Welcome to a new academic year! Fall on a college campus is like nothing else. There is just an excitement and energy that is not replicated at any other time in the academic year.

The College is fresh off welcoming one of our largest faculty cohorts and one of the largest student classes in recent years, and the Studio is excited to learn and grow with you.  We hope that you will take advantage of all that the Studio has to offer.

Because this is the first full academic year in which I will be assuming my new role as the Director of the Teaching & Learning Design Studio, I want to briefly introduce myself and make you aware of some of the ways the Studio can support you.

This is my seventh year at Etown, and I am an associate professor in our education department. I teach literacy courses and have research interests in literacy teacher education; children’s, middle grades, and young adult literature; and technology integration in the literacy classroom. I enjoy bringing students to state-level literacy conferences and have my reading specialist certification and instructional coach endorsement. One of my favorite parts of my work as a literacy teacher educator is facilitating professional development to practicing teachers.

I am excited to translate my work in this space to Etown’s Teaching & Learning Design Studio. The Studio is dedicated to supporting the needs of faculty and other employees across campus. Our team is excited to continue our year-long new faculty orientation program, collaborate with schools to offer catered professional development, provide Canvas support, design optimal online and face-to-face learning experiences for your students, coach individual faculty members in a host of areas, highlight the important work of our Studio fellows, engage in design thinking sessions with your team, observe your teaching practices, and have meaningful conversations around teaching and learning on our campus.

Let me take a few moments to introduce my Studio colleagues, who are also eager to work with you. Sharon Birch is our Assistant Director and Instructional Technologist. She has a wealth of experience in higher education, is currently teaching a First Year Seminar, and can answer your Canvas questions – and many others! Jill Kleis, our Program Coordinator, is available for design thinking sessions in your unit and handles many of the logistics for the Studio.  Our Instructional Designer and Online Learning Specialist Crystal Donlan is available for instructional design work and coaching around best practices in higher education learning spaces.

Be sure to frequent our blog frequently for teaching ideas, and make sure to follow us on LinkedIn (Etown Teaching and Learning Design Studio). Please let us know how the Studio can help support your professional development goals.  You may email me directly or email studio@etown.edu with questions.

I am excited to learn and grow with you this academic year!

Sincerely,
Katie