Between Praise and Criticism:  The Power of Teacher Feedback
By MaryAnn K. Crawford, Director, Writing Center, Central Michigan University
Much has been written about the efficacy of teacher feedback:  it’s important, it’s good; students want it; they complain if don’t receive it quickly enough.  In a similar vein, positive reinforcement has long been accepted as promoting learning.  Yet, some now question giving praise, indicating that it can have a negative, if unintended, effect by fostering dependency rather than motivation. This leaves us teachers doing a balancing act between praise and criticism. <learn more>

Book Review
“Tools for Teaching” by Barbara Gross Davis
Review by Linda Dankoff
Tools for Teaching is a compilation of teaching tips, strategies and research findings, beginning with preparation of  a course and ending with post-class activities.  All of these are designed to assist every teacher, new or long-standing, to improve their teaching effectiveness. <learn more>

Blackboard Tip
Copying a Course
By Ireta Ekstrom, PhD, CMU Instructional Developer
The fall 2008 semester’s courses have been added in Blackboard and August is a great time to look over your courses from last semester and forward materials into next semester. Using course copy allows you to create materials, refine them and then efficiently reuse them from semester to semester. Items that can be copied include content such as the syllabus, course materials, assignments and external links. Additional tools and items such as adaptive release rules, announcements, discussion boards, early warning system rules, glossaries, grade Center items and settings, group settings, staff information and tests/surveys/pools can also be moved.  Click here to access the Blackboard print and video tutorials that will help you get started.

Invitation to Write an Article

Many times there is ongoing research, papers or presentations that would be interesting to our Central Michigan University faculty. If you would like to share a synopsis of your material, contact Dan Bracken (brack1dj@cmich.edu) to discuss the content and timeline.

Upcoming FaCIT Workshops

August 18 – 9:00 – 3:45 p.m. ‘Blackboard Institute:  Novice’

August 19 – 9:00 – 4:00 p.m. ‘Blackboard Institute:  Power User’ (Feel free to sign up for any or all of the sessions

August 22 – 9:00 – 3:45 p.m. ‘Blackboard Institute:  New Faculty’ (This institute is for new faculty only.)

Also…be watching our calendar or CMU Today for the following workshops starting in September!

“Bb @ Lunch” workshops for new users presented by Ireta Ekstrom – one per week.

Blackboard Power User workshops – two per month.

For more information regarding any FaCIT workshop contact Eileen Sanders (sande1em@cmich.edu) or telephone (774-3615) to register.