In just a moment, faculty will begin (or continue) to think about designing their spring courses. This semester may be even harder for everyone than last semester b/c pandemic stress & trauma is cumulative. Here, then, is a 🧵on empathetic, inclusive course design. 1/x First and foremost, compassionate, empathetic, inclusive, humane education does not mean abandoning standards. It means understanding all of the obstacles to learning (especially during a pandemic) and designing courses to mitigate those obstacles. 2/x

I agree with Jesse here. For those that will not be swayed by the ethical, compassionate argument, though, you should also know that proctoring software fails miserably when you check it against the science of learning. (a short thread) 1/x

https://twitter.com/Jessifer/status/1311446997262569474

First, no matter how it is utilized, proctoring software adds to students' cognitive load. In addition to trying to take the test, they are dealing with the additional burden of "Are my eyes in the right place?" "I didn't move my head too much, did I?" etc. 2/x

Teaching synchronously online? Frustrated by the lack of student engagement? I've heard from a lot of folks who are grappling with this right now. A thread with some quick tips (1/x) 1st, please know that it's unlikely that this is a signal that students are not interested. More likely: it is just easier to remain anonymous and to fall into what psychologists sometimes call the "diffusion of responsibility," where we think someone else will do the work. (2/x)

At about this point in August 20 years ago, I wandered onto the campus at @UConn for the first time to begin my TA orientation as a graduate student and instructor in @UConnFYW. I remember feeling so overwhelmed and intimidated that first day, yet tried to hide it as best as I could. Everyone was so unbelievably smart, I remember thinking, and I didn't even know who Foucault was (something that an older grad student made sure to point out to me)!

It's in the news yet again, so I'll say it loudly and clearly: It is NEVER okay for a faculty member to engage in romantic or physical relationships with students, regardless of whether or not the student is in the person's class. (a thread) There is a vulnerability at the heart of teaching and learning. To be a student, to learn something, is to say "I don't know X. Please help me figure it out." There is a vulnerability, a sacred trust, there. Engaging in any kind of relationship w/a student violates this trust. 2/

Today is the launch day for @KunduPhD's book *The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Opportunity Gap.*

A short thread follows as to why I think this is an important book and one well worth your time.

amazon.com/Power-Student-… Those who have read *How Humans Learn* may recall that I cited Dr. Kundu's early work on agency in my chapter on failure.

Anindya & I have since had many conversations about agency, and I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek at his book, which fully explores the idea.

Some news: Inspired by the model being used by @betsy_barre and her amazing team at Wake Forest, our Keep Teaching team here at @OleMissRebels has been working for weeks to design a university-wide faculty learning community on resilient pedagogy. 1/x From July 6th-15th (with a break for the weekend, of course), we'll be working with faculty leaders in one version of this learning community. These leaders are being nominated by Chairs as we speak. 2/x

I have been poring over the possibilities for effective pedagogical models and course design approaches for the fall. There is only one model I've found that is both engaging for students and efficient for faculty: resilient pedagogy. (A thread) 1/ First, here are some pieces that explain the emergent (very emergent!) model of resilient pedagogy:

cal.msu.edu/about/longview… (possibly the first piece outlining the approach)

insidehighered.com/blogs/learning…

U. Mich also developed a MOOC on the subject that launched June 1st. 2/

Relatedly, it is absolutely true (& I cite research to support the claim in the book) that social interaction is necessary for learning. Researchers on online learning (@MDMillerPHD is 1 of the best) know this too. Social presence is a predictor of success for online courses. 1/

https://twitter.com/joshua_r_eyler/status/1258416542674452488

The debate, to my mind, centers on how much social interaction is necessary for *optimal* learning, and this is not really a f2f vs. online question. Large f2f lecture courses often have little social interaction too, so they don't score well in this area either. 2/

Let's play a fun little Friday game of etymology that is in no way a subtweet of anything happening in higher ed at the moment. :)

Word #1: university. From the Latin "universitas" meaning the whole. From the Latin, it passes through Old French and takes on the additional meaning from OF of the group of teachers and students learning together.

#PixarinApril fans, it's time to talk about Up (2009). This is my favorite of the Pixar films, and it was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award--the first of the Pixar films to be afforded this honor. It didn't win, but that's a big deal for an animated film. [CW: death, grief, miscarriage]

Up is, very simply, an allegory about loss and grief. Here is what I mean by allegory in this case: although many stories and films can have symbols and metaphors as components of their narratives, an allegory is different. #PixarinApril

#PixarinApril discussion time! Today we're covering WALL-E, one of Pixar's masterpieces. It's their first film that doesn't actually seem to have been made for children but for adults. When I discuss WALL-E in my classes, there are 3 major areas we explore: the environmental apocalypse, the religious imagery, and the philosophical message about life and living. The 1st two feed into the last. #PixarinApril

#PixarinApril: Ratatouille time! The movie has powerful things to say about the nature of art, as well as the difficulty of doing something truly original & finding an audience for that. The most important quotes from the film, according to me anyway, are in the thread below. "The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends... Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." --Anton Ego #PixarinApril

#PixarinApril Time for our discussion of The Incredibles (2004; directed by Brad Bird). Some things to ponder and get the ball rolling are in the thread below. In the video module (located on my website), we discussed 1) how the superheroes are the focus of discrimination because they are different, and the subject of difference comes up quite a bit in the Pixar films #PixarinApril josheyler.wordpress.com/pixar-in-april…

Alright, #PixarinApril fans! Time for our live discussion on Finding Nemo. I'd like to frame it around some of the key lines from the film. I've included those in the thread below. You can respond to any one of them by talking about why you think it's important for the film. "Just keep swimming." --Dory #PixarinApril

While we're waiting for the #PixarinApril conversation on Toy Story to pick up, the results of the poll yesterday indicated that folks wanted to talk about Sid's dad and the soda cans. Here is a still from the movie. This is what Buzz sees when he goes into the living room. What do you notice here? What might the filmmakers be trying to tell us? Why soda? #PixarinApril

Okay, it's time!

Our first live discussion for #PixarinApril begins now. Here's how it will work:

Participants can either ask me a question about the film by responding directly to this tweet, or you can answer one of the questions I've listed in the thread below. Question 1 (for elementary school teachers/students/parents-of-students): Tell me more about your favorite minor character (like Potato Head or Slinky) and why he or she is important for the movie. #PixarinApril

A #PixarinApril update:

TL;DR--I'm developing educational modules for parents, teachers, and kids of all ages focused on The Pixar films. It's meant to help out with the homeschooling during this difficult time.

More details: See the thread below.
josheyler.wordpress.com/pixar-in-april… The purpose is to provide some fun, educational activities for students of all ages utilizing films that many of them (and us too!) love.

First let me describe the modules and the process, and then I'll lay out the schedule at the end of the message.

Okay, folks: some of the smartest #highered people I know are on here, and we need to begin the process of planning NOW for summer and fall courses. I know that it's hard to look up from the weeds, but to ensure a bright future, we need to begin brainstorming. 1/x From my reading of the reports, there are a couple of different scenarios for which we need to plan. I'm going to select the broadest to streamline our discussions. 2/x

STEM Faculty: Below is a thread of resources for teaching labs online.

It was curated on the @PODNetworkHQ listserv, specifically by Martin Samuels of Harvard and LeighAnn Tomaswick of Kent State. 1/5 A list of online science simulations and lab resources divided by discipline and course type: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… 2/5

Today's tip for those moving rapidly to remote instruction:

Take it lesson by lesson, bird by bird, as @ANNELAMOTT would say.

Look at material 1 day at a time & think about the most efficient and effective way to help students learn it. 1/5 Would lecture work best? If so, do you do it yourself through an easy video platform? Or do you find high quality content online?

How can you set it up so students will not only watch it but learn from it? Build analytical, interpretive questions into the viewing experience. 2/5