Programming Note: You might have noticed that there wasn't a new episode of Intentional Teaching in your podcast player this week. I aim for a biweekly release schedule, posting new episodes every other Tuesday. That didn't happen this week, mainly because I'm still catching up on work after being away for a week of fall break. I have a couple of fantastic interviews recorded, however, so look for a new episode in your feed next Tuesday. And since I didn't post a new podcast episode this...
8 days ago • 4 min read
Not Your Default Chatbot: Teaching Applications of Custom AI Agents As I've mentioned here, I've been working this fall with a number of faculty at the University of Virginia and elsewhere who are experimenting with custom AI chatbots in their teaching. So when OneHE reached out to ask me about doing an AI-related webinar next month, I thought it would be a great chance to share some of what my colleagues and I are learning about teaching applications of custom agents! Here's the abstract for...
15 days ago • 2 min read
Peer and AI Review of Student Writing Peer review is a signature pedagogy of writing instruction. What happens when you take that established structure and add in a layer of AI-generated feedback on student writing? You get PAIRR: Peer and AI Review and Reflection, an approach to integrating AI into writing instruction developed by a team of faculty at California public institutions. On the podcast this week, I talk with two members of that team, Marit MacArthur and Anna Mills. They share how...
23 days ago • 4 min read
Managing Hot Moments in 2025 If you've been around a center for teaching and learning in the last twenty-five years, you might have seen Lee Warren's article "Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom." Lee wrote this while at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University, and it's been a favorite handout at teaching center workshops ever since. From the article: "Sometimes things seem to explode in the classroom, and what do we do then? Knowing strategies for turning...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
You've heard of Google NotebookLM and its "audio overview" feature, right? This is the AI-powered tool that can create a podcast-style audio summary of one or more files submitted to NotebookLM. Within a minute or two, you can hear two chatty podcast hosts talk to each other about whatever reading you've given them. I've heard faculty worry that students might start listening to NotebookLM's summaries of course texts instead of doing the hard work of actually reading the course texts. How...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Digital Accessibility with Amy Lomellini You may have been hearing the term “digital accessibility” a lot lately, especially if you teach at a public institution. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA) was updated in 2024 to require greater levels of accessibility for web and mobile app content provided by state and local governments. Public colleges and universities have until April 2026 to ensure that, among other things, the learning materials they provide to students...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching I am very excited to share the news that I'm working on a new book! I'm joining Annette Vee, associate professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh, and Marc Watkins, assistant director of academic innovation at the University of Mississippi, in writing The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching, coming in 2026 from W. W. Norton & Company. Our goal is to equip instructors with practical strategies for teaching effectively in the age of generative AI....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
So this used to be a weekly newsletter! It's been a few weeks since I sent one of these out, but I have a good excuse. My August is always busy, but this August was especially busy since my wife and I moved into a new house and prepped our old house to sell. That made for a lot of work, and I'm glad that we're past the bulk of it. We have a lot of unpacking and settling in to do, but all our stuff is at the new house and the old house is on the market. If you're looking for a four-bedroom in...
2 months ago • 5 min read
Study Hall: AI and Learning Edition I'm excited to try out a new format on the Intentional Teaching podcast this week. Once again, I’ve been inspired by the American Birding Association podcast. The ABA podcast uses a format they call "This Month in Birding" where host Nate Swick invites three great guests to discuss recent studies or news articles from the world of ornithology. I learn a lot listening to these episodes, and I thought I would try the format out here on my podcast. Doing...
3 months ago • 3 min read