The Discussion Project

"I am a chemistry professor who was just preparing to teach a 20 person graduate class when I participated in the Discussion Project. For the first time in my three decade career, I had the opportunity to discuss, debate, and revel in ideas presented by a wide swath of teachers across the university. I was startled by the originality and freshness of the suggestions, many of which can be translated to teaching science. I would gladly recommend the Discussion Project to all who are interested, even if you are an instructor in a large class. P.S. Here’s one suggestion from the Discussion Project I found helpful last semester: when you ask a question in a small or large class, count to 10 before allowing anyone to answer it - you will find many more students who respond."

"The opening activities to promote immediate class engagement, rubrics for virtual learning, experiences engaging with different discussion techniques, rather than just reading about them – they were all extremely useful for my practice. Our discussions allowed us to collaborate with other teachers in various fields across UW to lesson plan and brainstorm great ways to structure our time and create inclusive learning environments."

"Collaborative Classroom Visits incorporate professional development and the opportunity to think systematically about pedagogy and enhancing the classroom experience for both instructors and students. I enjoyed working with thought partners from across campus who were equally committed to bettering teaching and learning in tangible ways."