Dr. Jen Moon and Katie Dawson, both from the University of Texas at Austin, will deliver the keynote session: “Teaching with Intention: Facilitating an Inclusive and Joyful Classroom Culture for Effective Learning” If you are feeling a bit restless … want to shake up your routine … or just need some inspiration, consider joining me on a road trip to Charlottesville on Wednesday, April 29. I have already reserved a state van for the occasion. Up to six passengers can board the van to the Innovations in Pedagogy Summit, which is hosted by the University of Virginia’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Here’s a summary from the summit website: The Eighth Annual Innovations in Pedagogy Summit will bring together faculty, staff, and students from across UVA and beyond to explore the theme Curiosity, Discovery, and Wonder. Educators have the opportunity to both create and foster learning environments where students’ curiosity, discovery, and wonder thrive. But what does this look like — in and out of the classroom, with and without technology, in small courses and large — and how do we know it’s happening? Admission is free, and the event is open to the public. And since you know about my… Continue Reading Field trip! Sign up to attend the Innovations in Pedagogy Summit at UVARead More
14
Feb
You remember when I said I read about creativity for fun? Just in the last month, I enrolled in an MIT massive open online course (MOOC): “Launching Innovation in Schools.” This course — which is free and open to all — is co-taught by Peter Senge, author of “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.” I blogged about that book back in November. Here’s a quick summary of the course: Every great teacher and every great school constantly works towards creating better learning conditions for students. Just as we hope our students become lifelong learners, we as educators should be constantly learning and improving. This education course is for school leaders of all kinds (from teacher-leaders to principals to superintendents) who are launching innovation in schools–starting new efforts to work together to improve teaching and learning. “Launching Innovation in Schools” started in early February and continues through April. Its target audience is K-12 educators, but most of its themes and strategies apply to higher education. I’m already discussing some of the ideas with the Campus Engagement Workgroup … and will bring back highlights to share in this space. If you would like to join the course, it’s… Continue Reading Joy is the energy of innovation … and 4 other takeaways from ‘Launching Innovation in Schools’Read More
? ? ? (If you read 20 Ways to Be a Virginia Western Superhero, you probably know already!). ? ? ? Answer: Creativity … followed by persuasion, collaboration, adaptability, and time management (source: LinkedIn). But I don’t need a LinkedIn employer survey to tell me creativity matters. I’ve known this most of my life. Fostering a creative environment was the topic of my master’s thesis … and a subject I read about for fun. Now I’m approaching creativity as the parent of a 6-year-old who is just starting her academic journey. This is why the Innovation Grants awarded by VWCC’s Educational Foundation are my favorite grants to talk about. My goal isn’t just to increase the number of funded grant proposals, but to promote creative thinking every day. But how do we teach creativity? Is that even possible? Just as I learned of the LinkedIn employer survey, the Chronicle of Higher Education released a special report: The Creativity Challenge: Teaching Students to Think Outside the Box, which also cites the same survey. Thanks to the help of Dale Dulaney and the Brown Library, we were able to purchase this report. The Creativity Challenge explains why creativity matters, and, most importantly,… Continue Reading Pop quiz! What was the No. 1 soft skill sought by employers in 2019?Read More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023
- Time to Innovate October 4, 2023
- How to tackle grant season? August 14, 2023