Import Test : Teaching and Learning

Educational Question of The Year:

Matt Scales — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 22:00:00 GMT

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

Discussion is open for our COPPER Blog Educational Question of the Year. You may respond to the question using the comments link below. We welcome responses from visitors to this site as well as COPPER cluster members. This entry will be republished regularly so that it will remain available over the coming year. You can feel free to add additional comments at any time. We will also be inviting special guests to respond to the question and will feature their replies in a separate Blog entries.

Don't feel that your comments need to be presented in a polished form. Feel free to share thoughts with us about the topic as they occur to you.

Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Matt Scales — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:11:25 GMT

Update: This program will be aired in some locations on Friday, June 24 at 8PM EDT (Boston area)

Thanks to Judith Kamber (NECC) for forwarding this message from the POD (Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education) listserv regarding the upcoming June 23 PBS documentary Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk. Focusing on some of the pressing issues facing higher education in America, it looks to be of interest. Here is a copy of the POD message:

Dear colleagues,
If you were not already aware, PBS will broadcast the new documentary Declining by Degrees, Higher Education at Risk, on Thursday evening, June 23. Intended by its producers to begin a national conversation that helps the academy regain its once special status, the two hour program is said to include interviews with several dozen national education leaders discussing a range of quality issues. The program's potential impact on opinion-leading stakeholders would seem to make it a critical viewing experience for those of who help faculty improve their teaching effectiveness.

Richard Lyons, Senior Consultant Faculty Development Associates http://www.developfaculty.com

Following is a description of the program from the PBS station KCTS website:

This program premieres in the midst of a growing national concern about quality, fueled in part by an increasing preoccupation with college rankings, grade inflation, declining academic standards and overall concerns about the quality and readiness of America's workforce. Until very recently, America led the world in educating its young, but today about a dozen countries send a higher percentage of their youth to college. The documentary follows thirty students and teachers as it explores the road between admissions and graduation -- a route that is no longer linear. Going beyond what Americans believe about the college experience, this film exposes the disappointment, disorientation and deflation that so many college students feel, and the struggles they face, regardless of the schools they choose to attend.

Feel free to share any reactions to the program in the comments section below.

Quote of the Week 9

Matt Scales — Thu, 12 May 2005 21:17:45 GMT

"A good teacher does not teach all that he knows. He teaches all that the learner needs to know at the time, and all that the learners can accountably learn in the time given."

-- Jane Vella (from Taking Learning to Task)

Bye-Bye Bio 101

Matt Scales — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 13:43:27 GMT

Teach Science the Way You Do Science

The following article from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute website focuses on efforts to change the traditional way that science has been taught to undergraduates. Reformers suggest that faculty move away from "lectures and cookbook labs in which the results are already known," and use active learning strategies which engage students in discovery and scientific process. The guidelines for this new approach were outlined in a policy forum article published in the April 23, 2004, issue of the journal Science.

The article also made mention of the importance of training scientists to teach by introducing "them to the education literature to encourage them to become scientific teachers who demand data to make educational choices.” In addition, it was recommended that the the reward system at colleges change "to reflect the importance of good teaching."

Follow this link to view the article: Bye-Bye Bio 101

Socratic Seminars

Matt Scales — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 20:48:32 GMT

The seminar approach, once reserved for small graduate classes, is growing in popularity as a tool in undergraduate education. The following editorial featured in the "Tomorrow's Professor" mailing list examines the key ideas from Michael Strong's book The Habit of Thought: From Socratic Seminars to Socratic Practice.

From the editorial by James Rhem :

"Teachers trained in Socratic Seminars . . . believe that they are radically different from conventional classroom discussions, or from any conventional pedagogical technique. Many trained teachers, some with twenty years of experience, talk about how leading Socratic Seminars has caused them to question their entire approach to teaching. Some claim that the contact with Socratic Seminars has caused them to become angry at their own previous teaching and their own educations."

To read the posting in its entirety follow this link: The Habit of Thought

Chaos Theory and the Cubicle

Matt Scales — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 19:57:38 GMT

I have a confession to make. I have an extremely messy office. The campus manager once declared it a fire hazard and threatened to close the building down if it was not cleaned up by the end of the month. I've tried to straighten out the mess over the years, but with little success.

Two doors down from me a colleague, who is well know to many cluster members, has an office that is a model of organization and efficiency. The material stored in her bookshelves is carefully and neatly arranged. Her color coded file system allows for instant access to needed materials. Sigh... I wish my office could be like hers.

Recently two events have occurred to ease my burden. I strolled over to another building on campus and walked into the office of a colleague from another division. She is someone I admire greatly. To my surprise and pleasure, I discovered that her office was messier than mine!

Then a sympathetic division member sent me the following article from the N.Y. Times. It appears that our tendency toward order and neatness (or a lack of it) may be a hardwired phenomenon. I may improve to some degree, but it's likely my working environment will remain fairly messy, so I might as well accept it. Since many of us lean towards one pole or the other of this dimension (or certainly know someone who does) I think you will find the article by Lisa Belkin both insightful and amusing.

Chaos Theory and the Cubicle

Note: The image above is for illustration purposes only. It's not my actual office (Thank goodness).

Teaching Circles

Matt Scales — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 17:56:17 GMT

Century College, a community and technical college in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, recently received recognition for their innovative "Teaching Circles" initiative. Century College’s Teaching Circle Program was one of 30 community college programs from across the country to be honored recently at the 2005 Community College Futures Assembly in Orlando, Florida. Century received recognition as a Bellwether Award Finalist in a competitive, peer-reviewed process.

Michele Neaton, Active Learning Advocate within the Center for Teaching and Learning at Century College, connected with our own Donna Duffy at the Florida conference and shared some information on their project. Given our cluster's interest in the creation of academic communities of practice, the Teaching Circles initiative appears to resonate with our efforts at the campus and cluster level.

The following is adapted from Century College's website and material provided by Michele:

What is a teaching circle? A teaching circle is a group of 6-9 faculty members who will work closely together for one semester to focus on an issue(s) related to improving teaching and learning. The circle is interdepartmental in nature and is self-directed within the guidelines of the teaching circle program. The atmosphere of the circle is intended to foster openness and trust in a risk free environment of mutual support and discovery.

The teaching circle program was developed through the Center for Teaching and Learning with the belief that teachers can learn from each other. The expected outcome of the teaching circle is that each member will implement at least one new or improved strategy in the classroom. A teaching circle is NOT just another committee. This is a faculty initiative with full support of administration. The goal of the teaching circle is to improve teaching and learning at Century, as well as promote community among faculty. Facilitators work closely with the CTL leaders to ensure smooth functioning of the circles and attainment of circle goals.

Any Century College faculty member, both full-time and part-time, is eligible to participate in a teaching circle... Faculty have expanded tutoring services, addressed various learning styles, developed better assessment of learning, implemented active learning techniques, introduced technology in the classroom, offered paired courses, and developed a “Strategies for College Success” course as a result of teaching circles.

Further information on the Teaching Circles project can be obtained from the following links:

Teaching Circles - Download teaching_circles.DOC

Lessons Learned - Download lessons_learned_bellwether.doc

Center for Teaching and Learning

The Valencia Forum

Matt Scales — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 22:35:55 GMT

The Valencia Forum for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is an on-line journal authored by and for Valencia Community faculty, administration and staff.

Marketplace: The Valencia Forum will present the products of our professional reflections on teaching, learning, and assessment.

Communication Center: The Valencia Forum will allow faculty and administrators to preserve and share their reflections with faculty, administration, and the public at large, and these ideas will inform and ground what we do now and in the future. Over time, The Valencia Forum will present the development of our thinking about teaching, learning, and assessment.

Civic Center: The Valencia Forum will encourage faculty to further their engagement in the habits of thought accompanying the writing process and the traditions of academic dialog.

What are the aims of The Valencia Forum?

	To encourage research and deep reflection about teaching, learning, and assessment
	To encourage life-long learning
	To increase collaboration between junior and senior faculty in joint research projects
	To bridge communication gaps between faculty and administration
	To encourage inter-program and departmental research
	To make the intellectual fruits of faculty and administrators visible to the public, including students, taxpayers, and legislators

Please visit The Valencia Forum at http://net.valenciacc.edu/forum

Valencia's Individualized Learning Plan for Faculty

Matt Scales — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:23:00 GMT

Valencia’s Individualized Learning Plan process for tenure-track faculty, as supported by the Teaching/Learning Academy, reflects Valencia’s MISSION, “Valencia Community College provides outcomes-oriented, quality learning opportunities” in the following ways:

An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a tenure candidate's professional development plan. The ILP is written by the candidate, in collaboration with the dean. The plan spells out what the faculty member wants to learn, achieve, or accomplish during the pre-tenure process. The plan should be based on genuine need and desire to improve teaching, counseling or librarianship, keeping in mind departmental needs. The learning outcomes (LO’s) should be directly connected to the candidate’s professional practice, considering both pedagogy and discipline. The LO’s must be learning-centered, assessable, specific to the individual, and related to the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator. They must also be demonstrable in a product or performance that can be judged according to explicit criteria. Most ILPs also include Action Research Projects that measure specific student learning outcomes. The Teaching/Learning Academy, sometimes confused with the ILP process itself, is actually one of the tenure candidate’s faculty development support systems. TLA provides support on pedagogy, course design, development of student learning, and professional portfolio development.

Specifically, the ILP process and the TLA address the Valencia MISSION Indicators, in the following ways:

“Achieving, measuring, and applying the results of learning.”
- Through the portfolio and peer review processes

“Emphasizing critical and creative thinking, effective communication, collaboration, and workplace skills.”
- Through the development of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator, TLA seminars and roundtables

“Maintaining an open-minded, nurturing, and collaborative environment.”
- Through the seminar, roundtable series - Through the ongoing TLA feedback for improvement loop

“Reaching out to potential students (Faculty learners, in this case) and providing affordable, accessible learning opportunities.”
- Through TLA seminars that are open to the entire full- and part-time academic community

“Fostering enthusiasm for lifelong learning.”
- Through the TLA book support program - Through the Individualized plan for pre-tenure learning

“Motivating learners to define and achieve their goals.”
- Through the individualized learning program designed primarily by the candidate and based on the candidate’s professional need

“Respecting uniqueness and appreciating diversity.”
- Through the multiple delivery methods of seminars (face-to-face, online), modeling multiple teaching methods and techniques, and customized support, based on the need of the candidate (individualized, small group, discipline groups)

“Encouraging faculty and staff to continue professional growth.”
- Through the post-TLA recognition and support program (COPPER, Exemplary Action Research Projects, Exemplary LifeMap, Model Portfolio, Campus Facilitators, Destinations, Achieve the Dream, Title 3 Grant)

“Partnering with businesses, industries, public agencies, civic groups, and educational institutions that support learning* and promote the economic development of Central Florida.”
- Through partnerships with UCF; Middlesex Community College, Massachusetts; and nationally recognized consultants*

You may look at the complete document “How Valencia’s Individualized Learning Plan Process and the Teaching and Learning Academy support Valencia Community College’s Vision, Mission, and Values” by visiting the link below.
ILP Plan Process

Entry submitted by Mayra Holzer, VCC

Valencia's Teaching & Learning Academy

Matt Scales — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 21:23:54 GMT

Valencia's Teaching and Learning Academy, a community of practice, supports new professors, counselors, and librarians as they develop Individualized Learning Plan s,a fundamental phase of the tenure process designed to assist tenure candidates expand and improve professional practices and student learning. The Teaching and Learning Academy provides support on pedagogy, course design, student development, and professional portfolio development. A central goal of the Teaching and Learning Academy is to promote the understanding and practice of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator.

The Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator are:

The "Magic" of Learning from Each Other

Matt Scales — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 11:00:00 GMT

At the October International SoTL conference in Indiana several presentations focused on the use of the seminar as a tool in undergraduate education. Typically associated with graduate classes, the seminar is finding its way into the repertoire of undergraduate instructors as well. The following related article by Richard Gale, Carnegie Senior Scholar, was featured in the "Tomorrow's Professor" listserv. Thanks to Judith Kamber of NECC for calling our attention to this piece.

The "Magic" of Learning from Each Other

Tree Question Project

Matt Scales — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 11:00:00 GMT

The following innovative project was submitted by Tom Laughlin, MCC English faculty member:

An experimental education initiative called the “Tree Question Project” started about a month ago on the Bedford campus of Middlesex Community College (MCC). This project is sponsored by a variety of MCC’s programs on campus, including MCC’s Carnegie CASTL Group and MCC’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program. Some of the primary goals of this project are to encourage student inquiry on campus and to consider the wide variety of questions various disciplines might ask about any object or issue in our world, though the hope is that the project might encourage other connections and opportunities for further pedagogical dialogue.

Last month, a small stand was set up in front of a tree in the quadrangle at the Bedford Campus of MCC. The stand was fashioned with a hinged Plexiglas top and contains a blank book. The following instructions are on the top of the stand (taped to the underside of the Plexiglas):

Tree Question Project

Humans can look at anything and wonder. All knowledge and understanding begins with inquiry, with questioning. All academic disciplines ask questions and explore our world through the lenses of their disciplinary questions.

There can be great value in focusing our attention on something, observing, reflecting, and formulating questions.

So, here’s an idea:

In front of you is a tree.
Observe this tree for a few moments.
Formulate a question.
Write down your question in the book.

(After recording your question, please close the cover to help protect the book from the weather.
Thank you. )

Questions written in this book will be recorded regularly on the Tree Question Project Weblog at: http://middlesexWAC.blogspot.com/

For information, please see the Writing Across the Curriculum Website at www.middlesex.mass.edu/wac/

So far there have been approximately 65 questions written in the blank book and later recorded on the Tree Question Project blog. We are hoping to continue to record questions for a while and see what blog comments are posted. We would be interested in anyone’s questions (even if you can’t actually stand in the quad -- there are pictures you could look at on the blog perhaps), reactions, suggestions, ideas, etc. Some ideas we are considering are grouping questions by discipline to help students and faculty consider the sorts of questions asked across various disciplines, encouraging answers to questions, and exploring issues of Freedom of Speech and public discourse. We’d love to hear from you.

For more information, please see the Tree Question Project Blog (or Weblog) at http://middlesexwac.blogspot.com/

The University in Transformation

Matt Scales — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 11:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Donna Duffy for forwarding the attached message from "Tomorrow's Professor" mail list. It features a review of "The University in Transformation: Global Perspectives on the Futures of the University," edited by Sohail Inayatullah and Jennifer Gidley.

"The book begins with an excellent essay by Philip Spies on the traditions of the university. Spies reminds us that the university has already survived two fundamental societal transformations: the Renaissance, which brought a profound shift in curriculum from a theologically centered scholasticism, and the Industrial Revolution, which unleashed a flood of groundbreaking innovations and an exponential growth of knowledge. Spies concludes that we have now reached the point where the inwardly oriented, discipline-based organizational structures of the industrial age can no longer provide the breadth of knowledge required to address the complex problems of the 21st century. The author claims that problem- or task-focused multidisciplinary schools may offer the best method of addressing the complex and nonlinear problems of the future. The more we try to solve our problems, the more we find that at least part of the solution exists outside any one discipline."
..from the review by David Mayocchi

Download university_in_transformation.doc

The Teacher as Tap Dancer

Matt Scales — Mon, 08 Nov 2004 11:00:00 GMT

The following passage is from the Introduction to "Expanding Your Teaching Potential" by Susan Campbell. It speaks to our discussion of "doing too much."

The Teacher as Tap Dancer
The teaching profession is in an identity crisis. Teachers are being asked to play such a variety of roles - from Fred Astaire to Ann-Margaret - that the tap dance from one role to the next has become exhausting. Trying to keep step with the diverse needs and expectations of students, parents, communities, and administrative hierarchies can lead us to place impossible demands on ourselves. As we trip over our feet trying to keep in step, we can't help feeling inadequate - as if we're failing somehow. Our self-concept is caught between the ideal of being able to trip lightly across the stage and the real of having to dance the tango to an Irish jig melody.

The way to a more positive self-concept is to bring one's ideal self into closer relationship with the real (Rogers, 1962). This requires the knowledge of what we can realistically expect of ourselves. We need to know which dance steps we can and want to do, and what our choices are. When we know what we are trying to do, and have chosen a role that is meaningful and appropriate to our goals and values, then we can act with clarity. We can communicate this to others so they know what to expect. We can be accountable for our actions, we can evaluate our effectiveness, and we can build self-respect based on concrete situation-specific feedback.

A positive self-concept is based on a positive experience of oneself; seeing oneself behave according to one's values. In order to know if we're "doing it right," we have to decide what it is we're trying to do.

As a dancer, am I doing a soft shoe or a toe dance? Am I dancing by myself, with a partner, or with a group? As a teacher, am I being a subject-matter expert, learning consultant, counselor, group facilitator, or curriculum designer? Who is my audience? What are the needs of the people in this situation?

The abundance of possible roles for us to play is a mixed blessing. How many dances can a person do at once? (So many needs and so little time.) So we often frighten ourselves about the scarcity of time and resources - and end up scarcely doing anything well. The oppression of over-choice threatens our ability to develop a realistic, positive self-concept. We oppress ourselves, due to the unrealistic expectation that we should be able to do everything the situation demands.

The way out of this self-imposed but socially-reinforced oppression is through becoming more conscious of choosing which demands to attend, which roles or functions to perform, and which demands to ignore. Choosing which role to perform at a given time gives structure and meaning to our work, thus liberating us from the confusion and sense of futility generated by over-choice. When we create enough order out of the chaos to know what it is that we're trying to do, we achieve a sense of power and mastery, and thus develop a clear and positive self-concept.

Campbell's words are quite timely...or are they? "Expanding Your Teaching Potential" (Mandala, 1977) was published over 25 years ago. It seems we've yet to effectively address many of the issues she raised at the time.

Tutoring in the Academy

Matt Scales — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 10:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Ron Weisberger of Bristol Community College for the following post which describes the evolving role of tutoring as a key element in student success: Over the last 30 years, most colleges and universities have instituted tutoring programs. Some institutions provide tutoring on an informal basis while others take a more structured approach. Over 30 years ago Frank Christ argued for the creation of an academic support or learning assistance center. He pioneered the model and many others have followed. These centers have as their foundation peer tutoring programs but also offer audio-visual and computer material that support student academic programs, as well as learning skills. The centers generally operate on a full-time basis and emphasize the development of effective study skills. Tutors are usually provided with a comprehensive training program. In an atmosphere that emphasizes academic credentials, tutoring has been one of the few places in the academy where paraprofessionals can become directly involved with the instructional process. The emphasis on helping students acquire effective learning skills means that tutors compliment the work of instructors who generally deal with the content of their discipline. Those of us working in this area have become convinced that one important key to retention is the need for students to overcome a lack of adequate strategies for coping with the cognitive and affective demands of college. Instructors often do not have the training nor do they have the time to deal with such skills. Consequently, the assistance that tutors can provide become crucial if students are to succeed If tutors are to be effective they need to have an organized training program. In recent years the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) has provided a certification program that emphasizes tutor certification on three levels. This program provides both a framework as well as motivation for tutors to acquire the requisite skills to help students. The National Association of Developmental Education (NADE) has also developed standards for learning center professionals. These standards have helped centers become more professional and also are helpful in the development of effective training programs. Clearly, the existence of the resources and programs mentioned reflect the fact that tutoring has come of age in the academy. While often considered peripheral to the mission of the schools they, in fact, are becoming more integral in the fight to retain students. There is the need, however, to do more extensive research to substantiate this argument. There is a need for center professionals as well as graduate students to conduct ongoing research in this area. While tutoring has come some distance in the last 30 years, it is a continuing struggle to gain the necessary funding to maintain and even expand the programs. Both quantitative and qualitative research will clearly help in this endeavor. --Ron Weisberger, LAANE President