York University’s fifth annual Teaching in Focus (TIF) conference returns for another year on May 17 and 18. This year’s program is bigger and more imaginative. As in previous years, the TIF conference is completely free. (That’s right, free!)
Featuring a relevant program of workshops and panels, new this year is a special maker space session featuring hands-on experience in a wide range of teaching and learning technologies. Conference sessions are taught by Faculty from all areas of the University. TIF offers the latest information on innovations in teaching techniques and the classroom experience, and the presenters are leaders in their fields.
“The Teaching in Focus conference is the highlight of our year,” says Celia Popovic, director of the Teaching Commons. “We eagerly anticipate this event as the culmination of the teaching year. This year we have a breadth of presentations and keynotes.”
Demand is high for the conference and space is limited. Register for the 2017 Teaching in Focus Conference by completing the registration form. The deadline to register is Friday, May 5. The conference is open to all full- and part-time faculty, adjunct and contract faculty, and teaching assistants.
Over the two days, parallel sessions provided by the York community will offer opportunities to hear about good practice in teaching, stories from the chalkboard, and triumphs and challenges. In total, there are 30 presenters as well as panels and poster sessions.
Professor Nancy Chick from the University of Calgary will be the keynote speaker on day one of TIF. Chick is University Chair in Teaching and Learning, Academic Director of the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, and Teaching Professor of English at the University of Calgary. She is also the founding co-editor of Teaching & Learning Inquiry (the journal of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning/ISSOTL), co-editor of two books on signature pedagogies, and author of a variety of publications about Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects she’s conducted as well as SoTL as a field. In her keynote, Chick will explore what is meant by SoTL, what counts and how to get published in the field. This will be of interest to experienced researchers in teaching and learning as well as newcomers.
Full details on TIF can be found at http://teachingcommons.yorku.ca/conferences/york-conferences/.
Remember, demand is high for this highly interactive and engaging event. Register soon to avoid disappointment.