Session+Descriptions+2008

At the top of this page are tables outlining where we are at with the sessions. At the bottom, we'll add descriptions as they are finalized. This is an evolving draft so feel free to add, revise, delete, etc. as we get new information. The goal is to have session finalized by the end of March (Probably Friday April 4th is more realistic, but we really can't go past that). In case it's helpful, here is a link to the descriptions from last year. Session Descriptions for 2007 http://focusonteaching.wikispaces.com/Session+Descriptions+2007

Session Outline
__**Morning Sessions**__
 * || **Session Topic** || **Facilitator** ||
 * *1. || Control Meets KAOS for Conflict Resolution || Steve MacDonald ||
 * *2. || Teaching in Culturally Diverse Classrooms || Jean Warbucks ||
 * *3. || The Economic Naturalist Informs Classroom Decisions || Norm Smith ||
 * *4. || Engagement Gets Smarter || Ruthanne Krant ||
 * *5. || Combatting KAOS: Glimpse into the ISW (Panel) || Trudy Bergere ||
 * *6. || Get Smarter: Intro to Web 2.0 Collaboration || Iain Robertson ||
 * *7. || Breaking the Cone of Silence: Experiential Learning || Kelly Mannen ||
 * *8. || Blogging to Extend Learning Spaces || Anita Arvast ||
 * *9. || Supporting the Student Research Process || Vicki MacMillan ||
 * *10. || Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom || Anne-Marie McAllister ||
 * *11. || The Approachable Lecture || Nancy Noldy-Maclean ||


 * __Afternoon Roundtables__**


 * || **Discussion Topic** || **Facilitator(s)** ||
 * *1. || Students and Technology in the Classroom || Bob Marchessault ||
 * 2. || Students and Reading Course Texts || William MacKenzie ||
 * 3. || Teaching Millennial Learners || Sue Lemmon ||
 * *4. || Exploring Options and Processes for PD Leaves || Janice Priest ||
 * *5. || Understanding Student Resistance to Learning || Jill Esmonde ||
 * 6. || Exploring Ways to Stay Energized as a Faculty Member || Mary O' ? ||
 * *7. || Writing in the College Classroom || Teresa Rasile ||
 * *8. || Working Effectively with Student Accommodations || Brenda Bogardis ||
 * *9. || Learning Using Online Discussions || Karen Woods ||
 * 10. ||  ||   ||
 * 11. ||  ||   ||
 * 12. ||  ||   ||
 * 13. ||  ||   ||
 * 13. ||  ||   ||

Session Descriptions (Listed in Numerical Order as per the Chart Above)
***1. Title:** Control meets KAOS for Conflict Resolution
 * Facilitator:** Steve MacDonald
 * Description:** When two parties have seemingly opposing interests, conflict can arise. These opposing interests may be based on differing expectations, differing value systems, or differing perceptions of the situation. Millennial learners are reputed to be more assertive, more confident, more technologically savvy, and more in need of being engaged, than previous generations of learners. It’s not hard to see therefore how they might provide a challenge for college professors who come from a different generation and who view learning differently. Given this juxtaposition, conflicts can sometimes arise. Because conflict is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and fear, most of us find it painful and prefer to avoid it. But if we learn how to deal with such conflicts with humour, confidence, and gentle assertiveness, we can still turn them into “ win-win ” situations. Join this session to examine different styles of conflict resolution and a variety of skills that can be applied to addressing opposing interests.

Based on experience in her own classes, Jean will also provide participants with samples of tools, strategies, assignments, and learning objects that she has used to effectively support the culturally diverse student body in the opticianry program.
 * 2. Title:** Teaching in Culturally Diverse Classrooms
 * Facilitator:** Jean Warbucks
 * Description:** As the college grows, the global village is present in our classrooms. In this environment it is important to consider a balanced view of cultural diversity and to share viable strategies that enhance the learning process for both teachers and students. In this session, participants will collaboratively consider questions including:
 * How do you promote positive interaction across cultural groups?
 * How do you empower students of all backgrounds to ask questions?

§ The Economic Naturalist: In search of explanations for everyday enigmas by Robert Frank, and § Freakonomics: The hidden side of everything by Levitt and Dubner. As we know, time, energy, and resources are always limited in the delivery of education and as teachers, we are constantly having to make decisions within the constraints of these realities. This workshop proposes considering these decisions through an economic lens and applying principles such as “the law of diminishing returns”, incentives, cost benefit analysis, and others to the decision-making processes related to teaching and learning. Although economic principles will provide a framework for the discussion in this workshop, the focus is on making effective decisions around the allocation of resources and time in teaching. ***4. Title:** Engagement Gets Smarter
 * 3. Title:** The Economic Naturalist informs Classroom Decisions
 * Facilitator:** Norm Smith
 * Description:**   Applying an economist lens to everyday events has gained popularity in recent times through such books as the following:
 * Facilitator:** Ruthanne Krant
 * Description:** What is the relationship between an engaged teacher and engaged students? What are the differences and similarities between teacher and student goals? The research shows that many complex factors impact student engagement, some which are within teachers’ sphere of influence and some which are not. This workshop will acknowledge the differences that exist and will seek to build common ground by examining mutual goals. Facilitating progress towards educational goals is a crucial element of engagement. Participants in the workshop will hear about some strategies used by teachers to increase engagement and focus discussion on student faculty interactions that lead to enriched educational experiences.


 * 5. Title:** Combatting KAOS: Glimpse into the ISW (Panel)
 * Facilitator:** Trudy Bergere
 * Description:** The Instructional Skills Workshop is an internationally proven professional development activity related to teaching practice. It has been used at Colleges and Universities around the world for over 25 years. This session will include a faculty panel of former ISW faculty participants who will share their ISW workshop experiences. Panel participants will provide insights into the structure, benefits and challenges encountered during this professional development opportunity. Faculty will share the resulting impact that the ISW has had on their teaching practice. Application information for the next ISW workshops in June will be provided.


 * 6. Title:** Get Smarter: Intro to Web 2.0 Collaboration
 * Facilitator:** Iain Robertson
 * Description:** In this interactive workshop participants will explore some of the benefits to web 2.0 applications in terms of maintaining currency in their disciplines through mass collaboration (researching, networking, efficient information processing). Participants will be able to set up their Explorer browsers to receive current information in their discipline as well as share their own information with others. The session will include a real-time exercise to demonstrate the collaborative nature of web 2.0 and a discussion of the pedagogical value in web 2.0 applications.

Experience is a good teacher. Experience alone does not warrant learning. Using experience to further understand improves student learning and achievement. Experiential learning encourages students to observe, think, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply their learning. This session will outline concepts of Experiential Learning in education and explore examples of exemplar experiential learning environments while providing practical ideas for the classroom.
 * 7. Title:** Breaking the Cone of Silence: Experiential Learning
 * Facilitator:** Kelly Mannen
 * Description:** "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand". (Confucius c. 450BC)


 * 8. Title:** Blogging to Extend Learning Spaces
 * Facilitator:** Anita Arvast
 * Description:** The term blog originated by combining "web" and "log" as a web space in which to write. Like so many other nouns associated with the Internet, it soon became a verb as well. Blogging is essentially journaling in a very public space, with the added benefit that others can come and comment. Faculty attending this hands-on seminar will learn how to make a blog and discuss ways to engage students in developing their own blogs as an extension of learning spaces.


 * 9. Title:** Supporting the Student Research Process
 * Facilitator:** Vicki MacMillan
 * Description:** In this session, participants will collaborate with a librarian to reflect on the steps in students’ research processes and discover ways to support students in all levels of post-secondary research (upgrading, college, and university). Faculty will engage in a hands on activity to create a working model of the current steps of successful research and consider how students can be supported in developing effective search strategies and evaluating information using scaffolding, visual maps, and focused research assignments.

In this workshop participants will engage in activities that will enable them to:
 * 10. Title:** Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom
 * Facilitator:** Anne-Marie McAllister
 * Description:** Emotions play a key role in the learning process. As a result, recognizing them and creating a positive emotional climate is essential.
 * Identify the emotional components of learning
 * Create an emotional climate that supports learning
 * Recognize the role of //Emotional Intelligence// in learning
 * Identify tools and strategies for manageing emotions in the classroom


 * 11. Title:** The Approachable Lecture
 * Facilitator:** Nancy Nolde-Maclean
 * Description:** Teaching in a lecture format can be challenging from many perspectives. The environment tends to be more formal and intimidating (for both the lecturer and the student), it traditionally promotes a very verbal style of delivery, and the set up can lead to a more hierarchical student/teacher relationship in which communication can tend to be one-way and active student engagement is minimal. These are all qualities that we know do not work well for learners. In this session we will consider strategies for creating a more personal environment, actively engaging students, and techniques for helping students integrate information in ways that are useable in the lecture format. We’ll take this a step further, and explore techniques that take advantage of the larger class size and become more engaging and powerful as experiential learning tools because of it. The session will take place in “lecture” style and will encourage fellow faculty to share successful strategies and brainstorm strategies for their teaching applications.