What's Café Ped?

Helen Macfarlane and John Cohen (mostly Helen, though) started an informal evening program at the Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology (COLTT) conference at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2008. In 2010 we brought it to the Anschutz Medical Campus, the new location of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

It's based on the Café Sci(entifique), which we've been running in Denver since 2003. In Café Ped, though, we like to have 2 speakers instead of 1, so that everyone will find something of interest to join the discussion (it's not a strict rule, though; there are no strict rules). The speakers each have about 5 minutes to outline what's on their minds, and then there is about 30 minutes for discussion. Appropriate topics might be: "Why I hate classroom recording systems" or "PowerPoint/Blackboard/Lectures/Small groups/PBL is/are the instrument of the devil" or "Fun and frustration with online cases" or "It's impossible to teach professionalism" or "I want to do research in my class, but have no clue how: Help!"

We meet on campus once a month, on a Thursday at 4:30 PM (16:30 h). For schedules and news updates, go to the Café Ped site on the Med School server. Everyone is invited, and we get a good showing from students of all schools, faculty, staff, and outside friends. Munchies and liquids are provided.

What about that logo? In addition to being the Café Ped instigator, Helen Macfarlane is a medical illustrator, and has designed logos and graphics for all our projects. Her Café Ped mascot is a Scholar enjoying him/herself (gender is none of our business), much in the manner we imagine students gathering at the Grieschenbeisel in Vienna in the 15th century would do, debating and disputing and enjoying what appears to be a frothy refreshing yeast-based beverage. We do not at this time, however, encourage the singing of Ach, du lieber Augustin during our gatherings. To this end, Helen alternatively configured the Scholar in a way that should be completely acceptable to The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board (their slogan: Got Milch?), bluenoses, and the WCTU.

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Volunteer to speak! Contact us if you think you'd like to give it a go, or want to talk it over. There isn't a lot of work to do; just outline your topic and why you care or what input you're looking for, and the audience will take it from there. No slides or PowerPoint allowed!