Faculty Development Plans

Very promising! A new open-source platform for research on Human-AI teaming from Duke University uses real-time human physiological and behavioral data such as eye gaze, EEG, ECG, across a wide range of test situations to identify how to improve Human-AI collaboration. Selected insights from the CREW project paper (link in comments): 💡 Comprehensive Design for Collaborative Research. CREW is built to unify multidisciplinary research across machine learning, neuroscience, and cognitive science by offering extensible environments, multimodal feedback, and seamless human-agent interactions. Its modular design allows researchers to quickly modify tasks, integrate diverse AI algorithms, and analyze human behavior through physiological data. 🔄 Real-Time Interaction for Dynamic Decision-Making. CREW’s real-time feedback channels enables researchers to study dynamic decision-making and adaptive AI responses. Unlike traditional offline feedback systems, CREW supports continuous and instantaneous human guidance, crucial for simulating real-world scenarios, and making it easier to study how AI can best align with human intentions in rapidly changing environments. 📊 Benchmarking Across Tasks and Populations. CREW enables large-scale benchmarking of human-guided reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. By conducting 50 parallel experiments across multiple tasks, researchers could test the scalability of state-of-the-art frameworks like Deep TAMER. This ability to scale the study of the interaction of human cognitive traits with AI training outcomes is a first. 🌟 Cognitive Traits Driving AI Success. The study highlighted key human cognitive traits—spatial reasoning, reflexes, and predictive abilities—as critical factors in enhancing AI performance. Overall, individuals with superior cognitive test scores consistently trained better-performing agents, underscoring the value of understanding and leveraging human strengths in collaborative AI development. Given that Humans + AI should be at the heart of progress, this platform promises to be a massive enabler of better Human-AI collaboration. In particular, it can help in designing human-AI interfaces that apply specific human cognitive capabilities to improve AI learning and adaptability. Love it!

 Planning and prepping for talks can be a game-changer. Here's my process – maybe it'll help you too! 1. Audience & Theme: I start by selecting my audience and the theme of the talk. 2. Key Takeaway: On a piece of paper, I jot down the main message I want the audience to remember. 3. Brain Dump: I do a complete brain dump on paper, getting all my ideas and thoughts out. 4. Storyline Development: Next, I reorganize these ideas into a coherent storyline, adding research where needed. 5. Slide Planning: Once I have a clear story, I outline each slide and its key takeaway on a new sheet. 6. PowerPoint Creation: My PowerPoint is then created to visually reinforce the story and key points. 7. Practice: I practice out loud, record myself, and refine my delivery, focusing on cadence, timing, and voice modulation. 8. Final Prep: On the day of the talk, I either go for a run or just sit and think. If I can mentally run through the entire talk, I know I'm ready! Hope sharing my method helps you nail your next talk!

The TAPPLE Method is a classroom management and formative assessment strategy developed by Dr. Chris Biffle (Whole Brain Teaching). It’s designed to keep students actively engaged and accountable during lessons. Here’s what TAPPLE stands for: T – Teach first → Present the information or concept clearly to students. A – Ask a question → Check understanding by asking the class a question related to what you just taught. P – Pair-share → Give students time to quickly discuss their answer with a partner (this boosts participation). P – Pick a non-volunteer → Instead of calling on students who raise their hands, call on any student to answer, ensuring everyone stays alert. L – Listen → Pay close attention to the student’s response to gauge understanding. E – Effective feedback → If the answer is correct, reinforce it positively. If not, guide the student (and class) back to the correct answer without discouraging them. ✅ The goal of TAPPLE is to maintain engagement, equity, and accountability—so all students are involved in the learning process, not just the most eager ones

Presenting with Confidence: My 3-Step Prep for Collaborative Sessions As someone who has delivered countless keynotes, webinars, and workshops, I’ve learned that great presentations don’t happen by accident—they’re built on purposeful preparation. Over the years, I’ve developed a three-step method that makes collaborative presentations feel seamless, well-paced, and engaging:   1. Align on the Outline: In a first meeting, we define our key messages, agree on what the title and abstract have promised, allocate time equitably, and choose a slide template to ensure a cohesive visual experience.   2. Share Drafts and Storylines: Next, we meet to present and review one another’s slides and talking points. This allows us to refine flow, avoid duplication, and align our messages to amplify each other’s contributions.   3. Rehearse Together: A dress rehearsal brings everything together. We practice as if it’s live, offering feedback, making final adjustments, and ensuring the overall presentation feels polished and connected. A tech check or second rehearsal may follow if needed. This week at NACCHO #PrepSummit25, I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Dr. Danielle Eiseman from Cornell University. She graciously accepted my presentation prep approach and I found her to be smart, proactive, communicative, and a total professional—making this collaboration a true joy. What are your favorite tips for delivering a great presentation? Let’s share ideas in the comments and keep learning from each other! #PresentationTips #Collaboration #PublicSpeaking #HealthGIS #Teamwork #PublicHealthPreparedness #LocationIntelligence #ClimateResilience #HealthEquity #PresentationSkills #ConferencePrep

New Research Framework: How Humans and AI Collaborate in Research I'm excited to share our latest research visualization on human-AI collaboration models in research processes, now available on Figshare! As AI transforms academic research, understanding different collaboration approaches becomes crucial. Our systematic review identified three distinct models: 🔵 Automation Model: AI handles routine tasks completely, maximizing efficiency but with minimal human involvement 🟢 Augmentation Model: Human researchers and AI work in parallel, combining strengths while maintaining human agency and oversight 🔴 Dialogue Model: Knowledge emerges through iterative human-AI interaction, fostering interpretive diversity and deeper insights The key insight? Different research tasks call for different collaboration strategies. Literature screening may benefit from automation, while qualitative analysis might thrive with dialogue-based approaches. As research communities navigate this AI revolution, thoughtfully selecting the right collaboration model becomes essential to balance efficiency gains with preservation of critical human judgment. What's your experience with AI tools in research? Are you using them more for automation, augmentation, or dialogue? Check out the framework: https://lnkd.in/dEC_8iBE From our paper: "Balancing efficiency and depth: a systematic review of artificial intelligence's impact on research competencies across the research lifecycle" (2025) #ArtificialIntelligence #ResearchMethods #AcademicResearch #AICollaboration #DigitalTransformation #ResearchSkills #HigherEducation

Stanford University's genies STORM & CO-STORM are revolutionizing interdisciplinary teamwork by facilitating the creation of Wikipedia-style articles and Roundtable Discussion conversions. 📚 In a world where experts seamlessly unite across disciplines, Stanford's STORM and CO-STORM employ Autonomous AI agents to delve into a myriad of online documents and research papers, fostering real-time collaboration for transformative breakthroughs. 🔆 STORM, or Synthesis of Topic Outlines through Retrieval and Multi-perspective Question Asking, pioneers an innovative framework enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration. By amalgamating diverse viewpoints and utilizing advanced retrieval techniques, STORM amplifies research exploration's clarity and depth. 💫 Building upon this foundation, CO-STORM introduces Collaborative STORMing sessions, fostering structured environments for brainstorming, solution refinement, and implementation to tackle contemporary challenges effectively into a conversational format of discussions amongst various experts. ✨ Insights gleaned from these genies highlight the enrichment of research depth and solution diversity through multi-perspective question asking, the productivity boost from enhanced retrieval systems, and the accelerated innovation driven by structured topic synthesis. 🌟 From revolutionizing healthcare to addressing global sustainability challenges, STORM and CO-STORM empower teams to unleash the collective information retrieval potential of the AI agents in research and development, shaping a brighter future. 💫 My experiments with these tools:- 🔆 I sought an article on one of my research topics "Collaboration amongst human experts, LLMs, and AI agents towards evaluations of AI systems" via STORM which appeared to be a good first draft. STORM used four different agents - A basic Fact Writer, a Software Engineer, a Data Ethicist, an AI Research Scientist to create an engaging and well-cited article. Check it out here - https://lnkd.in/d8_yi_rG 🔆 I also tried a conversation-style roundtable discussion on another topic of interest "Responsible Governance Framework for Generative AI Adoption for Small and Medium Businesses". Check it out here - https://lnkd.in/du8ap4dm ✨ Explore the research and platform:- 📜 Paper - https://lnkd.in/dDBWvqte 👩💻 Code - https://lnkd.in/dfq8HTxE 🌐 STORM/ CO-STORM - https://lnkd.in/dK7gj6SC 💫 How could these approaches redefine your field of interest? Please share your thoughts! #StanfordSTORM #CO-STORM #Collaboration #AIInnovation #AgenticAI #ResearchLeadership #InterdisciplinarySolutions #Innovation #Stanford

Investments in people will not only help you to achieve your organizational goals, but it will create a culture of trust and encouragement. I was inspired by this recent blog from Laura Bernhard, PhD at California Competes about a recent initiative at San Diego Mesa College in preparing faculty for the growing demands of online instruction, and doing so by investing in the professional growth of those faculty. https://lnkd.in/gNb7SE_2 We did something similar at San Mateo County Community College District during the pandemic. Courses moved online, and there was a recognition that homegrown, project-based professional development was the key for our faculty. But what determined if someone was faculty? Tenure or tenure-track? Contingent/adjunct? Lecturer? Middle College? Dual enrollment? If you were to tease out the entirety of the group, the # of faculty reached close to 1000, more than 3x the number if we just stayed with traditional 'tenure/tenure-track' thinking. What did we do? We invested in people. We amended an existing four-week online teaching course. We aligned instructional designers and faculty support coaches to be onboarding courses every other week. We kept the faculty coaches available after the work was done. We made the course cumulative; the lessons of Week 1 were applied in practice in Week 2, and the theory of Week 2 was practiced in Week 3...so by the end of Week 4 the faculty had not only been certified in online education but had built *more than 80% of an online course* - and all of this in 25 hours! Oh yeah, and we funded it too. Learners were compensated. Support faculty were compensated. Designers were compensated. It was expensive. But by the end of the 2020 Summer, more than 85% of *ALL* instructors in the San Mateo County Community College District had successfully completed the course - tenure, adjunct, high school dual enrollment teacher, etc. By the end of the Fall, that number was above 90%. Learning is predicated by presence. The presence of the online committee and district leadership that resulted in the high-price decision to fund people not products resulted in a culture change, a recognition of the online environment and a presence in those spaces for students, for each other, and for the broader community.

As the world evolves, our educational approach must also adapt, inspiring stewardship and understanding of global challenges. I’ve crafted curriculum outcomes that blend primary school subjects with real-world activities, fostering curiosity and a proactive mindset in young learners. 1. The study of rainforests - Let’s build a classroom mini-rainforest to explore biodiversity and promote ecosystem conservation. 2. The study of writing letters - Let’s impact future policies by writing persuasive letters to leaders about environmental or social issues. 3. The study of insects - Let’s create a habitat for beneficial insects to promote local biodiversity. 4. The study of history - What can we learn from historical events to improve community cohesion and peace? 5. The study of the food chain - Let’s adopt a local endangered species and start a campaign to protect it. 6. The study of maps - Let’s explore the impacts of climate change on different continents using interactive map projects. 7. The study of basic plants - Let’s cultivate a garden with plants from around the world, focusing on their roles in sustainable agriculture. 8. The study of local weather - Let’s build weather stations to understand climate patterns and their effects on our environment. 9. The study of simple machines - Let’s engineer solutions to improve water and energy efficiency in our community. 10. The study of counting and numbers - Let’s analyze data on recycling rates and set goals for waste reduction. 11. The study of community helpers - Let’s explore how people around the world help improve community well-being and resilience. 12. The study of basic materials - Let’s investigate how everyday materials can be recycled or reused creatively in art projects. 13. The study of stories and fables - Let’s share stories from various cultures that teach lessons about community and cooperation. 14. The study of water cycles - Let’s design experiments to clean water using natural filters, learning about sustainable living practices. 15. The study of world populations - Let’s look at population distribution and discuss how urban planning can address housing and sustainability challenges. 16. The study of ecosystems - Let’s restore a small section of a local park, linking it to the role ecosystems play in human well-being. 17. The study of cultural studies - Let’s hold a festival to celebrate global cultures and their approaches to sustainable living. 18. The study of physics - Let’s discover renewable energy sources through simple experiments. These projects encourage real-world application, teamwork, and problem-solving, emphasizing the role of education in shaping informed, proactive citizens ready to face global challenges. This approach makes learning relevant and essential for today’s interconnected world. Which one will you try? #education #school #teacher #teaching

At Indus Training and Research Institute, one of the most powerful aspects of teacher training that we do is guiding teachers to discover their why - the deeper purpose that drives their teaching. Teaching is more than delivering content; it is an act of shaping minds, fostering curiosity, and nurturing perspectives. But to do this effectively, teachers need to reflect on why they teach in the first place. They need to ask questions like: Why does this subject matter? Why should children learn it? What kind of impact do they want their teaching to have? What’s the deeper motive behind teaching a concept? Finding these answers requires deep introspection and often, unlearning. Many teachers enter the profession thinking their job is to "cover the syllabus" or "prepare students for exams." But when they take the time to reflect, they realize that education is far more than content delivery. It’s about the values and ideas they want to instill, the curiosity they want to spark, and the lasting impressions they want to leave. Let me give the example of a biology teacher in our program. As she engaged in this reflective process, she uncovered her deeper why: sustainability. She wanted to create a world where all life forms could thrive, and she saw biology as the key to inspiring that mindset in students. This realization transformed the way she approached her teaching. Sustainability became the hidden curriculum in her lessons. Her assignments encouraged students to think critically about ecological balance, biodiversity, and conservation. Classroom discussions went beyond definitions and formulas; they became conversations about responsibility, ethics, and human impact on the environment. And the most remarkable part? Her students felt it. When she submitted her students' work as evidence, I could see her teaching philosophy being reflected. They began to look at the world through the lens of sustainability. They questioned how human actions affected different ecosystems, discussed ways to reduce waste, and even initiated small sustainability projects. What started as a teacher’s why became a ripple effect, influencing how her students saw their role in the world. In my last post, I talked about Social-Emotional Learning. Often, SEL is associated with subjects like language, humanities, or special programs. But here’s an example of how a science teacher is doing SEL. It's the hidden curriculum. Every teacher is an SEL teacher. When teachers find their why, they don’t just teach subjects - they shape mindsets. Education is never just about what we teach. It’s about why we teach. And when teachers discover their deeper why, the impact lasts far beyond the classroom! #education #sustainability #biology #sel #priyankeducator

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 In the battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna didn’t give the Gita to everyone — he gave it only to Arjuna, and only when Arjuna was ready. He tailored his message, used relatable metaphors, and taught with empathy. “𝐼𝑓 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ, 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛.” — 𝐼𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑜 𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑎 Krishna embodied this quote long before it was said. He adjusted his delivery, tone, and examples — not to show knowledge, but to spark realization. Teachers today face diverse classrooms — some students are fast, some need nurturing, some respond to visuals, while others to emotions.  A great teacher observes the emotional, intellectual, and psychological readiness of the learner and adapts teaching methods accordingly. Each student has a different pace, background, and way of understanding. Teaching becomes meaningful only when delivered at the student’s level of comprehension. Krishna teaches us that real education begins with understanding the learner first. That’s the essence of contextual teaching — adapting your lesson to the learner's mental state, emotional need, and capacity. Example:  For visual learners: use charts, diagrams, mind maps. For emotional learners: connect lessons to real-life stories or feelings. For struggling learners: break down content into bite-sized, relatable parts. For advanced learners: give higher-order thinking challenges or open-ended questions. Practical Tips for Teachers: Do a quick readiness check before starting a topic: Ask 2-3 open-ended questions. Use multiple modes of teaching: audio, visual, kinesthetic, storytelling. Pair students for peer learning, where strong learners help weaker ones. Celebrate small successes to boost confidence in underperformers. Never shame a student for not knowing — follow Krishna's way: uplift, don't humiliate. #TeachLikeKrishna #ContextualTeaching #BhagavadGitaWisdom #KrishnaForEducators #ValueBasedEducation #IndianPhilosophy #InspiredTeaching #StudentCentricLearning #EducationWithEmpathy #LifeLessonsFromKrishna #LearnerFirst #ModernGurukul #KrishnaNeSikhaya #TeacherWisdom