TLA Best Practices Manual Highlights
From Jan. 31 & Feb. 1, 2007 Dialogue Groups
What is its function?
§ Would provide a way for students to contribute to a set of resources for teaching (usually only faculty share their practices).
§ Could be for only classroom faculty, or could be more open (“teaching outside the classroom”)
§ Possibility of discussing a select number of topics previously explored by prior manual groups.
What content might it include?
§ Definition/illustration of a positive culture.
§ Practices for engaging students for growth/learning
§ How to motivate learners, including best practices for developing caring connections to instructors and content
§ Ways to begin classes (such as with a question)
§ Pacing (tips for varying activities and breaking up time)
§ Use of technology and multi-media
§ Using stories
§ Using examples that tie to student lives
§ Demonstrating energy and passion
§ Resources for “at risk” students: academic, socioeconomic, age, new transfer, etc.
§ Reconciling grades for motivation with personal engagement/desire to learn
§ How do we help people develop identities related to content they’re studying?
§ Many examples of the above topics!!
How might the manual be presented?
§ Appealingàbest teaching practices, strategies to try
o Something to flip through (user-friendly)
· Using experienced people’s best practices
o (Online? Electronic? Printed? All?)
· How do we keep the manual fresh, current, maintained and updated
o TLA maintained? (to keep it fresh)
o Living manual –website as a part of TLA site? Or create separate site?
o Get representatives/groups from across the campus to contribute!
o Avoid sounding “preachy” or “remedial.”
How to get faculty to use the manual?
§ Use the manual in the context of a development workshop or seminar on a particular topic.
§ Don’t just send the manual out to faculty; make it a working document.
§ Other ideas??
TLA Small Group Notes
Mentoring
Expand and CONNECT WITH existing mentorship programs, especially with Summerstart
· Use OSAs (Orientation Student Advisors) from Summerstart as mentors
· Offer mentorship before, during, & after Summerstart
· Have upperclassmen advise & help freshmen register: fill gaps in existing advising/registration program
Offer choices for mentorship topics:
· Entering college
· Registering for classes
· Dorm life: Use RAs as mentors
· Community projects/involvement
· Academic advising: emphasize departmental/faculty advisors as mentors
· Exiting college
· Career development/job search/resume building (Alumni?)
· LIFE-INTO-LEARNING TOPICS, SUCH AS HOW TO EAT HEALTHY FOR LESS
Offer different mentorship mediums
· Offer both face to face & online meetings
· Integrate w/online forum group?
· Discussion board to ask common questions
· Organize small mentorship groups
Learning Stories Highlights
Some of the benefits of sharing stories are…
· Stories are a way to personalize… stories of success and adversity
· Conflict stories/overcoming obstacles
· Stories that we shared of school and life experiences often reveal misconceptions that we have of others, which greatly emphasized the importance of taking risks and trying things at least once to close the gap between person to person.
· Stories can both teach something new and/or reinforce old lessons
· They help us see in a new way
· When you immerse yourself in an experience, stories emerge
· Telling stories about bad experiences can be therapy
Learning stories are useful tools in a classroom setting because…
· Stories show professors are human
· Class perks up when teacher starts telling personal story
· Stories break down barriers, help students get to know teacher
· Difference between “learning stories” and rambling tangents that have nothing to do with topic
· Value of telling stories—identification
o Shared humanity
o Makes it authentic
· Learning affected because connection with instructor is motivating
· How much do we (teachers) want to self-disclose?
· Value of articulation, value the telling (of the stories)
TLA Small Group Notes
Online Forum
WHAT CONTENT WOULD SUCH A FORUM OFFER?
(AND THEN LIST SOME OF THE TOPICS FROM GROUP NOTES SUCH AS CALENDAR, ETC.)
How do we set up the online forum?
· Partner with a WWU tech program/course: independent study students?
· Decide who manages/moderates the forum – who has access?
· Create a familiar, user-friendly interface
How do we get people (students, faculty, staff) involved?
· Connect with mentoring group?
· Integrate with MyWestern website
· Advertise in catalogue, flyers, etc.
· Get involved with A.S. or other university departments? (Start with the TLA!)
What do we value/desire for the project?
Connection
· Create common interest/issue groups: e.g. transfer students
· Bridge the gap between faculty/staff & students
· Offer face-to-face and online group meetings: build community through online relationships
Dialogue
· Emphasize that students & instructors can learn from each other (For example, a Q&A forum)
· Discuss real issues
· Keep an open mind
Information
· Create a central information site/forum
· Link to other useful websites, resources, and forums