Renton Technical College November 2003
Office of Instructional Improvement Volume 2 No. 4
Here’s What Worked for Me…
Please send us tips for this new section—what’s working for you—inspired by a faculty member’s suggestion that if we pooled our strengths and creativity, it could only benefit our students.
Placement Boosters
Because Emergency Dispatch is a short program, Noreen Light starts the students working on their resumes and document collection at the beginning of the program. This way when they complete the program the have their birth certificates and other necessary materials ready to go. For information mailto:
To assure that all students can “Dress for Success” on their job interviews, the Medical Office Programs have a closet of professional clothing for students to borrow, wear to an interview, clean and return for another student to use on their interviews. For information mailto:
Does your program have an effective placement strategy that others might emulate? Let us know and we’ll include the news in the next issue of Faculty Focus. mailto:
Questioning
Asking essential questions is really at the heart of good instruction. A well constructed question leads to higher level thinking and problem-solving, not just a regurgitation of the facts. Debbie Crumb, from the RTC Library team, has discovered a very rich site at http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library/Questioning.htm/. From that page you can click to separate tutorials on Memory, Convergent Thinking, Divergent Thinking and Evaluative Thinking. A related site, for those of you who assign research papers is http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library/Questioning.htm Thanks Debbie! We are always on the trail of new websites to share: send your suggestions to mailto:
Places to put your lesson plans online
As teachers, we have been writing and refining lesson plans and classroom activities on a myriad of subjects for many years. We get ideas and activities from colleagues, and in return provide the same to them. The Internet allows us to expand our group of "colleagues" to include educators around the world. How can we get our lesson plans, ideas, and activities published on the Web for the world to see and use? http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=14700421
Blogging
Web journals or “blogs” are increasingly popular. They are a place to get inspiration, and, like an on-line chat room, a place to debate the issues of the day. There are personal journal sites or more general education-related blogs. See website below:
http://www.techlearning.com/search/resultsw.jhtml?queryText=blogging
There are blogs on blogging like the Educational Bloggers Network: http://www.ebn.weblogger.com, EduBlog News: http://www.edublognews.com, Webblogg-ed: Using Weblogs in Education: http://www.weblogg-ed.com/.
There are a growing number of personal instructor’s blogs. Some instructors are starting to use blogs for students’ written projects, to collaborate with each other on curriculum or professional development or to offer mutual support. Sites like Blogger, LiveJournal and Moveable Type allow an instructor to publish by just typing text into a box and pushing a button. To get a glimpse of personal blogs try “I am frequently asked questions” http://matt.enlow.net or this discussion between a first year teacher and mentor http://www.edithere.com/eyt/
Learning Activities
Here are two quick games low-tech games which are effective for reviewing the spelling of or definitions of terms. Both are from a great site called teachers net. WOLF a spelling game where all the students begin standing. The instructor calls out a term and the students provide letters one at a time. A student who gives an incorrect letter sits down. When a term in spelled, the next student says “Wolf,” and the instructor provides the next term. The game continues until you run out of words to practice. When too many students are seated, bring them back to their feet to participate. Details are at http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/388.html
Another review activity works well in pairs. Write out words (or pictures of tools or surgical instruments) on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Pass out the papers, one per pair. Name a tool, or give a definition. The paired students compete to see which one can point out the answer/picture first. Keep score! Expect better performance on the quiz. Details are at http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/2776.html
Human Relations Core Competencies
Here is a good checklist to use when you are reviewing your human relations curriculum. It is based on “The Value-Added Employee,” by Edward J. Cripe and Richard S. Mansfield and posted in the Workforce Week e-journal. To view the article click: http://www.workforc.com/archive/article/23/11/74.php
Disability Grant Update
The Screening and Assessment System for Learning Challenges is up and running! Twenty six students have been screened and received services through the Universal Design for Learning Pilot so far. The Pilot Instructors have been able to screen and use teaching strategies to assist their students. We are now opening up this system to all instructors! If you have students who have learning challenges and you would like to learn how to use the Universal Design strategies that the Pilot Instructors are using, all you have to do is contact Cathy Jenner in Instructional Improvement at x5639 or ! The time commitment for training is very small (Cathy will come to your classroom and work with you individually) but the payoff is huge! Ask any of the Pilot Instructors (Mike Biell, Tim Culler, Barb Culler, Michelle Lesmeister, Darlene Lewis, Wendy O’Reilly, DeEtta Ryan) or call Cathy for more information!
Learn How to Incorporate Computer modeling into the Classroom
"The best thing that's going on right now is that kids are flunking math and science," was the opinion expressed by Alan Kay, computer visionary, senior fellow at H-P Labs in a recent speech. Kay explained that the way math and science are being taught in schools today has little to do with the real world. So if kids were acing math and science tests, he argues, "I guarantee you that virtually none of those children would have learned anything about mathematics." Kay went on to demonstrate for the audience how elementary students can derive key concepts in math and science via experimentation and computer modeling disguised as play. View some of the kids' projects and learn how to incorporate computer modeling into your classroom at www.squeakland.org.
PowerPoint-ers
As many are putting presentation material on PowerPoint, for the ease of update and production of classroom notes, this list of nine mistakes presenters make with visuals offers a useful checklist. The Presenter University has a listserv with a monthly newsletter including PowerPoint templates and tutorials. Check out the site: http://www.presentersuniversity.com or this specific article of tips at: http://www.presentersuniversity.com/visuals_designforclose_visuals_9mistakes.php
Distance Learning Sage in our Midst
University of Washington Extension has used a paper developed by Noreen Light for the Distance Learning Design and Development Certificate Program as a resource on their website. Says Noreen, “It is very satisfying to think that DLDD students my use my paper to help them design their own online courses.” Way to go Noreen! Check it out: http://www.extension.washington.edu/ext/certificates/dld/dld_gen.asp
One Page Syllabus with Style
John Newcome, who teaches in the Accounting Program, fits an individual course syllabus on one page by using columns and style. To check out a sample please click here. Want to know how he did it? For information mailto:
Developing Lesson Plans
Lesson plans are an efficient way to manage time in the classroom, document what worked (and what didn’t), or pass information to a substitute. Many of us have our own idiosyncratic formats for lesson plans. The Lesson Plans Page allows you to view other instructors’ plans and get tips or templates for lessons. The article “10 steps to developing a quality lesson plan,” contains a useful lesson plan template as well as the process. http://www.lessonplanspage.com/WriteLessonPlan.htm
Thinking about continuing your education?
This is the time of the year to apply for a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree program, if you plan to begin in the Fall of 2004. If you have questions about which program will fit your needs, Instructional Improvement can help. Send us an e-mail at mailto: Rich Brownell of the Major Appliance Repair Program has recently investigated Doctoral programs, especially on-line options and would be glad to share what he has discovered. mailto:
Quotable
The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you. ~ B. B. King
For more information regarding the articles in the Faculty Focus or to give input or suggestions of things you would like to see incorporated into this newsletter please contact the Office of Instructional Improvement.
The mission of the Office of Instructional Improvement is to advance educational strategies, seek to improve the quality of learning environments, and support RTC staff as they prepare a diverse student population for work.