Spring 2025 Events & Programming Overview

Find all of CATL’s events and programming all in one place! We already have several exciting opportunities planned for Spring 2025, so mark your calendars.

“Teaching Today’s UWGB Students” Event Series & Canvas Course

As we head into a new semester, you may be asking yourself, who are the students in my classroom and why do they learn so differently than I did back in the day? Let’s ignore the fact that your college professors likely thought the same thing when you and your peers entered their classrooms and concentrate instead on how to engage and reach today’s students, the focus of CATL’s spring programming. Join us for “Teaching Today’s UWGB Students,” including three events and a Canvas shell of resources.

  • Insights from Secondary School Educators on Our Current & Future Students | Monday, Feb. 17, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  • Growing Your Mindset | Friday, Mar. 7, 9 – 10 a.m.
  • Teaching with Transparency | Friday, Apr. 4, 9 – 10 a.m.

Co-Writing Community

Tara DaPra, one of CATL’s Instructional Development Consultants, will lead another “Co-Writing Community” this semester via Zoom from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays & Fridays, starting Jan. 28. A co-writing community is a zero-obligation, zero-preparation, zero-outside work activity. Use this time to work on creative or scholarly projects that might otherwise get pushed aside by the demands of teaching. All faculty and staff are welcome!

Teaching with Technology Certificate (LITE 101, 201, & 301 Courses)

The Teaching with Technology Certificate program consists of three courses that act as steps in the certification sequence: Learning and Integrating Technology for Education (LITE) 101, LITE 201, and LITE 301. Participants will earn a badge after completing the first and second courses in the sequence, and the Teaching with Technology Certificate after completing the third course. Full-time instructors who complete the second and third courses may also be eligible for a stipend. Registration for LITE 201 & 301 is now closed, but you can still complete LITE 101 if you haven’t already.

CATL Delivers

CATL will continue to bring services to you and your college or academic program. We will begin the semester with traditional college drop-in hours, but at some point in the term, we will transition to bringing programming directly to you instead. Watch for our soon-to-be-released Menu of Services! It will include a list of workshop topics you can request CATL bring to your college or unit.

  • CAHSS drop-in hours | Mary Ann Cofrin Hall B334 (Bridge room) | Mondays, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  • CSET drop-in hours | Environmental Sciences 317 or Laboratory Sciences 468 (rotates – see full schedule for details) | Mondays, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  • CSB drop-in hours | Wood Hall 430 | Tuesdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • CHESW drop-in hours | Rose Hall 305 (conference room) | Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • Virtual drop-in hours | Zoom | Thursdays from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

“Teaching with AI” Course

During the spring semester, instructors will have the opportunity to continue working through the “Teaching with AI” self-paced Canvas course created by Auburn University. Those who already signed up have been added to the course and will have until Apr. 1, 2025, to complete it. For instructors who have not yet registered, stay tuned for more information in March and April about registering for a new version of the course. Additional opportunities for synchronous check-in meetings will also be shared with enrollees at a later date.

Students repainting the large Phoenix logo on the ground

Teaching Today’s UWGB Students: A Preview of CATL’s Spring 2025 Programming Series

Article by Kris Vespia, Director of the Center of the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL)

One of the comments I have heard the most since becoming CATL Director is some variation on the following: “I just don’t understand students today. They [fill in the blank].” Whether that sentence is completed with “don’t do their reading,” or “balance more than I ever had to,” instructors clearly have a sense that current students are walking a different path than they did in their college days.

CATL has decided to tackle this topic with a connected programming series this semester that will invite everyone to engage not only with the question of who our students are but also what strategies we can use to work with them more effectively. We have constructed a Canvas course of articles and other resources related to “Teaching Today’s UWGB Students,” and we will continue to update it during the term. We are also hosting three events related to this theme. First, on Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m., we will co-host, along with Student Access and Success, an online panel of secondary school educators from common feeder schools for UWGB. Teachers, student services personnel, and administrators will talk about what they see in today’s high school students and share strategies they find effective in working with them.

After spending time considering student characteristics in February, we will turn in March and April to consider evidence-based pedagogical strategies that research suggests are effective with a broad range of students. On Mar. 7 at 9 a.m., our own Dr. Amy Kabrhel and her brother, Dr. Steven Anschutz, who wrote his dissertation on the topic, will address “Growing Your Mindset,” and CATL will share some practical tips for integrating it into your teaching. On Apr. 4 at 9 a.m., we will welcome former Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars Co-Director, current River Falls’ CETL Director, and published author Dr. Cyndi Kernahan for a live online discussion of “Teaching with Transparency,” and how that can facilitate student engagement and learning.

We see these different events as inter-related, and we will offer the opportunity to earn a “Teaching Today’s Students” digital badge if you engage with all three topics by either attending each of the three synchronous events or by contributing to an asynchronous alternative in the Canvas course for any live presentations you miss. Note that we will also have a series of blogs on related topics throughout the semester, such as “Understanding Today’s UWGB Students” and “Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI).”

Please watch Teach Tuesday for upcoming blogs and look for Outlook invitations to the three events described above. We look forward to engaging with you.

Workshop Wednesday: Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to Increase Access (Apr. 3, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.)

Throughout the 2024 spring semester, CATL’s “Workshop Wednesday” series has been centered around understanding neurodiversity and enhancing the accessibility of our courses to better serve our students. Join us as we conclude this semester’s workshop series with a session on using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) led by the Director of UW-Green Bay’s Student Accessibility Services, Lynn Niemi, and Art and Design Professor, Alison Gates. Attendees will continue the conversation about neurodiversity and explore how to use UDL to remove barriers in course materials and increase student access. This workshop will be held virtually via Zoom on Apr. 3rd, 2024, from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Register today to receive an Outlook calendar invitation with the Zoom link.

Presentation PowerPoint

CATL Workshop Wednesday 2024 UDL PowerPoint Presentation

Workshop Related Articles

Workshop Wednesday: Improving Accessibility in Learning Materials (Mar. 6, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.)

Want to make your learning materials more accessible for your students? Meeting certain accessibility standards is not only required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act but also a way to boost student success and engagement. Join CATL and Assistant Professor of Humanities, Kristopher Purzycki, on March 6th, 2024, from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. for a workshop on improving the accessibility of your course materials. Attendees will learn how to avoid common accessibility issues when creating and sharing digital content, such as PowerPoint presentations, PDFS, and Canvas materials. Attendees will also hear from experienced colleagues who will share their insights on how to implement accessibility in your syllabus and course design. Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your students’ learning experience through the benefits of accessible design. This workshop will be held virtually via Zoom. Register today to receive an Outlook calendar invitation with the Zoom link.

Upcoming Workshop Wednesdays

On the first Wednesday of February, March, and April, CATL will host a “Workshop Wednesday” event from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

  • Apr. 3 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Topic: Universal Design for Learning

Workshop Wednesday: Students’ Experiences at UWGB via Neurodiverse Viewpoints (Feb. 7, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.)

Although “neurodiverse” is an umbrella term that can refer to a wide variety of minds, there may be some overlap when it comes to the experiences, challenges, and triumphs that neurodiverse students encounter in higher ed. What are some common barriers these students face at UWGB and how can we help remove those barriers, or work with students to overcome them? What are some strengths and assets they bring to UWGB that we might be overlooking? Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 3:30 p.m. as we explore these questions and more through a student panel on neurodiversity. All UWGB faculty and staff are invited and can attend either in person in the Christie Theatre or virtually via Zoom. Registration is not required, but if you are interested, we encourage you to sign up to receive an Outlook calendar invitation with the livestream link. This event is jointly sponsored by Assistant Vice Chancellor Stacie Christian and CATL.

Event Poster

Upcoming Workshop Wednesdays

On the first Wednesday of February, March, and April, CATL will host a “Workshop Wednesday” event from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

  • Mar. 6 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Topic: Accessibility
  • Apr. 3 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Topic: Universal Design for Learning