Faculty Learning Communities
The Committee for Educational Technologies (CET) and Educational Technology Services invite faculty to join one of the faculty learning communities concerned with the integration of technology in teaching and learning.
A faculty learning community (FLC) is composed of faculty who meet regularly to discuss and explore a common area of interest related to the integration of technology in teaching and learning. The group defines its scope, schedule, and agenda. ETS will serve as a resource for the learning community and provide support as needed.
FLCs might address questions such as:
- How does a particular technology work? How can it be used in teaching and learning?
- How can a piece of technology be assessed to understand its impact on teaching and learning?
- How might technology shape the essence of our learning spaces?
- What is the role of technology and teaching and learning at a liberal arts college?
- What impact will technology have on our relationships with our students?
Tom Laughner, Director of Educational Technology Services, is available to answer any questions about the FLCs. Email tlaughne@smith.edu. Also, consult our Faculty Learning Communities FAQs.
2014-2015 Faculty Learning Community
Online Collaborative Student Writing
Facilitating student collaborative writing and work in online spaces is becoming more ubiquitous as the tools that enhance these processes become easier to use and learning objectives can more easily be supported.
At Smith, faculty have used WordPress for collaborative projects - ranging from media-enhanced final papers to generating ongoing peer-to-peer communication. Google Docs is another tool that provides an easy-to-use space for online collaboration.
In this FLC, faculty will spend the fall semester exploring WordPress, Google Docs (and possibly other tools) that can facilitate and enhance collaborative writing. We will spend the spring semester implementing the tools in a a course, reflecting on that implementation, and sharing the resulting best practices with one another. Contact Deborah Keisch (dkeischpolin@smith.edu, x3020) to participate in this FLC.