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The Dome Goes on Holiday

A gift for God at Christmas | Guideposts

Just one last reminder that today, Wednesday, December 23, is the final edition of The Dome to publish in 2020.

The college’s employee E-newsletter will be on holiday throughout Christmas and into the New Year, and resume its normal publication schedule on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Any submissions for that edition should be received by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5.

Merry Christmas to all … and a very Happy New Year.

Submitted by: College Communications

Advent Resources for Our Canisius Family

Welcome to the fourth week of Advent.

Over the past several weeks, members of the Canisius community have offered various reflections and meditations for all to enjoy.

Rev. Jack Mattimore, SJ, and alumni Josie Diebold ’09, Mary Mietlicki Makar ’08, MS ’13 and Daniel McNamara ’79, PhD, offered scriptural reflections.  Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, SJ and Sarah Signorino offered Advent meditations, which focused on the Annunciation, St. Joseph (relating to Pope Francis’ apostolic letter, Patris Corde) and the birth of Christ.

If you missed any or all of these meditations and reflections, they are now available on the Mission & Identity resource page, which you can find by clicking here.

Submitted by: Office of Mission & Identity

 

Join the Next Jesuit Book Club

The Canisius College community is invited to join the next gathering of the Jesuit Book Club when it meets on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 4:30 p.m.

Book Club facilitators Nick Ripatrazone, Mike Jordan Laskey and America Magazine Executive Editor Kerry Weber will host a lively conversation about the latest book club selection One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder by the late Brian Doyle.

Sign up here.

From a “born storyteller” (Seattle Times), this playful and moving bestselling book of essays invites readers into the miraculous and transcendent moments of everyday life.

When Brian Doyle passed away at the age of 60, following a diagnosis of brain cancer, he left behind a cult-like following of devoted readers who regard his writing as one of the best-kept secrets of the 21st century. Doyle writes with a delightful sense of wonder about the sanctity of everyday things, and about love and connection in all their forms: spiritual love, brotherly love, romantic love and even the love of a nine-foot sturgeon.

At a moment when the world can sometimes feel darker than ever, Doyle’s writing, which constantly evokes the humor and bliss that life affords, is a balm. His essays manage to find, again and again, exquisite beauty in the quotidian, whether it’s the awe of a child the first time she hears a river, or a husband’s whiskers that a grieving widow misses seeing in her sink every morning. Through Doyle’s eyes, nothing is dull.

Join the ongoing conversation in the Jesuit Book Club Facebook group.

The Jesuit Book Club is sponsored by the Jesuit Conference Office of Communications and Vocation Promotion.

Submitted by: Sarah Signorino, director,  Mission & Identity

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Jesuits

As part of Canisius College’s Center for Urban Education’s year-long community conversation series on Dr. Martin Luther King’s book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community, School & Community Partnerships Director Wil Green was able to sit down with Erin McDonald, from the University at Detroit Mercy and Rev. Ted Penton, SJ, of the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology.

Throughout the discussion, guests shed light on the Jesuit mission and explained parallels in the work of Dr. King and Jesuits. To view the discussion and learn more about the project, check out the information page here: https://tinyurl.com/MLKBookDiscussion.

In addition, you can use this link (https://canisius.zoom.us/j/93363217940) to join our next panel discussion, scheduled for December 30 at 1:00 p.m. This project is in collaboration with Canisius College Center for Urban Education, the New Buffalo Institute and Juneteenth of Buffalo.

Submitted by: Wil Green, director, School & Community Partnerships

Winter Faculty Development Week

A week of fantastic opportunities for faculty development is set for January 11 – 15, 2021!  Sessions will be roughly 1 hour, 15 minutes each.

Sessions Include:

Ignatian Pedagogy and Terminology

Sarah Signorino, Director of Mission & Identity

Learn a deeper understanding of our Jesuit values. Learn about the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm and how you can incorporate it into your classes. Learn about the Mission & Identity resource page, a digital toolkit for historical and contemporary happenings in the Ignatian network.

 

 

 

 

Student Writing: A Conversation about Fundamentals

Dr. Graham Stowe, Assistant Professor of English and Director, Canisius College Writing Center

In this workshop we will discuss the basics of teaching writing, including effective assignment development, variations on grading, and in general strategies for writing-to-learn. If your students don’t do much writing in your courses, here’s an opportunity to consider how student writing can meet your learning goals. If you have students write a lot, here’s a chance to revisit fundamentals to make the process better for students, and for you.

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity

Fatima Johnson-Rodriguez, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Emma Switzer, ’21, Dr. Richard Reitsma, Chair and Associate Professor, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Dr. Joshua Russell, Director, Anthrozoology Program

Inclusion must be a central principle within Ignatian pedagogy.  At Canisius, we are committed to supporting our LGBTQIA+ students, and in our courses, create spaces for exploring topics and themes of vital importance to justice in communities local and global.  In this session, we discuss ways to build LGBTQIA+ inclusion into the core elements of our courses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trauma Informed Teaching

Dr. Sarah Blakely-McClure, Assistant Professor, Psychology, and Dr. Dave Farrugia, Professor, Counseling, and School Counseling Program Coordinator

In this workshop we will discuss Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning. This term describes an approach that recognizes how trauma profoundly affects the lives of many of our students. Trauma informed approaches can help improve policies, practices, and overall classroom climate in our classrooms and help accommodate the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. Please join us to watch a few short videos to introduce the topic and then to discuss how these approaches could be used in our teaching during this difficult time. Resources for more on trauma informed teaching will be provided after the session We hope to see you there!

 

Developing a Course Orientation

Dr. Jennifer Lodi-Smith, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs

Develop a dynamic ten-minute orientation for your Fall 2020 course! This companion to the course syllabus can help students get a clear picture of your course policies, routines, assignments and objectives.

Compassionate, Labor-Based Grading

Join in a conversation of how you can be innovative and inclusive in your grading with compassionate, labor-based grade.  Participants will specifically discuss Sandie Friedman’s Article “Compassionate Grading in the Era of COVID,” and Asao Inoue’s 2019 chair’s address at CCCC.

Work Smarter in Course Management

Dr. Malini Suchak, Associate Professor in Animal Behavior and Conservation

Confusion over deadlines, where to find things, and instructions causes frustration for both students and faculty and can result in a lot of extra time on email trying to sort things out. This session will go over some tips and tricks for organizing your courses on D2L so they are clear, efficient, and easy to use for both faculty and students.

Stay Golden, Griffins: Academic Supports for Student Success

Dr. Mark Harrington,Assistant Vice President for Student Success, HESAA Program Director, Assistant Professor of Graduate Education & Leadership

Jennifer Herrmann, Associate Dean of Student Success

Tracy Callaghan, Associate Director of Academic Achievement

Lindy Feider, Assistant Director of Academic Achievement

Monika McFoy, Assistant Director of Support Services

Join us for a brief overview of the Griff Center for Student Success. The team will discuss the various services and supports available to assist students in their academic pursuits. Additionally, the team will discuss the newly formed student success teams, the process of submitting academic and behavioral concerns, and the cura personalis team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching and Learning with Bouwhuis Library

Lisa Sullivan, Librarian, Andrew Bouhwuis Library

Come and join our fantastic librarian as she guides you through navigating the library resources and site, requesting resources, library instruction options as well as how to receive research assistance for you and your students.

Student Accessibility Services 101

Sierra Bonerb, Associate Director, and Angela Bufalino, Support Services Coordinator, Canisius College Student Accessibility Services

This session will provide insight for faculty regarding Student Accessibility Services and the data on students with disabilities at Canisius. It will include information on getting students connected to the office, the intake process, faculty notifications, and providing reasonable accommodations. It will also offer an opportunity to answer questions related to working with students with disabilities and current best practices.

 

 

Learn to Engage: Discussion Posts and Online Activities

Yvonne Widenor, Visiting Assistant Professor and Art History Program Director , Fine Arts Department.  Director, ArtsCanisius

This session will offer tips on ways to keep students actively involved in course content and building class community. Examples include ice-breakers, creative projects, and reactions to course material and are taken from art history courses but can be applied to many other disciplines.

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching with Video

Dr. Jonathan O’Brien, Associate Professor of Biology

Learn to record video for your multi-modal courses! Video can be a great way to asynchronously deliver course content to students, that they can watch on their own time outside of scheduled classtimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaborate with Career Development

Eileen Abbatoy, Senior Associate Director, Sheila Pettigrew, Senior Assistant Director, and Rachel Emmons, Coordinator, Career Development

Meet the Career Development team and discover how we collaborate with faculty to support students’ career readiness through classroom presentations, individualized assignments and more. Learn about the tools, resources and employer partnerships available to our students and alumni for career success.

 

Surveys and Flipgrids and Asynchronous, Oh My!

Dr. Jonathan Lawrence, Associate Professor of Religious Studies

In this workshop, we focus on strategies for student engagement in a largely asynchronous semester.  Even in classes featuring some face-to-face interaction, most of the class activities can be completely asynchronous to provide flexibility.  Dr. Lawrence will discuss how he set up his courses, modifications he made during the term, experiences with “ungrading” methods, and student feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attractive, Interactive Courses Online

Dr. Marya Grande, Professor of Special/Childhood Education

Discover options for remote, interactive, and collaborative resources that promote student-student exchange.  These can easily be integrated into your D2L course space, but offer creative and engaging alternatives to traditional text discussions.  Additionally, we’ll explore tips for making your D2L course easier for students to navigate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

D2L Tools for Online Quizzes & Exams

Tyler Kron-Piatek, Instructional Technologist, Center for Online Learning & Innovation

Learn to use the Quizzes tool in D2L to build online exams and quizzes. You can build online tests that replace traditional face-to-face exams. Or you can create small worksheet-style “checkup” exercises that help your students get the most from weekly reading or video content. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to build, operate, and grade assessments using the Quizzes tool.

Basic Editing for Instructional Videos

In this workshop, we’ll learn some basic video editing techniques that can greatly improve instructional video in our courses, without a lot of additional effort.  We’ll work in Screencast-O-Matic and DaVinci Resolve, which represent a low-end/high-end mix, but our main focus will be tips, tricks, and workflow which strikes an efficient balance between good video production quality, and quick process.

 

Collaborative Critical Reading

In the past two decades scholars have experimented with “social annotation,” or the ability for readers to highlight and comment on the same web-based text.  Systems like Perusall and Hypothes.is make it easy for classes to discuss PDF-based texts, websites, and even videos.  Those who teach with them now report that this stimulates critical reading and student-student interaction at the site of the text.  In this session, we’ll run through the basics of Hypothes.is and Perusall, so participants can choose which (or both) they’d like to try in Spring 2021 courses.

 

Submitted by: Tyler Kron-Piatek, academic technologist, COLI