Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) -- University  of Michigan


Seminars for Graduate Students & GSIs (Fall 2006)


CRLT is prepared to provide necessary physical accommodations for seminar participants with advance notice. Please call CRLT at 764-0505.

To register for ANY programs below, click here.

For Engineering programs at CRLT North click here.


Special Topics

Preparing Future Faculty

Multicultural Teaching

Lecturing and Large Classes

Best Practices


Special Topics

Resources for the Theme Year on Citizenship

Thursday, September 21, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

This seminar is designed for instructors of 2006-2007 Citizenship Theme Year courses as well as those interested in integrating Theme Year resources into their courses. We will provide an overview of upcoming events and share and reflect on pedagogical practices for exploring issues of citizenship.

Evans Young, Assistant Dean, LSA Undergraduate Education

Click Here to Register

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Citizenship Theme Year: Citizens in Action

Monday, November 6, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

Co-sponsored by the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning

This seminar is designed for faculty who would like to incorporate direct civic engagement and/or experiential learning into courses. The session will include discussions with faculty who have recently incorporated these approaches into their courses. We will also provide resources and information for using civic engagement effectively.

A.T. Miller, Coordinator of Multicultural Teaching and Learning, CRLT
Jeffrey Howard, Associate Director, Ginsberg Center

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Can Ethics Be Taught? A Research Talk

Monday, November 13, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Forum Hall, 4th Floor, Palmer Commons Building

Co-sponsored by the Ethics in Public Life Initiative

Professor Muriel Bebeau has consulted with educational institutions across the country on the design of assessment strategies and teaching methods for promoting ethical development. Her talk will address several issues. What is known about ethical decision-making? To what extent can ethics be taught? What types of outcomes can instructors interested in ethical decision-making expect to achieve with students?

Muriel Bebeau, Director, Center for the Study of Ethical Development; Professor,
School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota

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Preparing Future Faculty

Getting Ready for an Academic Career:
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Conference

Friday, October 13, 11:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.
Ballroom, 2nd Floor, Michigan League

Co-sponsored by Rackham School of Graduate Studies and The Career Center

Planning a career in academe? This half-day conference is designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars prepare for the transition to faculty jobs. The plenary and concurrent sessions will offer materials and strategies to learn about what it means to pursue an academic career and how to prepare for the job search process. For those who attended last year, there are several new sessions. Lunch will be provided. Enrollment is limited. Sessions include: 

Click Here to Register

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Multicultural Teaching

Training for Multicultural Classroom Facilitation

Tuesdays, October 10, 17, 31 & November 7, 14, & 21
3:00-6:00 p.m. (must attend all)
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

Co-sponsored by Rackham School of Graduate Studies and The Program on Intergroup Relations

This training series will provide GSIs with the opportunity to learn about and use various models of group facilitation and dialogue for classroom settings. These three-hour sessions will introduce the skills and theory behind various methods of facilitation and examine strengths and appropriate uses in the classroom. Participants will receive a certificate of training after completing all six sessions.

A.T. Miller, Coordinator of Multicultural Teaching and Learning, CRLT
Taryn Petryk, Director, Co-Curricular Initiatives, The Program on Intergroup Relations

Click Here to Register

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CRLT Players: (dis)Ability in the Classroom

Thursday, October 26, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Room D, 3rd Floor, Michigan League

This seminar is offered as part of U-M’s Investing in Ability Series:
www.umich.edu/~hraa/ability/ability.htm

In this sketch, the CRLT Players depict an instructor and students struggling with many issues, stereotypes, and dynamics surrounding visible and hidden disabilities in the classroom. Following the performance, the participants are invited to dialogue with the characters, who then repeat the sketch while incorporating audience suggestions.

Jeffrey Steiger, Director, CRLT Theatre Program

Click Here to Register

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Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues Session
Student Religion, Faith, and Spirituality in the Classroom and Beyond: How Do Instructors Respond?

Tuesday, November 28, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

How do you respond when a student presents a faith-based interpretation of course material? When issues of faith arise in class discussion, how do you maintain an inclusive and comfortable learning environment for all students? How do you manage the relation between course requirements and religious holidays? In this session, faculty speakers will address these issues and more, and there will be time for discussion and exchange of strategies among participants.

Mark Clague, Assistant Professor, School of Music
Susan King, Associate Director, Life Sciences and Society Program
David Schoem, Director, Michigan Community Scholars Program

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Lecturing and Large Classes

Interactive Lecturing: The Best of Both Worlds

Tuesday, October 3, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
W0768 in Wyly Hall, Ross School of Business

Tuesday, November 14, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Forum Hall, 4th Floor, Palmer Commons Building

Lecturing has advantages many of us are reluctant to give up. But enthusiasm for lecturing has ebbed in the last two decades as a considerable body of research has confirmed the value of active learning. Interactive lecturing combines the strengths of the traditional lecture (control, efficiency, and coverage) with the advantages of active learning (higher order thinking, engagement, and student satisfaction). In this interactive workshop, participants will become familiar with concepts and issues related to effective lecturing and active learning, and experience a variety of interactive strategies that can be used in lecture classes of 30 or 300.

Anne Harrington, Director, Business Instructional Development Program; Lecturer, Ross School of Business

This session is closed due to full capacity.
Packet materials are available, email Natalie Taliaferro ntaliafe@umich.edu.
Consultations are available upon request. Email crlt@umich.edu.

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Best Practices

Leading Discussions in the Social Sciences and Humanities

Wednesday, September 20, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

How can I heighten student participation in my section? What are different ways I can plan a discussion and ask questions of students? How can I enhance students’ critical thinking skills? This workshop will provide participants with strategies to address these questions in social science and humanities classrooms. Workshop participants will learn and practice techniques for facilitating discussions, managing controversies, asking effective questions, and enhancing and evaluating student participation. This workshop will complement the Leading Discussions concurrent sessions offered at GSI Teaching Orientation.

Asli Igsiz, Graduate Teaching Consultant, CRLT
Lauren Kachorek, Postdoctoral Teaching Associate, CRLT

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Learning Styles

Friday, October 20, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

Students differ in the ways that they prefer to learn. Instructors are most effective when they are aware of these differences and structure learning experiences that take them into account. This seminar will provide an introduction to learning styles, enable participants to find out about their own learning styles, and present examples of approaches that can be used to accommodate different student learning styles. A light lunch will be provided.

Susan Montgomery, Lecturer, Chemical Engineering

This session is closed due to full capacity.
Packet materials are available, email Natalie Taliaferro ntaliafe@umich.edu.
Consultations are available upon request. Email crlt@umich.edu.

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Classroom Assessment

Wednesday, November 15, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
CRLT Seminar Room, 1013 Palmer Commons

In this session, we will examine classroom assessment, a set of strategies for gathering information on what, how much, and how well students learn in any given class session. Instructors can use the results of such assessments to create a more effective learning environment. During this session, participants will experience quick and effective ways to find out whether students are learning, and design strategies they can use in their next class. Participants will discuss what assessment techniques work, under which circumstances, and why they work.

Chad Hershock, Coordinator of STEM GSI Initiatives, CRLT

Click Here to Register

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CRLT • University of Michigan • 1071 Palmer Commons • 100 Washtenaw Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2218
Phone: (734) 764-0505  •  Fax: (734) 647-3600  •  Email: crlt@umich.edu
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