91°µÍø

Teaching First, Technology Second: Designing a Pedagogically Sound Tutorbot

Thursday, September 10, 2026

10:00 - 11:30 am

320 Laws Hall

In this hands-on workshop, participants will design a course- or topic-specific Tutorbot grounded in tutoring research (implemented as a Gemini Gem) that supports learning without becoming an answer engine or completing solutions for students. We will translate Socratic tutoring and learning principles into concrete, ready-to-use routines: a brief intake protocol that elicits prior knowledge and requires a student attempt; a one-question-at-a-time tutoring loop that targets reasoning rather than recall; “minimal hint” guardrails that unblock thinking without taking over; and an exit-ticket routine that requires explanation, transfer, or teach-back. Participants may start from a provided template or their own course materials, then build and test their Tutorbot using a short set of common student scenarios (including requests for direct answers). Participants will leave with a usable Tutorbot prompt and routines, plus a plan for deploying it with clear boundaries in their own course context.

Universal Design for Learning: Personalized Pathways to Student Success

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

11:30am - 1:00pm

320 Laws Hall

Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) doesn't require a total course overhaul. This session introduces the plus-one approach: finding one additional way for students to access content, participate in, and demonstrate their learning. We’ll explore how small, intentional shifts in your syllabus can reduce learning barriers for students. By providing varied instructional formats, you can help students navigate learning challenges independently. Leave with a toolkit of practical techniques that make your course more flexible and accessible, ensuring every student has the tools necessary to meet academic standards.

Fact, Fiction, and LLMs: Redefining Information Literacy in the Era of AI

Thursday, September 24, 2026

1:00 - 2:30pm

320 Laws Hall

In an era of AI-generated content, information literacy requires a blend of deep skepticism and technical fluency. This seminar explores how to teach students to use AI as a research co-pilot while maintaining rigorous source verification standards. We will cover lateral reading techniques to counter AI hallucinations and discuss how generative AI can be used to sharpen students’ research focus. By treating AI as a tool for discovery rather than a source of truth, you can help students navigate digital landscapes with the critical thinking skills necessary to distinguish AI outputs from verified evidence.

 

MILO + CTE

Finding Your PACE: Developing Applied Skills Through Your Course Part 1: Finding the Opportunity	Finding Your PACE: Developing Applied Skills Through Your Course Part 2: Strengthening the Design

What Are We Afraid of in Teaching?

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

10:00 - 11:30 am

320 Laws Hall

Learning can require courage: the courage to be uncertain, to fail, to change one's mind, or to try something unfamiliar. What does this suggest about teaching? In this reflective workshop, participants will explore the fears and risks that shape both learning and teaching. Drawing inspiration from Parker J. Palmer's The Courage to Teach (Wiley, 2017), participants will consider how their own experiences as learners influence what they ask of students—and what they are willing to risk as teachers. Together, we will explore how courage might create space for greater curiosity, creativity, authenticity, and connection in our classrooms.

Amber Franklin is an Associate Professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology and the recipient of the 2026 E. Phillips Knox Distinguished Teaching Award. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, including Counseling Strategies for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, a course that invites students to take risks, embrace vulnerability, and develop greater awareness of the self as a legitimate object of learning. Dr. Franklin serves as Undergraduate Program Director and Lead Departmental Advisor, where she enjoys mentoring students and supporting their academic and professional paths. Her research focuses on student success in Communication Sciences and Disorders, including students who pursue alternative paths following their undergraduate education. She received the 2017 Associated Student Government Outstanding Professor of the Year Award.

Faculty Drop-in Hours With a UDL Librarian 

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

2:30 - 4:30pm

King Library 112B or

 

Have questions about using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies in your teaching? Bring your questions and course materials to discuss with Dr. Bree Kirsch, Head of Learning & Engagement, 91°µÍø Libraries. Dr. Kirsch's dissertation focused on UDL implementation in higher education, and she recently designed a CTE book discussion on the UDL book Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone by Tobin and Behling. Join via Zoom or stop by in-person at King Library 112B anytime between 2:30-4:30 pm.