Texas Wesleyan CETL - Fall Forum 2026

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Get ready to elevate your teaching game as we kick off Fall Forum 2026: Prepare for the Ascent. By intentionally evaluating our work and setting ambitious goals, we create a path for both ourselves and our students to achieve greater academic success. This year’s Fall Forum is all about discovery, providing you the space to find the tools and strategies that resonate with your teaching style and learn how to weave them into your courses.

We have packed the schedule with exciting sessions covering everything from Canvas and AI-inclusive assignment strategies to NotebookLM, accessibility, and even self-care. You can learn directly from your TXWES colleagues and CETL designers through various formats, including one-on-one deep dives, flexible open labs, and evening options for those with busy days. Whether you are looking for a quick CETL Update or want to master a new Newline board, come join us to explore the innovations that will help your classroom reach new altitudes!

See the Fall Forum schedule:

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Thursday, August 20, 2026

Fall Forum Presenters

Throughout the week of August 17th, you have opportunities to meet with your colleagues, departments, and schools. There are also events to connect with the university as a whole as we prepare for a year of learning and success.

The Fall Forum schedule is open and flexible. In addition to the flexible learning sessions, the CETl Team provides an open lab, evening sessions, and the opportunity to have 1-on-1 consultations.

To book a 1-on-1 consultation, schedule a time on our calendar through Bookings.

Got questions? Email cetl@txwes.edu or drop by our office at AMB 202.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

9 AM - 10 AM

AMB 202

Coffee with the CETL

(Coffee & Snacks)

The CETL team

10 AM - 10:30 AM

AMB 214

Gearcheck: A Syllabus Safety Inspection

Whether you're still building your syllabus or looking to refresh an existing one, this session will help you create a more engaging and student-friendly experience. Explore the essentials of a Liquid Syllabus, discover ways to improve accessibility and communication, and learn how tools like video and interactive content can help your syllabus make a stronger first impression.

Casey Miller & Tim Whiting

10:30 AM - 11 AM

AMB 214

Accessibility

Accessibility isn't just a requirement—it's a way to ensure every student can fully engage with your course. In this hands-on workshop, we'll explore practical strategies for making Canvas content, documents, and course materials more accessible. Leave with simple techniques and quick wins you can implement immediately, whether you teach online, hybrid, or face-to-face.

Gwen Williams

11 AM - 12 PM

AMB 214

AI-Inclusive Assignment Strategies

Students are already using AI—often in ways faculty can’t see. The question is no longer whether AI belongs in our courses, but how we design assignments that make its use visible, intentional, and educational. This session helps faculty move from reactive policies to proactive, learning-centered design in an AI-rich environment.

Participants will explore practical, discipline-agnostic strategies for redesigning assignments to be both AI-inclusive and academically rigorous. Using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework, we will demonstrate how small changes to existing assignments can clarify purpose, strengthen expectations, and guide meaningful AI use. Faculty will be introduced to adaptable assignment models, including using AI for brainstorming, critique, drafting, and prompt refinement.

The session also highlights simple ways to increase transparency and accountability, including “How I Used AI” reflections and targeted rubric adjustments. Participants will see how AI can support more complex, multi-stage projects—expanding what students can meaningfully accomplish within a semester.

Faculty will leave with ready-to-use prompts, assignment templates, and practical strategies that can be immediately applied across disciplines.

This session is ideal for instructors who want to harness AI as a tool for deeper learning rather than avoid it.

Dr. Tommy Nichols

12 PM - 1 PM

Lunch

1 PM - 1:30 PM

AMB 214

Poster Write: Engaging Students Through Collaborative Visible Thinking

Poster Write: Engaging Students Through Collaborative Visible Thinking explores an interactive instructional strategy designed to increase student engagement, participation, reflection, and collaborative learning. Through movement, written dialogue, and shared responses to course concepts, Poster Write encourages all students to actively contribute their thinking in a low-risk, highly interactive environment. This session will demonstrate how the strategy promotes visible thinking, student voice, critical reflection, and collaborative meaning-making across disciplines. Participants will experience the strategy firsthand, examine practical classroom applications, and discuss ways Poster Write can be adapted for various course formats, content areas, and student populations to support deeper learning and engagement.

Dr. Lisa Dryden

1:30 PM - 2 PM

AMB 214

Poster Write: Engaging Students Through Collaborative Visible Thinking

Service-learning has become a high-impact educational practice that connects academic learning with meaningful community engagement. This interactive session is designed for university faculty and staff interested in integrating service-learning into courses, programs, and co-curricular experiences to enhance student success, civic responsibility, and community partnerships. Participants will explore the foundational principles of service-learning, including reciprocal partnerships, reflection, assessment, and alignment with institutional learning outcomes. The session will also highlight practical strategies for developing sustainable community collaborations and creating engaging opportunities that support student retention, sense of belonging, leadership development, and career readiness.

Through real-world examples and campus-based practices, attendees will gain insight into how service-learning can strengthen relationships between the university and surrounding communities while enriching the student learning experience. Faculty and staff will leave with actionable ideas, resources, and frameworks that can be adapted across disciplines and departments regardless of prior experience with service-learning. Whether participants are new to service-learning or seeking to expand existing initiatives, this session will provide tools and inspiration to create impactful, community-centered learning experiences across campus.

Dr. Dwala Chandler

2 PM - 3 PM

AMB 214

Canvas I

Whether you’re currently asking, "What is this 'Canvas' you speak of?" or you’re nearly ready to tell us to "move over, buddy, I’m teaching this thing," our Canvas I session is designed for you!

Join us for a stress-free deep dive into everything you need to run your class like a pro. We’re covering all the essentials—from mastering the liquid syllabus and building modules to the ultimate "did I do that right?" tool: Student View. We’ll even show you the magic of Course Copies so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every semester. Most importantly, we’ll make sure you know exactly how to publish your content so your students aren't left staring at a blank screen!

Come hang out, get your questions answered by the CETL team, and let’s turn those basic login credentials into some serious "mad skills". Let’s make this academic year your best (and easiest) one yet!

Tim Whiting

2 PM - 3 PM

AMB 213

Canvas II

Ready to take your course from "functional" to "fancy"? If so, Canvas 2 session is your next stop! We’re moving beyond the simple login and diving into the tools that will make your life easier and your course look like it was designed by a pro.

Stop wasting time on repetitive tasks! We’ll show you how to bulk edit due dates in one go, duplicate assignments or entire modules with a click, and use the "Send To" function to share content directly with colleagues. We’ll even help you reclaim your grading time by setting up a SpeedGrader Comment Library so you can stop typing the same feedback over and over.

Beyond basic efficiency, you can elevate your course's style by using custom banners, course cards, and the Icon Maker to create a professional, polished look for students. Boost engagement through interactive video quizzes, anonymous discussions, and collaborative projects. Let’s turn those Canvas "to-dos" into "ta-das!"

Gwen Williams

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

11 AM - 1 PM

President's Kickoff

TXWES

1 PM - 3 PM

AMB 214

CETL Open Lab Workshop

The CETL team

5 PM - 6 PM

Virtual

(click session name for Teams link)

Canvas I

Canvas II

Open Office Hours

The CETL team

Thursday, August 20, 2026

9 AM - 9:30 AM

AMB 214

Newline 101

Your classroom technology has reached new heights. Whether you've recently been assigned a classroom with a Newline interactive display or you're returning to discover new features and possibilities, this hands-on session will help you make the most of the technology available to you. Explore practical tools for annotation, collaboration, content sharing, wireless presenting, and interactive learning activities. We'll demonstrate key features, share instructional ideas, and provide time for questions and experimentation so you can leave feeling confident and ready to enhance student engagement in your upgraded classroom.

Casey Miller

9:30 AM - 10 AM

AMB 214

My Five Favorite Active Learning Strategies

"My Five Favorite Student Engagement Strategies” is an interactive presentation designed to introduce practical classroom techniques that promote active learning, collaboration, and critical thinking. Drawing from real classroom experiences, this session will highlight five engagement strategies that can be easily adapted across a variety of disciplines and course formats.

Participants will explore the “Quiz Challenge” strategy as a way to encourage participation, reinforce content knowledge, and create a fun, low-stress learning environment. The “Structure and Function” activity will demonstrate how students can strengthen analytical thinking by connecting for instance biological structures with their functions. “Solve a Problem” will focus on inquiry-based learning and the use of real-world scenarios to improve problem-solving skills. The presentation will also introduce “Pair and Compare,” a collaborative strategy that encourages discussion, reflection, and peer learning. Finally, participants will learn how “Visualization tools”, such as concept maps and timelines, can help students organize information visually and make meaningful connections between ideas.

Dr. Marit Delghandi

10 AM - 11 AM

AMB 214

NotebookLM

Every climb is easier with the right guide. Gemini Notebook acts as an AI-powered teaching assistant, helping faculty transform course readings, OER content, research articles, and library materials into meaningful learning resources. Explore how to create a source-grounded notebook that generates study guides, flashcards, audio summaries, podcasts, visual learning aids, and other supplemental materials in minutes. Join us to discover how Gemini Notebook can help you spend less time developing ancillary resources and more time supporting student success.

Casey Miller & Tim Whiting

11 AM - 12 PM

AMB 214

Creating a Personal Self-Care Paradigm

This workshop will help you reconsider the goals and objectives of self-care in response to shifting personal and professional paradigms. This reconsideration contrasts with traditional views of self-care that seek to maintain equilibrium between personal and professional realms. It has for purpose to emphasize the nurturing of the selves that are reflexive and dialogic in relationship with work responsibilities. In this workshop, we will explore one's role within the field by asking questions that reveal one's personal paradigm. The questions list will further call professionals to consider how their beliefs about people, the world, and self-care match with their worldview, having in mind one's personal paradigm influences one's work and relationships.

Dr. Violeta Kadieva

12 PM - 1 PM

Lunch

1 PM - 4 PM

CETL Mobile Support

The CETL team

Fall Forum Presenters

Beyond the Classroom: Building Meaningful Service-Learning Experiences for Student Success and Community Impact

Dr. Dwala Chandler

Dr. Dwala M. Chandler is a higher-education leader, community engagement strategist, and educator committed to advancing student success and neighborhood revitalization through experiential learning and collaborative partnerships. She currently serves as Director for Service Learning at Texas Wesleyan University, where she leads campus-wide initiatives that connect academic coursework with meaningful community-based projects.

In addition to her university role, Dr. Chandler is deeply engaged in community and economic development efforts in Fort Worth’s Polytechnic Heights district. She plays a leadership role in Poly Main Street, supporting placemaking, small-business development, and neighborhood revitalization initiatives that honor community identity while fostering sustainable growth.

Through her work as an educator, consultant, and practitioner, Dr. Chandler is passionate about bridging higher education, civic engagement, and community impact—creating pathways for students, faculty, and community partners to thrive together.

My Five Favorite Active Learning Strategies

Dr. Marit Delghandi

Dr. Marit Delghandi is an Associate Professor of Biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at Texas Wesleyan University. She obtained her doctoral degree from The Arctic University of Norway and has 25 years of teaching experience across three continents. She is passionate about creating engaging, student-centered learning environments and continually seeks innovative teaching strategies that promote active learning and critical thinking. Her interests include molecular genetics, undergraduate research, and evidence-based teaching practices.

Poster Write: Engaging Students Through Collaborative Visible Thinking

Dr. Lisa Dryden

Dr. Lisa Dryden is a Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the School of Education at Texas Wesleyan University. With more than 30 years of experience in higher education, her work focuses on literacy instruction, teacher leadership, multilingual learners, and educator preparation. Dr. Dryden teaches in both undergraduate and graduate programs and actively mentors master’s and doctoral students in educational research and leadership. Her professional interests include student engagement, teacher self-efficacy, culturally responsive instruction, and collaborative learning practices.

Creating a Personal Self-Care Paradigm

Dr. Violeta Kadieva

Violeta Kadieva, Ph. D., LMFT-S, AAMFT Approved Supervisor received her doctoral degree from Texas Tech University. She has worked as a marriage and family therapist for 15 years and supervisor for 10 years. She is currently a Professor at Texas Wesleyan University. She has published articles at the AAMFT Family Therapy Journal, American Journal of Family Therapy, The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, The Journal of Pedagogical Research and Scholarship in Wales, and the National Philosophical Student Journal in Bulgaria and presented workshops and posters on the topics of self-care, mindfulness, and supervision dynamics at numerous conferences.

AI-Inclusive Assignment Strategies

Dr. Tommy Nichols

Tommy Nichols serves as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Management, teaching courses in leadership, organizational behavior, and strategic management. His current work centers on faculty development, with an emphasis on designing AI-inclusive assignments that promote transparency, rigor, and student engagement. He regularly facilitates workshops and training sessions that help instructors move from reactive AI policies to intentional, learning-centered course design.

Gearcheck: Syllabus, Newline 101, NotebookLM

Casey Miller

Casey Miller is an Instructional Designer, Adjunct Instructor for the School of Education, and a Ph.D. student at UNT. Entering her 20th year in education, she has worked across Pre-K through higher education, served as an educator in the United States, Mexico, and Romania, and contributed to curriculum, research, and grant-funded initiatives with organizations including National Geographic and Esri. Her research explores human-AI co-production, experiential learning, and technology-mediated learning, with a particular focus on how emerging technologies influence cognition and learning.

Canvas I, NotebookLM

Tim Whiting

Tim Whiting brings a rich and varied background to his role as an Instructional Designer at Texas Wesleyan University. Incorporating his experience as a classroom teacher, a campus administrator, and a trainer, Tim is passionate about empowering others to reach their potential. As a member of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Tim has developed training programs, led faculty book studies, instituted support systems, and designed courses, all with the goal of student success. His recent professional development presentations include From Heck No to Heck Yes: Supporting Students Through Thoughtful AI Policy, The Course Design Playbook: Lessons Learned and Best Practices, Turning Pages: Building Community Through Book Studies, Personalizing the Learning Experience with AI, and the Teach Like a Caveman Instructional Series.

Accessibility, Canvas II

Gwen Williams

Gwen Williams serves as an Instructional Technology and Course Design Specialist in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). With a background in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Educational Technology, she enjoys helping faculty design engaging, effective learning experiences that promote student success. Gwen partners with instructors to enhance course design, develop interactive learning activities, explore innovative teaching practices, and integrate technology in meaningful ways. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience in education, she is passionate about supporting faculty as they create dynamic learning environments that inspire student engagement, collaboration, and lifelong learning.