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Thursday, May 1, 2008 - Pre-Conference Workshops

8:45-4:45  Pre-Conference Workshops (check in begins at 7:30)

Choose from three engaging Pre-Conference Workshops.  All pre-conference workshops have three things in common: 1) Schedule: 8:45 to 4:45 on May 1, 2008, 2) Location: Los Angeles Renaissance Montura Hotel (conference hotel), and 3) Limited Enrollment: Please register early to get the session of your choice.

Friday, May 2, 2008 - Conference Day 1

7:15-8:15  Conference Check-In & Hot Breakfast Buffet (Hosted)

8:30-10:00   Session #1:  Opening Session

Session 1A: Getting On Course

Presenter: Skip Downing, Author, On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life

10:00-10:15   Beverage Break

10:15-11:45   Session #2 Breakout Sessions  

Session 2A:  Collaborative Activities in Online Classes

Presenters:  Peggy Homan, Instructor, Reading/College Success/Adult Basic Education; Connie Gulick, Instructor, English/ESL, Central New Mexico Community College, NM

Summary: Are you looking for online techniques that encourage students to explore and discover their “true” selves?  Student success instructors, English instructors, online instructors, in fact any educators interested in teaching online courses are invited to participate in this engaging session about using On Course activities in an online environment to maximize student engagement and personal growth.  You will participate in activities and leave with a packet full of ideas that encourage retention and student success!

 

Session 2B: What Weighs Three Pounds and is Ready to Learn?

Presenter: Deb Poese, Director/Professor, School of Education, Montgomery College, MD

Summary: Have you heard the phrases “I had a mental block” or “Use it or lose it”?  Current brain research confirms these statements to be truer than we might have thought. The findings of cognitive neuroscience reveal that learning is linked to the development of the brain’s neural networks, that specific learning is “grown” in particular areas in the brain, and that practice and time (including time for reflection) are necessary to create and enhance the connections across neurons. Join the presenter for an overview of how the brain learns, experience the kinds of activities that support or inhibit learning, and start planning your own “brain based” classroom strategies. NOTE: No background in biology is assumed for this session!

 

Session 2C: Reaching and Retaining the First-Generation College Student

Presenter: Marcia Hanlon, Director of Counseling Services, Aurora University, IL

Summary:  If first-generation college students are clamming up, glazing over or acting out, engaging them may be different than for other students. Students who are the first in their family to attend college have no context to help them understand and adapt to this foreign environment, and many flounder and fail, resulting in low first-to-second year retention rates for many colleges.  In this session we will examine both case studies and video interviews with first-generation students describing their university experiences, and will provide ample time for participants to examine their own campuses to discover what tools can be put into place to serve their own unique populations.  Retention specialists, orientation planners and freshman instructors, as well as academic advisors and counselors–anyone working to help students bridge the divide between high school and college–will benefit from this focused examination of the challenges first-generation students face.

 

Session 2D: Problem-Based Learning and On Course:  A Perfect Fit!

Presenters:  Gail Kiley and Christine Lottman, Field Service Professors and College Success Seminar Instructors, Center for Access and Transition, University of Cincinnati, OH

Summary: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered, active-learning pedagogy in which students are provided with “real life” problems to solve, usually deliberately ill-defined and “muddy.”  In this interactive workshop, participants will learn more about the process of PBL and explore a PBL assignment incorporating many of the student empowerment principles of On Course which the presenters have developed for use in a first year seminar course.  Anyone who teaches, coordinates, or supports a first year seminar program as well as instructors across disciplines will benefit from the opportunity to consider the adaptation of this activity to your own institution.

 

Session 2E: How is On Course Like a Telephone?

Presenter: Tom Hale, Student Success Coordinator, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, AR

Summary: What do On Course and a telephone have in common? You tell me. Forced analogies are a fun way to develop critical thinking skills. This is an engaging, interactive classroom activity that also encourages students to dive deeper and see the interconnections in life and to sleuth out less obvious choices. All this and a free balloon!  I have seen sullen college students come to life and participate enthusiastically in this activity. Forced analogies incorporate all three of the influences that researchers believe lead to gains in critical thinking.  Plus they’re fun. Any teacher whose students can benefit from more powerful thinking and problem solving skills will want to attend.

 

Session 2F:  The Power of Success Teams in the Classroom

Presenter: Marianne Auten, Counseling Faculty, Paradise Valley Community College, AZ

Summary: Come learn about an idea that students will love and that will make your life easier as an instructor.  Creating Success Teams at the start of the semester will help students connect with one another, involve them in your course content at a deeper level, and ultimately increase retention.  In this workshop you will experience a fun way to create teams and kick start your class, as well as many ideas on how to use success teams throughout the semester-- benefiting both you and your students!  

 

Session 2G: Promoting Students’ Emotional Effectiveness

Presenter: Jonathan Brennan, Faculty, English, Mission College, CA

Summary: Daniel Goleman observed, “The extent to which emotional upsets can interfere with mental life is no news to teachers. Students who are anxious, angry, or depressed don’t learn.” But what can educators do when students are blown off course by the inevitable emotional storms of college life? Calling upon the latest research in emotional intelligence, this session presents experiential activities that educators across the curriculum can use to help their students avoid being hijacked by strong emotions such as overwhelm, sadness, anger, and anxiety. As a bonus, these soft skills are the same ones that are highly desired by employers of our students. By helping students develop emotional intelligence in college, we not only help them improve academic success, we also help them succeed in their careers.

 

Session 2H: Expanding the Vision of First-Generation College Students

Presenters:  Lyssette Trejo-Espinoza, Counselor/Coordinator, Pre-Nursing/Health Bridge Program; Anabel Perez-Marquez, Counselor/Coordinator, Title V Grant; Patricia Maestro, Counselor/Coordinator, Summer Bridge; Gary Enke, Professor, English, Mt. San Antonio College, CA

Summary: In the film, “Goal,” Santiago, an immigrant from Mexico, fulfills his dreams of becoming an international soccer player. Through his journey, he overcomes his challenges by demonstrating On Course principles. Like Santiago, many first-generation college students are challenged with struggles and fears. In this interactive session, participants will view an excerpt from the movie,  receive tools to create a vision board of their own, and learn to duplicate the activity with their own students. This session will address challenges that first generation students face, such as defining their dreams and setting effective goals.  College educators, student success instructors, English instructors, counselors, and learning community instructors/counselors will benefit from attending this session.

 

Session 2I: Staying On Course With Learning Styles

Presenter: Guy Hutt, Associate Dean of Business, Math, and Technology, Cuyahoga Community College, OH 

Summary:  Cuyahoga Community College is currently offering a unique course pairing On Course with a mathematics content course.  Research at Tri-C has revealed a connection between student success and the learning style “match” between course instructors and the developmental students in their classes.  In this session, participants will determine their own learning styles using Kolb’s Inventory, and then discuss and develop strategies to help students enhance their learning strengths and transform their weaknesses to strengths.  While this session will be especially of interest to mathematics faculty, it has value for every educator.

 

Session 2J: The Globe Project: Motivating Students to Engage Deeply

Presenters: George Daniel, Director Student Success Center; David Belote, Asst. Vice Chan. Student Affairs; Sue Byrd, Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Tennessee, Martin, TN

Summary: Many students pursue their college degree with little motivation beyond the end goal of a diploma. As a result, they miss much of the value that their college years have to offer-both academically and extracurricular. The Globe Project is an activity that engages students in creating a visual depiction of their personally important outcomes and experiences in six realms: Academic, Social, Spiritual, Cultural, Wellness, and Service. Each student's Globe becomes a blueprint for getting the most value from his or her college experience. This session will appeal to educators looking for a way to motivate students to get the most from their college years. Plus, you'll have the fun of creating your own Globe and putting more direction in your own life!

 

Session 2K:  Beyond PowerPoint:  Integrated Teaching Skills 

Presenter:  Harold “Doc” Arnett, Developmental Education Specialist, Highland Community College, KS

Summary:  Putting text on a PowerPoint slide may make the words larger but doesn’t usually address visual, auditory or kinesthetic learning styles.  The concepts explored in this session integrate research-based effective teaching skills with a learning styles model. The presenter will also demonstrate ways to modify PowerPoint presentations in order to involve participants in activities that address all learning styles and improve student learning and retention of information.  College administrators and faculty who are interested in approaches that increase effectiveness, student motivation and academic success will want to attend this session. 

12:00-1:00   Lunch (Hosted)

1:15-2:45   Session #3 Breakout Sessions 

Session 3A: Getting Online Courses On Course!

Presenters: Robin Franck, Behavioral Science Dept Chair, Southwestern College, CA; Francois Bereaud, Instructor of Mathematics, San Diego Community College District, CA

Summary: Do you teach online?  Do too many of your online students flounder? Are you concerned about student retention? If so, then this session is for you.  We will examine what it takes to get online students on course, sharing data and specific strategies we have used to redesign our classes, including discussion board usage and cooperative assignments for online students. You will have the opportunity to share online successes and difficulties, participate in “online role plays,” and develop concrete strategies to help empower your students.  Be ready for an active session; you will leave the workshop with several ways to enhance your online courses as well as a frequently asked questions worksheet and URL resource list. This session is geared toward online instructors in any discipline.  

 

Session 3B:   Make it Happen! Experiential Learning    

Presenters:  Harold “Doc” Arnett, Developmental Education Specialist; Pete Gochis, Title III Activities Coordinator, Highland Community College, KS

Summary:  Experiential learning activities can be an ideal way to make abstract/verbal concepts meaningful and understandable to concrete/visual and concrete/kinesthetic learners.  Every attendee will have the opportunity (and responsibility, of course, as a Creator!) to actively participate as the presenters share learning activities used in a College Success class that is a key part of an integrated learning community pilot at their school.  Any instructor, tutor or support center staff will find refreshing and engaging class activities to take away from this session.

 

Session 3C: Collaborative Learning: Facilitating Relevance and Critical Reflection for Adult Learners

Presenter: Jana Rivers Norton, Education Specialist, University of New Mexico-Gallup, NM

Summary:  Would your students benefit from increasing their creative and critical thinking skills?  This experiential workshop applies collaborative learning theory as well as research on cognition and memory to facilitate relevance and reflection, as well as  actively engage adult learners to develop critical thinking and creativity through the reading and writing of narrative form. Participants will be asked to actively participate in an interactive workshop: experiencing collaborative learning modalities; participating in an experiential student survey; examining key components of creativity and psychometric tests; and examining divergent/convergent thinking and narrative form as a mode of inquiry.  Instructors across the curriculum, tutors, counselors, retention specialists, etc. could all benefit from this session.

 

Session 3D:  On Course in Career Exploration Classes

Presenters: Lea Beth Lewis, Assistant Dean/Lecturer, Student Affairs, California State University-Fullerton; Karen Kerr, Manager/Lecturer, California State University-Long Beach

Summary:  Students who take career exploration courses often expect they will be provided with “the answers” by the instructor. Other students have a “make us do it” approach to reading the textbook or doing research.  As student affairs professionals who also teach career exploration classes, the presenters adopted the approach that they would rather help students learn to learn instead of simply compiling and giving out information.  In this session, participants will experience the value of creating “flow” in the classroom, participate in active learning strategies to implement in various facets of campus life, and hear evidence of the effectiveness of these approaches.  All instructors who want students to assume more responsibility for their education will appreciate these strategies. 

 

Session 3E: El Camino Trazado:  Student-Centered Strategies for Foreign Language Classrooms

Presenter: Angelina Stuart, Professor of Spanish & ESL, Southwestern College, CA

Summary:  Students who are developing or improving their ability to communicate in a second language are often hampered in gaining proficiency by their self-consciousness and weak language confidence. The traditional "drill and kill" or translation models of instruction fail to address these major barriers to success. This dynamic workshop will involve the participants in activities that will engage students and help to build a classroom community where learners can be comfortable to "play" with language and acquire it while doing so.  Workshop activities will use the acquisition of Spanish as the content, but all of the activities can be adapted for use in teaching other foreign languages and ESL, as well as many other content areas.  [Warning:  Session side effects could include an overwhelming desire to learn another language, a warm fuzzy feeling toward workshop participants and/or a desire to seek out other learner-centered activities.]

 

Session 3F: Empower Your Dreams Using the Idea Exchange!

Presenter: William (Bill) H. Johnson Jr., Student Success Coordinator/School of Health and Human Performance, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, NC

Summary:  Do you have students who have big goals and dreams but lack the motivation to persist or the ability to create an effective action plan?  (Maybe that’s even true of you.)  If so, then the Idea Exchange is for you!  Coming up with the goal and dream is the easy part; coming up with ideas to get started is the hard part!  The Idea Exchange is a strategy not only to provide ideas to get started, but to identify concrete tasks to implement immediately!  The hands-on exercises in the Idea Exchange can be used with anyone who wants to accomplish big dreams!  These exercises will encourage students to thing BIG, start small, and ultimately get it done! And you’ll be amazed at the results!  This session is ideal for anyone who seeks effective strategies for helping students find both intrinsic motivation and self-management strategies and, thus, accomplish more in college and life.

 

Session 3G: Designing a Workshop Series on Learner-Centered Instruction 

Presenter: Nancy Shaw, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Montgomery College, MD

Summary:  If faculty at your college would benefit from learning more about how to design learner-centered classroom content, this session is ideal for you. Educational institutions are awakening to the value of learner-centered education, with many making the shift to a “Learning College.”  Such a shift necessitates a campus professional development program that offers educators the tools needed to deliver these strategies to their students.  This session is for educators interested in designing a workshop series on learner-centered instruction at their own institutions. Participants will draft a thematic outline for a series of three workshops, determine content and select structures to deliver that content, and address challenges that might arise along the way.  A model of how the facilitator organized a similar professional development program on her campus will be provided.

 

Session 3H: Creating Lifelong Learners: Infusing Critical Thinking into the Classroom

Presenter: Eileen Zamora, Professor/English & Learning Skills, Southwestern College, CA

Summary: What exactly is critical thinking? What determines whether or not we are using critical thinking? How do we get better at it? These are questions for both educators and students. In order to learn anything well, rather than focusing on learning random bits and pieces of information, we must master the thinking that defines that subject. In this interactive workshop, participants will discover the elements that define critical thinking and learn strategies for infusing fair-minded critical thinking in the classroom as a means for improving students’ skills in academic work, decision making, and problem-solving.

 

Session 3I: Stress Management Smorgasbord:  Strategies for Different Learning Styles

Presenters: Jennifer Y. Levy-Peck, Director, Counseling Center, University of Tennessee at Martin, TN; Charles Peck, Network Administrator, Taplogic, LLC.

Summary: Stressed-out students learn less and have less fun!  This workshop offers a buffet of stress management techniques that will appeal to a wide range of students.  You get a “triple whammy:” an enjoyable interactive experience that demonstrates how to present stress reduction exercises, a chance to discover your own “stress style,” and an array of active, interactive methods for working with students to help them decrease their stress levels and increase their abilities to tolerate the inevitable pressures of college and of life. This session will be of value to instructors, counselors, and student success professionals.

 

Session 3J:  Beyond the Classroom: Getting Your Whole Campus On Course 

Presenters:  Kristie Daniel-DiGregorio, Instructor, Human Development; Juli Soden, Instructor, Human Development; Paul-Anthony Quintero, Counselor; Rose Ann Cerofeci, Instructor, Reading and English; Donna Manno, Staff Development; Matt Kline, ESL; David Vakil, Astronomy; Ruth Banda-Ralph, First Year Experience and Learning Communities; El Camino College, CA

Summary:  How can you expand the benefits of On Course beyond the classroom to transform an entire campus?  Employing interdependence, an interdisciplinary group of faculty at El Camino is collaborating to create a campus-wide culture of active, responsible learners.  The panel will share challenges, strategies, and some preliminary data on the effects of the new initiatives.  Faculty will also facilitate a discussion of initiatives at other institutions and guide attendees in planning for increased student success on their own campuses.

 

Session 3K:  Authentic Engagement/Creative Engagement 

Presenter: Jim Belcher, Professor, Creativity & Student Engagement, Valencia Community College, FL

Summary:  Ask yourself or your students: Have you ever paid total attention to anything? Has anyone ever paid total attention to you? This participatory workshop is about finding passion; diving in fully, authentically and creatively.  Topics include: listening without anchorage, being a contribution, curiosity and courage, what to do when you’re lost, learning to be, and celebrating community.  If you are a teacher interested in developing your own and your students’ ability to respond openly, honestly, authentically, creatively and as a community to the challenges we face today and in the future, don’t miss this session!

 

Here’s an extra long break so you can munch, meet, and chat with some of the great educators at this conference.

Session 4A: Cultivating Retention: On Course in English Composition

Presenters:  Deborah Gilbert; Barbara Jensen; Emily Malsam; Karen Davies, Faculty, English, Modesto Junior College, CA

Summary:  What could be more effective than using On Course in an English course?  Using it in FOUR English courses!  A team of English faculty from Modesto Junior College will share how On Course strategies are used to empower students across the sequence of composition courses at MJC. Join them as each instructor facilitates an activity used in the course she teaches, from ice-breakers to peer review to student accountability, and then share in the group discussion of adaptations and implementation.

 

Session 4B: Beyond Group Work: Effective Cooperative Learning Strategies

Presenter: Eileen Zamora, Professor/English & Learning Skills, Southwestern College, CA

Summary: When instructors try “group work,” they are often left wondering how many students are on task and whether the groups will effectively achieve their goals. Wonder no more.  In this session, participants will experience a variety of cooperative learning activities that are fun, productive, and adaptable to any content area. In addition, participants will learn tips for managing group activities  and increasing individual accountability. 

 

Session 4C:  On Course and Coaching Skills 

Presenter: William (Bill) H. Johnson, Jr., Student Success Coordinator, School of Health and Human Performance, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, NC

Summary: Do you want to improve your relationships with your  advisees–and make a difference?  If you do, then this session is for you!  This workshop is focused on enhancing the personal relationships that advisors have with their students–and learning strategies to empower students to develop strategies to maximize personal growth.  Participants will have the opportunity (through self-reflective, hands-on activities) to implement various coaching tools to assist students in the search for meaning, purpose, and passion.

 

Session 4D: Engage Your Students by Using Effective Learning Games

Presenters: Connie Gulick, Instructor/English composition; Susan Cordova, Instructor/Sciences, Central New Mexico Community College, NM

Summary: Games engage even difficult students, but do the students learn?  Would you like to learn how to design effective learning games for your students?  Classes teaching facts (like chemistry) can use certain game styles, while skills classes (like English composition) need different styles.  Experienced at both ends of the spectrum, we will present several learning games.  After exploring which games work best for which information, participants will have a chance to play their games, share their ideas, then develop their own into learning games based on their teaching objectives.  Educators across multiple disciplines can use these strategies with their students.

 

Session 4E: Educator, Know Thyself

Presenter: Beth Potter, Associate Professor, Human Services, Anne Arundel Community College, MD

Summary:  Participate in an active learning session that empowers participants to assess and acknowledge their own values, biases, and beliefs. Then explore the potential impact of such personal values, biases, and beliefs on the learning environment. Attendees will take part in a group exercise that can be replicated with students or faculty. The session will benefit faculty, student success instructors and administrators seeking a better understanding how their beliefs impact their choices, thus allowing them to become more effective educators.  Of course these skills are also essential to empower students to do the same!

 

Session 4F:  Designing Meaningful and Manageable Student Learning Outcomes

Presenter: Gabrielle Siemion, Instructor, College Success, SLO Consultant, Santa Barbara City College, CA

Summary: Are our students reaching the learning outcomes we intend? This hands-on workshop will review the what, why and how of SLOs (student learning outcomes),  supporting faculty efforts to create objectives which are meaningful, measurable, and manageable. Participants will discuss the benefits, challenges, and successes in the SLO process and enjoy creating specific measurable outcomes for themselves, their students, their programs and colleges. Faculty from all academic disciplines can benefit from this session, as well as counselors, student services professionals, and college administrators.

 

Session 4G: SHIFT Happens!  Creativity, Collaboration and Content 

Presenter:  Jana Bernhardt, Professor, Social Sciences and Teacher Education, Student Success Coordinator, Central Florida Community College, FL

Summary:  This successful student centered learning strategy can be used to create meaningful student learning, enhance creative and critical thinking for students, and infuse interest, motivation, creativity and fun into ANY academic course.  Using materials provided, participant teams will “brainstorm” and create a poster summarizing main concepts on an academic topic and then “teach” a 60 second lesson using their poster. After debriefing, you will take home a plan to use this activity with your own academic courses. 

 

Session 4H Creative Contract Themes to Foster Student Engagement and Success

Presenters: Temple Sander, Counselor, TRiO/SSS; Ellen Houston, Counselor, ACCESS Program, University of Nevada, Reno

Summary: Is there a learner-centered approach to the use of student “contracts” or other types of student commitments? We have implemented some creative contract themes and our students have quickly discovered they’re in the driver’s seat. Our contracts are designed to help them learn to drive strategically and stay On Course–of course! We have found that having students choose a theme to focus on and design their own commitment for the semester encourages them to be responsible and aware that they are in control of their outcomes. Best of all, the contract themes are fun and designed to capture students’ interest and engage them to participate in their college experience in a meaningful way. Participants will have opportunities to develop themes that would fit their own programs, share their ideas in groups and experience a highly interactive, fun, engaging session that will leave participants feeling inspired.  Any educator who works with students in programs that use student contracts (TRIO, EOPS, etc) will benefit from this session.

 

Session 4I:  Positive and Productive Communication

Presenter: Peter Shull, Faculty, Engineering, Penn State University-Altoona, PA

Summary:  Working effectively and efficiently in a team or group environment is critical to many professions as well as a basic life skill. Arguably, the most important element (yet most neglected?) of group dynamics is effective communication skills. In this highly interactive workshop, participants will discover how to help students learn essential elements of communication and improve their interaction with others. The presenter will share how he has applied these ideas in engineering classes and professional development settings, but the applications for the strategies range across the curriculum. You'll take away a method that experientially offers an opportunity to help students develop positive and productive interpersonal communication skills for their academic, professional and personal lives.

 

Session 4J: Get the Net Generation On Course

Presenter: Kathy Magee, Instructor, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada

Summary: Is it a challenge to keep up with your students’ internet proficiency?  Want to learn more about Wiki, Blog, Coventi, Web 2.0, and more technology tools for your online and face-to-face instructional toolbox, including methods to empower students to remain On Course?  Understanding the “Net” generation means taking a new look at how we deliver our materials and what lessons students learn as we deliver them.  In this session, you’ll be introduced to technology tools and strategies and learn how to translate learner-centered classroom activities into online instruction, leaving with clear strategies to use these tools.  All instructors—whether teaching online or face-to-face-- can benefit from this session.

 

Session 4K: Personality Assessments and College Success

Presenters: Cindy Morrin, Instructor/Counselor, Personal Development Counseling; Raad Jerjis, Counselor/Instructor/Personal Development Counseling, Cuyamaca College, CA

Summary:  Personality Assessments help students understand themselves and others around them.  Additionally, they  support students in becoming better learners and creating stronger and more effective relationships. This awareness can help students take greater responsibility for their lives based on their type, understand their strengths/weaknesses, and help them to communicate with and better understand others.  Understanding personality also helps students  to choose a major and a career.  In this session, participants will do a self assessment of their personality based on the MBTI with a fun, simple introduction to using personality assessments.  Participants will leave with guidelines and resources for using personality assessments.  They will also have a basic understanding of personality assessments and acquire new ideas for using personality assessments in college courses.  All educators could benefit from understanding how to use these self-awareness tools.

Saturday, May 3, 2007 - Conference Day 2  

Session 5A:  From Probation to Performance

Presenter: Jan Baumgart, Coordinator, Learning Assistance; Instructor, Academic Development Program, Concordia University, MN

Summary: Why are so many students who have all the numbers (meet college acceptance standards) on probation after their first semester?  And, what can we do about it?  Come and hear how one school developed a course that earns graduation credit, meets students where they are, and addresses affective, behavioral and cognitive roadblocks to success at the college level.  You will experience and take away some hands-on classroom activities that engage students, enliven class discussion, and embrace differences. 

 

Session 5B:  On Course: The Game of Personal Responsibility

Presenter:  Robin Middleton, Counselor; Kaye Young, Director, Student Learning Center; both presenters from Jamestown Community College, NY

Summary:  Come play the game that may replace Monopoly as the world's best selling board game (okay, perhaps not in our life time). The presenters created this board game to reinforce On Course principles. Five players travel around each board on their journey to graduation. In order to stay "on course," players need to demonstrate Creator thinking and decision making as they encounter Forks in the Road and unexpected obstacles, the same ones our students face on the long and winding path to graduation. Games are typically accompanied by exaggerated groans, good natured laughter, and even an AHA now and then. Familiarity with On Course principles is helpful, but not required to participate. This session is repeated in Session 6I.

 

Session 5C:  On Course as a Business Tool

Presenter: Pat Vos, On Course Facilitator, Alberta Employment Immigration and Industry, Canada

Summary: Would your students (or college employees) benefit from developing workplace skills such as leadership, problem-solving, taking responsibility and effectiveness in communication? A workplace with a culture grounded in the “creator mindset” grows every year, and enjoys increased revenue and employee retention and more engaged employees.  People working in a group in which the members have adopted a creator mindset are happier, have more fun and are fundamentally emotionally healthier. Participants in this session will learn to recognize the subtle ways people slip into a victim mindset and diminish their outcomes, and will leave with a strategy to recognize themselves in the victim mindset and shift into a creator mindset.  This session is designed for faculty who know the value of an emotionally healthy workplace. People who have others reporting to them would particularly benefit from attending this session.

 

Session 5D: Blending Online Instruction with Classroom Interaction

Presenter: Jeff Detrick, Division Chair, Mathematics and Life Sciences, Brazosport College, TX

Summary: Traditional lecture doesn't always promote quality student learning.  In this presentation, we will examine a new course that blends online instructional components into the traditional classroom to create “the reverse course.” Students attend lecture at home (using streaming video) and interact with the material and each other in class, enriching the learning experience. Material presented in the videos can be broken into smaller, more manageable pieces and immediately reinforced with student practice.; students can pause, rewind, and review classroom presentations; short attention spans can be accommodated; class time is used for hands on learning that is tailored to all learning modalities; and students who miss class still have access to the course material.  This presentation is a must for any faculty member who teaches both online and face to face, in hybrid (or blended) models.

 

Session 5E: Dependable Strengths for Student Success

Presenter: Laurie Adamson, Director, Women’s Programs and College Success, Olympic College, WA

Summary: Students who know their strengths, talents, and positive attributes are more motivated to set and achieve goals, more self-confident, have improved self-efficacy, and have a greater appreciation for diversity in the classroom and workplace. The Dependable Strengths Articulation Process is a planned sequence of experiences in which participants identify their strengths and talents, uncover hidden potential, and become motivated to strive for success. Dependable Strengths is a unique research-based process proven to increase self-esteem, motivation, and interest in learning for people of all ages. Conference participants will experience an interactive exercise to begin to uncover their own Dependable Strengths.  This workshop will equip advisors, faculty, counselors, and retention specialists by helping them understand the value of a strengths-based paradigm in higher education. College personnel who work with special populations (Adult Basic Education, English Speakers of Other Languages, displaced homemakers, students leaving the corrections system, students with disabilities, etc.) will also want to attend this session.

 

Session 5F: Evidence that On Course Promotes Academic Success!

Presenter: Guy Hutt, Associate Dean of Business, Math, and Technology, Cuyahoga Community College, OH

Summary:  Can the efficacy of the On Course approach be established through data?  You bet! Cuyahoga Community College was extremely concerned about the failure rate of students in Beginning Algebra I (65%), and the entire developmental course sequence (nearly 80%).  In response, Mastering Math 0950 was developed, piloted, and implemented, paired with Beginning Algebra I. The Math 0950 focus is on self-efficacy, using On Course as the textbook with supplements on learning styles, an overview of the memory process, and math anxiety.  This approach has significantly raised final course grades and retention.  The presenter will share the development and implementation process, as well as the data collection and analysis process, data and results.  This session will be of value to educators interested in developing a successful On Course intervention at their college, and those interested in the statistical parameters established to collect and analyze data to measure the effect of the use of On Course with college students.  

 

Session 5G:  Self-Portrait Projects in Developmental English

Presenter: Maxine Gibson, Faculty, English, Washtenaw Community College, MI

Summary:  As instructors, we know that writing is not just an end in itself, but also a problem-solving tool that helps people to make wise choices and be successful, life-long learners.  In this session, hear how one Developmental English teacher helps her students practice observation, analysis and reconstruction using The Self-Portrait Project.  View a short video of how classes become learning communities by sharing their self-portraits, and try out some implementation strategies and adaptations for your own classroom.  English faculty and Student Success instructors will find this session of value.

 

Session 5H:  Suspend Debate: A Group Process of Listening and Reflecting

Presenter: Dick Harrington, Professor Emeritus, English, Piedmont Virginia Community College, VA

Summary:  Readings in areas as diverse as history, biology, economics, or poetry can sometimes defeat students, while as teachers we want our students to be propelled to undertake the reading with curiosity and perseverance.  Guided by a video clip of the presenter’s class of students, participants at this session will decipher a potentially baffling reading assignment using a group process adapted from the Quaker-based teachings of Parker Palmer. Suspending traditional academic debate, the process fosters presence, attentive listening, openness to learning from one another, respect for others’ insights, trust in one’s own thoughts and feelings including bewilderment, and reflection. This session will be of value for any educator who wants to experience a group activity that helps prepare students for reading in unfamiliar territory.  

 

Session 5I: Enhancing Student Learning Through Group Problem Solving Activities

Presenter: Phyllis J. Dukes, Professor/Counselor, Cuyahoga Community College, OH

Summary: What is an effective way to teach concepts such as diversity, problem solving, critical thinking, or values clarification?  This presentation will involve participants in a series of group activities that have been successfully used to engage and motivate students in a developmental education college skills course for the past three years, as evidenced by faculty and student evaluations.  Participants will be guided through games that promote student interaction, group cohesiveness and fun while motivating students to acquire creativity, diversity, decision-making, problem-solving and lifelong learning skills. The workshop is geared toward instructors who teach apathetic students, particularly those in developmental education.

 

Session 5J: Sharing in Safety: A Discussion Strategy

Presenters:  Norma Chandler, Coordinator, Career Services; Ivette Quintero, Coordinator, Student Services, Paradise Valley Community College, AZ

Summary:  Students in College Success Classes are often studying the most important topic of their lives: themselves!  But how can instructors help them to share the life lessons they are learning to the benefit of their classmates?  This session will model an approach two instructors found to create a non-threatening environment where students can open up to their classmates about learning and applying empowerment principles.  

 

Session 5K: Class is like…Analogies and Creators

Presenter: Cheryl Reed, Assistant Professor, San Diego Miramar College, CA

Summary:  Do students appear to have different expectations than their instructors?  Do they respond as “victims” to challenging events? We all have stories (narrative and analogy) in our heads about "how things work." This session offer activities that help students (and educators) see the stories they tell themselves about the classroom environment, and develop new strategies, recognizing and refining their narratives and analogies to be more effective in the face of challenging events. This session will benefit instructors, counselors–all educators who have a role in helping students discover and shift beliefs about themselves and others.

Session 6A: Understanding Your Students: Instant Surveys for the Classroom

Presenter: Mark McBride, Faculty, Success Strategies and English, Brevard Community College, FL

Summary: Perhaps, like many instructors, you have experienced challenging students and dysfunctional classes.  If you have implemented an array of techniques to overcome the tension created from these situations, but still find yourself looking for something more effective, try finding out what your students are thinking! In this session you’ll learn strategies for surveying the thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs of your students through Instant Surveys.  These quick and useful activities help create a safe and open learning environment by offering students a means to voice their views and experiences.  You’ll leave with tools you can put to immediate use in any classroom.

 

Session 6B:  Battling Boredom in Basic Writing

Presenter: Lisa Tittle, Faculty, English, Harford Community College, MD

Summary:  Are you looking for activities that will actively engage your developmental writing students? In this session, participants will discover alternatives to traditional lessons in grammar and mechanics, content development, and paragraph genres.  These active learning strategies not only enliven the classroom, they also help students with various learning styles retain information and become better lifelong learners.  Participants will learn at least 10 activities that increase motivation levels, build confidence, and provide opportunities for students to take ownership of the skills being taught.  After implementing these strategies, the presenter experienced improvements in attendance, on-time homework, retention, and, significantly, in the quality of student writing. This session is designed for the developmental writing teacher although most instructors will be able to take what is presented and incorporate collaborative activities into his/her content area.

 

Session 6C:  The Success Teams Approach to Mentoring 

Presenter: Kim Schellpeper, Associate Director of Academic Programs, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, NE

Summary:  What role does social interdependence play in the first year college experience?  Incorporating a teamwork mentoring approach provides educators, advisors and staff with an active framework for exposing first year students to the On Course core principles.  While this program was designed for student-athletes, it is applicable to almost any group of students.  This session will provide participants with experiential strategies designed to assist students in making a smooth transition from high school to college.  The structures and strategies presented in this workshop are applicable to educators, advisors, TRIO programs staff, retention specialists, learning specialists and academic counselors. 

 

Session 6D: Strategies to Engage Students in the Learning Process

Presenters:  Kaye Young, Faculty/Coordinator of Learning Center; Robin Middleton Counselor/Faculty, Developmental Studies, Jamestown Community College, NY

Summary: While many educators have a desire to become more learner-centered, it can be challenging to find effective strategies that increase student engagement in the classroom. With the use of the “jigsaw” (a learner-centered strategy), participants will learn and exchange more than 20 simple, easy to use learner-centered strategies that can be implemented before, during, and after class to generate greater student participation and involvement. We recently offered this program at our Faculty Development Day and received consistently positive feedback about the collegial experience created by using the jigsaw, as well as appreciation for the wealth of new ideas learned in such a short period of time.

 

Session 6E:  It’s About Time

Presenter: Paula Ford, Coordinator, Learning Resource Center, Penn State-Altoona, PA

Summary: Come participate in a re-creation of a class session in which students work in teams of three or four (using poker chips!) to assess the way they spend time during the week, and make plans to change their patterns to improve their outcomes. This highly interactive session provides an innovative way to emphasize time management in a study skills class, seminar or other course. Participants will receive copies of all relevant handouts for the activity.

 

Session 6F:   “Clickers:” Facilitating Active Student Learning

Presenter:  David Vakil, Faculty, Astronomy/Physics, El Camino College, CA

Summary:  You’ve heard about them, maybe even seen them–here’s your chance to try them out! “Clickers” (personal response systems) are a simple technology that facilitates an interactive and fun learning environment.  They can be especially beneficial in large lecture classes, but are adaptable to many situations.  During the session, participants will experience the use of a “clicker” as well as participate in several classroom strategies designed to integrate the responses into learning and assessment activities.

 

Session 6G:   On Course Through Drama

Presenter:  Gail Janenka, Counselor, Strategic Learning Instructor, The Victoria College, TX

Summary:  You may think you have plenty of drama in your life, but here’s your opportunity to join in the fun of role-playing during this interactive script-reading session. Some scripts are serious, some are hilarious, but all reveal valuable On Course insights to motivate any learner. The scripts are fairly short in duration, so they can easily be adopted and adapted by educators within a class setting or by facilitators of a student success course or a retention workshop. The session can be attended by anyone who wants to add a little spice to their delivery of success strategies and who wants to have fun in the process!  Take copies home for immediate implementation in workshops or in the classroom.  

 

Session 6H: Emotional Intelligence: Infusing EI into the Classroom

Presenters: Beth Hammett, Dept. Chair & Asst. Prof. of English; Stacey Henderson, L.P.C./Psychology; Al Bass, Dean of Wellness, College of the Mainland, TX

Summary: Students need more than just academics to be successful—they also need to improve their overall well-being: mind, body, and soul. The Student Wellness Learning Community classes had a significantly higher pass rate and significantly lower failure and withdrawal rates once EI was implemented in Psychology for Success.  A DVD of learning community participants will be shown and interactive goal-setting activities, icebreakers, and EI assignments with student samples will be explored. A CD will be given to attendees, and DVD of the learning community students will also be shown. The presentation is designed for instructors, retention specialists, and administrators looking for a new approach implementing emotional intelligence in learning communities on their campuses.

 

Session 6I:  On Course: The Game of Personal Responsibility

Presenter:  Gail Kiley and Christine Lottman, Field Service Professors and College Success Seminar Instructors, Center for Access and Transition, University of Cincinnati, OH

Summary:  Come play the game that may replace Monopoly as the world's best selling board game (okay, perhaps not in our life time). The presenters created this board game to reinforce On Course principles. Five players travel around each board on their journey to graduation. In order to stay "on course," players need to demonstrate Creator thinking and decision making as they encounter Forks in the Road and unexpected obstacles, the same ones our students face on the long and winding path to graduation. Games are typically accompanied by exaggerated groans, good natured laughter, and even an AHA now and then. Familiarity with On Course principles is helpful, but not required to participate. This session is repeated in Session 5B.

 

Session 6J:   Service Learning to Promote Student Success

Presenters: Geralin Clark, Faculty, Human Development; service learning student, El Camino Community College, CA

Summary:   We all learn best by doing.  Why not ask that students participate in service that contributes to achieving our course objectives?  Become informed about this learning strategy that is sweeping through the higher education institutions in the United States as more and more students are energized and transformed by service learning experiences. A former service learning student will share how her experience helped her define her dreams and goals and add meaning to learning. The presenter will lead session attendees in a discussion of the problems of relating classroom learning to real life, provide the details of a three-year mentoring program grant at El Camino, and present anecdotal and statistical information about the positive impact of service learning on student retention. 

 

Session 6K: Integrating Learning Skills Strategies and Course Content

Presenters:  Beth Mutch, Chemistry Learning Specialist; Wendy Shekdar, Director of Learning Skills, United States Naval Academy, MD

Summary:  With the increasing demand for scientific and technical expertise in the workforce, it is critical for educators to find ways to increase student interest and success in the sciences.  This session will highlight strategies that have been used to integrate learning skills and science content, including evidence detailing the success of the program. Throughout this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to adapt part or all of the activities to their own curricular needs. Student success staff, science faculty, curriculum development specialists and anyone who wants to learn about promoting critical thinking and building confidence in their disciplines would benefit from this session.

11:00-12:30   Session #7:  Closing Session

Session 7A: Staying On Course

Presenter: Jonathan Brennan, Faculty, English, Mission College, CA

2008 Conference Strands

STRAND CC:  Collaborative & Cooperative Learning

Session 2A:  Collaborative Activities in Online Classes

Session 2D: Problem-Based Learning and On Course:  A Perfect Fit!

Session 3B:  Make it Happen! Experiential Learning    

Session 3C: Collaborative Learning: Facilitating Relevance & Critical Reflection…

Session 4B: Beyond Group Work: Effective Cooperative Learning Strategies

Session 4D: Engage Your Students by Using Effective Learning Games

Session 4G: SHIFT Happens!  Creativity, Collaboration and Content 

Session 4I: Positive and Productive Communication

Session 5B: The On Course Game 

Session 5I:  Enhancing Student Learning Through Group Problem Solving Activities  

Session 5J:  Sharing in Safety: A Discussion Strategy

Session 6D: Strategies to Engage Students in the Learning Process

Session 6I:  The On Course Game 

STRAND OT:  Online Success & Instructional Technology

Session 2A: Collaborative Activities in Online Classes

Session 2K:  Beyond PowerPoint:  Integrated Teaching Skills 

Session 3A: Getting Online Courses On Course!

Session 4J: Get the Net Generation On Course

Session 5D: Blending Online Instruction with Classroom Interaction

Session 6F: Clickers: Facilitating Active Student Learning

STRAND FR:  FYE Program, Retention & College Success

Session 2C: Reaching and Retaining the First-Generation College Student

Session 2D: Problem-Based Learning and On Course:  A Perfect Fit!

Session 2H: Expanding the Vision of First-Generation College Students

Session 2J: The Globe Project: Motivating Students to Engage Deeply

Session 3J:  Beyond the Classroom:  Getting Your Whole Campus On Course 

Session 4A: Cultivating Retention: On Course in English Composition

Session 4H: Creative Contract Themes to Foster Student Engagement & Success

Session 5A: From Probation to Performance

Session 6C: The Success Teams Approach to Mentoring 

Session 6G: On Course Through Drama

Session 6H: Emotional Intelligence: Infusing EI into the Classroom

STRAND AM:  Self Awareness & Self Management for Learners

Session 2G: Promoting Students’ Emotional Effectiveness

Session 2I: Staying On Course With Learning Styles

Session 3F: Empower Your Dreams Using the Idea Exchange!

Session 3I: Stress Management Smorgasbord:  Strategies for Different Learning Styles

Session 4C:  On Course and Coaching Skills 

Session 4E: Educator, Know Thyself

Session 5B:  The On Course Game 

Session 5E: Dependable Strengths for Student Success

Session 5K: Class is like…Analogies and Creators

Session 6E:  It’s About Time

Session 6H: Emotional Intelligence: Infusing EI into the Classroom

Session 6I:  The On Course Game