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Archives for February 2025

Upcoming Food for Thought Sessions (March)

27 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

The Library and the LTC have a full slate of Food for Thought sessions scheduled throughout the month of March. Mark your calendars now for any or all of these sessions, presented by your BCIT colleagues from across the Institute. For those attending the in-person sessions at the Library Summit, a light lunch will be provided. The sessions are also hosted on Teams.

table of Food for Thought session times and topicsFor more information, please see the Library Calendar or Food for Thought on SharePoint.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

Filed Under: Professional development

Food for Thought: Incorporating Sustainability in Vocational Education

26 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

Dr. Jennie Moore, Director of Institute Sustainability at BCIT, and Sarah Campbell, Sustainability Programming Manager, SOCE, spoke on the topic of adding sustainability content to the trades curriculum at the Food for Thought session held on February 19.

Jennie began by talking about how vocational instructors struggle to add more content to their curriculum because it is already quite full and tightly controlled. But she then went on to explain some of the creative ways that BCIT’s instructors have managed to incorporate sustainability into their programs, such as by rethinking the materials students use or by relying on virtual simulation to improve students’ motor skills before they begin using the actual materials.

To support the trades instructors, Sarah Campbell has created a free online module, available on the Learning Hub, entitled Introduction to Sustainable Building Practices for Trades (SUST 0100). (To search for the course on the Learning Hub, go to myTools and select Discover.) The course can be completed within a couple of hours and is recommended for trades students at the beginning of their programs.

Additional resources are available at BCIT’s Living Labs website. Jennie also recommended looking at the IDEAS framework for guidance.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

Filed Under: Professional development

Join a Climate Fresk Workshop

19 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

Climate Fresk is a three-hour workshop that explores the cause-and-effect connections of climate change in a fun and insightful way. Climate Fresk can be used in your teaching and supports sustainable development goals on climate action and quality education.

Institute Sustainability invites interested BCIT employees to participate in a workshop at the downtown campus:

Dates: March 13, 20, 27
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Place: Downtown BCIT Campus, Room 795
Registration: Email Jennie_Moore@bcit.ca before February 28 and put Climate Fresk in the subject heading

In order to take action and build solutions, we first need to understand the problem—Climate Fresk

Filed Under: Courses & workshops

Grant Deadlines Fast Approaching!

18 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

Just a reminder to all that the application deadlines for grants are just around the corner.

Travel Reimbursement for Enhancing Knowledge Grant (TREK):

TREK grants increase opportunities for permanent faculty members (FSA and BCGEU) to attend conferences that specifically enhance teaching and support student learning.

We will accept applications for a new round of TREK grants from March 17 to March 30, 2025. Within the budget, we prioritize first-time applicants, then award grants on a first-come first-served basis. Please note that we cannot consider applications for conferences that occur before a decision is made about your application. Application results are sent a couple weeks after the closing date. For more information, please visit this site: https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access TREK grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

Instructional Enhancement Grant (IEG):

All BCIT employees involved in teaching or teaching-related activities are eligible to apply for an Instructional Enhancement Grant of up to $10,000. These grants provide funding for educational initiatives that enhance teaching and learning at BCIT.

We will accept applications for a new round of IEG grants from March 17 to March 30, 2025.  For IEG grants, we accept all applications within the window and then award grants based on

  • educational impact
  • applicability to other members of the BCIT community
  • opportunities for innovation
  • joint support (other resources to support the project)

For more information, visit https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/instructional-enhancement-grants-ieg-ie-grant/

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access IEG grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/instructional-enhancement-grants-ieg-ie-grant/

Special Interest Grant (SIG):

SIG grants provide funding for workshops initiated at the department level for BCIT instructors (FSA and BCGEU) and staff, which will enhance teaching and learning at BCIT.

For SIG grants, we accept applications on an on-going basis. We will start accepting applications for a new round of SIG grants on March 17, 2025, and will continue to accept applications for the fiscal 2025/2026 year until funds are exhausted.

Grants are awarded within the budget on a first-come first-served basis, provided the application fits the grant criteria. Once the funding is exhausted for the year, we will close the applications and post a notice on the webpage. You can find more information at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/special-interest-grants-sig/.

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access SIG grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/special-interest-grants-sig/

Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant (LTI):

The Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant provides faculty, staff, and other service departments with funds and support for applied initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience through alignment to the pillars of the Learning and Teaching Framework (LTF). For more information, please read the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant Information Sheet.

We will accept applications for a new round of LTI grants from March 10 to March 23, 2025.  For LTI grants, we accept all applications within the window and then award grants based on alignment to the criteria laid out in the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant Rubric.

For more information, please visit https://www.bcit.ca/learning-teaching-centre/learning-teaching-framework/learning-and-teaching-innovation-grant/

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access IEG grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/learning-teaching-centre/learning-teaching-framework/learning-and-teaching-innovation-grant/

Filed Under: Grants

Registration Now Open for Spring & Summer Polytechnic Teaching Courses

14 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

Build your skills as a polytechnic instructor while earning BCIT’s Associate Certificate in Polytechnic Teaching. The courses are available with a fee waiver for BCIT employees, and are transferable to the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) at Vancouver Community College (VCC).

Course link Dates Format
POLY 1005
Instructional Skills
Workshop
Apr 5–May 3
Jun 2–6
Jun 9–12
Jul 8–30
Jul 21–25
Aug 5–21
Aug 18–28
Aug 18–25
Aug 25–28
In-person
Blended
In-person
Blended
Online
Online
Online
Online
In-person
POLY 1010
Instructional Strategies
Apr 9–May 28 Blended
POLY 1025
Fostering Learning Online
Apr 5–Jun 14 Online

How to Register

  1. Go to the course link in the table and check the detailed schedule.
  2. Contact poly@bcit.ca to start the registration process.

Program Declaration

Let us know if you’re planning to complete the full certificate so we can advise you on how to declare your program.

More on the Program

If you’re not familiar with BCIT’s polytechnic teaching program, find out more at Polytechnic Teaching, Associate Certificate.

Filed Under: Courses & workshops

Food for Thought: Unlocking Climate Action in BC

7 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

An attentive and engaged group gathered online and in-person at the Library Summit Centre on January 30 for the first Food for Thought of the winter term. Kamyar Razavi, veteran journalist, expert in environmental communication and climate journalism, and BCIT instructor, was presenting on the topic of translating climate science into action.

Kamyar said he was motivated to speak when somebody at the last Food for Thought he attended wondered what we, as ordinary citizens, can do to enhance our climate action. Realizing that was his area of expertise, he offered to do a session on the topic.

Kamyar’s thought-provoking questions encouraged a lively discussion: How do we get people engaged in the topic of climate change? How do we combat climate change fatigue? How do we get people who don’t think human activity contributes to climate change to take the issue seriously? And, more importantly, how do those of us who do think climate change is caused by human activity turn our beliefs into action?

Kamyar recommends starting with the last group, the ones who are concerned about the impacts of climate change. One strategy he recommends is to increase the sense of efficacy: focus on the things we are doing that are making a difference. A second is to show (rather than tell) solutions without overlooking the urgency of the issue. And one of the most effective strategies, he said, is storytelling: talk about the environment in your daily conversations with others.

To reach those who don’t take the issue of climate change seriously, Kamyar suggests talking about local impacts, especially on places that are significant to us. Rather than focusing on what climate change is doing to polar bears in the Arctic, focus on the lack of outdoor ice rinks in communities that used to have ice every winter. He also used the analogy of a tip jar to explain how descriptive social norms can be one of the most effective ways to motivate people to change their behaviour. A sign in a hotel room saying 75% of guests reuse their towels is far more effective than a sign that asks guests to reuse their towel to protect the environment.

Kamyar concluded his talk by saying that the best way to increase your climate action is focus your efforts on the intersection of what work needs doing, what you are good at, and what brings you joy.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

Filed Under: Professional development

Call for Proposals: Open Education Grants 2025

4 February 2025 by LTC News Leave a Comment

BCIT instructors and faculty are invited to submit proposals for grants that support the creation of open educational resources (OER) in credit courses. Several grants are available this year. The objective is to empower educators to create accessible, high-quality, and sustainable resources that reduce financial barriers for students. Collaboration across the institute is encouraged.

Examples of past open education projects can be viewed in BCIT’s Institutional Repository or in our showcase.

Current opportunities

  • OER Development Grants (up to $5000) — open until February 17, 2025
  • OER Licensing Grants (up to $2500) — open until February 17, 2025
  • Teaching Excellence in Open Education Employee Excellence Award — until March 1, 2025

Learn more about open education on the Open BCIT webpage. If you have any questions, please contact open@bcit.ca.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

Filed Under: Grants

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