GAMECOCKTALES Book Club Series : Fall 2024

Program Description and Goals

Featured Book: Small Teaching Online by Flower Darby

Faculty Commons is proud to introduce the GAMECOCKTALES Book Club Series. Faculty are invited to come together over a shared reading experience to explore innovative teaching methodologies and share academic insights across disciplines.

  • To develop a professional learning community among faculty
  • To increase interdisciplinary collaboration
  • To engage in reflective discussions regarding teaching practices in order to identify areas for improvement
  • To develop strategic changes to positively impact student learning
  • To enhance knowledge of educational technologies

Meeting Locations, Dates, and Times

Thursday,

September 5

Book Club Mtg 1: Interest Meeting

When: 2:30-3:30

Where: 217, Self Hall Lounge

Who: All Interested Faculty

What: In our first meeting, we will discuss the reasons for selecting Small Teaching Online and will share expectations of the Fall 2024 book club. Those who join the book club will receive a copy of Small Online Teaching. *Participation may be limited.

Monday, 

September 16

Book Club Mtg 2: Designing for Learning Pt 1

When: 2:00-3:00

Where: 217, Self Hall Lounge

Who: Book Club Participants

What: In this meeting, participants will discuss Part I: “Designing for Learning” focusing on “surfacing backward design.”

Tuesday,

October 1

Book Club Mtg 3: Designing for Learning Pt 2 

When: 1:30-2:30

Where: 217, Self Hall Lounge

Who: Book Club Participants

What: Participants will finish Part I “Designing for Learning”, discussing guided learning through engagement, and media and technology learning tools.

Thursday,

October 17

Book Club Mtg 4: Teaching Humans 

When: 2:30-3:30

Where: 217, Self Hall Lounge

Who: Book Club Participants

What: Participants will discuss Part II: “Teaching Humans,” including building community, giving feedback, and fostering student persistence and success.

Monday, 

November 18 

Book Club Mtg 5: Motivating Online Students (and Instructors) 

When:  1:30 – 2:30

Where: 217, Self Hall Lounge

Who: Book Club Participants

What: Participants will discuss Part III: “Motivating Online Students (and Instructors)” with a focus on creating autonomy, making connections, and developing as an online instructor. 

Tuesday,

December 3

Book Club Mtg 6: Group Debrief 

When: 1:30-2:30

Where: 217, Self Hall Lounge

Who: Book Club Participants

What: In the final meeting of the semester, participants will discuss takeaways from the text and ways to implement what they learned in future online courses.

Register Now

When you register for a workshop, you will receive a calendar invitation at your JSU Outlook email. Calendar invites are sent manually by Brandy Roberts, so please allow up to two business hours for delivery. Once you accept the invitation, the event will appear on your Outlook calendar. If you do not receive or cannot locate the invite, please contact Brandy Roberts at broberts@jsu.edu.

Registration is encouraged for all professional development sessions but is not required to attend. However, pre-registration is required for any session that includes lunch. Faculty are always welcome to attend without registering, but lunch is only provided for those who have pre-registered.