Spring 2021 Talking Teaching Conversations

All spring 2021 events will take place virtually. Please visit here to register for any of the events below. Upon registration, you will receive information about how to access the preparatory materials for each session, as well as meeting access information. If you can’t join a session but would like to review the associated materials, find the Talking Teaching Conservations section of our FDC Commons Moodle course (email us (fdc@furman.edu) if you aren’t part of the FDC Commons).

Socially Connected while Physically Distant 

Monday, January 25  – 10:15-11:15 a.m. 

In the past our teaching interactions have involved physical proximity – but can we maintain the social connections critical for learning when physical distance is required for safety? This discussion will focus on approaches to build community while adhering to distance constraints. This conversation is appropriate for colleagues teaching both FurmanFlex and Online courses. To register for this event, please click here.  

Pre-empting Zoom Fatigue 

Wednesday, February 10 – 1:30-2:30 p.m. 

As pandemic teaching requires us to spend significant time in front of a screen, you may have felt tired, uninterested, or frustrated with video conferencing – an indicator of Zoom fatigue. This discussion will focus on what a why Zoom fatigue happens and simple yet effective strategies to prevent it from occurring and cope with the effects. To register for this event, please click here.

Cognitive Overload and Mental Bandwidth: Addressing Pandemic Brain 

Friday, February 19th  – 11:00 a.m. – Noon 

The complex and competing demands placed on our brains during periods of stress can reduce our mental bandwidth. This discussion will focus on the impacts of such cognitive overload, both during the pandemic and for other reasons such as poverty, racism and social marginalization, along with opportunities to proactively enhance mental bandwidth among students. To register for this event, please click here. 

Building Academic Support for Underrepresented Student Groups 

Thursday, March 4th – 3:30-4:30pm 

Students who identify in minority groups or who are underrepresented in academic settings face inequities that can impact access to opportunities, retention, and learning. This discussion will focus on common barriers for these students, strategies to remove them, and methods to better support learning among students who are underrepresented in your discipline or classroom. To register for this event, please click here. 

Inclusive AND Rigorous: Fostering Robust and Equitable Learning Outcomes 

Tuesday, March 23rd  – 3:00-4 p.m. 

Inclusive pedagogy involves course design that supports equitable opportunities for students to meet learning outcomes that are intellectually and personally challenging. This discussion will focus on strategies designed to meet the unique learning needs of diverse students while fostering equivalent course learning outcomes that are fair and rigorous. To register for this event, please click here.