Whether you’re beginning your teaching career or are an experienced instructor, NFTI offers faculty new to UT the opportunity to explore effective approaches to their teaching, be introduced to campus partners that provide support related to teaching and learning, and build community with others as they launch their academic journey at UT.
August 14, 2024
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hodges Library
Morning Schedule
| Time | Session Title | Location | Description |
| 8:00 am – 8:30 am | Check-In & Breakfast | Jack E. Reese Galleria,
1st Floor, Hodges Library |
Continental Breakfast items and beverages. |
| 8:30 am – 8:45 am | Welcome to NFTI | Lindsay Young Auditorium,
1st Floor, Hodges Library |
Opening remarks by Dr. Ferlin McGaskey, Executive Director of Teaching & Learning. |
| 8:50 am – 9:40 am | Teaching Principles at UTK | Lindsay Young Auditorium,
1st Floor, Hodges Library |
Learn about and reflect upon the teaching principles at UTK. Engage with others about how you can develop your own personally relevant approach to implementing these values in your courses. |
| 9:40 am – 9:50 am | Break | ||
| 9:50 am – 10:40 am | TLI Breakout Sessions | Various Rooms | |
| EduTok: Choreographing Student Engagement in Large Classrooms | 213 | Dive into the rhythm of effective teaching with “EduTok”, a course designed for educators seeking to captivate and maintain student attention in expansive educational settings. In this 50-minute session, participants will explore the theoretical underpinnings of student engagement and master a repertoire of innovative, practical strategies tailored for large groups. | |
| Equity-Centered Practices in the Classroom | 212 | This session is dedicated to promoting equity-centered practices in the classroom. It is designed to provide instructors with actionable techniques that promote fairness, respect, and belonging within their classrooms. | |
| Meaningful Learning: A Pathway to Engagement | 606 | The session will focus on working with students to build meaning in the classroom. Sometimes even the most well-planned active learning strategies struggle to succeed if students cannot understand why they are being asked to do something or even why they’re in the class in the first place. Together, we’ll workshop strategies that help students create meaning in their courses and actively engage in the content. | |
| 10:50 am – 11:40 am | Featured Partners Breakout Sessions | Various Rooms | Colleagues from the UT Libraries, Digital Learning, OIT, and TLI will provide in-depth information about their offices and units, as well as address individual participant questions and needs related to resources and offerings that support student and faculty success. |
| UT Libraries presents, Library Services for Faculty | 129 | UT Libraries faculty members discuss and share information about the unique ways in which the Libraries serve as partners to support student and faculty success through teaching tools, resources, and learning spaces available in and through the university’s libraries. | |
| Digital Learning presents, Online Teaching Essentials | 606 | Colleagues from Digital Learning will share their useful information and resources related to effective online teaching and learning. | |
| OIT presents, Canvas & Other Campus Learning Tools | 213 | Representatives from OIT will introduce attendees to key aspects of Canvas that enhance student engagement and learning as well as share other available classroom technology frequently employed in teaching and learning at UTK. | |
| Teaching & Learning Innovation presents, Teaching Fundamentals | 212 | Learn about foundational components used in preparing and leading effective courses at UTK. | |
| 11:40 am – 11:50 am | Break | ||
| 11:50 am – 1:00 pm | Networking Lunch | Staff Lounge, 6th Floor Hodges Library Rm. 646 | Enjoy a delicious meal while engaging in meaningful conversations that could spark new collaborations and opportunities. |
Afternoon Schedule
| Time | Session Title | Location | Description |
| 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm | The Campus Partners Resource Fair | Jack E. Reese Galleria,
1st Floor, Hodges Library |
Participants will be able to meet with representatives from offices, units, and centers from across UT who support students and teaching and learning. |
| 1:45 pm – 2:00 pm | Break | ||
| 2:00 pm – 2:50 pm | TLI Breakout Sessions | Various Rooms | |
| Integrating Alternative Assessment in the Classroom | 212 | Discover innovative ways to measure student learning beyond traditional exams. Engage with peers, embrace diversity in evaluation, and enhance your teaching toolkit. | |
| Fostering Positive Classroom Conversations | 213 | Empathetic and meaningful conversations rarely happen by accident— rather, they are the product of the same thoughtful and student-centered approach we see throughout good teaching practices. In this session, Dr. Lisa East will guide instructors through the core tenets of establishing vulnerability and empathy as the bedrock for fostering the kind of healthy conflict that leads to learning through differences. | |
| AI in the Classroom | 606 | In this session, participants will explore several ways they can employ AI in their classrooms to enhance student learning. | |
| 2:50 pm – 3:00 pm | Break | ||
| 3:00 pm – 3:50 pm | Featured Partners Breakout Sessions | Hodges Library | Colleagues from the UT Libraries, Digital Learning, OIT, and TLI will provide in-depth information about their offices and units, as well as address individual participant questions and needs related to resources and offerings that support student and faculty success. |
| UT Libraries presents, Library Services for Faculty | 129 | UT Libraries faculty members discuss and share information about the unique ways in which the Libraries serve as partners to support student and faculty success through teaching tools, resources, and learning spaces available in and through the university’s libraries. | |
| Digital Learning presents, Online Teaching Essentials | 606 | Colleagues from Digital Learning will share their useful information and resources related to effective online teaching and learning. | |
| OIT presents, Canvas & Other Campus Learning Tools | 213 | Representatives from OIT will introduce attendees to key aspects of Canvas that enhance student engagement and learning as well as share other available classroom technology frequently employed in teaching and learning at UTK. | |
| Teaching & Learning Innovation presents, Teaching Fundamentals | 212 | Learn about foundational components used in preparing and leading effective courses at UTK. | |
| 3:50 pm – 4:00 pm | Break | ||
| 4:00 pm – 4:50 pm | Maintaining Your Sanity While Supporting Your Students | Lindsay Young Auditorium,
1st Floor, Hodges Library |
This session is designed to help you prioritize your well-being while meeting the needs of your students. |
| 4:50 pm – 5:00 pm | Closing Remarks | Lindsay Young Auditorium,
1st Floor, Hodges Library |
Drs Chris Kilgore and Virginia Stormer will offer final words of encouragement and support. |
Smile! Photographs will be taken at this event. Please inform us if you have any concerns or preferences.