Maker Day: Facilitating Online Discussions in Turbulent Times

In this new series from the Online Education team at the Center for Integrated Professional Development, Maker Days are a space where instructors can work independently and collaboratively to discuss topics related to teaching and develop artifacts that can be used in their courses. Staff will be available throughout to answer questions, brainstorm, and guide the session with brief lectures on specific, timely subjects. Each Maker Day will focus on a chosen theme with three subtopics that guide and focus the artifacts that you may choose to work on. While we encourage you to come for the entire 3 hours, you may also drop in as interested. Bring a laptop and course materials you’d like to work on!

This maker day focuses on facilitating online discussions by acknowledging the turbulent times that many students are experiencing beyond the classroom. The first hour will focus on contextualizing the current social climate and considering the way in which student identity is at play in the classroom. The second hour will focus on best practices for drafting discussion questions and laying the ground for productive discussions in Canvas. The final hour will focus on what you as the instructor can do to facilitate a safe and respectful discussion for all students in the course. Artifacts that can be drafted during this Maker Day include: discussion prompts, netiquette policies, discussion requirements, syllabus or instructor statement on identity, etc. Registration is required.