Welcome to the Spring 2024 Semester!

I hope your spring semester is going well! We'd like to remind you of the various programs being offered this semester to support your teaching and professional development at Cornell. 

In particular, I’d like to bring your attention to a new cohort program we're launching: the 2024 Early Career Graduate Teaching Cohort. This program is similar to last year’s highly successful Advanced Graduate Teaching Cohort, which was recently highlighted in a Cornell Chronicle article. If you're interested in being a part of a group of motivated graduate students to network and discuss teaching at Cornell, I would encourage you to apply! See details below.

As always, we're here to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions for topics or programs that you would like us to offer in the future. 

Best wishes,

Derina Samuel, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Graduate Student Development

CTI Fellows' Teaching Tip:

In class discussions, students are constantly using conversational moves (e.g., asking a question, making an argument, sharing an example, building on a point). Some of these conversational moves come more easily than others for undergraduates. For example, think about how often a student begins a comment by saying “Going off what he/she said…” To create a livelier discussion, we recommend pushing students to test out different conversational moves, such as "I'm hearing you say this, and I would like to disagree," or "I'd like to build on your remark." 

Try it yourself: Next time you have a class discussion, ask your students to start by explaining what kind of conversational move they're using before they make their point. By asking students to consciously consider and identify the type of contribution they are making to the discussion, you can determine what moves the class is most comfortable with and what moves your class can work on incorporating more often.

Course Design Institute

This series of four workshops guides you through the basic elements of course design, and strategies to define learning outcomes, align assignments and activities, evaluate student learning, and create a student-centered syllabus.

Take each workshop individually or as a series. Participants who complete an entire institute (all four workshops listed below) may request a letter of completion for their teaching portfolio.

Backward Course Design: Developing Learning Outcomes

• Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Developing a Syllabus from Scratch

• Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Designing Assessment of Student Learning

• Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Final Session: Peer Review

• Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Learn more and register for the Course Design Institute.

Awards

Cornelia Ye Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

The Cornelia Ye Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award honors two outstanding graduate teaching assistants (TAs), one domestic and one international, who have demonstrated dedication and excellence in their teaching responsibilities.

Recipients receive a $500 award in recognition of their exceptional achievements in teaching. Recipients will also be acknowledged at a CTI ceremony and publicly at the University-wide teaching conference on April 20th. Additionally, recipients will create a short video about their teaching experience at Cornell.

• The application deadline is Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
• Learn more and fill out an application for the Cornelia Ye Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.

CTI Graduate Teaching Fellowship Award

The CTI Graduate Teaching Fellowship provides graduate students with an opportunity to design and implement teaching programs, events, and resources that foster teaching excellence and innovation. Participants will develop leadership and mentorship skills, reflect on and refine their teaching skills, enhance their communication skills, and foster collaborative, interdisciplinary teaching networks across the university.

Upon successful completion of all program requirements fellows will receive a certificate of completion and a $2,000 award.

• The application deadline is Monday, April 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
• Learn more and fill out an application for the CTI Graduate Teaching Fellowship.

Teaching Portfolio Program

Have you begun working on your teaching portfolio? This program is for anyone who has gone through our teaching institutes and would like an opportunity to discuss their teaching practices and strategies for documenting their experiences. 

Register at any time to be part of the CTI Teaching Portfolio Program, and gain access to resources, consultations, and support for your teaching.

Generative AI Resources

Our collection of generative AI resources is available to help address common concerns and considerations, including academic integrity, accessibility, assignment design, and ethical concerns.

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