Free Web-Based Training on Critical Thinking in Higher Education Classrooms

An extravaganza of Critical Thinking themed activities and conversations taking place online specially designed to engage faculty across Texas. Hosted by LEAP Texas and the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

Monday 24 April – Between 12pm – 1pm 

What’s on: Participate in the Twitter Chat focused on “Teaching Critical Thinking in College Courses” by following @LEAPTexas and using #LEAPTexas
Description:
At 12pm on the day of the chat, log into Twitter and type in #LEAPTexas(not case sensitive).
Wait for a question (one is tweeted out about every 8 minutes). Example:  Q1 – Do you think it is more important to incorporate Critical Thinking for first-year students or senior-year students? Which assignments would be better for each group? #LEAPTexas
Hit “Reply” to the tweet with the question, use A for Answer, and include the hash tag. #LEAPTexas

Tuesday 25 April

We’re releasing some new resources focused on Critical Thinking on our website http://leaptx.org/coreobjectives/critical-thinking/ – for more details follow us at @LEAPTexas

Wednesday 26 April

Webinar 3-4pm
What’s on: Webinar “What’s Critical About Critical Thinking”
Presenters: Dr Jon Lee and Dr Jeanne Tunks
LEAP Texas Fellow Webinar (Tunks & Lee)
Wed, Apr 26, 2017 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM CDT
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/233913461

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (646) 749-3122

Access Code: 233-913-461

First GoToMeeting? Try a test session: http://help.citrix.com/getready 

Thursday 27 April

 – Online event 10-11am

What’s on: Online live broadcast about Critical Thinking
Tune in here – https://www.periscope.tv/drjtedwards/
Presenter: Dr Jennifer Edwards

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

Follow Me on Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
Subscribe to Millennial Professor on YOUTUBE!
Subscribe to Blog Updates on Facebook
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

30 Ways to Integrate Social Responsibility in Your Fall Courses - A LEAP Texas Periscope

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1vOxwpkDrvvKB

Today, I had such a great time representing LEAP Texas (Liberal Education and America's Promise) as part of the Social Responsibility Week! This is a week of professional development opportunities for faculty focused on infusing social media in course syllabi.

The Periscope was focused on "30 Ways to Integrate Social Responsibility in Your Fall Courses".

Here's the Periscope! Enjoy!

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Follow Me on Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
Subscribe to Millennial Professor on YOUTUBE! 
Subscribe to Blog Updates on Facebook
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Free Professional Development Opportunity from @LEAPTexas - AACU Learning Outcomes (Social Responsibility Week) - August 8th-12th

I love serving as a Faculty Fellow for LEAP Texas! This has been one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever experienced in higher education. I love networking with colleagues from other institutions and I've gained a wealth of skills focused 

Social Responsibility Week – August 8 - 12
During the week of August 8 - 12, LEAP Texas will be holding a week­long celebration of Social Responsibility. It’s a week where faculty from across the state of Texas can come together online and talk about how they are integrating Social Responsibility into teaching, learning, and assessment:

Want to stand a chance of winning a prize!?!?!
Please RSVP for the events below by completing this form - https://goo.gl/forms/TwxY54sHGS0OT1bn2. You can still participate in events if you do not complete the form BUT to win our fabulous prizes we need you to fill in the form @LEAPTexas Social Responsibility Week! Please let us know if you plan to participate in the events! We will see you at the events!

Monday 8 August
What’s on: 3pm: Webinar on Social Responsibility presented by Dr. Doyle Carter and Dr Christine Purkiss from Angelo State University
Description: This session takes a look at Social Responsibility and the opportunities and challenges associated with teaching and assessing this core objective. The presenters will also share the social responsibility rubric developed at this institution
Join online:
Mon, Aug 8, 2016 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/331951253
Dial in by phone:
United States : +1 (571) 317-3112
Access Code: 331-951-253
First GoToMeeting? Try a test session: http://help.citrix.com/getready

Tuesday 9 August
What’s on: Social responsibility recipes all day with Dr Jennifer Edwards on Twitter 
Description: I know, you are thinking  - recipes and social responsibility? Well, this is an innovative approach focused on small (but meaningful) activities focused on how we can teach our college students how to be socially responsible. To participate and to submit an event, please click the following link - Submit a Teaching Recipe for the #LEAPTexas Recipe book on Social Responsibility

Wednesday 10 August 
What’s on: Tune in to the "30 Ways to Integrate Social Responsibility in Your Fall Courses" Periscope Session at 8am CDT.
Tune in here - https://www.periscope.tv/drjtedwards/1vOGwPRyOQdJB.
Description: In this session, you will discover and contribute ways to teach and engage your students in interactive assignments addressing social responsibility! These engagement methods will include syllabus integration, teaching methods for the first-year seminar, teaching methods for capstone courses, career portfolio and resume integration, and classroom assessment of social responsibility.

Thursday 11 August
What’s on: Engage in the Lunchtime "Teaching Social Responsibility in College Courses" Twitter Chat by using the #LEAPTexas hashtag on at Noon CDT
Description: 
1. At noon on the day of the chat, log into Twitter and type in #LEAPTexas (not case sensitive).
2.  Wait for a question (one is tweeted out about every 8 minutes).
Ex:  Q1 - Do you think it is more important to incorporate social responsibility for first-year students or senior-year students? Which assignments would be better for each group? #LEAPTexas
3. Hit "Reply" to the tweet with the question, use A for Answer, and include the hash tag. Ex: A1 -  Definitely for first-year students, it is important to engage students as soon as they arrive to your campus. #LEAPTexas

Friday 12 August:
What’s on: Reflections on the week.
Description: Join us on Twitter (#LEAPTexas) as LEAP takes a look back on social responsibility week and what we learned.

Follow us on Twitter @LEAPTexas #LEAPTexas.
If you would like to learn more about the work of our faculty fellows and LEAPTX activity in general please visit us online at http://leaptx.org
Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Follow Me on Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
Subscribe to Millennial Professor on YOUTUBE! 
Subscribe to Blog Updates on Facebook
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Submit a Teaching Recipe for the #LEAPTexas Recipe book on Social Responsibility

In preparation for Social Responsibility Week, I would like to issue a VIP call to you to submit RECIPE for the #LEAPTexas Recipe book on Social Responsibility! 

As part of submitting your recipe, we will highlight your recipe on Twitter (include your university's name in the post) and include your recipe in the e-book!

I know you are thinking, recipes and social responsibility? Well, this is an innovative approach focused on small (but meaningful) activities focused on how we can teach our college students how to be socially responsible.

What is social responsibility?
Liberal Education and America's Promise defines social responsibility by focusing on the following concepts:

- Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
- Intercultural knowledge and competence
- Ethical reasoning and action
- Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

In the Social Responsibility @LEAPTexas Recipe Book, each of the recipes will be compiled in a e-publication to help others incorporate SR in their courses or high impact educational practices! 

Please submit a short recipe (and your name) by typing the recipe on the @LEAPTexas Recipe Book . The instructions for submitting your recipe on the book only include TWO steps!

Step 1 - Please copy and paste the following recipe template below the line:

Social Responsibility (SR) Recipe Title:
Name:
Institution:
Course in Which You Incorporated Social Responsibility:
Description of (SR) Assignment:
Items Needed:
Time Needed:
Ideas for Assessing the Assignment:
Additional Resources and Links (Optional)

Step 2 - Type your recipe utilizing the template below the yellow on the Google Document line:

If you have ANY questions, please contact me, I will be happy to help! Have a great week!

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Follow Me on Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
Subscribe to Millennial Professor on YOUTUBE! 
Subscribe to Blog Updates on Facebook
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Linking the Texas Core Objectives with the AACU High-Impact Educational Practices as a #LEAPTX Fellow

Since I was selected to join LEAP TX (Liberal Education and America's Promise) initiative (sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the Lumina Foundation), I created a goal focused on learning MORE about academic and student affairs assessment practices and processes than ever before.

So, I signed to present a session about social media and to present the recap focused on the Texas LEAP initiative sustainability plan (after the grant ends). I am always excited to present about social media and higher education and this audience seemed eager to learn something new (or a new way of addressing a learning outcome through social media technologies). 

Here's the presentation from that session.

Here is one of our pictures from the LEAP working meeting. Thanks for the opportunity - Loraine! :)

We created plans, assigned action items, and determined how we would spread our messages about the Texas Core Objectives (teamwork, social responsibility, critical thinking, personal responsibility, communication, and empirical and quantitative skills) with a LEAP emphasis (infusing high impact educational practices, GEMS, signature assignments (signature work), and MUCH MORE! I must emphasize that I have a slight bias toward high impact educational practices.

So, for the next few months, follow the #LEAPTX hashtag. Engage with us by sending resources and look forward to a "Call for Submissions" focused on the Texas Core Objectives. You will be able to submit your assignments, have them peer-reviewed, and then they will serve as a resource for the rest of the state of Texas (and other states - LEAP states and non-LEAP states).

This conference served as the SPRINGBOARD for helping me work toward my assessment goals. I am PUMPED about upcoming initiatives focused on the Texas Core Objectives and the High-Impact Educational Practices!

If you would like a refresher on the High-Impacted Educational Practices, here's a graphic I made for the #LEAPTX blog.

For more information about LEAPTX, check out this site - http://leaptx.org. If you have any questions about the presentation or LEAP Texas, please let me know! I serve as a LEAPTX fellow with FIVE individuals.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Tried and True Ways to Incorporate Social Media in Higher Education Classrooms

In August, I was invited to speak at the #LEAPTX annual meeting in Nacogdoches, TX. I was excited to take advantage of this opportunity as a #LEAPTX Fellow and presented a session on "Incorporating Social Media in Higher Education Classrooms (and High-Impact Educational Practices)".

Here are the slides from this session:


Also, to continue the conversation, the #55HigherEd Community was launched on Facebook. This community is for faculty to ask questions about the teaching, research, and/or service process and to also keep one another accountable on our journey towards tenure (or towards becoming a full-professor). Here's the community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/589073234563970/.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
- Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
- http://www.facebook.com/millennialprofessor/
- drjtedwards at gmail.com