WTI Schedule and Abstracts

Morning Sessions

Session I: 9:15am to 10:15am

Navigating Microaggressions: Building an Inclusive Environment
(Amanda Colosimo, Heather Pierce, Jason Szymanski, Lydia Tien, Kara Tierney (CHEM/GEO))

Microaggressions are subtle, everyday verbal and nonverbal slights or actions that communicate derogatory or dismissive messages toward an individual or a group, often based on their race, gender, or other aspects of their identity. Understanding microaggressions as well as recognizing one’s own biases is essential if we are to build a more inclusive environment. These seemingly innocuous behaviors can have a profound impact on individuals, contributing to feelings of exclusion, frustration, and inequality.

Navigating Microaggressions: Building an Inclusive Environment will be presented by members of the STEM Faculty Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Work Group who wish to share resources beneficial to the college community. This session seeks to create awareness about microaggressions, consider their impacts, and provide strategies to effectively respond to such instances as a bystander, target, or perpetrator. Through interactive discussions and case studies, participants will learn to identify microaggressions in real-life scenarios and discuss appropriate ways to address them.
(This presentation is offered in-person only.)

Where the Sidewalk Begins: Find Your Makerspace
(Angelique Johnston (ENG/PHL) and Jim McCusker (ESOL/TRS))

In what ways can we create micro-moments of success for our students? In this session, Angelique and Jim will share small ways to support students holistically that are currently being used in ALP and composition courses. By using affective check-ins, metacognitive reflection, and creative writing prompts, faculty can opt for mini-check-ins for students to name their progress as readers, writers, and researchers. These options can be adapted for any discipline or even support service. Come join us to share and create your own reflective practice for and with your students.
(This presentation is offered in-person only.)

Brightspace Power-Up and Post-Holiday Purge
(Virtual Campus)

Join the Virtual Campus team to explore ways to take your Brightspace presence to the next level! Now that you are becoming an expert in the day-to-day Brightspace procedures, it’s a great time to leverage the engaging tools Brightspace has to offer and learn some neat techniques our amazing colleagues have implemented.
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

Flip to Engage - Integrating College Researcher Tutorials for Active Learning
(Dax Parasnis-Samar (Library) and Alice Wilson (Library))

In this session, we’ll showcase ways you can incorporate MCC Libraries’ College Researcher tutorials into your teaching to enhance students’ research skills and boost engagement. We’ll explore practical applications within a flipped classroom, offering insights into transforming teaching methods around information literacy and empowering students to take charge of their learning. Join us for an interactive exploration of technology, pedagogy, and student success.
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

Session II: 10:30am to 11:30am

Faculty Panel: Grading for Equity, one year later
(Meghan Glasser (ESOL/TRS), Jim McCusker (ESOL/TRS), Ben Schermerhorn (Engineering and Physics), Lena Shiao (Education))

In the 2022-2023 school year, the TCC hosted a book group around Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. In this session, you will have the chance to hear from faculty about the changes they have made to their grading practices and how it has impacted their classrooms.
(This presentation is offered in-person only.)

Mindfulness Strategies for the Classroom
(Renee Dimino (Academic Foundations) and Terry Shamblin (ESOL/TRS))

How can we help our students arrive, settle in, and prepare for learning?  What are some ways we can help them reduce stress and anxiety? Mindfulness practices can help students pay attention, develop concentration strategies, and consider new insights. Known as Contemplative Pedagogy, bringing mindfulness strategies into the classroom is beneficial to students and faculty for many reasons, including “offsetting the constant distractions of our multi-taking, multi-media culture” (Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching). Join us for this interactive workshop to discuss and practice mindfulness. Co-sponsored by MCC’s Wellness Council. 
(This presentation is offered in-person only.)

Disrupting the Myth of Linguistic Homogeneity
(April Daniels (ESOL/TRS) and Judi Salsburg Taylor (ESOL/TRS))

We warmly invite you to join us as we do a little unsettling of the academy! Let’s explore together the ways in which we, through loving intention, may actually be custodians of harm. More importantly, let’s discover the ways in which we will become custodians of care. Drawing on the work of scholars in the fields of Literacy and Learning, we will learn better ways of encouraging linguistic dexterity, upsetting a system of white supremacy, honoring the humanity of language practitioners, and promoting agency in students’ rhetorical choices.
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

ePortfolios 2024: The Transcript of the Future – New Features, Fuller Integration with Courses  
(Abby Bechtel (Instructional Technology) and Kathleen Borbee (Business Administration))

The possibilities of an ePortfolio are almost endless. The Chronical of Higher Education recently held a webinar on the “Transcript of the Future” focusing on how the digital portfolio goes beyond grades to include student skills, extracurricular activities, and more. The pages of an ePortfolio can showcase student work, chronicle student learning, and express the student’s own style and story. It also gives students greater access and control over their records.  This presentation will provide a survey of ePortfolio successes. It will focus on what’s new for teachers and students with the latest upgrade from software company Digication, including: enhanced integration within a Brightspace course, flexible assignment design, convenient submission and review of student work, and synchronization with Brightspace grade book.
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

Session III: 11:45am to 12:45pm

Equitable Assessment Workshop using TILT
(Susan Hall (Curriculum and Program Development))

If assessments and assignments are designed according to principles described in Transparency in Teaching and Learning (TILT Higher Ed), then students have a better chance of demonstrating their learning. This will be a working workshop in which participants will bring an existing assignment that will be revised (tilted) during our time together. Following a brief overview of the TILT principles, participants will use a rubric to evaluate an existing assignment and will work with colleagues to provide feedback on each other’s assignment/assessment. The goal is to leave the workshop with revision ideas that will lead to more equitable assignment/assessment design and thereby increase student learning.
(This presentation is offered in-person only.)

Responding to Student Disclosures of Violence
(Michelle Carroll (Student Rights and Responsibilities))

During this workshop attendees will learn how to best respond to student disclosures of violence. We will discuss our reporting responsibilities, how to make a report, and who to make a report to.
(This presentation is offered in-person only.)

It’s Still Your Classroom: ChatGPT, Bard, and Pi – Oh My!
(Virtual Campus)

What are generative AIs (Artificial Intelligence)? How do we use them? What can they do? Check out ChatGPT and other generative AI tools with the Virtual Campus team! Explore these new tools, discover what your students are up to, and maybe even find a way to streamline your own productivity!
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

Scholarship is a Conversation: Empowering Student Voices at the Celebration of Learning  
(Angelique Johnston (ENG/PHL) and Alice Wilson (Library))

Scholars’ Day at MCC is a dynamic event where our top-performing students showcase their research to an enthusiastic audience. Now, imagine capturing this excitement and love for learning and extending it to every MCC student, regardless of their academic background. Welcome to the Celebration of Learning, an ancillary event to Scholars’ Day. Our event upholds an asset-based model of learning, which recognizes and values every student's curiosity and desire to learn.    Join us for a discussion on making the Celebration of Learning a valuable experience for your students. In our session, we will explore practical ways for you to empower your students to participate in the Celebration of Learning. We will discuss strategies and approaches to guide your students’ involvement in this event. From recognizing the diverse spectrum of achievements at MCC to nurturing a sense of community and belonging, the Celebration of Learning aims to help you champion the unique voices of your students.
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

Afternoon Sessions

Safe Zone Training
(Michelle Carroll (Student Rights and Responsibilities))
(This session will be offered in-person with a live Zoom link available for remote access.)

Pickleball
(Michael Britton)

After lunch, unwind with a little fun! High Falls A and B will be transformed into a pickleball court! Space is limited to 20 people.

Online Only

Online Teaching, the use of VIMEO as a video teaching tool
(Jim Downer (VaPa))

Vimeo is best suited for people who prioritize high-quality in short films, animation, informative pieces, and in-depth journalism. Vimeo is akin to a private art gallery compared with the public convention-like experience. Also, for eLearning classrooms the features of videos on Vimeo are numerous, such as: They are more efficient in capturing and holding the attention, other than just reading materials, for example; Through demonstration it is easier to understand a complex concept; Video has high power of immersion, being able to excite and impact people; It creates greater engagement, contributing to the debate and assimilation of the content; Through the use of image and sound, video contribute to building a closer relationship between teacher and students; It enables the transmission of more information in less time; Through a hosting and sharing, the material is easily available online and therefore accessible to all.
(This session is prerecorded an available on the TCC Brightspace page.)