2001-2002 Innovation Abstracts
Issue | Description |
Vol. XXIV, No. 15 | “A New Faculty Orientation,” by Eric Wildman, at Tomball College (TX), describes important activities to acquaint new faculty with the college and each other. Held at a bowling alley, the day’s activities included unusual opportunities to share successful strategies for improving teaching and learning and retention, and ended with hilarious bowling opportunities. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 14 | Marilyn Wilton, at Clovis Community College (NM), offers successful strategies for easing into the semester in a composition class–“Taming the ‘Beginning-of-the-Semester’ Teaching/Writing Jitters.” In a short writing exercise, preceded by some light-hearted activities promoting careful observation and critical thinking, students describe entertaining “alien” experiences. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 13 | “Breathing and Reading,” by Elaine Barnes, at Haywood Community College (NC), describes various strategies to improve students’ reading skills–including active group discussions, immersion in portfolios and journals, increased familiarity with writers close to home, and reading aloud activities. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 12 | “Providing Educational Options for High School Students: Collaboration is Key,” by Jim Galloway and Linda Lanza-Kaduce, at Santa Fe Community College (FL), describes a dual enrollment program that enrolls junior and senior students in high school and college courses on campus, involves them in college activities, recognizes them on honors lists, and offers participation in leadership roles–creating a seamless transition into the college experience. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 11 | Laura Precedo-Choudhury and Carey Witkov, at Broward Community College (FL), describe a model of interdisciplinary learning in “Multi-Course Projects as Bridges Between Disciplines.” Faculty teaching courses in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology developed activities to involve their students in project-based learning, holistically combining particulars of their disciplines while improving students’ skills in cooperation, reasoning, and technology. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 10 | In “The Self-Help Book Paper: Getting Students to Read and Think,” Lora Cohn, Adjunct Instructor, Johnson County Community College (KS), describes a way to get students to read and think about what they have read. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 9 | In “Practicing What You Teach,” Stephen A. Calatrello, Instructor, English, Calhoun Community College (AL), describes the importance of being able to do what you ask of your students. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 8 | In “Pop Tests: Valuable Instructional Tools,” William E. Lay, Chairman, Natural Sciences, Itawamba Community College (MS), describes how using pop tests is a great way to encourage students to study regularly and help them achieve higher scores on major tests. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 7 | In “Fun Projects”: Generating Interest in a Diverse Classroom,” Julie Luscomb, Instructor, Computer Science, Tulsa Community College (OK), describes how instituting a required “fun” project provided students with a unifying, relevant exercise. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 6 | In “Business Leadership Training and Workforce Development,” James A. Johnson, Assistant Director, Continuing Education, Darton College (GA), describes a program in business leadership that bridges the gap in workforce training. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 5 | In “Student-Centered Learning in a First-Year Composition Course,” Linda Houston, Associate Professor, and Coordinator, Communication Skills and Writing Center, The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, describes how to incorporate student-centered learning and TQM into a composition course. In “Para-Psychology” and Computer Skills,” Joan P. Ladik, Instructor, Psychology, Middlesex Community College (MA), describes how to teach computer literacy skills through an online psychology course. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 4 | In “Web-Assisted Instruction: Student Engagement in Learning,” Jim Smith, Director, Physical Assistant Program, Naugatuck Valley Community College (CT), describes how he replaced half of traditional instruction with web-assisted instruction. In “Promoting the Humanities in Technical Curricula,” Phillip Bailey, Instructor, Communications and Humanities, Edgecombe Community College (NC), describes how to introduce and teach the basic lessons of cultural literacy in all courses. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 3 | In “Study Skills Marathon Fair,” Janie Pellish, Coordinator, Tutorial Services, Berkshire Community College (MA), describes a “fair,” comprised of 12 booths, each representing a different study skill or allied discipline. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 2 | “Top Ten Reasons to Study the Humanities,” Roberta J. Vandermast, Professor, Humanities, Valencia Community College (FL), describes the importance humanities courses play, not only in undergraduate education, but also in sustaining healthy communities and in creating lives that are personally satisfying. |
Vol. XXIV, No. 1 | “Building Academic and Social Bonding at a Two-Year Commuter Institution: A Program that Works,” Joseph Jumpeter, Assistant Professor, Music, Penn State Wilkes-Barre Campus (PA), describes a Freshman Year Experience program at a two-year commuter institution that encourages its first-semester students to stay in college. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 29 | “Criminal Justice Scavenger Hunt,” Pat Millhoff, Visiting Associate Professor, Criminal Justice Technology, University of Akron Community and Technical College (OH), describes a scavenger hunt designed to present students with an experiential leaming opportunity early in their college careers, while minimizing time spent away from the classroom. “Using Templates to Grade Writing,” Paul Dougan, Instructor, English, Pikes Peak Community College (CO), describes how using grading templates save time and improve responses to students’ performance. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 28 | “Self-Made Professional Development,” Daniel T. Hayes, President, and Grace H. Madera, Human Resources Officer, Finger Lakes Community College (NY), describes how the college addressed the challenge of helping employees at all levels remain current and improve skills that help them serve students, employees, and the public-at-large. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 27 | “Attending to Attendance for Retention and Results,” Michael Goodman, Professor, English, Golden West College (CA), describes how checking attendance regularly and commenting on it to every student from time to time takes little effort and produces excellent results. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 26 | “Performance in the Cooperative Learning Classroom,” Jeanine W. Morgan, Profesor, Communications, St. Johns River Community College (FL), describes how students given clear goals, allowed to perform, and praised or redirected as needed, feel an ownership of the material and their own progress. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 25 | “Music Ensembles: Meeting Musical, Social, and Health Needs,” Kerry Hart, Dean, Arts and Enrichment Studies, Mohave Community College (AZ), describes a music program implemented over four campus sites to address an intergenerational music program—a new frontier in music education. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 24 | “A Funny Thing Happened Toward the End of the Course,” Jack Becherer, Vice President, Student Development, Moraine Valley Community College (IL), describes the challenge of being back in the classroom and motivating students after nine years as an administrator. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 23 | “Connecting Instructional Programs to Fundraising,” Brian Chapman, Enrollment Advisor, Columbus State Community College (OH), describes a fund-raising event that can provide colleges with a vehicle for improved community relations, showcase academic and technical programs, and support student success through substantial fundraising. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 22 | “Journeys Out of the Classroom,” Mary Ellen Page, Professor, Humanities and Spanish, St. Johns River Community College (FL), describes how one instructor “stopped teaching” to take her humanities students on an endless journey to faraway places to learn about other cultures. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 21 | “How Ready Are You?,” Reisa Fedorchuck, Director, Physical Therapist Assistant Program, Housatonic Community College (CT), describes how to be prepared for potential violence in the classroom. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 20 | “Becoming a Full Partner in Teacher Education,” Bettie Tully, Coordinator and Professor, Urban Education Program, El Centro College (TX), describes a program that offers “declared” teaching majors the opportunity to take education courses during their first two years of college, without the fear of losing any credit hours when moving on to university programs. |
Vol. XXIII, No. 19 | “On the Lookout: Evaluation Forms,” Barbara Gorzycki, Instructor, Speech and English, Lee College (TX), describes how students created and designed an evaluation form that could be used in class” to evaluate student speeches. |
“A Web-Enhanced Photo Program,” Patrick Keough, Instructor, Photography, and Coordinator, Distance Learning, Carteret Community College (NC), describes a web-enhanced team-taught photo-joumalism
class.
Vol. XXIII, No. 18
September 14, 2001
“Use of Select-and-Fill-In Concept Maps,” Charles Kaminski, Director, Instructional Services, Middlesex Community College (MA), describes how concept maps provide a form of advance organizer, giving students a bare, skeletal structure onto which further knowledge will be constructed.
Vol. XXIII, No. 17
September 7, 2001
“The Degree Portfolio as a Measure of General Education,” Neal McKenna, Assessment Committee Chair, Kishwaukee College (IL), describes how degree portfolios provide data on how effectively the college is meeting students’ educational needs and provide students with unique opportunities for self-assessment and reflection on their educational experiences.
Vol. XXIII, No. 16
August 30, 2001
“East-West Game: A Virtual Tie?,” James Paradiso, College of Lake County (IL), describes a project the meets the International Education requirement by connecting online students globally.