Celebrate Learning! Fall 2009 (Volume 1, Issue 1)

December 2009 Inside this issue: Volume 1, Issue 1 Tenth Year for Academy for Teaching Excellence Tenth Year for ATE 1 Alternative Course Materials Conference 1 Community College and the Art of Critical Thinking 2 TCC First-Time Participation in Oklahoma Research Day 3 Learning Effectiveness Plan Under Development 3 Partnerships Abound 3 Fall Curriculum Changes Back Row: LtoR; Jean Woody, ATE Coordinator, Randall Gibson, Lucas Greco, David Charlson, Janet Jackson, Ruby Marshall, Jeanne Urie. Front Row: LtoR; Ben Bancroft, Neil Enis, Allen Culpepper, Kayla Harding, Debbie Penrose, Jerilyn Thorman, Anita Hall, ATE Coordinator. The Academy for Teaching Excellence (ATE) is in its tenth year of providing mentorship for faculty new to Tulsa Community College. The mission of ATE is to improve and enhance the professional growth of faculty through collegially planned learning opportunities that support the institution’s mission and core values. Examples of planned activities this semester included tours of all TCC campuses, sessions led by directors of the many TCC service and activity organizations, case problems discussed pertaining to variety of issues faced in a classroom, attendance of the Critical Thinking Initiative conference, attendance of Why Race Still Matters Seminars, and technology sessions on subjects such as syllabi, grades, and TED. The next two semesters will consist of faculty observations with more learning opportunity sessions in the fourth semester. All sessions are geared to help faculty achieve individual professional goals, promote greater understanding of the learning process and best practices, and foster the scholarship of teaching and learning. 4 -Anita Hall Alternative Course Materials Conference LRC Gives a ―TWEET‖ About Research 4 Why Achieving the Dream Matters at TCC 5-7 International Scholarship Recipient Announced 7 Upcoming Events 7 In February 2008 faculty members formed the Alternative Course Materials Task Force. The task force has participated in conferences, presentations, and initiatives to help connect students to textbooks while exploring innovative new alternatives to expensive course materials. One of the most exciting results of this initiative is the expanded reserve textbook collection available to students via the Learning Resources Center. Spring 2009, staff completed 6,115 reserve textbook loans. The task force will host an alternative course materials conference in Tulsa on March 5, 2010. Additional information Conference site -Mike Meisenheimer