The Virtual Library offers a lot of new resources this year. Our multimedia collection now includes training videos for Health Science and Public Safety programs, documentaries, feature and foreign films, fitness and travel videos. The Virtual Library introduces two additional literature databases, a history collection, and a set of new e-books. Please take a look at our Newsletter to learn more.
VLNewsletterFall08.pdf
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Assessment is Not "On Hold"
Howdy! As the new Dean of Arts and Sciences, I am excited to be at CMC and see so many wonderful things happening. In fact, this blog is just one great innovation that everyone at CMC can be involved in to get the word out. I decided to talk about a subject that I know often causes moans and groans from faculty and administration across the college. Having only done a preliminary search of files, I discovered CMC began work on assessment several years ago at multiple levels. This was great news to me as I have been asked to provide leadership and direction for assessment in the coming years. Yes, I said years! Why, you are wondering, are we still talking about assessment and we can't be done with it? Because the Higher Learning Commission will not provide accreditation without proof of ongoing improvement at a college. CMC must continue to move forward with assessment activities!
I have talked with some terrific faculty and administrators about their views on assessment and what they were doing a year ago. Because nobody asked for assessment reports this year, it is a common viewpoint that assessment was "on hold." Much work was done on writing course outcomes, developing rubrics, implementing common writing assignments, and even changing common practice to improve instruction. Hey! Hey! way to go faculty! You have always been doing "assessments" within your courses to determine if students were learning the outcomes that you deemed important within the AA, AS, DevEd, and CTE programs. Now we need to move forward to develop a simple but effective reporting procedure followed by improvements.
Assessment basics are not difficult to comprehend when explained in simple terms. Assessment is a cyclic process for educational improvement. An effective assessment program can be used to improve student learning, facilitate institutional improvements, and validate institutional effectiveness (HLC likes this one). CMC's commitment to assessment enables the College to realize its core values of Learning.
Assessment of student learning is a systematic attempt to...
1) Understand what students are/aren't learning
2) Provide feedback to reinforce student learning
3) Improve student learning!
Assessment is NOT...
1) Solely an administrative activity
2) A means of punishment. It is for improvement only!
3) An intrusion into a faculty member's classroom or an infringement on academic freedom.
Many people's immediate reaction to assessment is bewilderment. I plan to use several electronic media to talk about assessment in the coming weeks. I look forward to a healthy dialogue with faculty about how to make the process simple but effective. My goal is to develop a collaborative process and positive working relationship across CMC.
Sunny Schmitt
I have talked with some terrific faculty and administrators about their views on assessment and what they were doing a year ago. Because nobody asked for assessment reports this year, it is a common viewpoint that assessment was "on hold." Much work was done on writing course outcomes, developing rubrics, implementing common writing assignments, and even changing common practice to improve instruction. Hey! Hey! way to go faculty! You have always been doing "assessments" within your courses to determine if students were learning the outcomes that you deemed important within the AA, AS, DevEd, and CTE programs. Now we need to move forward to develop a simple but effective reporting procedure followed by improvements.
Assessment basics are not difficult to comprehend when explained in simple terms. Assessment is a cyclic process for educational improvement. An effective assessment program can be used to improve student learning, facilitate institutional improvements, and validate institutional effectiveness (HLC likes this one). CMC's commitment to assessment enables the College to realize its core values of Learning.
Assessment of student learning is a systematic attempt to...
1) Understand what students are/aren't learning
2) Provide feedback to reinforce student learning
3) Improve student learning!
Assessment is NOT...
1) Solely an administrative activity
2) A means of punishment. It is for improvement only!
3) An intrusion into a faculty member's classroom or an infringement on academic freedom.
Many people's immediate reaction to assessment is bewilderment. I plan to use several electronic media to talk about assessment in the coming weeks. I look forward to a healthy dialogue with faculty about how to make the process simple but effective. My goal is to develop a collaborative process and positive working relationship across CMC.
Sunny Schmitt
Monday, September 8, 2008
HowtoStudy.Org
howtostudy.org
Five hundred schools have linked to Chemetka College's resources for students across many disciplines. We'd like to know which you find valuable for learners in your classes, from this site or from other sources.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
First Ten Minutes and First Days
What matters most on the first day? Adrian Rippy-Sheehy and other faculty talked about this during Adrian's "Effective Teaching" segment on Friday night at CMC West Garfield. That students know you are interested in them was Adrian's main message. Additionally she provided and invited techniques that allow students to get to know you and others in this early critical time of the term. One faculty share-back was the use of a scavenger hunt that asks people to find another person in the class with a certain characteristic, such as a dimple. Allowing class members to interview each other briefly, then introduce their classmate to the others can reduce self-consciousness.
To add to those ideas, here are several others:
First Day Tips
What do you do to welcome students and get them excited about your class? We'd love to hear it and learn from it!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Can you train a fruit fly?
The answer is yes -- through operant conditioning. See http://www.jove.com/index/Details.stp?ID=731.
PubMed Central, the National Library of Medicine's online database, is now indexing videos from The Journal of Visualized Experiments. This video from the Department of Neurobiology, Free University of Berlin, is an example of the many videos available through this blog. These videos show experiments and protocols in the biological and life sciences and offers its video-articles to science bloggers to illustrate their work. The blog can be accessed at http://jove-blog.blogspot.com/2008/08/jove-now-indexed-in-pubmed-medline.html.
PubMed Central, the National Library of Medicine's online database, is now indexing videos from The Journal of Visualized Experiments. This video from the Department of Neurobiology, Free University of Berlin, is an example of the many videos available through this blog. These videos show experiments and protocols in the biological and life sciences and offers its video-articles to science bloggers to illustrate their work. The blog can be accessed at http://jove-blog.blogspot.com/2008/08/jove-now-indexed-in-pubmed-medline.html.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Faculty Professional Development Fund--September 15th Due Date
Greetings All,
The Professional Faculty Development Fund provides wonderful opportunity for full-time faculty and for adjunct faculty who have taught at least two (2) terms during the last two (2) years.
This slide show explains the program and is followed by a list of campus representatives.
Interested in Applying?
To begin the process, contact your campus representative for assistance with the application process.
•Alpine – David DeLong
•Aspen – Lorraine Miller
•Summit – Laura Pless
•Timberline – Susanna Spaulding
•VEV – Jan Attoma
•West Garfield – Kimberly Jensen
•Roaring Fork – Tal Hardman
•Adjunct - Susan Herman
Forms:
Application
Rubric
For any additional questions, please feel free to contact Nancy Hays or Alice Bedard-Voorhees at the District Office. We wish you the best as you explore opportunities for your ongoing professional development.
The Professional Faculty Development Fund provides wonderful opportunity for full-time faculty and for adjunct faculty who have taught at least two (2) terms during the last two (2) years.
This slide show explains the program and is followed by a list of campus representatives.
Interested in Applying?
To begin the process, contact your campus representative for assistance with the application process.
•Alpine – David DeLong
•Aspen – Lorraine Miller
•Summit – Laura Pless
•Timberline – Susanna Spaulding
•VEV – Jan Attoma
•West Garfield – Kimberly Jensen
•Roaring Fork – Tal Hardman
•Adjunct - Susan Herman
Forms:
Application
Rubric
For any additional questions, please feel free to contact Nancy Hays or Alice Bedard-Voorhees at the District Office. We wish you the best as you explore opportunities for your ongoing professional development.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Digital Fluency: 21st Century Tools
Mark Prensky coined the terms "Digital Native" and "Digital Immigrant" as reference points for groups growing up in a wired world and groups coming to it later. This presentation nicely explains the newest tools and how they can be used for "digital fluency," along with how people participate in various ways.
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