LC1: Making Sense of the Classroom (For Grads)

CTLgrads Learning Community: Making Sense of the Classroom: Strategies of Sensory Teaching and Learning (Session 1) – for graduate students 

We tend to take for granted that learning takes place in a physical space and by use of our own physical bodies. Yes, we raise our hands to talk, read the words on the slide, and passively listen to lectures, but how can we actively leverage movement, the body, the senses, and even the physical spaces we inhabit to facilitate teaching and learning?  This multidisciplinary LC is organized around the senses, and how we can meaningfully engage them in the classroom.

Drawing on theories of embodied cognition from disciplines like dyslexia studies, we will consider how the senses inform teaching and learning, and more broadly, how the mind-body connection impacts our experiences in and out of the classroom. We will both discuss the established literature on the topic and workshop our own strategies of sensory learning, no matter the discipline. We will put theory into practice and incorporate sensory work (movement exercises, listening exercises, visual and auditory cues, and even taste) into both sessions, so you can experience sensory learning in action. Graduate students from all disciplines are invited to attend!

This two-part Learning Community will meet in-person and is designed and facilitated by Tomi Haxhi and Elaine Wilson, Senior Lead Teaching Fellows at the Center for Teaching and Learning. Participants should register for and attend both sessions of this LC. Registration for Session 2 on Thursday 2/16, 1:10–2:25pm, is available here. Each session of this LC counts as a Pedagogy Workshop for the Teaching Development Program (TDP). See the TDP FAQs for more information about obtaining credit for this and other graduate student-led events through the CTL.

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Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Contact CTLgrads@columbia.edu or 212.854.1692 for accommodations. This event may be recorded and CTL staff may take screenshots. Please contact CTLgrads@columbia.edu with any concerns.