Brainstorming+2008

=Brainstorming - January 2008= (i) Click on the "Edit This Page" tab (ii) Type in your ideas or comments anywhere, putting your name in bold, before your comments (eg. **Annique: _** ) (iii) Click on the Save button **Visit the various wiki pages for the 2008 conference by clicking on the links on the side Navigation panel.**
 * To add ideas or comments to this page:**

We had a great turn out, with lots of good discussion and ideas generated. Thanks to all those who participated in this first session, and to all of you who will be contributing and participating as we progress with the planning. Anita A. (UPC), Barb W.(Business), Brenda B. (Student Services), Carrie M. (Health Sciences/Business), Christina M. (Student Services), Dianne C. (EngTech), George M. (DVA), Jason H. (DVA), Jean W, (Health Sciences), Jeff W. (Business), Jill E. (Liberal Arts), Kelly M. (Health Sciences), Kim L. (ECE), Lynne J-M (Business), Michael A. (H and T), Norm S. (Business / UPC), Renee F. (Liberal Arts), Rob T. (Health Sciences), Steve M. (UPC), Vicki M. (Library Commons)
 * Our first brainstorming/planning session for this year's conference was held on Thursday January and was a great sucess. Thank you to all who came.**
 * January Participants:** Because this is a public space, I'll just list first names and last initials. (If I missed anyone, my apologies. Please let me know)

Strengths of last year | Theme Brainstorming | Format Brainstorming | Registration Brainstorming | Promotion Brainstorming | Opening Event Brainstorming | Closing Event Brainstorming | Lunch Brainstorming | Tech Cafe Brainstorming | Networking Areas |
 * Below is a complete set of notes** related to the brainstorming session. Ideas relevant to each of the sections are also posted on the corresponding pages. The links below will take you to the sections on this page.

__**Significant strengths of last year:**__ [Top of page] Ø Inclusion of drama, humour, creative stuff Ø Theme that carried through everything Ø Fun friendly atmosphere Ø Atmosphere that created an impact right from the start – first impression (decorations, registration package, posters) Ø Collegiality Ø Day felt like a break, a reward, not work Ø Memorable moments – “Wow” moments, surprises (video, keynote demonstrations) Ø Humour created a relaxed, fun atmosphere Ø Nice ending with the wine and cheese Ø Celebration of teaching – awards, credentials Ø Variety of sessions – learning, fun, practical Need to add a goal which focuses on the importance of creating an atmosphere that is fun, feels celebratory, reward for a year of hard work
 * Overall comments**

__**Theme Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ How can everyone relate? þ How can we get everyone involved in some way? þ How does it connect to teaching and learning? þ How do we create the “atmosphere” – visual impact, music, drama þ How does it reflect the overall goals of the conference? Ø What are meaningful metaphors for teaching/learning? Ø What are some pop culture themes that could connect to teaching and learning? Ø What are some images that elicit the things that are important in the day? o Collegiality, celebration of teaching, humour related to teaching and learning, passion for teaching and learning, the importance of learning, affirmation, collaboration, knowledge building, community building, capacity building discovery Ø Last year’s theme will be hard to beat Ø Theme needs to be iconic, timeless – everyone can related, have familiar music that can be used, At the session, several themes were brought forward, but when we started voting, there was a significant split in the group so we decided to revisit the theme discussion. For the record, the **ideas generated are listed below**. Ø Lots we can do with it – phrases, gadgets, subthemes Ø Can build on last year Ø Everyone seemed comfortable with it – most people could related Ø Too similar to last year Ø We might get ourselves stuck in a bit of a rut with this style theme Ø Too many comparisons will be drawn to last year. Just FYI, time life has just put out a box set of **Get Smart - Seasons 1 to 5** http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LK3NDU/ref=pd_cp_d_0?pf_rd_p=316286001&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000LXTPDY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1Q3E23K2K5V2SX3PXT3S Ø Super Heroes Ø Beatles – yellow submarine Ø The Amazing Race – roadblocks, teams, clues throughout the day. It came out that some people loathe reality t.v., and so we discovered that we need to be very careful that we don’t turn off a whole segment of faculty by the theme we choose. Ø Lord of the Rings – labyrinths, Lord of the Rings names, runic codes, a quest. It came out that many people have not read or seen Lord of the Rings so they wouldn’t be able to relate to a theme based on this. So, we discovered that we need to have a theme that almost everyone can make connections to – something inclusive. Ø Harry Potter – similar comments to Lord of the Rings Ø Masked Ball Ø Super Heroes – my hero Ø Transformers Ø Survivor Ø Cyber Students Ø Go Green Ø The Inconvenient Truth
 * Aspects to consider**
 * Catalysts for thinking about the theme were:**
 * General Comments:**
 * Theme Discussion:**
 * Get Smart:** At the last minute, someone brought up the idea of Get Smart as a theme. Although at the time everyone seemed to like it, I’m not sure if it was because we were near the end of the session or because of genuine enthusiasm. Some pros and cons that have come up related to this theme are:
 * Pros**
 * Cons**
 * Other Theme Ideas Generated During the Session:**

__**Conference Format Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ Start and end times þ Length of opening and closing events þ Session length þ Length of breaks Ø Registration (8:30-9:00) Ø Conversation Breaks – maybe shorten from 30 min to 20 min Ø Combine poster sessions with tech café Ø Maybe shorten session length from 75 min to 60 min (maybe longer in am; shorter in pm) Ø Maybe have wine and cheese a little earlier so the overall end time is earlier Ø Invite reps for texts related to teaching and learning
 * Aspects to consider**
 * Format Comments**

__**Registration Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ Registration team – putting packages together, helping at registration table þ Registration process – initial registration, session registration þ Registration information þ Registration package – look and feel, contents, name tags, notes, agenda, information, catalyst for follow-up Ø Have faculty photos as part of it so people can connect names and faces after the fact Ø Keep the package environmentally friendly
 * Aspects to consider**
 * Registration Comments**

__**Promotion Brainstorming** [Top of page]__
 * Aspects to consider**

Ø Have a faculty rep in each area to take on more active promotion
 * Promotion**

__**Opening Event Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ MC þ Keynote þ Creative Dimensions – music, drama, visuals, media þ Community Building þ Affirmation of teachers and teaching þ Senior admin Ø Opening event seems long for those sitting - Ø Jeff has offered to be the MC again – Yeah! Ø Having some creative dimensions included in the opening was great Ø Keynote needs to be funny, inspirational, tasteful, politically correct, intelligent Ø Last year’s skit that tied in funny comments and antics that allowed everyone to laugh, in a tasteful way, at senior admin was brilliant Ø Keynote is powerful in setting the tone for the day Ø Needs to be tied to teaching and learning Ø Nice if it can congeal group – bring us together around a common experience Ø Don’t want to just fill the space Ø The idea of standing for the years of service as an educator (done at the 2005 conference) worked well Ø Form groups based on theme Ø Some kind of matching, pairing activity to connect with others Ø Find a way to simulate “mass collaboration” Ø Awards presentations are too long – both for recipients and observers. Maybe shorten recognition comments and publish full text in the capsule or in a newsletter (or in the program) Ø Should have an award for non-full time faculty Ø Maybe do awards at closing Ø Student nomination of faculty Ø Have a video clip of faculty who won, articulating some of their thoughts re teaching and learning Ø Acknowledge activities of teachers throughout the year – project, activities
 * Aspects to consider**
 * General Comments**
 * Keynote Comments**
 * Community** **Building** **Comments**
 * Affirmation of Teaching Comments (Awards, Credential)**

__**Networking Areas** [Top of page]__ þ Set up – location, natural interaction, pulls (coffee, resources, etc) þ Atmosphere – decorations, music, comfortable seating, room to move around, standing room þ Conversation Starters þ Resources Ø Resources might include books fair, CTL resources, student services resources Ø Conversation starters could include graffiti boards, affirmation boards Ø Coffee is crucial Ø K226 worked well last year – having the coffee in the centre of the room
 * Aspects to consider**
 * General comments**

__**Lunch** [Top of page]__ þ Set up þ Atmosphere – decorations, centre pieces þ Community building þ Conversation Starters – objects, sentence starters, birds of a feather topics Ø ???
 * Aspects to consider**
 * General comments**

__**Session Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ Broad applicability of topics – not just about “what I did” þ How to provide opportunities for sharing and discussion þ How to make sessions active / interactive, not lecture þ How to provide time and space for personal applications þ Handouts for follow-up þ Practical applications for across disclines Ø Fewer sessions Ø Consider what is current with our students and how that impacts on teaching and learning Ø Idea of shorter sessions in the morning and slightly longer ones in the afternoon (or vice versa) Ø Experiential Learning – Kelly Mannen? Ø Coaching skills for teachers – Ø Counseling skills for teachers – Ø Resistance to learning Ø Web 2.0 Applications Ø Teenage Brain Ø Generational Differences Ø Conflict Resolution Ø Difficult conversations – emotional intelligence Ø Student Development Ø Principles of Economics applied to teaching and learning Ø Experiential Learning in the classroom Ø Rubrics – Level 2 Ø Diversity in the Classroom Ø Pod Casting Ø Listservs Ø You Tube Ø Viewlet Ø Promoting discussions with peers to improve classroom activities Ø Learning Objects Ø Social Networking – uses Ø Authentic Learning Tasks – matching theory to real life learning Ø Managing Large (60-90) size classes Ø Creating Virtual tours Ø Learning Strategies for Second Life Ø Live Webcasting – Elluminate Ø Interprofessional / interdisciplinary teaching Ø Movie making / editing Ø How to encourage assumption of individual responsibility on the part of the student Ø Environmental sustainability Ø Education research Ø How to manage e-mail inbox (12 step program) Ø Appropriate use of technology in the classroom (laptops)
 * Aspects to consider**
 * General Comments Regarding Sessions**
 * Topic Ideas Generated Prior to Brainstorming**
 * Topic Ideas Generated during Brainstorming**

__**Tech Café Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ Set/up Location þ Stations þ Resources Ø Move to larger space Ø Provide an opportunity for participants to send questions before hand Ø Must be hands on Ø Connect with discussion group areas for informal connecting – more café style Ø Create a space for visiting and connecting Ø It’s helpful if there are specific applications to teaching and learning (Have you considered…? Giving people an idea of how to use various new technologies for teaching and learning Ø Blackboard Ø Outlook Ø Excel Ø Word – find a way to generate a list of short cuts people have discovered and list them Ø PowerPoint Ø Teaching Websites Ø Databases Ø Search Techniques Ø Respondus Ø File management Ø Adaptive Technologies Ø Wikis Ø Viewlets Ø Podcasts Ø Photo editing Ø Managing the virtual classroom Ø Clickers Ø MSN Ø Tests on Blackboard Ø Networking – expertise databases Ø Virtual tours
 * Aspects to consider**
 * Set up Comments**
 * Stations from previous years**
 * Other ideas for Stations**

__**Closing Event Brainstorming** [Top of page]__ þ Celebratory aspects þ Synthesis aspects þ How to promote continuation of collegiality and dialogue þ Library wine and chess Ø Start on time Ø End earlier Ø Joe Huron Trio or UPC/Georgian Talent Ø Gather positive student comments about teachers and teaching and share to celebrate our faculty Ø Have to be there to win prizes Ø Announce prizes at beginning Ø Have at least one premium prize (i.e. trip for 2 to TO – dinner, show; free parking for the year) Ø Have feedback posters Ø Have online feedback Ø Contact list Ø Comments of the day – digitize and post Ø Have in GDR Ø Have in same place a closing event Ø Combine with closing event
 * Aspects to consider**
 * General Comments**
 * Celebration**
 * Synthesis**
 * Promoting ongoing collegiality**
 * Wine and Cheese**

__**Brainstorming Session Suggestions for the Future** [Top of page]__

Ø Have one person stay put at each of the stations to carry ideas forward and help people build on the previous ideas. Ø Have people choose which stations to go to, instead of going around to all of them with the same group of people à more cross pollination of ideas Ø Have some very specific things to gather feedback on a put them before the large group – maybe a think pair share activity for the beginning – need ways of getting the large group feedback on things, rather than collecting lots of individual comments.
 * Suggestions for next year**