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Fall 2016 Teaching Effectiveness Institute on Teaching Effectiveness and Using Performance Techniques in the Classroom

greg justice
Greg Justice

The two-day Fall 2016 Teaching Effectiveness Institute was once again a success! Day one, Fundamental Principles of Effective Teaching, featured 10 presenters who represented a range of departments and offices across campus. Presenters included NIU faculty and staff who prepared informative and engaging sessions on topics including Energizing the Classroom Experience, Establishing and Maintaining Classroom Civility, Assessing Student Learning, Preparing Successful Writing Assignments, and Planning an Effective Course Syllabus.

Instead of printing all of the session documents that include PowerPoint presentations and handouts, this year we created one-page outlines for each of the ten presentations and placed a link on our website where participants can access session PowerPoint presentations and other related resources. Printing fewer paper handouts is one way Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center embraces NIU’s sustainability initiatives. The online resources will remain on our website for everyone to access.

The second day of the Institute, The Art of Teaching: Using Performance Techniques in the Teaching/Learning Process, featured Greg Justice from the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech. Greg explained connections between the performing arts and teaching while sharing techniques for preparing the mind, body and voice, three key tools required for success in the classroom. Participants were led through a series of active learning exercises to practice focusing the mind on the teaching goals, relaxing the body for peak performance, and strengthening the voice for effective communication. Those who attended the workshop were fully engaged and laughed while learning strategies to enhance their teaching skills. Participants enjoyed receiving a copy of a book referenced during the workshop by Kristin Linklater, Freeing the natural voice: Imagery and art in the practice of voice and language by Drama Publishers.

To share ideas for new Institute topics or if you would be interested in presenting at one of our Institutes, please contact Yvonne Johnson, Multimodal Teaching Coordinator at yjohnson@niu.edu, 815-753-2690 or Janet Giesen, Instructional Design Coordinator at giesen@niu.edu, 815-753-1085. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

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