On beginning my career in higher education, I felt that I’d had excellent preparation in my discipline and in my research area, and limited preparation in the art and science of teaching.\u00a0 I worked as a Teaching Assistant in my doctoral program, which helped, but I had a lot to learn in 2008.<\/p>\n
Because of my strong interest in teaching (the motivating factor that pushed me through the terminal degree) I sought out continuing education courses, readings, and mentors to help me develop in this role.\u00a0 My primary mentor in getting started was found in my department, Dr. Denise Barnett.\u00a0 Dr. Barnett immediately made resources available to me (syllabi, course calendars, textbooks, lectures, materials) that I was able to use to get my courses up and running. It was up to me to then make the courses my own.<\/p>\n
I found help within my professional organization.\u00a0 The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has recently recognized that teaching is an area of specialization within the discipline of communication sciences and disorders, and has begun to provide resources for improving the quality of instruction in CSD programs.\u00a0 In 2008, my first fall on the faculty,\u00a0 I joined the ASHA Special Interest Division (now Group) 10, Issues in Higher Education.\u00a0 This group provides networking opportunities, a peer-reviewed publication on topics relevant to teaching, and continuing education opportunities.\u00a0 In 2008 I also attended the \u201cNew Faculty Boot Camp,\u201d a full-day workshop presented by Division 10 at the ASHA convention, and addressing topics from developing a research line, to effective course design, to collegiality.\u00a0 I have attended at least one division-sponsored session at all subsequent conventions.\u00a0 I continue to benefit by my affiliation with this group.<\/p>\n
The Adams Center has been a significant source of trainings and information regarding the how-tos and whys of teaching.\u00a0 Two summer teaching institutes offered by the center were significant in helping me understand and then re-envision course design.\u00a0 Both were extremely practical as well as providing sound theoretical grounding.\u00a0 These were both entitled “Creating Significant Learning Experiences”, with the first (taught by Dr. Dee Fink) occurring on June 3-4, 2011\u00a0 and the second (taught by Dr. Barbara Millis) taking place on May 20-21, 2013.\u00a0 Although I was not able to attend Dr. Finks entire workshop (I was present for one day), I benefitted fron the step-by-step course design strategies he presented, and those facilitated my “recreating” two courses (ComP 659, ComP 330) with positive results.\u00a0 Dr. Millis used some of his materials, but focused more on specific, active learning strategies that I am already employing.<\/p>\n
LynetteAustin_InstituteCertificate2013-1<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m appreciative of the brief lunchtime courses in teaching improvement offered through the Adams Center.\u00a0 I\u2019ve attended a number of events there which have helped me grow as a teacher; the following is a sampling of some of the most helpful sessions:\u00a0 \u201cFaculty Fusion\u201d (multiple sessions, generally dealing with use of technology\/mobile learning devices in the classroom), \u201cTenure & Promotion,\u201d and \u201cHeads UP: Open Forum Discussion on Energizing Small Group Discussion.\u201d\u00a0 Most recently (during the past school year) I’ve attended sessions on research\/statistics, grant writing, and specifics on iPad use in the classroom.\u00a0For this school year,\u00a0 I have agreed to be part of a group for quantitative researchers. In other words, my interests and needs have covered a broad range of topics in this area, and the Adams Center has stepped up to provide for those.<\/p>\n LynetteAustin_ACparticipation12-13-1<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve also learned from attending sessions where other faculty members have described their current research, and I\u2019ve enjoyed \u201cFaculty Fellowship\u201d luncheons where I\u2019ve had the opportunity to visit with and learn from teachers outside my department.<\/p>\n Most recently I’ve found much helpful reading through subscribing to the “Faculty Focus” email list and receiving their weekly or biweekly post.\u00a0 These brief articles, on topics such as the flipped classroom, active learning, blended course design, assessment design, and the use of study groups (to name just a few) are timely and authored by respected authorities.\u00a0 I have found many useful ideas through this source.\u00a0 I also peruse the user forums on teaching on the websites of the Chronicles of\u00a0 Higher Education <\/em>and Inside Higher Ed,\u00a0<\/em>where helpful information on all aspects of the professoriate is found in not-so-scholarly posts!<\/p>\n Our discipline has built into it a continuing education requirement for licensure maintenance.\u00a0 The requirement, of 10 CE clock hours annually, has always seemed to me to be minimal.\u00a0 Our field is exploding with new information, and so much of it is easily available online.\u00a0 I am an eager consumer of continuing education.\u00a0 In 2010 and 2013 I received the ASHA Award for Continuing Education\u00a0 (after previously having received it in 2006).\u00a0 This award is given to certified members who have earned 70 clock hours of approved continuing education within a 36-month period (more than twice the amount required for license renewal in the state of Texas).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have a broad range of interests within the field but each year try to follow one or two strands of course offerings.\u00a0 In the previous two years I attended offerings on autism (this was an entire online conference), as well as cultural and linguistic diversity issues; now I am zeroing in on services to neonates and infants (AND CLD service issues).\u00a0 I have also been particularly interested in the past five years in offerings on current research methods in CLD populations.\u00a0 I find these programs at ASHA and TSHA conventions, in journals, and online.<\/p>\n I feel that it is essential for me to be up-to-date in my field in order to be an effective professor in this discipline, perhaps more-so now than at any other time in the past, as we try to prepare students to be generalists in a field that is “sooooo” big.<\/p>\n ACE award 2010<\/a><\/p>\n ACE award 2013<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next. . .Course Evaluations Summary<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Growing in the Art and Science of Teaching On beginning my career in higher education, I felt that I’d had excellent preparation in my discipline and in my research area, and limited preparation in the art and science of teaching.\u00a0 … Continue reading online and other resources<\/h3>\n
\u00a0Growing in Discipline-Specific Knowledge<\/h2>\n