Workshop to improve faculty skills, teaching
Critical thinking expert Richard Paul will return to CMU's campus to continue to instruct faculty on better ways of teaching in his workshop Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bovee University Center Rotunda.
Richard Paul, of the Center for Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University in California, is returning to campus after a January seminar on the basic theories, instructional structures and assessment concepts of critical thinking, said Linda Seestedt-Stanford, assistant to the dean of in the College of Health Professions.
Over 100 faculty members attended the first workshop, she said, which was an outstanding response campus-wide.
"What we're trying to do is to get the faculty to think in terms of a critical-thinking framework," Seestedt-Stanford said.
After becoming familiar with critical thinking theories in the first workshop, the seminar will focus on redesigning an established CMU course to apply all of its features to a critical thinking mind set, she said.
Participants are being asked to come to the workshop with the syllabus and textbook of a class they have taught and are comfortable with. They will begin analyzing and redesigning the class from day one, Seestedt-Stanford said.
"People will walk out with a product that really meets critical thinking theory and structures," she said.
The event is co-sponsored by the Colleges of Health Professions, Extended Learning and Communication and Fine Arts.
Although the seminar is designed for faculty, students are invited to attend if they are interested in critical thinking, Seestedt-Stanford said.
If interested, students should contact the College of Health Professions if they would like to attend as an observer or possibly be placed with a faculty member to work with them on a chosen class.
Even if students would prefer not to attend the workshop, it is important for them to be aware of the new strategies and styles their teachers will be attempting to use, she said.
Students can become aware by visiting Paul's web site,
www.sonoma.edu/cthink.
"We don't want to exclude students," Seestedt-Stanford said, "They take as much responsibility for learning as the teacher does. The student is at the center of what they do."
The workshop is also a valuable tool for faculty in many ways, she said.
"It's important to talk about what we do. This workshop provides an opportunity for faculty to improve their skills and look at a different way to teach. We rarely have an opportunity to dialogue about teaching and learning," Seestedt-Stanford said.
Even if a faculty member did not attend in January, the workshop will still be helpful, she said. If a faculty member is interested, he or she would have to become familiar with the basic theories of critical thinking.
Faculty members can do this by contacting the College of Health Professions or contacting another faculty member who attended the January seminar and review their material, she said.
If they still do not feel prepared, Seestedt-Stanford said those interested need to review materials and come with questions.
"Dr. Paul is very open to answering questions," she said.
