Faculty Development: Blitz Week

 

 

AND BLITZ WEEK '25 is a WRAP! 

We are so grateful to our Presenters for giving some very informative sessions and thankful to our Faculty for attending all week!! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Blitz Week was held virtually on January 6-9, 2025 and featured important panels and sessions categorized under the following: (1) Technology Essentials, (2) Faculty Success, (3) Student Success, and (4) Innovative Ideas and Tools. 

• View the Blitz Week 2025 Survey: Provide us with valuable Feedback!
• View the Blitz Week Full Schedule: See who presented!
• View Blitz Week 2025 Resources: See what you missed or watch a replay!

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SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Monday, January 6 - Technology Essential Sessions

  9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. – Overview of Canvas, Studio, Zoom and Respondus
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. – The New MSU Canvas Template: Enhance Your Students’ Learning Experience
11:05 a.m. - 11:35 a.m. – Unleash the Power of Data with Looker Studio
  1:00 p.m. -  2:00 p.m. –  Panel: Designing Assignments in the Age of Generative AI

Tuesday, January 7 - Faculty Success Sessions

  9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. – Panel: The First Five Years: Lived Experiences and Strategies of Early Faculty 
10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. – You Matter: Stay Away from Burnout 
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. – Early-Career Faculty Meetup Lunch
  1:00 p.m. -   1:25 p.m. – Human Resources Information
  1:30 p.m. -   2:30 p.m. – Beyond Busy: Creating Purposeful Productivity for Lasting Work-Life Harmony

Wednesday, January 8 - Student Success Sessions

  9:00 a.m. –   9:30 a.m. – Methods to Increase Students' Sense of Belonging
  9:35 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. – Project-Based Learning in General Education Courses
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Student Career Readiness: Tips and Tricks for Faculty
11:05 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. – Making Your Classroom More Readily Accessible for Individuals with Disabilities
  1:00 p.m. –   2:00 p.m. – Panel: Things to Consider When Advising Military-Connected Students

Thursday, January 9 - Innovative Ideas and Tools Sessions

  9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Lightning Session: Enhancing Learning Through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
10:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. – Innovative Assessment Strategies Beyond Traditional Grades
10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. – Plan a Library Workshop Week for Your Course
  1:00 p.m. –   1:30 p.m. – Tips for Accessing Library Resources via Your Browser
  2:00 p.m. –   2:30 p.m. – Pronto: A New Engagement Tool Integrated in Canvas to Help Students Learn

 

Dear Faculty,

Your unwavering commitment does not go unnoticed and we sincerely appreciate your dedication to serving our students, your colleagues and the community! We want to convey our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you for attending another successful Blitz Week 2024 which was held virtually on January 8-11, 2024 and widely attended by so many of you!

Blitz Week was specifically organized to help you get a strong start for the Spring 2024 semester and beyond! Our aim is to bring together faculty and individuals with teaching responsibilities to engage meaningfully during a variety of sessions (e.g., presentations, panels, innovative ideas and tools).

• View the Blitz Week 2024 Full Schedule
• View Blitz Week 2024 Resources

The Faculty Development Center is here to serve you, and we look forward to seeing you at future sessions and events! 

Blitz Week Schedule at a Glance:

Monday:

 9:00 am – 10:00 am - Panel: Strategies for Your Journey Toward Well-Being and Work-Life Harmony

10:30 am – 11:00 am - Sandwich Generation: Working While Caring for Multiple Generations

11:05 am – 11:35 am - The Eisenhower Box Method: A tool for Purposeful Decision Making

 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm - Human Resources Overview (Benefits, Racer Wellness, Leaves, EAP Resources, etc.)

Tuesday:

 9:00 am – 10:00 am - Top 10 Strategies to Help Online Students Learn

10:30 am – 11:00 am - Engaging Online Student Discussions

11:05 am – 11:35 am - Why I Ditched Quizzes and Exams for Discussions and Authentic Assessments

 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm - Making Your Classroom More Readily Accessible for Individuals with Disabilities

Wednesday:

 9:00 am – 10:00 am - 2023 NSSE Survey Results - What We Learned About Student Experience

10:15 am – 11:45 am - The Interpretation and Strategic Use of Student Ratings (For MSU Leaders)

10:15 am – 11:45 am - Interpreting and Leveraging Student Ratings for Impactful Teaching and Learning

                                     (Recorded Version for Faculty and Individuals with Teaching Responsibilities)

 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm - The Role of Sponsored Programs

Thursday:

 9:00 am – 10:00 am - Panel: Teaching Researching and Serving Well in the Age of Generative AI

10:10 am – 10:40 am - A Framework for Responding to Generative AI in Teaching and Learning

10:50 – 11:50 am - Three Strategies for GAI-Proofing Your Course

Innovative Ideas and Tools Sessions: 15-minute presentations (repeated about 3 times) 

1:00, 1:20 and 1:40 pm - Teaching Using Curipod

1:00, 1:20 and 1:40 pm - The Power of PRESENCE-tation!

1:00, 1:20 and 1:40 pm - Excel with MS Excel!

 

Blitz Week 2023

We sincerely appreciate all of you who attended and participated during Blitz Week 2023! 

• View Blitz Week Schedule: https://tinyurl.com/BWSchedule23

• View Blitz Week Virtual Platform: https://fdcvirtual.zohobackstage.com/BlitzWeek2023

• Provide us with feedback: BlitzWeekFeedbackSurvey2023

Quick Preview of Blitz Week Sessions Titles:

 Monday

1. Fundamentals of Canvas, Studio, Zoom, and Respondus
2. Panel - The First Five Years: Lived Experiences and Strategies of New Faculty
3. Well-Being With Racer Wellness and Human Resources
4. Panel - Grant Writing 101: Insights for Writing a Successful Grant

Tuesday

1. Dual Advising for First-Year Student Success
2. Advising Success: Academic, Social, and Personal Growth at Murray State
3. Building Student Confidence in Challenging Courses Through Relationship-Rich Education
4. Designing a Friendlier, Learner-Centered Syllabus
5. Using Games to Increase Student Retention and Participation

Wednesday

1. Inside the CPE's Graduate Profile and 10 Essential Skills
2. ABC's of Our Next QEP
3. Career Pathways
4. Encouraging Classroom Participation Through Electronic "Temperature Checks"
5. Using Blooket to Engage and Assess Your Students

Thursday

1. Using Qualtrics Survey and Data Analysis Platform to Help You and Your Students Succeed
2. Affordable Learning Resources Through the University Libraries
3. Teaching with Timeline JS
4. Essay Alternatives: Infographics as Visual Essays in the University Classroom
5. High Performance Computing Resources in Teaching and Research
6. The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life

We truly appreciate all of you who were able to attend and participate in Blitz Week 2022. You helped us to have a successful week!

To view the resources that the presenters shared and the schedule, please select the appropriate link below:

• View Blitz Week 2022 Schedule
• View Blitz Week Virtual Platform

Quick Summary of Blitz Week Sessions:

 Monday

1. Overview of Canvas, Studio, Zoom, and Respondus
2. Overview of Gray’s Scorecards: Using Data to Make Informed Program Decisions
3. Keeping Your Head Above Water: Balancing Work and Everything Else
4. Well-Being with Racer Wellness and Human Resources
5. Leading Yourself and Others Innovatively Using Leadership Coaching as a Tool

Tuesday

1. Escaping Zoom: Using Digital Escape Rooms for Assessments
2. Facilitating Inclusive Teaching
3. Providing Effective Student Feedback
4. Humanizing Learning: Strategies to Implement Now
5. Optimizing MS Word for Your Annual Review and More!

Wednesday

1. Academic Initiative Updates - University Studies and Regular Substantive Interaction
2. Alternatives to Recorded Lectures in Online Courses
3. The Power of Cute and Fun to Keep Student Attention
4. Using Google Forms for Assessment
5. Advance Zoom Features to Increase Engagement

Thursday

1. Drawing and Other Visual Strategies for Teaching
2. Affordable Learning Resources Through the University Libraries
3. Increasing Online Learner Engagement With Thinglink
4. Save Time and Gain Insight into Multiple-Choice Assessments with Akindi
5. Maximizing PowerPoint: Simple Tricks for a Stronger, Interactive Class Environment
6. Panel: Academic Budget Planning for Department Chairs
7. Small Teaching Strategies to Optimize Learning

 

BLITZ WEEK 2021

The Faculty Development Center hosted its annual Blitz Week virtually on January 11-14, 2021. 

Blitz Week 2021 featured concurrent sessions, panels, sessions highlighting innovative ideas and tools, and general sessions about a variety of topics, including new initiatives at Murray State University. 

• View Blitz Week Schedule 
• View Virtual Platform 

We enjoyed interacting with you during the Blitz Week sessions!

BLITZ WEEK 2019

The Faculty Development Center hosted our annual Blitz Week January 7-10, 2019! Individuals submitted proposals to lead concurrent (30-minute presentations with Q&A) and lightning sessions (5-7 minute presentations) in the following areas:

• Teaching and Learning (e.g., innovative approaches to teaching and learning, assessments, evaluation, high impact practices, course or program curriculum reform).
• Leadership and Change (e.g., innovative practices and initiatives, individual and team support, power, and inclusivity).
• Effective Technologies and Tools (e.g., useful APPS and other technologies to support pedagogical innovation, student engagement, accessibility, virtual reality, mixed/augmented reality).
• Work-Life Balance (e.g., general strategies to help faculty succeed at Murray State University).

View Schedule:  https://tinyurl.com/BlitzWeekSchedule19

BLITZ WEEK 2018!

The Faculty Development Center hosted its annual Blitz Week on January 8 -11, 2018. This year, Blitz Week featured one-hour workshops, panel, lightning sessions, and informational sessions about new MSU initiatives. Take a peek at some of the sessions that were offered during the week. 

Sessions at a Glance!

• New Initiatives at MSU, Dr. Mark Arant, MSU Provost
• Publish and Flourish! Insights for Being a Productive Researcher, Guest Faculty (Dr. Kim Voss, Associate Professor, Journalism, University of Central Florida) and MSU faculty
• The Rise of Competency-Based Education and What it Means for Your Classroom, Dr. Teresa Clark, Assistant Professor, P-20 and Community Leadership; and Dr. Landon Clark, Assistant Professor, Human Development and Leadership Program
• Lightning Session: Best Practices for Teaching and Learning, MSU faculty from different disciplines
• Grit, Growth Mindset, and Metacognition: Strategies to Promote Student Success, Dr. Cindy Clemson, Assistant Professor, Department of Adolescent, Career, and Special Education
• Service Learning Through the Disciplines: Ideas and Resources for Implementing Service Learning Projects in Your Course, Shawna Thomas, Coordinator of Service Learning; and Dr. Jennifer Morrison, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, Department of Political Science and Sociology
• Teaching Unplugged: Non-Tech Approaches to Engage Students, Dr. Melony Shemberger, Assistant Professor, Journalism and Mass Communication
• Getting Started with Visual Literacy: Using Images to Maximize Teaching and Learning, Dr. Dana Statton, Assistant Professor, University Libraries
• Quality Matters: An Introduction to the QM Online Course Review Process and Future Plans for Supporting and Funding Online Course Development and Revision at MSU, Dr. Firm Faith Watson, Director, Faculty Development Center; and Lisa Schmidt, Coordinator of Distance Learning & Special Academic Projects
• Google Apps: Strategies for Use in the Classroom and Beyond, Drs. Melony Shemberger; Dana Statton; and Leigh Wright, Assistant Professor, Journalism and Mass Communication
• Canvas Study Hall: Drop-in Opportunity for Canvas Help and Strategies, Peter Terry, Assistant Director, Academic Applications Solutions

When: January 8 - 11 (3 sessions per day: 9:00 - 10:00 am, 10:30 - 11:30 am, and 1:00 - 2:00 pm)

Monday, Jan. 9 

• "State of the Student" by Dr. Kelly Wezner, 9 a.m., Faculty Development Center Classroom
• Syllabus workshop by Dr. Sue Sroda, 10:30 a.m., Faculty Development Center Classroom
• Canvas Advanced Training (Gradebook, External Apps, any other topic), 1-3 p.m., TSCS Classroom, 3rd floor, Oakley Applied Science Building 

Tuesday, Jan. 10

• SIPX workshop by Bentley Utgaard, 9 a.m., Waterfield Library, Room 211 
• "Top Three Tips for the Spring Semester" by the Faculty Teaching Fellows (Dr. Brian Bourke, Dr. Kelly Rogers, Dr. Melony Shemberger), 10:30 a.m., The Stables in the Curris Center 
•  "Lightning Strikes" panel of best teaching practices led by Dr. Staci Stone, 1 p.m., The Stables in the Curris Center 

Wednesday, Jan. 11

• SIPX workshop by Bentley Utgaard, 10 a.m., Waterfield Library, Room 211 
• "What Performance Funding Would Mean for Faculty and Staff" (Panel: President Bob Davies, JCSET Dean Steve Cobb, Dr. Dina Byers and Fred Dietz), 1 p.m., The Stables in the Curris Center 

Thursday, Jan. 12

• Canvas Basic Training for Faculty New to Canvas, 9-11 a.m., TSCS Classroom, 3rd floor, Oakley Applied Science Building 
• "Title IX Issues and Related Topics" by Cami Duffy, 9 a.m., The Stables in the Curris Center 
• "How the ORCA Can Help" by Dr. David Pizzo, Office of Research and Creative Activity, 1 p.m., The Stables in the Curris Center