Program Description

Funded by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, this program offers JMU faculty a one-year experience in a Teaching Community where they can develop an interdisciplinary network of colleagues interested in a particular teaching-related issue or pedagogical approach. Madison Teaching Fellows (MTFs) are small groups of JMU faculty who explore a specific topic and together provide mutual support for learning and performance. Members self-organize into a functioning community with the general goal of supporting each other in their learning.

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2007-2008 Madison Teaching Fellows:

Focus Areas:

Global Teaching: Africana Studies-- In an attempt to increase international topics in the JMU curriculum and to integrate Africana content in a wider number of courses, the Global Teaching MTF group will explore issues associated with Africana studies. Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses Africa and the African Diaspora globally. This MTF group will explore topics such as colonialism, migration, race and ethnicity, economic development, HIV/AIDS, and democratization. The group will explore these topics through readings, discussions and guest presentations by select JMU Africana faculty and invited seminar leaders from other institutions. This experience will provide participants with a greater understanding of Africana issues and will help them explore the usefulness of such topics for the teaching of global and interdisciplinary content in their courses. The MTF group is open to all faculty in the university. We would like a diverse group with representation from all areas of campus and with a broad range of experience in the field.

Members: Kristine Juncker, Cheryl Beverly, Maria Papadakis, Teresa Harris, Jennifer Byne, Anne Stewart, and Lennie Echterling.

Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty--Nationally, adjunct faculty teach 30-50% of all higher education courses; at JMU, adjunct faculty account for about 1/3 of faculty. In consideration of this, the Center for Faculty Innovation is sponsoring a Madison Teaching Fellows group for part-time/adjunct faculty. This Madison Teaching Fellows group will explore ways in which JMU's current adjunct faculty can effectively and efficiently teach and thrive in the JMU community. Other than the first meeting, this group will “meet” mostly online. The group will determine the direction and goals for this experience. Example goals might include the exploration of topics regarding revising a course, incorporating collaborative learning into an existing course, or transforming an existing course with service learning or online components. We welcome applications from all part-time or adjunct faculty representing all areas of campus and levels of teaching expertise.

Members: Laura Madden, Isaac Sweeney, Shaun Mooney, Joseph Loyacano, Drew Koch, Daisy Breneman, Vicki Fama, Susan Brooks, Judy Good, Alysia Davis, and Fred La Spina.

Learner-Centered Teaching-- What is learner-centered teaching? How is learner-centered teaching different from other forms of teaching? Can we implement learner-centered strategies into college courses, traditionally focused on content? What are the benefits to the learner and the instructor of implementing a learner-centered classroom? What is the role of content in a learner-centered course? These are some of the questions and challenges that this Madison Teaching Fellows group will explore. The MTF group is open to all JMU faculty in the university who are interested in exploring this type of teaching in their courses.

Members: Samantha Prins, Mary Slade, Mark Mattson, Chris Lantz, Lincoln Gray, Kristi Lewis, and Tiffany Hall.

 

Madison Teaching Fellows Tier II

Click Here to download the informational flyer and application (Word document).

 

Madison Teaching Fellows Alumni:

2006-2007     

On-line Teaching and Learning - In consideration of the growing number of on-line course offerings at many universities, this MTF group will explore various on-line teaching practices and determine the best strategies for use in the on-line classroom. Based on this exploration, this group will suggest ways in which instructors can effectively and efficiently teach in an
on-line environment.

Facilitators: Susan Kruck and Sarah Cheverton

Members: Suzanna Baker, Timothy Ball, Alessandro Lagana, Michael Quinn, Carey Cole, Cynthia Cadieux

Textbooks: Innovations and Effective Pedagogy -Textbook usage is changing as new technologies provide more diversity in material availability for students and faculty. This MTF group will explore the use of textbooks inside and outside of the university classroom, with "textbook" loosely defined as reading material to supplement classroom instruction.

Facilitators: Karen Santos and Nancy Harris

Members: Diane Lending, Etty Vandsburger, William Alexander, Gary Richard Kirk, Scott Gallagher and Brenda Seal.

2005 - 2006

Multicultural Teaching and Learning - This MTF group explored ways to actualize, through beliefs, curriculum, and instructional practices, a philosophy of appreciation of culture in university courses.

 

Enhancing Instruction with Technology - This Madison Teaching Fellows group suggested ways in which JMU's current teaching and learning technologies could be used effectively in the face-to-face classroom.

 

2004 - 2005

Teaching Large Classes - The first Madison Teaching Fellows offered engaging conversations about effective teaching strategies for large classes (75+ students).

 

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