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Hello everyone! February continues to be a busy month at the Teaching & Learning Centre. In this edition, read about the three most recent Spotlight Sessions, take a look at a CI integration strategy in a computer engineering technology course, and remember to register for upcoming T&L events. Also, check out some highlights from the FirstPeoples@Seneca ice fishing trip!
The Faculty Champions (FCs) in Human Skills have just completed back-to-back weeks of online sessions. Together we explored the two main deliverables—the Needs Analysis and the Roadmap. This work involves FCs examining all the courses in their program to identify gaps (and hence opportunities to improve) the integration of the three Cs: communication, collaboration and critical thinking. Once they have identified the needs in their program, they can move on to creating an action plan to increase the integration of these human skills. It's not always easy, and they are doing admirable work for the polytechnic.
On top of the work on their deliverables, our FCs participated in a panel discussion with students from the Student Quality Assurance Council. During this discussion, we were able to get some insights into student daily life and the importance of the three Cs in their lives.
FCs also participated in an interactive presentation on critical thinking where they got to learn about the research and science behind this process and take away a few practical ideas on how to encourage their students to think critically.
What a busy Week 6! Faculty Champions, along with all faculty at large, were invited to attend three Spotlight Sessions, which focused on sustainability in classrooms, TRC classroom strategies, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We enjoyed the lively discussions and hope that all attendees have at least one more integration idea they can incorporate into their course material or teaching practice.
Looking ahead to Week 7, Faculty Champions will be taking a deeper dive into the classroom in the Core session, Classroom Integration Strategies. Week 8 will be an asynchronous week, as it is Study Week, but we will providing a great recording for faculty champions to view and reflect on.
Each CI Newsletter showcases a curriculum integration strategy or idea that you can adapt to your classroom. Each strategy comes with a learning objective and supporting activities, assessments and resources. The example is subject specific but can be adapted to any subject area.
This strategy features explicit EDI integration into a computer engineering technology course and used generative AI. The author of this strategy item prompted Microsoft Copilot (2025) with the question,
What type of authentic assessment would be relevant to Computer Engineering Technology students to meet this learning objective: "Investigate the current state of equitable Internet access for urban and rural communities across Ontario”?
Copilot then generated the following summary of a curriculum integration strategy.
Students will conduct a comprehensive research project that includes
conducting surveys with local residents, businesses and community leaders;
Note: The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.
Tell us what’s in your CI backpack! Do you have an integration idea to share with the Seneca community? Submit your idea here: Curriculum Integration Idea form.
In the most recent Curriculum Integration Spotlights held between February 11 and 13,
Lara McInnis and Wai Chu Cheng used real-life teaching examples and best practice strategies from diverse programs to answer the question, “What works and what doesn’t?” in weaving sustainability concepts into all areas of curriculum from content to activity to assignment and assessment. After sharing what they learned from tying sustainability into their courses, the group concluded that sustainability integration is possible in all subject areas.
Inviting multiple perspectives is essential to deepening our understanding of these interconnections and learning from the natural world. Supporting students to work together, emphasizing process over product, and using a systems approach will help faculty and students strengthen their sustainability mindsets.
Eric Zwicker and Cedar Leithead explored how the concepts of decolonizing, reconciling, and Indigenizing curriculum support inclusive, collaborative, respectful learning while also enhancing teachers’ toolkits for engaging and connecting with students meaningfully. Through Truth and Reconciliation principles, students can build capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect, and teachers can learn best practices for encouraging this growth.
Jamie Arfin introduced Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 3.0 to participants, illustrating concepts with hands-on activities, facilitating a discussion amongst faculty on best practices for incorporating UDL principles into their curriculum, and handing out a digital “grab bag” of useful online resources.
Spotlight Sessions are open to all Seneca faculty and staff. The next two sessions take place in March:
To learn more about Winter 2025 CI Spotlight Sessions, take a look at the CI Spotlight flyer. To register for any session, go to MyPD and type “Spotlight” in the catalogue search bar. We look forward to seeing you!
This two-week online course will review and apply the accessibility guidelines and requirements applicable to creating digital content. After successful completion of this course, you will walk away with strategies and resources to help with making your digital content accessible.
This course is eligible for a Seneca Professional Development microcredential for faculty. It is part of the professional development plan for non-full-time faculty, but it is open to all faculty members and instructors. Register on MyPD to reserve your spot by March 3, 2025.
Each month, Akeisha Lari, Manager Reconciliation and Student Inclusion, shares classroom insights for student engagement. For her previous entries, visit the Newsletter archive. This month, Akeisha "spills the tea" on how a new year can inspire goal setting with intention for teachers and students.
Reach out to Akeisha at any time to chat about connecting to our students: akeisha.lari@senecapolytechnic.ca.
Every year First Peoples@Seneca holds an ice fishing event for students and staff. This year it was held on February 15th, and the day was filled with great conversations, lots of laughter, and multiple opportunities to learn about Indigeneity.
Mark Solomon, Associate Vice President, Reconciliation and Inclusion, shared some insights about ice fishing on Lake Simcoe. Summarized here, they offer some great learning moments for your classrooms.
Lake Simcoe has many names: the Huron-Wendat people called him Ouentironk meaning beautiful water, and the Anishinaabe called him Zhooniyaang-zaaga'igan meaning silver lake. (Note: The lake is called he/him as we believe the lake is animate and only masculine as the author of this message is a man. If the author of this message were female, the lake would be she/her).
Simcoe has two First Nations very near, Georgian Island which is in the lake and Rama. They are both signatories to the Williams Treaty, which goes from King campus north to Parry Sound. This treaty does not include hunting and fishing rights, which is in stark contrast to other treaties.
Lake Simcoe is the most fished lake in Canada with 80% of fishing happening January through March.
The ice fishing outfitter is Fish Simcoe. Outfitters work long days, and with shorter and shorter seasons, they are stressed to make income. Outfitters clean, heat and bait each hut; this happens in the dark as customers arrive at 7:00 am. During the day, they may lift huts ensuring they don’t freeze to the ice. They may work on the ice road dealing with pressure cracks and they also take care of the general maintenance of the huts. This all happens in very cold weather. They work hard but enjoy the work they do.
Lake Simcoe is home to one of the best perch fisheries in the world, and it is common to catch jumbo perch 10-14 inches long. However, a perch at 7 inches long is a keeper. [Editor’s Note: From a sustainability perspective, it is important not to take too many large perch but instead keep more average-size ones (6 to 8 inches) because preserving larger specimens contributes to robust genetic diversity and ensures future high-quality stock. Read more about yellow perch (perca flavescens) at Fishing Lake Simcoe.]
How do outfitters know how much ice there is? Here is a great lesson about measuring ice thickness.
A final ice report after the snow this weekend – many hidden slush pockets have appeared. Slush is formed when the water gets on top of the ice through holes or cracks and the weight of the snow pushes the ice down. Slush will bog down skidoos, ATV's and walkers. There were reports of people abandoning their machines to get help. Those machines will freeze in and need to be chipped out.
Take a look at the photos of this spectacular day and join the amusement next year. All are welcome as ice fishing continues to be an exciting event for the Seneca community.
Captions: Photo 1: Gathering on the lake with the fishing huts in the background; Photo 2: Inside one of the fishing huts; Photo 3: A yellow perch; Photo 4: Fishing friends. Source: D. Bautista, 2025. Reprinted with permission.
Caption: Black History Month February 2025. Image source: Seneca Polytechnic
There’s still time to engage in Black History Month events here at Seneca, including the Self Care and Black Joy Community Lab (online). See Seneca’s Black History Month webpage to learn more about Seneca’s resources for Black students and expand our learning about Black achievements, contributions, and experiences:
Caption: Teaching & Learning Day Winter 2025. Image source: Seneca Polytechnic.
Registration for Teaching & Learning Day Winter 2025 is open! Don’t miss this chance to learn practical tools, tips, and strategies for enhancing student engagement in online learning from other faculty from Seneca and beyond.
For a complete list of all workshops being presented, visit the Workshop Descriptions page on the website. Registration closes on Feb. 24, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. EST – register through MyPD today!
Note: Teaching & Learning Day Winter 2025 is an online-only event.
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