Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

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**ONLINE** Strategies for Enhancing Instructor Presence in an Online Classroom
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Building community and a sense of connection in your courses can influence your students' success. One way to help your students feel a sense of connection to you and your content is to build instructor presence in your course. Whether you teach face-to-face, online, or in hybrid modalities, this workshop explores strategies to help you improve student performance and engagement by boosting communication and building strong relationships. Advance registration is required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Mentoring Across Differences: Using Culturally Responsive Practices to Drive Student Growth
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Having an effective mentor is the difference between success and failure in any field. An early mentoring relationship helps mentees develop their skills and knowledge, build a network, navigate challenges, and develop self-confidence, leadership skills, and career goals. In this workshop, participants will explore evidence-based scientific criteria for what constitutes a good mentoring relationship, including mentoring practices that are culturally sensitive and effective in accelerating students in any field. Advance registration required.
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**ONLINE** The Disappearing Student: Helping Students Persist and Succeed
Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Perseverance is important for student success. In this workshop we will discuss how course projects, assessments, feedback, grades and developing a sense of community can help students persist in their course work. Join us to learn strategies to foster students’ perseverance, keep students consistently engaged, and help students succeed in your courses. Advance registration is required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Disability Justice Initiative: Introduction to Disability Justice
Friday, March 22, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
In this introduction to Disability Justice session, participants will explore the fundamental principles and importance of Disability Justice in fostering inclusive and equitable communities in higher education. We will examine the intersectionality of ableism and other forms of oppression and its impact on marginalized individuals. By raising awareness and promoting understanding, this workshop aims to empower participants to become advocates for disability rights and allies in the pursuit of social justice and equality. This session is presented by Taylor Hartman, Chair of Presidential Commission on Persons with Disabilities and ASL Coordinator of World Languages and Cultures.
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**ONLINE** Making the Move to Blackboard Ultra Course View
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Blackboard Ultra Course View is modern and intuitive with streamlined workflows to improve your efficiency. If you are ready to move to the Ultra Course View, there are several ways to do so, including using CITL pre-built templates to get you started. You can even preview the changes before converting to Ultra to make the best decision for your course. In this online workshop, we will discuss some of the key differences from the Original Course View and discuss practical strategies for moving or building your course in Ultra Course View. Advance registration is required.
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**ONLINE** Designing and Assessing Generative AI Student Projects
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Four award-winning college instructors from across the curriculum share innovative assignments that they designed to develop the “essential skills” and “student learning outcomes” that were the focus of the February Adobe Creative Campus Digital Literacy Café. Each case study includes the principles, goals, and contexts of each assignment, including lesson plans, materials, assessment strategies, and a reflection on the results. This session is facilitated by Adobe. Register Now!

**ONLINE** Blackboard Communication Tools
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Communication is a critical element of a successful course, and Blackboard Ultra Course View has a wealth of tools to facilitate building community, encouraging academic discussion, and fostering interaction with and between your students. In this session, you will be introduced to the asynchronous and synchronous tools available in the Blackboard Ultra Course View, including discussions, announcements, conversations, messages and web-conferencing. Advance registration is required.
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**ONLINE** Developing Self-Directed Learners
Thursday, March 28, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Have you ever wondered why some students thrive in classes and others struggle? Of course, the reasons vary for each student. Self-directed learning skills can have a significant, positive impact on students’ success in college. During this workshop we will discuss strategies for helping students plan, monitor, evaluate and guide their own learning to maximize results. Advance registration is required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Using Positionality Statements to Embrace Classroom Diversity
Friday, March 29, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
The diverse experiences, backgrounds, and identities that educators and learners bring to courses enrich discussions, writing, and critical thinking. While objectivity is often a goal in research and analysis, positionality—the way that we understand the world because of our identities and experiences—influences the way that we see the world and our place in it. Positionality statements give us a way to claim these influences, demonstrating that diverse identities bring important perspectives and recognizing the value of lived experience. In this workshop, we will discuss how to create and use positionality statements in our classes. Together, we'll explore how acknowledging identities and using positionality statements empower diverse learners. Advance registration required.
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**NEW - ONLINE** Disability Justice Initiative: Accessibility and Universal Design
Friday, April 5, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
In this Accessibility and Universal Design session, participants will explore key principles and strategies for creating inclusive environments in various contexts, emphasizing the importance of accessibility for all individuals, including those with disabilities. Through practical examples and case studies, participants gain insights into universal design through improved usability, increased engagement, and broader reach. By incorporating accessibility in planning and design processes, participants learn how to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in their respective fields, ultimately nurturing environments where everyone can fully participate and thrive. This session will be presented by Dr. Jennifer Salmon, Acting Director of the Disability Resource Center, and Linda Kocjan, Assistant Director of ADA Accommodations and Program Services.
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**ONLINE** Empowering Students: Fostering Equity Through Basic Needs and Financial Support Structures
Friday, April 12, 2024 from 8:45 AM to 3:00 PM
The theme for the 4th annual Equity Institute centers on how our ILEA community of practice can intentionally empower students by fostering equity through basic needs and financial support structures while cultivating a culture of care and support in college campuses where students can thrive and complete their college education.

The Equity Institute will highlight leaders and experts, practitioners, diverse student panelists and equity-minded champions that are at the forefront of changing basic needs security and providing intentional financial support structures for diverse students by transforming college campuses to communities of care. This session is sponsored by the Partnership for College Completion and ILEA. Register Now!

**NEW - ONLINE** Disability Justice Initiative: Oppression Response: Beyond Disability Related Legislations to Empowerment in the Context of the Family
Friday, April 12, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
In this session, participants will explore an approach to responding to oppression among the disability population by facilitating empowerment in the context of the family. This session will be presented by Dr. Abdoulaye Diallo, Associate Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Health Professions, and two Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Students: Omobolanle Wunuken and Rachel Obenewaa Anti.
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**ONLINE** Exploring the 2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
A panel of global experts will explore the trends, challenges, and key technology developments identified in the 2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report | Teaching and Learning Edition. Members of the Horizon Report team and panel will highlight contextual trends and challenges and discuss how key technologies can assist higher education teaching and learning professionals in meeting upcoming challenges and capitalizing on opportunities. Implications of trends and key technologies will be considered from different institutional perspectives. This session is led by EDUCAUSE; NIU faculty, staff, and students can create an EDUCAUSE account using their NIU email address to attend at no cost. Register Now!