Over a decade ago, I participated in my first marathon. Despite being exhausted, the last two miles were my two best miles because the end was in sight.
Campanile at Iowa State University in the spring time
CELT Teaching Tip • April 18, 2019
Almost at the finish line
Over a decade ago, I participated in my first marathon. Despite being exhausted, the last two miles were my two best miles because the end was in sight. I knew that I would accomplish the goal that I had spent months preparing for. We are mere weeks away from the end of the semester. What could you do in the next class session to help your students and yourself see the finish line?

Review course objectives  
Consider spending the first 2-5 minutes of an upcoming class period asking students to reflect on the new knowledge and skills they have gained from your course. You could ask students to examine the course objectives as outlined on your syllabus and rank them (either using paper or Top Hat – use the Sorting type of question) from their most to least confident. This information, combined with your knowledge of students’ progress in your course can help inform your final exam preparations. 

Ask for their questions regarding final assessments 
It is also a great time to display the course schedule. Remind students of the tremendous progress that has been made and ask for their questions on upcoming exams, projects, and assignments. If you have a particularly talkative class, this can be accomplished through verbal feedback. Alternatively, providing them a means to write down or type the responses and submit via a Canvas ungraded survey allows for the opportunity to clarify and hopefully improve their success on final assessments.

Student Ratings of Teaching  
In the coming weeks, students will receive emails asking them to complete the student ratings of teaching. Students often do not understand why these are important to instructor's formative plans to improve the class and summative annual reviews. To help provide guidance for students providing useful feedback, share the  Providing useful and constructive feedback webpage  with your students.

Finally remind your students that learning is hard work. There is an overabundance of neuroscience research that proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and fitness supports good health as well as improved learning. *

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director 
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

* Doyle, T., Zakrajsek, T., & Gabriel, K. (2019). The new science of learning: How to learn in harmony with your brain / Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek; foreword by Kathleen F. Gabriel. (Second ed.).
Lesya facilitating a Canvas workshop. (photo credit Hannah Dong, Iowa State Daily
Apply to participate in the CELT Course Design Institute (due Apr. 26th)
The CELT Course Design Institute is a four-day event (May 20-23, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.) full of interactive, hands-on and collaborative activities to give ISU’s instructors skills, time and space for designing or substantially revising their courses.

All faculty members (tenured, tenure-track, or term), and staff with a teaching role at Iowa State University who have a genuine interest in learning about course design and development in Canvas are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is Apr. 26th and applicants will be notified by May 3rd if they have been selected to participate. Learn more about the program from the CELT Course Design Institute webpage and apply via the CELT Course Design Institute web form. Questions? Contact Dr. Lesya Hassall, Program Coordinator, CELT via email lesya@iastate.edu or celt@iastate.edu.
Register to attend our first annual Top Hat Certification Day (May 14th)
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) is partnering with Top Hat to host a Top Hat Certification Day on Tuesday, May 14 (10 a.m.-3 p.m., 2030 Morrill Hall).

Top Hat Certification Day is designed for those instructors who are either new to Top Hat or have experience using Top Hat in their classrooms, and who wish to learn how to implement core and advanced Top Hat functionalities in order to boost student engagement, participation and motivation.

All faculty members (tenured, tenure-track, or term) and staff with a teaching role who have a genuine interest in learning about and building on their current Top Hat knowledge are encouraged to apply. This event is limited to 25 individuals, who will be selected on the first come-first served basis. Participants must attend session 1 and/or 2 to qualify for certification. Please bring along your own laptops and mobile devices.

Learn more about the event from the   CELT's "Register for the 2019 Top Hat Certification Day (May 14th)" web post . Register by May 9th to attend via the Top Hat Certification Day web form.
Learning Online: Canvas and Beyond
Use this end of semester checklist when Final Grades are due on May 15th
2019 Spring Semester final grades are due by May 15th at 2:15 p.m. Follow this end of semester checklist to guide you through the end of the semester process in Canvas via the End of Semester Checklist webpage. You may also submit grades through AccessPlus.
Canvas Open Labs return!
Note: In lieu of Canvas workshops, CELT staff will host  Canvas Open Labs  in 3019 Morrill for the rest of spring semester (through May 9) to accommodate specific needs, view the days/times on CELT's Canvas Open Labs webpage . No appointment required; bring your questions and your laptop. 
Fit learning Canvas into your busy schedule
Whether you are brand new to Canvas or a seasoned veteran, there are training offerings that meet your learning style (demonstration sessions, interactive sessions, and discussion sessions). Begin your training when you are available by visiting CELT’s Online Training with Canvas webpage.
What's new with Canvas?
Learn about all new features in Canvas and software updates on our Canvas News & Updates webpage on the MyCanvas Teacher at ISU website.
CELT is hiring a Program Coordinator II
Are you interested in helping the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) accomplish its university-wide academic mission? The Program Coordinator II will provide university-wide faculty development and instructional design assistance to enhance online, blended, hybrid, and face-to-face teaching and learning. Please find more information about this position, on the Employment Opportunities at Iowa State website . Emails any questions to CELT Director, Sara Marcketti, sbb@iastate.edu.
CELT Presenter Grant Program (due Jun. 15th)
Faculty and staff who received a CELT funded scholarship of a teaching and learning (SoTL) grant are eligible for the CELT Presenter Grant. The CELT Presenter Grant provides eligible faculty and staff with the opportunity to present their SoTL research findings at a teaching and learning higher education conference. Faculty and staff SoTL grant recipients (SoTL Scholars or Miller Faculty Fellowship) are encouraged to present their research at a conference that supports the dissemination of teaching strategies (e.g., The Teaching Professor Conference), Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (e.g., ISSOTL), disciplinary conferences, (e.g., an education track within your disciplinary conference) or are focused on teaching within a specific discipline (e.g., NACTA – North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture). The Presenter Grant Program supports delivery of an accepted or invited presentation, poster, or panel.

For travel that will be completed between July 1 and December 30, apply by June 15. Learn more from the CELT Presenter Grant Program webpage .
Proposals sought for the 2019 Statewide Teaching and Learning Conference (DMACC, Ankeny, July 8th)
The 2019 Statewide Teaching and Learning Conference, "Best Practices for Student Learning with On-Line and Web Enhanced Instruction" will be held on  Monday, July 8, 2019 (8:30 a.m.-3:20 p.m., Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny Campus ). For the conference schedule, keynote information, and registration visit the DMAAC Annual Summer Institute website .

If you are interested in presenting during the breakout sessions, please submit your proposal on-line by  April 24 via the online submission proposal webpage . Presenters will be notified by Monday, May 4, 2019 if their proposal has been accepted and will not have to pay the registration fee. Registration will open in May.
Upcoming CELT Programs
For the most up-to-date events on the visit CELT’s Event and Registration website and register via the Learn@ISU website.

  • ISU Online Learning Community (ISU-OLC), Apr. 19 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
  • Building an inclusive and learner-centered syllabus, Apr. 23 (4-5 p.m., in-person and online)
  • Discuss Published Education Research in Your Discipline (DBER Journal Club), May 6 (12-1 p.m.)
  • 2019 Top Hat Certification Day, May 14 (10 a.m.-3 p.m., register via this web form)
  • CELT Course Design Institute, May 20-23 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) applications available on the CELT Course Design Institute webpage
  • Workshop, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Data Points: Showing your data story, June 26 (12:10-1 p.m.)
  • *save the date* CELT Teaching Symposium for new faculty, staff, & graduate teaching assistants who teach, Tues., Aug. 20 (8 a.m.-Noon) for more information visit the CELT Teaching Symposium webpage
CELT's Teaching Tip on May 2nd (last one for AY1819) will have a glimpse into our Fall 2019 programming
Prefer a Print version? To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with the web addresses, download the CELT's April 11, 2019 Teaching Tip (PDF) ( http://bit.ly/2PbpsSt )