Pedagogy in Action Workshop Series: Summer 2025

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Registration is now open for the Summer 2025 Pedagogy in Action Workshop Series. Enrollment is ordinarily limited to 15 people and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Workshop descriptions and links to the registration page for each workshop are included below. 

The Tatlock Fund for Strategic Faculty Development provides modest stipends for participants: $75 per day for half-day workshops; $150 per day for full-day workshops. We are unable to provide stipends for administrators or librarians on 12-month contracts.

Many thanks to our workshop organizers! 

May 27–28: Inclusive Course Design Institute 

Offered by Alexia Ferracuti, Director of Inclusive Pedagogy 

When: Tuesday, May 27 & Wednesday, May 28, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., with lunch provided 
Where: LTRC, Room 122, Thompson Library 

Are you preparing to teach a new course? Do you need to revise or refresh a course you already teach, especially to make it more inclusive? Join the Inclusive Course Design Institute, a two-day intensive workshop in which you will be guided by Vassar’s Director of Inclusive Pedagogy to design or redesign a specific course as you look ahead to the upcoming academic year. 

Through a learner-centered framework known as “backward design” that advocates designing with the “end in mind,” you will be guided in the process of articulating clear goals for your course, designing intentional assignments and activities that align with those goals, and integrating various inclusive teaching approaches that will help you create a supportive learning environment across the different aspects of your course.

May 30: Teaching Close Reading and Critical Writing: The BEAM Taxonomy 

Offered by Matthew Schultz, Director of First Year Writing and the Writing Center 

When: Friday, May 30^th 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Where: LTRC, Room 122, Thompson Library  

Students often visit the Writing Center with questions about integrating secondary source material into their argumentative essays. Part of their confusion stems from an overly simplistic understanding of sources as either “primary” or “secondary.” Dr. Joseph Bizup, designer of the B.E.A.M. taxonomy, argues, “If we want students to adopt a rhetorical perspective toward research-based writing, then we should use language that focuses their attention not on what their sources and other materials are (either by virtue of their genres or relative to some extratextual point of reference) but on what they as writers might do with them. We should adopt terms that allow us to name, describe, and analyze the different ways writers use their materials on the page or, equivalently, the various postures. Toward their materials that writers adopt.” Joseph Bizup, “BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-Based Writing,” Rhetoric Review 27.1 (2008): 72–86.

This workshop is designed for faculty who want a reliable framework for teaching their students to name, describe, and analyze the use of source material in the writing of others (close reading) and how to effectively use source material to frame and support their arguments (critical writing).

Our morning conversation will focus on the B.E.A.M. taxonomy for identifying and using Background, Exhibit, Argument, and Methods sources. Together, we’ll consider some strategies for implementing BEAM in classes that teach writing and/or teach with writing. The afternoon workshop session allows time for faculty to design or revise a reading//writing assignment that helps students practice BEAM as a close reading strategy and a critical writing methodology. 

Participants will also receive copies of the revised fifth edition of the Craft of Research, by Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. FitzGerald. 

June 2–3: Teaching with Care: Trauma-informed Pedagogy in Courses or Intensives Engaging K-12 Youth

Offered by: Taneisha Means (Political Science)  and Tom Pacio (Creative Arts Across the Disciplines and Powerhouse) with the participation of educators from Shakespeare & Co.

When:  Monday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 3, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: LTRC, Room 122, Thompson Library 

This two-day immersive workshop is designed for faculty across the disciplines who currently engage, or wish to engage one day, with young people (i.e., K-12 th grade) as part of their community-engaged courses and intensives. 

This workshop has three primary goals: [1] help participants better understand the impact of trauma on youth learning and behavior; [2] help participants learn trauma-sensitive strategies to create safe and supportive opportunities; and [3] help participants integrate trauma-informed practices into their teaching via syllabi, course assignments, and lesson plans. All days will feature a blend of participatory lectures, interactive discussions, practical exercises, and reflective practices. 

Participants will explore trauma and its impact on youth, and core principles of trauma-informed teaching. They will also learning concrete strategies and approaches for creating supportive and responsive learning environments and assignments, and will also move beyond theory into action by incorporating what they learned into their future teaching materials (i.e., syllabi, course assignments, and teaching plans). 

As part of this workshop, participants will be joined by two educators from Shakespeare & Co with expertise in youth-centered trauma-informed pedagogy. 

June 4–5: Teaching Climate Solutions

Offered by: Jeff Seidman (Philosophy, Environmental Studies),  Mary Ann Cunningham (Geography, Environmental Studies), Laura Haynes (Geography, Environmental Studies) Deon Knights (Geography, Environmental Studies),  Arpitha Kodiveri (Political Science), Jenny Magnes (Physics).

When:  Wednesday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 5, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., lunch will be provided. 
Where: LTRC, Room 122, Thompson Library 

Vassar offers a significant number of excellent courses that discuss climate change: courses that explain the causal mechanisms of the climate system, courses that discuss the deep social, political, and economic causes of climate change, courses that show how climate change drives injustice around the world. Students often report that these courses leave them feeling better informed on essential topics but also filled with feelings of anxiety, despair, and a profound lack of agency. In contrast, courses focused on climate solutions often have a different result: students leave them understanding ways in which climate change can be mitigated, and they tend to report feeling empowered and energized by this understanding.

This 2-day workshop aims to provide an analytic overview of the landscape of climate solutions and to help interested faculty think about how they could build upon their existing expertise – or step beyond it – to construct a new course module or an entire course focused on some area of climate solutions. Because climate change is driven by every part of the global economy and because it will touch every human activity, the landscape of solutions is large. Courses or modules might address technological solutions, or solutions having to do with agricultural or land-use practices, to which expertise in the natural sciences is relevant; political and policy solutions, which must be informed by the social sciences; and solutions in the humanities and arts, which can move people and change their understanding through communication and culture.

We encourage faculty to consider exploring beyond their expertise and disciplinary training to meet this moment and this student need. Faculty who have interest but little experience are encouraged to apply to this workshop.

Our goal is for faculty to leave the workshop with a preliminary outline for a course or course module, including possible topics, activities, or readings that support their teaching and learning goals. Following the workshop, participants in the PIA will be eligible to apply to ENST for funding to develop a full course ($6000) or a course module ($1000 to $3000) on climate solutions. The course is expected to be taught within two years. We hope to develop a community of practice around teaching climate solutions that will meet occasionally over 2025-26 and beyond to share reflections and experiences, exchange ideas, and perhaps build linkage between courses.

June 6: A Beginner’s Guide to Assembling Your AI Toolkit  

Offered by: Baynard Bailey (Assistant Director of Academic Computing Services), Elizabeth Salmon (Social Science Librarian, Libraries), Nicole Scalessa (Head of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services, Libraries) with Susannah Zhang (ACS) and Jamie Kelly (Philosophy). 

When: Friday, June 6, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Where: Class of ’51 Reading Room, Thompson Library 

This introductory workshop invites faculty from across disciplines to explore the AI landscape broadly while having the opportunity to test lightweight AI tools. The day will begin with a keynote by Jamie Kelly, Associate Professor of Philosophy, that delves into the origins, ethics, and future of AI in academia. The subsequent experiential learning format will begin with a variety of fun generative tools as well as specific tools that can be applied to research and classroom activities. This hands-on experience will inform discussions throughout the afternoon regarding benefits, suitability, and potential pitfalls of incorporating AI into academic work.

Participants will also be addressed by Susannah Zhang during the lunch break on the formation and current state of the Vassar College AI Working Group. In the afternoon participants will be placed into small groups to discuss what they have experienced in the workshop and how they may apply this new knowledge to AI classroom policy and their own pedagogy. The day will conclude with a debrief of the small group discussions and how they plan to apply what they have learned.

We ask that participants bring laptops if possible. 

June 12–13: Ludology: Using Games in the Classroom

Offered by: Timothy Lampasona, Biology  

When: Thursday, June 12 and Friday 13
Where: LTRC, Room 122, Thompson Library 

In this workshop, participants will learn the basics of how to utilize games in a classroom, before designing and prototyping their own game using provided materials. Participants will then playtest other’s games, learning more about their designs and providing feedback about the game’s educational content and playability.

August 18–19: Dialogue Skills for Inclusive Learning Environments and Addressing Conflicts in the Classroom

Offered by: Kimberly Williams Brown (Education and Engaged Pluralism) joined by Dr. Anna Yeakley

When: August 18–19, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 
Where: LTRC, Room 122, Thompson Library 

This interactive workshop introduces participants to the pedagogy and classroom applications of intergroup dialogue (IGD), an evidence-based approach for engaging across differences developed at the University of Michigan over 35 years ago.

Led by Dr. Anna Yeakley, a national trainer in intergroup dialogue and facilitation skills, the workshop will guide participants through the 4 stages of intergroup dialogue over two days, with practice activities and practical dialogue tools applicable to any course to enhance classroom engagement and learning. The workshop will focus on dialogue tools for creating an inclusive learning environment, how to support dialogue instead of debate when there are opposing views, the role of power and social identities in classroom dynamics, and strategies for responding to microaggressions and conflicts in the classroom. Participants will also receive a workbook with all handouts and tools covered, enabling them to integrate the dialogue skills and tools into their teaching and advising.

Day 1 (Stages 1 and 2 of IGD):

• Pedagogical foundations of IGD
• 4 stage model of IGD
• How to differentiate dialogue from debate and discussion
• Tools that support dialogue and create inclusive learning environments
• The role of social identities and power/positionality in classroom dynamics

Day 2 (Stages 3 and 4 of IGD):

• Responses to conflict
• Tools for responding to microaggressions and offensive comments
• Leveraging feedback for ongoing learning
• Models for taking action for social change and liberation
• Action planning for next steps/applications of dialogue skills in personal and professional settings

Anna M. Yeakley, PhD, MSW, currently serves as a national trainer and consultant in intergroup dialogue, facilitation, inclusive teaching practices, and strategies for responding to conflict.  Anna has over 25 years of intergroup dialogue facilitation, training, program administration, and research experience, and has helped to develop new intergroup dialogue programs at 11 college campuses across the country.  One of the largest programs she helped to develop was at UCLA, where she was the Director of the Intergroup Relations Program and a faculty instructor for the intergroup dialogue and facilitation training courses in the UCLA School of Education.  She was also part of the multi-university dialogue study, a 3-year longitudinal study of intergroup dialogues across 10 campuses, 2005-2008.

Anna has led dialogue facilitation trainings for higher education faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as K-12 teachers, community practitioners, officers and enlisted from the United States Air Force, and border police and community members in Kenya.

Anna was trained in intergroup dialogue as a Social Work and Social Psychology doctoral student at the University of Michigan.  Much of her passion comes from her personal experience growing up in a bi-cultural, bilingual, immigrant family, and being a college student caught in the middle of the inter-ethnic tensions that took place during the Los Angeles Riots/Uprising in 1992.  Her educational background includes Social Work (PhD, MSW, University of Michigan), Social Psychology (PhD, MA, University of Michigan), and Electrical Engineering (BS, Caltech).