Teaching & Learning Reading Groups

2009-’10 Teaching & Learning Faculty Reading Groups

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to participate in informal discussions with colleagues across campus about teaching and learning issues that matter.

• Groups will meet every other week beginning the second week of the quarter.
• Discussions will last one hour and be held at a time determined by group members.
• Members of these informal groups will discuss reading material as it relates to their classroom experience and/or to their understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning.
• Questions? Contact Leslie McBride, mcbride@pdx.edu, or x5-8137.

Please register with the Center for Academic Excellence:

caestaff@pdx.edu or x5-5642.

	On Course: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching by James M. Lang. You go into teaching with high hopes: to inspire students, to motivate them to learn, to help them love your subject. Then you find yourself facing a crowd of expectant faces on the first day of the first semester, and you think “Now what do I do?” Practical and lively, On Course is full of experience-tested, research-based advice for graduate students and new teaching faculty. It provides a range of innovative and traditional strategies that work well without requiring extensive preparation or long grading sessions when you’re trying to meet your own demanding research and service requirements. What do you put on the syllabus? How do you balance lectures with group assignments or discussions—and how do you get a dialogue going when the students won’t participate? Packed with anecdotes and concrete suggestions, this book will keep both inexperienced and veteran teachers on course as they navigate the calms and storms of classroom life.
FALL QUARTER 2009
	The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning by James Zull. Neuroscience tells us that the products of the mind -- thought, emotions, artistic creation -- are the result of the interactions of the biological brain with our senses and the physical world: in short, that thinking and learning are the products of a biological process. This realization, that learning actually alters the brain by changing the number and strength of synapses, offers a powerful foundation for rethinking teaching practice and one’s philosophy of teaching. Zull invites teachers in higher education to accompany him in his exploration of what scientists can tell us about the brain and to discover how this knowledge can influence the practice of teaching. This book is grounded in the practicalities and challenges of creating effective opportunities for deep and lasting learning, and of dealing with students as unique learners.
WINTER QUARTER 2010
	Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses by L. Dee Fink. Fink poses a fundamental question for all teachers: “How can I create courses that will provide significant learning experiences for my students?” In the process of addressing this question, he urges teachers to shift from a content-centered approach to a learning-centered approach that asks “What kinds of learning will be significant for students, and how can I create a course that will result in that kind of learning?” Fink provides invaluable conceptual and procedural tools for designing instruction. He adds to existing ideas in the literature on college teaching and shows how to systematically combine these in a way that results in powerful learning experiences for students. Acquiring a deeper understanding of the design process will empower teachers to creatively design courses for significant learning in a variety of situations.
SPRING QUARTER 2010