Announcements News

November 23, 2016 at 12:03 pm

Proposals Sought for ‘Perfecting Pedagogical Practices’ Conference

The English Department announces a call for papers for the Second Annual Graduate Student Pedagogy Conference at Ohio University: Perfecting Pedagogical Practices.

The conference coordinators welcome submissions from all Ohio University graduate students and adjunct faculty members in the College of Arts & Sciences, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, the Scripps College of Communication, and the Patton College of Education.

Perfecting Pedagogical Practices logoAs the theory and practice of education, pedagogy can influence every choice instructors make inside the classroom, yet they rarely have the opportunity to learn from each other as practitioners. The Perfecting Pedagogical Practices Conference seeks to change this by making space for practitioners to talk about what they do in their pedagogy, what they have tried in class, and what has proven successful. This one-day, in-house event will provide an opportunity for presenters to share their best practices as teachers and foster discussion of pedagogical practices.

The conference hosts also wish to respond to current debates surrounding the value of a liberal arts education, especially in the humanities. They welcome theoretical proposals that, for example, defend the importance of ensuring English and Philosophy remain part of a university education. They are particularly interested in proposals that discuss ways to communicate the value of the humanities in the 21st century to students.

Possible proposal topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Classroom management: generating participation, creating a teaching persona, negotiating authority, etc. in the STEM, the humanities, and other disciplines.
  • Active and student-centered classroom activities such as promoting student discussion, synthesis exercises, close-reading exercises, teaching grammar, etc.
  • Pedagogical theory (pedagogical theories at any level or any context)
  • Using technology in the classroom: incorporating technology for classroom assignments and also as learning tools, such as computers in the classroom, apps for smartphones, etc.
  • Using games and game theory in the classroom (the face-to-face classroom, the online classroom, and the hybrid classroom)
  • Creating a space for students to learn about and discuss the dynamics of gender, race, and sexuality safely
  • Activities and exercises that encourage students to think critically and empathetically about diverse cultures and experiences
  • Techniques for facilitating student engagement. How do we get them to care?
  • Techniques for negotiating diverse skill-levels in the same classroom and/or teaching complex and difficult concepts to beginning learners

Submissions due by Dec. 10

The conference will take place Friday, Feb. 24, in Alden 319, the Friends of the Library Room. This room is equipped with a computer and overhead projector. Presentations should be 7-10 minutes in length and will be followed by discussion and questions. Presentation can take the form of a reading or a talk in which you guide the audience through an activity. Presenters also will have the opportunity to post their lesson plan and other materials online to share with others. Besides presentations, the conference will also feature a keynote and several workshops.

Please submit individual abstracts (approximately 250 words in length) describing the intended presentation and its subject area via e-mail no later than Dec. 10 to pedagogyconference@ohio.edu. Students or departments may also submit 3-4 person panel proposals with a brief abstract for the panel and individual abstracts for each presentation. Questions about the conference may also be addressed to the above email.

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