Plenary Sessions
Friday Opening Plenary Session
May 16, 2008 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Saving Time in the Grading Process
Grading and responding to student work can be powerful for student learning but
also time-consuming and frustrating. The plenary session presents practical,
workable suggestions for maximizing the power and minimizing the time demands
of the grading process.
Topics include:
•How many assignments are reasonable;
•How to handle journals and other informal work;
•How to establish and communicate
grading criteria;
•How to handle grammar and punctuation issues;
•How to write effective comments on
student work.
Presenter: Barbara E. Walvoord, fellow emerita, Institute for Educational Initiatives, concurrent professor emerita of English, University of Notre Dame
Saturday Luncheon Plenary
May 17, 2008 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Learning from the Learners: A Conversation with Students about Life in College Classrooms
Several students will be special guests at this year's Teaching
Professor conference.
Ike Shibley will facilitate a conversation with them during this plenary session. He
will explore issues like how feedback from professors on papers, exams, projects
and labs helps or doesn't help students learn; how students feel about classrooms
with lots of rules, policies and prohibitions; what teachers do that hinders
learning; why students don't use office hours and seem reluctant to communicate
with profs; and what happens when they work in groups. The conversation will
be free ranging and candid. It will provide a chance to learn from students'
experiences and use their insights to help make instruction even better.
Presenter: Ike Shibley, associate professor, Penn State-Berks; chair, 2008 Teaching
Professor Conference
Sunday Lunch and Closing Discussion
May 18, 2008 Noon–1:00 p.m.
Concluding Lunch and Discussion
During our final time together, conference co-chair Keith Whittington will open the session to share reactions, questions, concerns, lessons learned, and hopes for the future.
Presenter: Keith Whittington, associate professor, Rochester Institute of Technology;
co-chair, 2008 Teaching Professor Conference
