Events
- Great Teaching Round-up
- Leading from the middle
- fall conference for faculty leaders
- The Texas Network
"I think there is something more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision."
Events: Annual Convention 2011
Great Ideas For Teaching Students (GIFTS) Seminars
Friday, January 28, 8:00–9:15 a.m.
The Professional Development Committee has arranged for a number of the highly popular "GIFTS" sessions to be held at the TCCTA convention in San Antonio. These brief programs offer specific ideas for teaching and are designed to be of practical use to educators in all disciplines.
Each session will last approximately 10 minutes, allowing participants to sample a variety of useful teaching techniques.
Coordinator of the GIFTS Sessions is David Lydic, Austin Community College.
"3-2-1 Class Participation Self-Assessment"
Presenter: Grace Fleming, Austin Community College
Corral disruptive students and allow introvered students more conversation with their professor through one-page self-assessments of participation in classroom learning. Students describe: 3 areas of learning in the current section of the course; 2 applications of their learning to their real world; and 1 question or curiosity arising from discussion in the classroom or something they read in the reading assignments.
"10 in 1 : 10 SLO’s in 1 Document"
Presenter: Donna Gordon, Houston Community College-Southwest
Efficient and purposeful pre-writing assignments help students organize and evaluate their ideas prior to the final assignment submission. Minimizing student tendencies to summarize rather than analyze is not a stated goal but is certainly an underlying objective. 10 goals in Student Learning Outcomes are met in one Journal.
"A New Slant on Incorporating Media into Classroom Instruction"
Presenter: Reagan King, Southwest Texas Junior College
This session will discuss the benefits of using media to provide background information and pique students' interest prior to reading and/or class discussion. Note: Although other sources will be discussed, the primary focus will be on the database Films on Demand.
"A Simple Tool for Conducting Seamless Classroom Discussions"
Presenter: Robin Robinson, Austin Community College
As a student and graduate TA, I observed instructors struggle with methods of recording participant credit for students while conducting an engaging class discussion. Some have tried seating charts while others utilized the class roster or grade sheet during the activity. In every case, these record-as-you-go methods caused a break in the flow of discussion and reduced effectiveness of instruction. I have a low-tech method that not only allows a seamless flow discussion, but encourages friendly competitive participation. This tool is also applicable to other teaching goals.
"Grammar Gems on the Go"
Presenter: Becky Almany, Blinn College
I will do a brief, ten-minute presentation on using Little, Brown Handbook lessons as warm-ups to begin class and cover grammar. Students will skim the material and do a short exercise(usually 5 sentences) on the skill taught. We will then discuss, share, correct, etc. This is a quick way to hit those grammar skills with which students struggle the most in a freshman writing class.
"Spice It Up: Active Learning Strategies"
Presenter: Linda Welsh, Austin Community College
Adult learners can keep tuned in for about 15 or 20 minutes in a standard lecture and then their attention starts to drop dramatically. This session will offer several ways to build change-ups in class to restart the attention clock and create a more meaningful, active learning environment for your students.
"Tec-Know-Ledgy in the Classroom"
Presenter: Arnulfo Alvarado, Southwest Texas Junior College
PowerPoint is a wonderful tool for learning in both a student- and teacher-directed situation. It can add a new dimension to learning allowing teachers to explain abstract concepts while accommodating all learning styles. Used properly, PowerPoint can be one of the most powerful tools ever known for disseminating information.
"Texting and Surfing in Class; When Technology Creates Distraction in the Classroom"
Presenter: Mary van Wisse, Austin Community College
Do your students text during class, creating a distraction? Or surf the internet on their laptops instead of taking notes as we wished? Explicitly addressing the behavior in the syllabus and in a lecture on generational differences has significantly reduced these behavioras in my classes. I will share language from my syllabus and resources for discussing
generational differences.
"Teaching Students How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation"
Presenter: Rene Vacchio, Austin Community College
Ideas to improve student confidence and professionalism!
"The Syllabus is the Key: How to Get Students to Read Before Coming to Class"
Presenter: Marsha Heaton, Southwest Texas Junior College
Motivating students to come to class prepared is always a challenge. Providing clear instructions in the syllabus regarding student expectations will set the tone for the entire semester.
"Twitter.Lit"
Presenter: Willis Humiston, Northeast Lakeview College
“Twitter.Lit” is an attempt to help students connect to the ease that this site provides in communicating with others and relate this to their studies. In the college world, students must write a variety of papers and many students struggle with ideas, themes, and specifically a Thesis Statement but this approach will help with note taking, and annotating. Students will determine the meaning of words using context clues and applying inferences. Students will apply stated and implied main ideas, supporting details, transitions and thought patterns using outlines and concept maps.
"Writing Recommendation Letters"
Presenter: Linsey Oates, Blinn College
Writing an effective letter of recommendation is a skill rather than an art. Sometimes, it is the deciding factor between two equally qualified applicants when there is only one position available. And not only is there an opportunity to help a deserving student advance in his or her education and training, but the writer can also strengthen his or her professional standing. Unfortunately, many academics are unfamiliar with the requirements of a recommendation letters or their rationales. This presentation will explain those rationales and the pitfalls to avoid and will also teach the structural formula and successful strategies of a recommendation letter.
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