Join a faculty study seminar Two Faculty Study Seminars (FSS) will be offered during fall 2008. The FSS program provides a means for faculty with common interests to learn more about a teaching-related topic. Each FSS group meets four times during a single semester, at times mutually agreed to by participants, to read and discuss a teaching-related book (books provided by the Office of Instructional Development). The only obligation of participants is to read and come ready to discuss. Fall FSS books are: * Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses by Dee Fink (Jossey-Bass, 2003). Dee Fink's philosophical and practical approach to course design is based on the premise that teaching should produce something others can observe and conclude "'That learning experience resulted in something that is truly significant in terms of the students’ lives'" (p. 4). This book offers faculty a way to look at their courses, structure them in terms of the knowledge and skills they see as most significant, and create learning experiences that help students achieve those course objectives. If you are designing a new course, redesigning an old one or taking a broader look at significant learning across your curriculum this book can help provide the tools to think about and create useful change. * They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein (Norton, 2006). Praised for "demystifying the tricks of the writer's trade," They Say/I Say is used by many teachers (including a number in UND's freshman composition program) who want to help students learn to write and think at a college level. The book synopsis says it all: "At a time when so many lament the decline of writing skills among Americans, They Say/I Say teaches the core moves of effective argumentative writing. Suggesting that there are certain moves that experienced writers use instinctively, and that the moves can be learned." So if you have been frustrated with your students writing and thinking skills, this book offers both food for thought and a pragmatic approach to talking with your students effectively about their writing. If you have any questions or are interested in participating in either FSS, please send an e-mail to anne_kelsch@und.nodak.edu or call 777-4233. -- Anne Kelsch, Director, Office of Instructional Development, anne_kelsch@und.nodak.edu, 777-4233