Winter 2014 - Professional Development Day for Faculty and Staff 

Session 1  8:30 – 9:30 am

Presenter: Patrick Morriss
Description: Learn to embrace the essentially qualitative nature of assessment, and see how it can link grades transparently to learning while reinforcing our positions as professional experts.
What is qualitative assessment?  How does it work?  What are some pitfalls?  How can I address student resistance?  Will I have institutional support?  How can I get started?  Why would I?  In this session, we'll critique the idea that "points" miss the "point," and explore an alternative that can liberate our students as learners and ourselves as professionals. 
Location: Room 3403

Session 2  9:40 – 10:40 am

Improving Student Learning with Effective Learning Techniques
Presenter:  Ben Stefonik
Description: Some learning techniques (i.e., study strategies) work better than others.  Unfortunately, many students employ techniques that have been found to be ineffective (e.g., highlighting).  This workshop will present a review of recent research in educational psychology about the effectiveness of numerous learning techniques.  Learn about what works and what doesn't work so that you can promote effective learning strategies in your courses.  Practical tips for how to impart effective techniques will be discussed.
Location: Room 3403

What is Voicethread?
Presenters: Hilary Gomes, Art Instructor and Carolyn Brown, Graphic Arts Instructor
Description: Do you want to add voice comments to your Etudes Class? Learn how to create and embed a Voicethread directly into your Etudes online class. Voicethread is an interactive multimedia discussion board that allows for students and instructors to leave typed, recorded, webcam and doodle comments.
Location: Room 6402

Session 3  10:50 – 11:50 am

What's in Your Toolbox (it should be more than a Hammer!): Dealing with Difficult Students
Presenter: Patricia Hyland, Dean of Student Affairs & Activities
Description: If you think of verbal strategies as tools, you can see why having a variety of them is important. In this workshop we'll talk about strategies you can use to deal with difficult situations and people. Come prepared to role-play, share and have some fun.
Location: Room 3403

Student Success from a Classified Staff Perspective
Presenter: Carolyn Holcroft
Description: Classified staff members are integral to student success and have many valuable and diverse ideas about how to increase it. In this breakout we’ll initially approach questions of student success from a classified staff perspective and discuss how these might complement more classroom-centered efforts. Participants will share ideas about how we can collaborate across all campus venues in order to promote student success.
Location: Room 3402

Session 4  12:00 - 1:00 pm

Debrief! Candid Conversation about Student Equity and Program Review
Presenter: Student Equity Committee
Description: In our last program review cycle, the Foothill College Community was urged to focus more attention on student equity in our programs, courses and services. Please join us for a forthright discussion about issues, solutions and resource requests that came to light. The goal is that through discussion and exchanging ideas, participants will leave with practical, step-by-step approaches to try in their own programs. We'll also talk about participants' experiences in integrating equity with program review and how the process can be improved in our next cycle.
Location: Room 3403

Professional Development Opportunities for Classified Staff
Presenters: Maureen Chenoweth - Professional Development Tri-Chair, Kris Lestini, Human Resources Specialist, and Denise Perez, ACE VP and Professional Growth Award Committee Member
Description: We will facilitate a discussion on proposed changes to the PGA contract language, provide an update on possible new funding resources for professional development for classified staff, and ask for your ideas regarding classified needs for professional development.
Location: Room 3402 

Coffee and refreshments provided.