Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation

VTSU & Program Data Dashboard with Irene Irudayam
2024-09-17 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-20 07:00 - 08:00 (America/New_York)
Join Irene Irudayam, AVP for Institutional Research at VTSU to explore the brand new VTSU & Program Data Dashboard. Phase 1 (enrollment data) is available now with future phases coming (retention, graduation, etc.). This data is useful to faculty in Program Assessment as well as recruitment and student support.
Come prepared to explore, ask questions, and consider how you and your program can use the data.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Irene Irudayam, AVP for Institutional Research

Maximizing SSE Connect: Empowering Faculty to Enhance Student Success
2024-09-20 10:00 - 11:00
Unlock the full potential of SSE Connect in this interactive workshop led by Brady Rainville, Director of Advising at VTSU. Discover how this powerful tool can transform your approach to student support and academic advising. In this session, you’ll learn:

*The journey of an academic alert: What happens after you submit one?
*The critical role of attendance data in student retention.
*How SSE Connect integrates with Canvas to provide a comprehensive view of student performance.
*Key features and data available in SSE Connect to support your students and advisees effectively.

Whether you’re new to SSE Connect or looking to enhance your current usage, this workshop will equip you with practical strategies to leverage the system for improved student outcomes. Join us to explore how SSE Connect can streamline your work and support student success.
After attending this workshop, you will:

*Be able to explain the lifecycle of an academic alert in SSE Connect, from submission to resolution, enhancing your understanding of the student support process.
*Be able to identify and utilize key features within SSE Connect to benefit your students.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Brady Rainville, Director of Advising

VSCS Libraries Workshop: Zotero 101
2024-10-01 07:00 - 07:45
This workshop, for faculty and students, focuses on the basics of using the free, cloud-based Zotero citation management tool and app, which can help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research sources. It saved me a lot of headaches and heartache, and it can do the same for you.

Please register for this event. After you do, add it to your calendar by clicking the calendar icon on the page:

Facilitated by: Miranda Axworthy, VSCS Librarian

DEISJ Essentials & Dialogue for Faculty & Staff with Dr. Eric Love
2024-10-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Use URL below to register:
Dr. Eric Love is a nationally-recognized, dynamic speaker that blends first hand experience, a breadth of knowledge and an inspirational message to his audiences. Drawing upon his professional, personal and academic life, he is equally at home giving a keynote address, presenting a workshop or facilitating a weekend retreat. Dr Love’s consulting business, LoveForce Consulting, specializing in diversity education and training, multicultural competency training, student leadership and social justice.

On Thursday, October 3 from 1-3pm, Dr. Eric Love will be speaking at an event (DEISJ Essentials & Dialogue) for faculty and staff at the Randolph campus, grounding in DEISJ Essentials and Dialogue.
Dr. Love will also present a separate Zoom event (Moving DEISJ Forward at VTSU) for VTSU students, faculty, and staff on Friday, November 1 from 12:15-2:15pm, focused on Moving DEISJ Forward at VTSU.
Please note that faculty and staff are invited to both sessions (they will be different) and students are invited to the session on November 1. Dr. Love is also doing a separate session on October 4 for student leaders, coordinated by Student Activities.
After registering, please put any events you are planning to attend on your calendar, to hold the time. We’ll send out the Zoom link for November 1 to registrants closer to the event.

Chancellor's Innovation Fund: Ideation and Networking Session
2024-10-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Use URL below to register:
Are you brimming with ideas but unsure how to bring them to life? Are you seeking the next creative idea to tackle with your implementation skills? Do you have a knack for problem-solving but struggle to prioritize your solutions? Or are you simply curious about what an innovation project could entail? This session is your gateway to turning inspiration into action!
Join us for a dynamic 2-hour Zoom session designed for staff and faculty members of the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) who are interested in participating in the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund but need that extra spark or connection with colleagues to get started.
Come to this session and:*Discover new perspectives on challenges facing our colleges*Connect with like-minded innovators across the VSCS*Find your place in shaping the future of our institutions and system
Whether you’re bursting with ideas or just curious about what an innovation project might entail, this session will provide a collaborative space to explore possibilities, identify team connections, and get inspired. Join us to turn your curiosity into actionable projects that can make a real impact on our campuses! Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of positive change in the VSCS.
Register now! We look forward to this session!

Sincerely,
The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Planning Team

Ernesto Fernandez, VTSU Director of Institutional Advancement

Wilson Garland, VSC Director of Transformation

Jen Garrett-Ostermiller, VTSU Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation (CTLI)

Aimee Stephenson, CCV Director of Resource Development

Heather Weinstein, CCV Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Student Affairs

Partnering for Success: Leveraging Student Strengths for Institutional Growth
2024-11-06 13:00 - 13:50
Join a data-informed conversation on enhancing student retention and success at VTSU. In this 50-minute session, we’ll:

Examine institutional retention data: Why do students stay? Why do students leave? Is the VTSU model working? Who is being retained?
Identify opportunities to better support diverse student strengths and experiences: How do we approach retention issues with an asset lens? How do we identify the institutional performance gaps to retain all of our learners?
Brainstorm innovative ways to adapt our practices to meet student needs and build on our students’ capabilities: How can faculty and staff partner to improve student retention?

Your perspectives and expertise are important and valuable.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Kelley Beckwith, Irene Irudayam, Sara Kinerson, & Jeff Tunney

Moving DEISJ Forward at VTSU for Faculty, Staff, & Students with Eric Love
2024-11-15 12:15 - 14:15 | https://vsc.zoom.us/j/91480610428
RESCHEDULED!

Eric Love is a nationally-recognized, dynamic speaker that blends first hand experience, a breadth of knowledge and an inspirational message to his audiences. Drawing upon his professional, personal and academic life, he is equally at home giving a keynote address, presenting a workshop or facilitating a weekend retreat. Eric’s consulting business, LoveForce Consulting, specializing in diversity education and training, multicultural competency training, student leadership and social justice.

On Friday, November 15 from 12:15-2:15pm, Eric Love will present a Zoom event (Moving DEISJ Forward at VTSU) for VTSU students, faculty, and staff.
Please note that this is a distinct session from the one on October 3. You are encouraged to attend whether or not you participated in October.
Please put the event and Zoom link on your calendar: https://vsc.zoom.us/j/91480610428

Partnering for Success: Leveraging Student Strengths for Institutional Growth
2024-12-04 13:00 - 14:00
Join a data-informed conversation on enhancing student retention and success at VTSU. In this session, we’ll explore the Winter Session survey, an advising survey, and any other data or dashboard that the faculty attendees want to cover.
*Examine institutional retention data: Why do students stay? Why do students leave? Is the VTSU model working? Who is being retained?
*Identify opportunities to better support diverse student strengths and experiences: How do we approach retention issues with an asset lens? How do we identify the institutional performance gaps to retain all of our learners?
*Brainstorm innovative ways to adapt our practices to meet student needs and build on our students’ capabilities: How can faculty and staff partner to improve student retention?
Your perspectives and expertise are important and valuable.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Kelley Beckwith, Irene Irudayam, Sara Kinerson, & Jeff Tunney

Canvas Template: A Student-Centered Resource
2024-12-04 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-10 12:00 - 13:00
The Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation, in collaboration with a pilot group of faculty members and the Canvas support department, has developed a course template that is available in Canvas Commons. It has been designed to be flexible, program agnostic, and student centered.
This workshop will provide an overview of the template, a discussion of its contributions to student satisfaction, and a hands-on demonstration of how the template can be imported into a course.
What You’ll Gain:
1) An ability to import and modify the template to suit the needs of your class.
2) An understanding of the benefits of adopting a consistent course design.
3) A familiarity with the sources of technical and pedagogical support that are available at Vermont State University.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Jeff Tunney, Associate Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation.

Leveraging Educational Apps in the Classroom
2025-01-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-01-23 15:00 - 16:00
In this workshop, VTSU faculty members will explore innovative ways to integrate educational apps effectively into their teaching practices. Participants will learn how introducing classroom technologies in an intentional manner can enhance student engagement and promote personalized learning.
What You’ll Gain:
1) A familiarity with commonly used educational apps.
2) An understanding of the role educational apps play in promoting active learning.
3) An ability to evaluate apps based on pedagogical goals.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Jeff Tunney, Associate Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation, and VSC Senior Instructional Technology Specialist, Sean Dailey.

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
2025-01-15 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-12 11:00 - 12:00
This workshop will explore evidence-based assessment strategies designed to enhance student learning and inform instructional decisions. Participants will delve into aspects of formative assessment, aligning assessments with course objectives, and inclusive assessment practices.
What You’ll Gain:
1) An ability to introduce low-stakes formative assessment strategies.
2) An understanding of the importance of aligning CATS with course objectives.
3) Tips for adopting CATs that are accessible and meet the needs of a diverse student body.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Jeff Tunney, Associate Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation.

Teaching & Learning with Technology Committee: January AI Learning Lounge
2025-01-17 12:00 - 13:00
Join a monthly chat about AI for faculty and staff from both CCV and VTSU! Every third Friday this semester TLT will host a loosely themed discussion to talk about using and use of Generative AI tools like chatbots and drawing tools. Together, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Our first meeting will be Friday, January 17, 2025 starting at noon. The official event is scheduled for an hour, but the host is prepared to run it for 90 minutes. Stay as long as you want or are able. Any important announcements related to the VSC about AI will start the meeting. Then the moderator will introduce the group to the theme, open the floor for questions, and create rooms for smaller discussions as needed.
No matter where you are with your use of generative AI tools in your work or classroom, this event is for you to help learn and brainstorm!

Event information, including the Teams Meeting link, can be found on this TLT page. If you are new to Microsoft Teams for videoconferencing and need assistance, contact the IT HelpDesk.

Sponsored and facilitated by the VSCS Teaching & Learning with Technology Committee.

The Science of Learning Microworkshop: Leveraging The Testing Effect
2025-01-21 15:30 - 16:00
This 30-minute microworkshop will provide an overview of why and how tests are one of the most effective learning tools, along with concrete ideas to help you and your students adopt this underutilized and efficient method of learning.
What You’ll Gain:
1) Clarity about retrieval practice for learning.
2) Access to the research on why testing for studying is effective.
3) Specific ideas for incorporating the testing effect into your teaching.

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Jen Garrett-Ostermiller, Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation

Virtual Workshop with City University of New York
2025-02-20 09:25 - 10:40
We are pleased to announce the availability of this free virtual workshop, which is a collaboration between the Initiative on Immigration and Education (CUNY-IIE), VTUS’s Office of Multilingual Students Services, and the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation.

Communities and schools are shaped and strengthened by the migration of people and ideas across the globe. The City University of New York – Initiative on Immigration and Education (CUNY-IIE) creates opportunities for educational stakeholders to learn from immigrant students, families, and educators directly impacted by restrictive immigration policies and educational inequality. We aim to develop multimodal and multilingual resources that center the strengths of mixed status immigrant communities that include undocumented, refugee, asylum-seeking members, and Students of Color.
Thus, learn, act and advocate for an equitable education for immigrant students and their families! During this 90-minute interactive session, Sunisa Nuonsy, a CUNY-IIE instructor, will provide an overview of CUNY-IIE’s grounding principles and the multimodal and multilingual resources that have been developed for educators to use with colleagues, students, families, and community members. CUNY-IIE is a New York State Education Department-funded project that unifies educators, researchers, families, and local leaders to learn about, from, and with immigrant communities, to act in ways that center our shared humanity regardless of legal status, and advocate for equitable policies and opportunities.
We invite inquiries regarding the application of this topic’s insights to Vermont State, Vermont State University, and its services to multilingual, multicultural students.

Date: Thursday, February 20th
Time: 9:25-10:40am EST

Please register in your browser or scan the QR code:

The link to join the virtual session will be sent to registrants 1 week prior to the session.

Teaching & Learning with Technology Committee: February AI Learning Lounge
2025-02-21 12:00 - 13:00
Join a monthly chat about AI for faculty and staff from both CCV and VTSU! Every third Friday this semester TLT will host a loosely themed discussion to talk about using and use of Generative AI tools like chatbots and drawing tools. Together, we can learn a great deal from each other.
The official event is scheduled for an hour, but the host is prepared to run it for 90 minutes. Stay as long as you want or are able. Any important announcements related to the VSC about AI will start the meeting. Then the moderator will introduce the group to the theme, open the floor for questions, and create rooms for smaller discussions as needed.
No matter where you are with your use of generative AI tools in your work or classroom, this event is for you to help learn and brainstorm!

Event information, including the Teams Meeting link, can be found on this TLT page. If you are new to Microsoft Teams for videoconferencing and need assistance, contact the IT HelpDesk.

Sponsored and facilitated by the VSCS Teaching & Learning with Technology Committee.

Ideation Workshop for the Chancellor's Innovation Fund
2025-03-03 12:00 - 14:00
Join us for a dynamic 2-hour Zoom session designed for staff and faculty members of the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) who are interested in participating in the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund but need that extra spark or connection with colleagues to get started.
The first round of Chancellor’s Innovation Fund projects were selected for their strong emphasis on system-wide collaboration and contributions toward the VSCS Strategic Priorities.

As we move into the second round of funding, we see opportunities for further collaborations between CCV and VTSU including:

*Developing shared strategies for promoting timely degree completion and transfer within the system

*Implementing evidence-based, innovative teaching & learning practices while strengthening faculty relationships across the two institutions and many campuses

*Fostering applied learning, community engagement, and partnerships that benefit students at both institutions

We encourage you to come to the Ideation session with possible strategies to address these opportunities as well as your own good ideas.

Whether you’re bursting with ideas or just curious about what an innovation project might entail, this session will provide a collaborative space to explore possibilities, identify team connections, and get inspired. Join us to turn your curiosity into actionable projects that can make a real impact on our campuses! Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of positive change in the VSCS.
Register now! We look forward to this session!

Sponsored and facilitated by the VSCS Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Committee:
Heather Weinstein (CCV) (lead), Jen Garrett-Ostermiller (VTSU), Aimee Stephenson (CCV), Ernie Fernandez (VTSU)

Building Anti-Racist Educators: Reading & Inquiry Series - March Meeting
2025-03-14 12:00 - 13:30 | Use URL below to register:
As educators, we want to do our jobs well. We want to be fair, we want to promote safe communities, and we want to support all our students in every aspect of their lives. Tools help us realize these goals that we already have.

Educators, even those with experience and compassion, may unconsciously negatively impact students in their classrooms. We believe that through consistent study and reflection, we can slowly address our own unconscious biases and make changes so we can better support the academic, social and emotional well-being of our students.

We want YOU to be part of a decentralized inquiry series to support educators to better explore their own biases and improve their own teaching practices.

This Reading and Inquiry Series provides a monthly set of tools for learning, introspection and having conversations about issues of racism in our university, classrooms and communities. We hope that through regular reflection and conversation, you can get better at recognizing and resisting your biases and the impact they have on your students and colleagues.

To receive a calendar invitation, Zoom link, and access to the Canvas space, please fill out the Vermont State Colleges Building Anti-Racist Educators Sign-Up Form. Note – you only need to complete the form once for the year!

Sponsored and facilitated by the VTSU Office of DEISJ and the VTSU CTLI.

Metacognitive Strategies for the College Classroom
2025-03-19 08:00 - 09:00
Investing a little class time in incorporating metacognitive activities can lead to stronger outcomes for students. Empowering students to take control of their learning, become better problem-solvers, and better assess their strengths and gaps can lead to greater success at the course level and persistence through college.
By attending this workshop you will:
1) Identify particular aspects of metacognition most useful for students in your class(es) to adopt
2) Consider various metacognitive strategies and activities, aligned with the metacognition cycle, to enhance learning in your class(es)
3) Begin planning a metacognitive activity to facilitate in an upcoming class with your students
Presented By: Jen Garrett-Ostermiller, Director of the CTLI

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Teaching & Learning with Technology Committee: March AI Learning Lounge
2025-03-21 12:00 - 13:00

Supporting Students Through the Internship Registration Process: Navigating Handshake Experiences
2025-03-24 12:05 - 12:50
Do you supervise credit-bearing internships? Would you like to review the registration request tool that students are being asked to complete?

Our Career Development colleagues understand that adopting a new process for internship registration has had some bumps in the road. In response, they’ve made some updates and invite you to join them on this journey to better support students in using Handshake Experiences.

In this session, you’ll:

Gain insight into the student experience of Handshake

Learn how to guide students through the Internship Experience Request Form

Access resource materials and support to assist students effectively

Why attend?
VTSU utilizes the Handshake Experiences Request Form for all students registering for credit-bearing internships. By becoming familiar with this tool, you can empower students with the knowledge and guidance they need to navigate the system successfully. Come for your chance to win some career-related giveaways!

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Facilitated by: Jessica Duncan, Amy Wright, Karry Booski, and Norm Peterson (VTSU Career Development staff)

Building Anti-Racist Educators: Reading & Inquiry Series - April Meeting
2025-04-11 12:00 - 13:30 | Use URL below to register:

Advising Changes Updates and Q&A
2025-05-09 08:00 - 09:00, 2025-05-14 08:00 - 09:00
Do you have questions about upcoming changes to the VTSU Advising model? Join Sara Kinerson and Brady Rainville at a drop-in session to get your questions answered!

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.

Building Anti-Racist Educators: Reading & Inquiry Series - May Meeting
2025-05-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Use URL below to register:

For Faculty: Digital Accessibility for Learning 102
2025-05-12 12:00 - 13:00
Bill Burgess of EdPros will be presenting this second session on digital accessibility. He has worked in the field of assistive technology for 14 years and currently serves as the Assistive Technology Specialist at Vanderbilt University.

He plans to demonstrate how to add content in an accessible way to our Canvas LMS, including pages created in Canvas, files uploaded to Canvas, video and audio shared in Canvas, and more!

Faculty – Check your calendar for an invitation and Zoom link for this important session.

And if you missed the session on April 21, the recording and the presenter’s handouts are available for review.

Brick by Brick, Click by Click: Learn to Build Successful Canvas Courses
2025-05-21 08:00 - 09:30
Part I: Getting Started
This beginner level workshop, which is the first session in a three part series, is designed to provide Vermont State University educators with a comprehensive introduction to the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Participants will learn the fundamental features and functionalities of Canvas, enabling them to effectively manage their courses and enhance the learning experience for VTSU students.
By attending this workshop you will gain:
1) A familiarity with the layout and key components of Canvas, including course navigation and user settings.
2) The ability to create and edit Canvas content items, such as modules, pages, assignments, and quizzes.
3) The ability to use Canvas communication tools to effectively engage and support students.
4) A familiarity with the Canvas tools used to assess student work, provide constructive feedback, and manage grades.
5) An understanding of how to access technical and pedagogical support and self-help resources.
Presented By: Sean Dailey, VSC Senior Instructional Technology Specialist and Jeff Tunney, VTSU Associate Director of the CTLI

Please register for this event. When you do, you will receive an automatic email from the CTLI confirming your registration. This email will include the Zoom link and the option to “add to calendar” using an embedded hyperlink – this will work for Outlook, Google Calendar, and Yahoo Calendar.
