{"id":5806,"date":"2026-01-23T14:30:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T21:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/emailarchive\/?p=5806"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:31:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T21:31:33","slug":"crown-center-for-teaching-block-5-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/emailarchive\/2026\/01\/23\/crown-center-for-teaching-block-5-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"Crown Center for Teaching Block 5 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From the Director: Keeping Time Together<\/strong> <\/span><\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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As we step into a new calendar year, those of us in academic life feel time in stereo. The world flips the page to January, while we remain midstream in our academic cycle. The teaching, advising, and planning continue as the steady rhythms of campus life move us continuously towards mid-May. The three-and-a-half-week arcs of our beloved academic plan add an additional layer, with each block and each class within a given block carrying its own contours of time. No two are the same, yet we continually arrive at a collective cadence before starting up the next one. Across those shifting rhythms, we keep time together. <\/p>\n

Whatever groove you are feeling here at the outset of Block 5, the Crown Center is here to offer support that meets you where you are: practical resources<\/a> you can use right away, spaces to think<\/a> alongside colleagues, and opportunities to refine<\/a> what is working and where things might become stronger. In that spirit, this newsletter shares additional timely Crown offerings to help you enter Block 5 with clarity, care, and a sense of forward motion. <\/p>\n

Best wishes for the semester ahead!<\/p>\n

Sincerely,
Ryan Raul Ba\u00f1agale
Director, Crown Center for Teaching<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Faculty and Staff Workshops<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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First Year Program (FYP) Workshop: Working with First-Year Writers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday, Jan. 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Fuller Event Space
RSVP here<\/a>
Writing Center peer tutors will share insights into the cool, exciting writing projects students work on in the FYP.  Please post your questions for your tutors<\/a>\u2014all posts are anonymous.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Crown Center Lunch Workshop: Alternative Assessment Strategies<\/strong> by Liliana Carrizo and Dhanesh Krishnarao <\/p>\n

Tuesday, Jan. 27, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Tutt Library 105
RSVP here<\/a>
Alternative grading processes, such as ungrading or contract grading, are becoming increasingly common because they offer students greater agency over their learning evaluations. However, the learning curve to apply these techniques effectively can be steep. This session addresses the advantages and feasibility of different assessment practices.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Crown Center Lunch Workshop: Writing Letters of Recommendation<\/strong> by Eryn Murphy, on behalf of the Health Professions Advising Committee (HPA)<\/p>\n

Friday, Jan. 30, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Tutt Library 105
RSVP here<\/a>
This workshop focuses on writing effective letters of recommendation for students pursuing graduate and professional opportunities, including but not limited to the health professions. During this session we will discuss strategies to strengthen our recommendations and reduce the workload of letter writing (without using AI). The goal is to support faculty in crafting letters that are both impactful and honest, ensuring our students receive the best possible advocacy in their application process. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Creativity & Innovation Afternoon Workshop: Ten Questions<\/strong> by Jessica Hunter<\/p>\n

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2-3:30 p.m.
Honnen Arts 101
RSVP here<\/a>
This problem-finding activity is designed to help us think through messy, ill-defined problems where the parameters aren’t clearly specified, and the goal isn’t clear. The Ten Questions exercise asks participants to practice using divergent and convergent thinking to generate multiple questions surrounding their problem, then choose the question that best fits what they want to explore.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Career Catalyst Block Info Sessions<\/strong>
Want a more transparent window into CC\u2019s Career Catalyst Blocks (CCB) and a voice in shaping what comes next? Join the Crown Center to hear brief snapshots from recent Blocks, learn what\u2019s on the horizon, and help inform future CCB development for 2026\u201327 and beyond. Bring your questions, feedback, and ideas as we continue to refine and expand the program.  
Please RSVP for one of two sessions available in Block 5:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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