![\"m_buildingabetterprofessor2\"](\"http:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/m_buildingabetterprofessor2.jpg\")
<\/a>p>\u201cIn higher education, we often assume that because a person has extensive knowledge on a subject, they naturally have the skills to teach it, but that\u2019s not the case,\u201d said Alan Altany, director of Georgia Southern\u2019s Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CTLS). \u201cVery few non-education-related graduate programs offer courses about teaching, and practical internships aren\u2019t readily available for aspiring professors,\u201d he explained. \u201cCentralized professional faculty centers should fill this void, but we must go beyond workshops and truly foster faculty work to effectively teach learners in their classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\nFormerly known as the Center for Excellence in Teaching, the CTLS has grown exponentially in the past five years. Altany said the name change represents a full transformation from faculty resource center into an international leader for the scholarship of teaching and learning.<\/p>\n
The Center has established peer-to-peer programs, such as interdisciplinary faculty learning communities. In each community, professors team up for an entire academic year to study a given topic, utilize their findings in their classrooms, and share the results with their colleagues. \u201cWhat we found is that a project will often spin beyond itself so many others can learn from it,\u201d Altany said. \u201cFaculty members benefit from the team\u2019s conclusions, but we see further impact from bringing together people from different disciplines who would not normally interact. They form connections that strengthen the University as a whole, much like the united limbs and roots of a banyan tree,\u201d which is the Center\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n
Roundtables allow faculty to read and discuss books, and academic and creative writing circles provide peer feedback, editing support and more. Regardless of the program or group, the primary goals are to facilitate faculty interaction, encourage sharing best practices, and foster lasting relationships that provide support and learning opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think most faculty want to be good teachers; they possess a love for their discipline and a desire to guide students. But much has been discovered in recent decades about the how and why of student learning,\u201d Altany said. \u201cOur center serves Georgia Southern\u2019s faculty by reigniting their passion and regenerating their skills to keep alive the inner fire they had when they first became teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Much like the Banyan tree\u2019s expansive canopy, a new passion for the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has extended far beyond its initial roots. In March 2011, the CTLS hosted the fourth annual SoTL Commons, attracting an international array of presenters and scholars. Altany said the event serves as a catalyst for conversations and collaborations about improving learning outcomes in higher education. Additionally, the CLTS\u2019 International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is an open, peer-reviewed international electronic journal containing articles, essays and discussions about the scholarship of teaching and learning and its practical applications for improving student learning in higher education.<\/p>\n
Chemistry professor Laura Frost, a member of the journal\u2019s editorial board who has been involved in many of the Center\u2019s other programs, said Georgia Southern has gained national attention regarding SoTL.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeorgia Southern\u2019s facility serves as a regional resource center, but reaches far beyond,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I attend conferences related to my discipline, people who hear I\u2019m from Georgia Southern automatically make a connection to the scholarship of teaching and learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Altany said his goal for the CTLS is to become a leader and national resource center for other faculty enrichment programs. \u201cGeorgia Southern, by capitalizing on the wisdom and strength of its own faculty, is poised to lead the international SoTL movement,\u201d Altany said. \u201cWe can transform the academic culture by uniting teachers here, and around the world, and as a result, faculty will no longer be isolated, but rejuvenated. Students become curious learners. And America, as a whole, benefits from a more educated population.\u201d<\/p>\n
–Jennifer Tanner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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