Events

Faculty Teaching Seminar Series, Spring 2013

THE “EXPERIMENTAL” CLASSROOM:  USING FLAT, FLEXIBLE SPACES TO ENHANCE TEACHING & LEARNING

Tuesday, February 5, 11:45 am – 1:00 pm - Faculty Dining Room

Discussants:  Pinar Dogan, Archon Fung, [& Mark Moore?]

Last semester, our discussion on classroom spaces focused on current HKS classroom configurations.  This semester, we’ll hear from faculty who taught Fall courses in more “experimental” spaces (Bell Hall and the iLab classroom).   What are the features of these kinds of flat, flexible classrooms, and what opportunities and challenges do they present?  What strategies are particularly productive for engaging students in these kinds of spaces?  What does having moveable tables, chairs and white boards allow that you can’t be done (or done nearly as well) in a more constrained classroom?  What are the drawbacks to a flat teaching space, and are there ways to manage them well?  What are students’ perspectives on learning in these spaces? 

REFLECTIONS ON OBSERVING COLLEAGUES TEACH

Tuesday, March 12^th,  ­11:45 am – 1:00 pm - Faculty Dining Room

At this session, faculty will discuss their experiences and reflections on observing colleagues classes during Teaching Week (the week prior, March 4-8).   What kinds of things did we discover--about our own teaching, about HKS students, or other things--by watching someone else?   What insights emerged in post-class conversations?   Two faculty (one who observed a class, another who was observed) will launch the discussion.

TEACHING WITH SIMULATIONS

Tuesday, ­­­­­April 9, 11:45 am – 1:00 pm - Faculty Dining Room

Discussants:  Robert Lawrence, Sarah Sewall

As part of an ongoing conversation about “experiential learning” at HKS, this session will explore the use of simulations in our courses.   What kinds of simulations are faculty using here, and with what impact?  Are certain types of learning objectives achieved more effectively through simulations than other teaching modes?  What common challenges do simulations raise – for students, and for instructors – and what are ways to address them? 

THE WORLD IN THE CLASSROOM:  USING VIDEOCONFERENCING IN HKS COURSES - A “GETTING STARTED” WORKSHOP

Tuesday, April 30^th, 11:45 am – 1:00 pm – Faculty Dining Room

Facilitators:  Allison Pingree (SLATE), Mary Ann Krebs (Information Technology)

This workshop is open to any HKS faculty interested in learning more about using videoconferencing in their courses.  Co-sponsored by SLATE, Media Services and IT, the session will walk participants through the basics of videoconferencing using the WebEx platform, including a demonstration during the session.   As a workshop, the session will have a pragmatic focus, including a “how to” checklist, common pitfalls to avoid, and the pedagogical dimensions of videoconferencing.