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Professional Development Days – Monday, Jan 13

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Professional Development Days –...

Events

Time	Room	Presenter	Title/Description	Meeting Link
8-850am	G211 Community Room		Breakfast Please join us for breakfast including fresh fruit bowl, assorted pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, turkey sausage and home fries, coffee, tea, and orange juice.
9-950am	G211 Community Room	Mark McBride	Keynote - Between Codes and Connections: Navigating AI's Role in Teaching and Learning for College Instructor In the unfolding story of higher education, a new protagonist has entered the scene: artificial intelligence. As college instructors, you are no strangers to transformative tools, from blackboards to Zoom rooms, but AI demands something deeper—a rethinking of what it means to teach, to learn, and to connect. This keynote will explore the opportunities AI offers to revolutionize pedagogy, from personalized learning to streamlined grading, while also confronting the profound challenges it presents. AI can generate perfect lesson plans, possibly adapt to individual learning styles. But can it replicate that electric moment when a student's worldview cracks open during a passionate seminar discussion? Can it model the moral courage needed to question one's own assumptions? Will the rise of AI enrich our human connections in the classroom or erode them? We’ll delve into how AI can free instructors to focus on the heart of teaching—the dynamic exchange of ideas and fostering curiosity—while considering the risks of outsourcing too much of our intellectual labor. Can algorithms teach empathy? Should they? And what happens when the machine becomes not just a tool, but a collaborator? Through a mix of practical insights and provocative questions, we’ll discuss how instructors can embrace AI without losing the soul of education. Because while machines may sharpen our efficiency, it’s still the human spirit that animates the classroom. The real question isn’t whether AI belongs in education—it’s whether we’ll use it to teach better humans or just smarter machines.
10 am –12 pm	D109	Glory Fox & Lynn Lytle	Online Learning Student Panel \| Setting the Stage for Success Join us to hear from our online students during this interactive panel session. Our students will answer pre-selected questions designed to provide you strategies to support student success during the critical first week of classes. The Q&A will provide valuable insights into students’ needs and expectations. Faculty will also explore best practices for creating an inclusive, engaging, and supportive learning environment.	Zoom Link Meeting ID 986 0216 1206 Passcode 225970
10am-12pm	D303	Demetrius Sarigiannis, Caitlin Wetherwax	Advising Excellence: Tools, Techniques, & Hands-On Degree Works Lab Attend one, or more, of the three mini workshops: 10 - 10:30 Workshop 1 Forms, Sub-waivers, Catalog Changes, and more! 10:30 - 11 Workshop 2: Connecting with Your Advisees; Tips from Experienced Faculty Advisors and Mock Student Advisement Scenarios. 11 - 12 Workshop 3: Hands-on Lab Session. Working with Degree Works (Degree Audit Software); Creating and Editing a Plan, Gen Eds Block, What-If Feature, and Navigating Dual Major Students.	Zoom Link Meeting ID: 933 8902 9321 Passcode: pddays
11-11:50am	Virtual	Suman Baral	Making Life Easier for Teachers using AI Artificial intelligence tools will be explained, some of which Dr. Baral has used and others he is interested in exploring. These tools are designed to make teaching and classroom management easier. This will be a hands-on session, so you can practice using the tools as the session goes along.	Join the meeting - Microsoft Teams
11-11:50 am	FRCAE	Bridget Beilein	How Mexican Food Conquered America Learn the history of Mexican food in the U.S. from the Mexican-American War, when Yankee tourists first tried chili con carne in San Antonio. Enjoy queso and tortilla chips as you learn how Mexican food has been a part of the American melting pot.	Join the meeting - Microsoft Teams
Sanborn Campus Afternoon
12-1250pm	G211 Community Room		Lunch Please enjoy assorted wraps (ham & swiss, turkey & provolone, and veggie), pasta salad, assorted cookies, and soda. If you plan on attending lunch, you must please RSVP by noon on January 6, 2025.	Registration Link
1-150pm	G211 Community Room	Dr. Kelly Ahuna	Keynote - Artificial Intelligence, Academic Integrity, and Where We Go from Here Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies (e.g., ChatGPT) are changing the landscape of teaching and learning. While students are understandably enticed, the unauthorized use of AI tools presents a serious threat to accurate assessment of student learning. As instructors navigate when, how, and if to allow use of AI in their courses, there is much to consider. This presentation will focus on practical ways to move forward. Topics will include: - alignment of learning objectives with decision-making around AI use - “cognitive offloading” (Dawson, 2021) - tips for assessment design - detection methods for unauthorized student use of AI - responding to and sanctioning student violations.
2-2:50p	FRCAE	Suzanne Buffamanti	Reading Matters Book Discussion of Neil de Grasse Tyson's Starry Messenger. In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides an antidote to so much of what divides us. Tyson walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From insights on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, an array of brilliant and beautiful truths that apply to us all, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe. Read the book and then join us for good conversation and treats. Copies are available to borrow in the Lewis Library.	Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 934 6557 0895 Passcode: 146748
2-2:50 pm	D303	Andy Aquino	Introduction to Primo Research Assistant (AI): Primo, the Lewis Library's online search platform, has recently introduced Research Assistant, a generative AI-powered tool designed to streamline time-intensive tasks. You will learn the capabilities and applications of this new and have time to practice with it.	Join the meeting - Microsoft Teams
3 – 3:50 pm	E-142		Carol Jamieson Award Reception This Year’s Recipient – Dr. Lindsay Rose This award recognizes SUNY Niagara faculty members who best exemplify those traits exhibited by Dr. Jamieson who has been described as a veteran academician with in-depth historical perspective and acute foresight, a can-do attitude, ever-present resilience, and willingness to serve as a mentor to many.