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PLCs provide an opportunity for a group of educators to engage in sustained and purposeful study of a topic relevant to teaching and learning. The community aspect provides the accountability and camaraderie necessary for meaningful learning. PLCs will generally consist of 6-10 educators with a clear facilitator or co-facilitators who are particularly invested in the success of the group. Topics can vary broadly but will typically require 4-8 hour-long meetings over the course of a semester. Many will choose to base their study on published works. For example, the PLC facilitator may choose a book to use as the primary reference for the group’s discussions.

Fall 2024 Teaching and Learning Development Opportunities

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Teaching workshops centered on a monthly theme provide opportunities for faculty to hear from respected peers on topics of mutual interest and to share their ideas for improving classroom teaching in support of student learning.

Over the course of each academic year, two or more sessions are devoted to each of the six TTP criteria. For example, no fewer than two Teaching and Learning workshops are devoted each year to inclusive excellence. Additional Teaching and Learning workshops will relate to some aspect of each of the strategies, such as using Canvas LMS to facilitate engagement, classroom assessment techniques, discussion strategies that facilitate content knowledge, service-learning as pedagogy for inclusive excellence, and scholarship of teaching and learning as a strategy for assessing effective student learning strategies. One or more Teaching and Learning workshops each semester will directly reference the use of IDEA feedback. Finally, some Teaching and Learning workshops will be devoted to advancing a larger culture of teaching excellence by celebrating good teaching and/or fostering teaching-related dialogue.

Fall 2024 Teaching and Learning Workshop Schedule

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The Inclusive Excellence in Teaching Academy builds faculty capacity for shaping educational contexts that serve the full range of students. Over the course of an academic year, an interdisciplinary faculty cohort explores research-based teaching strategies for advancing inclusive excellence in the context of Messiah University’s Christ-centered mission. Through six dinner dialogues, Academy participants expand their expertise related to inclusive excellence in course content, pedagogy, and climate and build their repertoire of effective teaching practices. Participants consider ways to develop or refine an existing course with the intent to implement revisions in the academic year following Academy participation. All teachingÌýfaculty members are eligible, with up to 10 participants selected annually through a competitive application process. A modest stipend is provided for Academy participation.Ìý

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