to take care of myself as I also try to take care of things at work and with my family. It has made a difference in my life, so I am sharing some of this in the sessions I’ll offer on campus to faculty and staff as well as in my own classroom. Check out the fall professional development offerings for more information! Now onto the newsletter!
In this issue, you’ll find:
- Important Canvas updates
- Fall faculty professional development opportunities
- Kudos for your Participation AY 15-16
- What’s new?
- New learning spaces on campus!!!
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
- Lifelong learning research projects
- BlendLT Program to help with blended course re-design
- Pilots announced for Zoom and Blue Jeans (web-based meeting tools)
- New Faculty Corner
Wishing all of you a wonderful start to the new semester. Get in touch if you need anything at all related to teaching and learning (or otherwise!)
Next: Important Canvas Updates