Happy Thanksgiving

Teaching is a gift, and I have been reading about others who share gifts with us in a number of places. For example, in Kisses from Katie, the author says, "People who want to make a difference . . . don't teach grand lessons that suddenly enlighten entire communities; they teach small lessons that can bring incremental improvement to one man or woman, boy or girl. They don't do anything to call attention to themselves, they simply pay attention to the everyday needs of others, even if it's only one person. (Davis, XI) Katie, thank you for your dedication of a lifetime to being a "parent" to homeless children in Uganda as a young college-aged woman and challenging us all.

In "Mushrooms" by Sylvia Plath, we read the simplistic poem of a mushroom and learn the deeper metaphor of heaving, widening, and shoving through. Each of us has the capacity to make a positive change in the little spaces in which we have meaning and influence. I was encouraging my reading class this week that regardless of politics or station in life, each of us can continue being the best person we can be to make a difference in our corner of the world. Students liked that. They got it. Poetry still holds value when we take the time to stop and listen. Thanks, class, for reinforcing my belief!

Another student got me to stop and listen today. He said that in reading through his OnCourse book and practicing by listening to his girlfriend, he is learning that listening doesn't just mean listening so we can make a response, but so we can understand. Wise young man! He is truly listening and getting the message. And I stopped and listened to him, an online student, and gained a deeper understanding as well. Thank you.

And then Tuesday evening we were given the gift of sharing what we do on the Verde Campus with our community. At least 200 community members came to the campus and visited with faculty and staff both from our campus as well as from Prescott who drove over to support the effort. James fired up the grills for the first time, and we had a great barbecue. Dennis and his band played joyful tunes, Roxanne danced the Zumba, and everyone had a great time. Thanks!

My enrollment even went up overnight. Not in a huge way, but I will gladly take any enrollment increase. One of the best moments of the evening was when an online student came by my station. I told her what I taught at the college, and she asked me my name. She told me that I had been her STU110 teacher and that she really learned so much about careers in my class. Priceless! It is such a gift to meet my online students and to have that moment any day. Thank you, YC for sharing this opportunity!

Another gift I received last week was The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, by Parker J. Palmer. This book was a gift for writing a 9x9x25 blog. So far I am loving this author's foundation. He says, "When my students and I discover uncharted territory to explore, when the pathway out of a thicket opens up before us, when our experience is illuminated by the lightning-life of the mind--then teaching is the finest work I know." (1)

Palmer goes on to share the difficult days stand in contrast and create that powerless sense inside us. How can it be that teachers can both be filled with immeasurable joy at one time and then suffer through bad times? According to Palmer, there are three sources: 1) our subject area is complex, and we can never fully know it, 2) our students are complex and difficult to respond to wisely, and 3) we ourselves are complex. We must fully know ourselves. When we don't know ourselves, we reflect flawed images of ourselves through the content we teach (2-3). I am now hooked, so I must finish reading the book. Thank you, Thatcher!

Yes, gifts come in many different forms throughout the year. Family, friends, literature, students, co-workers, good health, even material items, the least of all our blessings bless us. As we prepare to go home for a few days next week, let's leave the cares and frustrations behind. Get to know yourself, your loved ones, and come back invigorated to face the days ahead. Yes, we still have two more weeks of Fall semester as well as grading, Winter Institute, and other duties as assigned.

Blessings to you all!

Sincerely,

Privileged to be the final baton for 9x9x25 2016.

Thanks!

AIMS Community College

Another college that caught my attention at the recent TYFY Conference is AIMS Community College in Colorado. Their claim to fame is that they are the top-ranked community college in the state in the Colorado Completes! Moving the Needle on Student Success movement. Governor Joe Garcia came to AIMS Community College to honor them with the award.

AIMS' Roadmap includes the following:

• Growth Mindset - An Introduction
• AAA090 - Advancing Academic Achievement, First-Year Seminar
• iFocus - Academic Success Workshop Series
• Catalyst - Second Semester / Year Program

Growth Mindset  -- Carol Dweck

All students testing into even one developmental class at AIMS Community College are required to take AAA090, a student success course. In this course, students study Carol Dweck's research on Growth Mindset. Growth Mindset tells students, I can't do it YET! Students who don't have college-level reading, writing, and/or math skills learn to persevere knowing that these are acquired skills and that they can acquire them.

AAA090 -- These Advancing Academic Achievement classes come in various formats.

• Offered on every campus
• Offered in both ten-week and sixteen-week formats
• Linked in Learning Communities with Developmental Math
• Themed to Major or Program such as Trio, Allied Health, etc.
• Hybrid

Outcomes for AAA090

• Apply personal learning style to improve learning effectiveness
• Manage time effectively for academic purposes
• Demonstrate effective communication skills
• Apply active textbook reading strategies
• Apply active and critical thinking strategies to learning (growth mindset theme)
• Career planning and awareness

Pre/Post Data 2015-2016

• Use a study plan (Pre 25% to Post 70%)
• Know how to take academic notes (Pre 40% to Post 77%)
• Know how to read an academic text (Pre 34% to Post 78%)
• Know how to locate and access different campus resources (Pre 40% to Post 95%)
• Know several different study strategies (Pre 25% to Post 68%)

Fall to Fall retention for AAA students has held steady at over 50% for the last several academic years compared to 39% for all new students. The class is obviously being effective with this developmental population.

AAA Grit Walk--Learning Outcomes for this assignment

• Students learn how to evaluate the steps, processes, or conditions which they overcame to accomplish a goal in their life so far.
• Students are able to identify potential barriers in pursuing their degree or certificate
• Students can articulate grit strategies for overcoming barriers achieving future goals.

iFocus Academic Workshop Series

This series began in 2007 to fill an academic program need. Now more than 100 unique in-person and online workshops are offered annually, six in Spanish (online). Workshops focus on five themes:

• Academic
• Health & Wellness
• Multiculturalism
• Career & Transfer
• Technology

Of the workshops offered, 31% of attendance was for in-person sessions. The other 69% are taken online. Students overwhelmingly scored all of the workshops highly as 1) being important, 2) improving student ability to be a successful college student, 3) recommending this topic be presented in the future. How was AIMS able to achieve this workshop success? They added Student Lingo. Please follow the link to read another blog I have written about this software program.

Catalyst - Second Semester / Year Program

• Nationally, colleges are not focused enough on the second semester/year (Casper, Khoury, Lashbaugh, & Ruesch, 2011; Keup, Gahagan, & Goodwin, 2010).
• AAA students reported a desire to remain engaged in similar ways to the AAA experience.
• In Spring 2014, AIMS began a second semester/year retention, engagement, and completion program. I will say that I have had Yavapai College students from both the STU150 and the FYE103 class similarly ask me for a follow-up class to these classes.

Catalyst - Semester Themes

1. Leadership
2. Connectedness
3. Equity & Social Inclusiveness

Students meet weekly during fall and spring semesters. Seventy-nine percent of students who were part of catalyst believed learning outcomes were met. Catalyst classes are small cohorts, and students must apply to be accepted. Students cycle out in three semesters. Seventy percent strongly agreed and twenty-one percent agreed that Catalyst had a strong impact on their success. 

Future Directions

• United Women and Men of Color Student Communities
• Peer Coaching (AAA090)
• Ruffalo Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory (CSI)

Salt Lake Community College

At the recent TYFY Conference I attended in Denver, CO, I met an outstanding team of employees from Salt Lake Community College and attended their session titled, "Pathways to Student Engagement: Defining the First Year Experience in the Community College Context." I actually learned a lot from their session, and I will try to do justice to their presentation.

What is FYE?

• Introduce new students to higher education culture
• Combine in-class and out-of-class programs
• Create meaningful interactions
• Increase academic preparation and retention
• Integrate three or more programs with high impact

Why should we listen to Salt Lake Community College? Sixty percent of incoming students declare that they plan to transfer. Seventy-three percent transfer. Enough said.

Pre-college

Mandatory Placement and Orientation for all incoming first-year students.

• Online
• 90 minute
• Half-day
• Express Registration
• District Specific
• College Access program specific offered in the high schools, Trio, PACE, etc

Accuplacer Tips and Tricks Workshop--given prior to taking the placement exam. Students can take the 1/2 hour version or a full hour version that includes instructional tips from English and math faculty and/or tutors.

Horizonte Scholarship Program--This partnership runs between the SLCC Access and Outreach office, First-Year experience office, and the local school district. Fifty scholarships are offered annually to give students 75% off tuition and a fees and book stipend. Students in this program must attend a six-week orientation program the final quarter of their senior year to receive the scholarship.

Bridge to Success--free four week summer classes 1.5 hours per day

• How to read a syllabus
• How to handle money
• College resources
• Meet your peer mentor
• Academic emphasis training (Math and or English)
• Meet with a faculty member
• Learn Canvas and have homework in the system

Bridge into Math--This eight-day boot camp gives students access to a program called edready.org. The purpose is not to teach new material but to refresh on material students may have forgotten. Students use the software and a tutor along with specific assignments to meet student need. Students then retake the Accuplacer exam. Seventy-five percent of students persist in this bridge program. Students improve according to the following data collected from the program: 54% skipped one math level, 38% skipped two levels, and all improved their Accuplacer score. Bridge programs are free to students and count as college service for faculty who participate.

First -Second Semester

StartSmart E-Mails--The email campaign provides students with helpful tips and information concerning college life such as college dates, deadlines, upcoming events, reminders, student development resources and services, as well as tips on student success. These emails are sent weekly to all first-year students enrolled in the first and second semesters of classes.

New Student Welcome Week--Welcome Days seek to introduce new and continuing students to SLCC's services and resources. These events and activities make connections during the first three weeks of the semester to ensure student persistence. Students have the opportunity to meet with the offices providing resources through an Academic Programs and Resource Fair as well as to explore clubs and organizations through Club Rush.

DegreeWorks Workshop--A one-hour workshop where students learn how to navigate DegreeWorks and create a two-semester degree plan.

Academic Boosters--A one-hour academic success tips workshop open to all students.

Essentials of College Study EDU1020--A three-credit General Education course designed to assist students in identifying their learning style(s) and how to better prepare for the rigors of college. Topics include the nature of the adult learner, time management, test-taking strategies, communication skills, memory strategies, study techniques, information technology, and accessing college resources. Personal issues such as financial considerations, stress, and life choices are also discussed. The college philosophy is that General Education classes only need a reading requirement if the course has traditionally shown a high failure rate due to the reading level of the textbook.

First Year Seminar SLSS 2900--A one-credit elective course designed for students to develop and implement an academic and career pathway through experiential activities assessing their personal values, priorities, strengths, and challenges. Skills and concepts learned in this course will center on motivational theory, the culture and value of higher education, strategic goal setting, developing academic competencies, and problem solving.

Bruin Scholars--A two-semester cohort program for students testing into sixth grade level English. Preference is given to the first generation underrepresented populations. The objective is for students to build foundation of knowledge, behaviors, skills, and attitudes to become successful at the college level. Students take their developmental English courses and orientation courses together, working closely with each other and their instructors to promote a successful transition and integration into the college community.

When College Strikes!~ How to survive as a Bruin--A two-semester cohort program for student testing into the eighth grade level English. This program is similar to the Bruin Scholars program, but students take their EDU1020 and an additional General Education class together with an English course, working closely with each other and their instructors for student success.

Beyond the Second Semester

TEACH Program-- This is a partnership between the Utah Association for the Education of Young Children, early childhood providers, First-Year Experience office, and the department of the Family and Human Studies. This is a scholarship program intended to help early childhood professionals increase their levels of education, compensation, and commitment to the field. The program follows recipients until they complete their Bachelor's degree.

Access U-- A transfer pathway program made as a partnership between SLCC and the University of Utah in order to create a seamless and successful transition from SLCC to the University of Utah. This program helps SLCC accomplish its mission of preparing students for transfer to four-year institutions, and the University of Utah in providing supportive and inspiring platform for success in moving toward graduation with a Bachelor's degree.

Two Tech Tools for Student Retention and Support

1. Pharos 360. This tech tool offers colleges the ability to get all instructors to share how each student in his/her classroom is doing with a red (needs help immediately), yellow (needs encouragement), or green (good to go.) When all instructors "grade" students like this the third week of the semester, then advisers can see which students are struggling in one class and which in all of their classes in one simple snapshot. This activity guides advisers into which Early Alert students need to be contacted first. Imagine how effectively this software program can help Yavapai College reach out to underprepared or overwhelmed college students early in the semester and capture those who truly want assistance while it is still reasonable for them to change course and catch up.

2. Student Lingo. This tech tool offers colleges the opportunity for students to take workshops just in time for their immediate need. At AIMS College in Colorado, when they purchased Student Lingo, attendance for workshops increased dramatically. In fact, 69% of all students attending workshops had taken them online in Student Lingo. Face-to-face workshops continued to gather attendance, but students seem to really like taking these workshops at home when they realize they need to learn about the subject matter.

Available Worksops:

1. Academic and Career Exploration (6)
2. Personal Management (13)
3. Learning to Learn (12)
4. Success Strategies (3)
5. Reading and Writing Strategies (5)
6. Online Learning (4)

AIMS College said they started small and did not purchase the entire suite of workshops at first. As they saw the success of the workshops and student response, they increased their offerings. As Yavapai College moves toward more of an online presence, we do need to consider that online workshops make perfect sense. Students who don't even come to campus for classes are not likely to come for a workshop no matter how much interest or need they have. To view transcripts of some of these workshops, please click here.

Two Tech Tools for Student Retention and Support

1. Pharos 360. This tech tool offers colleges the ability to get all instructors to share how each student in his/her classroom is doing with a red (needs help immediately), yellow (needs encouragement), or green (good to go.) When all instructors "grade" students like this the third week of the semester, then advisers can see which students are struggling in one class and which in all of their classes in one simple snapshot. This activity guides advisers into which Early Alert students need to be contacted first. Imagine how effectively this software program can help Yavapai College reach out to underprepared or overwhelmed college students early in the semester and capture those who truly want assistance while it is still reasonable for them to change course and catch up.

2. Student Lingo. This tech tool offers colleges the opportunity for students to take workshops just in time for their immediate need. At AIMS College in Colorado, when they purchased Student Lingo, attendance for workshops increased dramatically. In fact, 69% of all students attending workshops had taken them online in Student Lingo. Face-to-face workshops continued to gather attendance, but students seem to really like taking these workshops at home when they realize they need to learn about the subject matter.

Available Worksops:

1. Academic and Career Exploration (6)
2. Personal Management (13)
3. Learning to Learn (12)
4. Success Strategies (3)
5. Reading and Writing Strategies (5)
6. Online Learning (4)

AIMS College said they started small and did not purchase the entire suite of workshops at first. As they saw the success of the workshops and student response, they increased their offerings. As Yavapai College moves toward more of an online presence, we do need to consider that online workshops make perfect sense. Students who don't even come to campus for classes are not likely to come for a workshop no matter how much interest or need they have. To view transcripts of some of these workshops, please click here.

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

According to Dave Urso, Past President of TYFY, the community college mission is succinct and clear: To impact the trajectory of others through knowledge. To step forward, we need to focus on the following:

• Collaboration
• Engagement
• Retention

Collaboration:

During Urso's keynote address, each table of participants received a dozen paper cups. He instructed each group to build a tower. Each table constructed a tower of various shapes and heights. When we finished, Urso asked if any table worked together with another to build a tower with their combined cups. This activity drew our attention to see the value of collaboration. All have common ground whether we are talking about multiple community colleges or multiple departments within our college. Positive collegial working relationships are the foundation upon which to build. 

Collaboration challenge: Identify one authentic collaboration that hasn't recently been explored at our college and pursue it.

Engagement:

Engagement was defined as being a meaningful interaction between two parties. For example, students have engagement with peers, faculty, their program, and their college. Staff members have engagement with students, peers, programs, and the college.

When staff and faculty believe their is a need for change, we need to consider how we present our need. Engagement begins with how we talk about ourselves. We need to call ourselves an investment, don't talk about what is "cheaper."

In another point, He stated that intentionality matters. Students don't do optional. Urso continued to say each intervention should have its own mission statement. Who creates the schedule for the college? We need to create the schedule around student need, not faculty preference.

Yet how do we get student need discovered? 1) Host student focus groups. 2) Gather anecdotal student stories from academic advisers, 3) Listen to students who say they don't want classes online.

In building a schedule, there should be consistency from fall to spring semesters. All college staff members need to commit to the entire schedule. Pathways can help if and only if the pathway is combined with an understanding of how the end goal will impact student lives.

Center syllabi on student performance. Put the most critical information first. Don't list assignments merely by Week 1, Week 2, etc. That shows laziness on the faculty members' part. Put the actual dates due. Show in the syllabus how students can access you throughout the week, not just during office hours or class time.

Shift critical thinking to the students. Make students construct critical thinking and meaning. Don't spoon feed them. This is college.

Engagement that packs a punch includes 1) connection and relationships, 2) working with the students where they are, 3) focusing less on breadth and more on depth, 4) no longer starting up initiatives at the college without stopping others. It is amazing how many banal initiatives colleges keep running far past their time of effectiveness.

Engagement challenge: Choose a program or project that exists on campus that can and should be stopped.

Retention:

Reflect on the signature learning moments you've experienced. Build upon these for your students and your college.

Data for retention is flawed. The ideal retention rate for a community college is 50%. We keep half of our student population and then pass them on to a four-year college or to a career.

Retention is like dating. Why go on a second date? What can colleges do to mimic that? How do our highest retaining progams do it? Study the answers to these questions and build on the findings.

Retention challenge: Do something proactive that will earn Yavapai College a second date.

Placement Testing and Developmental Education

At the recent TYFY Conference, I attended a session given by Ross Markle, Senior Research and Assessment Director for Educational Testing Service. He explained to us something that most developmental instructors already realize, and that is Accuplacer does not assess the non-cognitive skills.

We need to determine student grit factors and train students how to build grit. Colleges need a holistic assessment solution. Markle presented Success Navigator. He said that the Accuplacer exam is a good place to start, but it needs to be paired with another assessment to determine factors that will help predict whether students will be successful in college.

What are these factors? Markle discussed academic skills, commitment, self-management, and social support. The CSFI exam that is in the MindTap version of the OnCourse textbook measures for the following: responsibility and control, competition, task planning, expectations, wellness, time management, college involvement, precision, and persistence.

What really caught my ear, so to speak, is the fact that Success Navigator is piloting a new Writing Exam to help English departments to create an essay asking about these factors. Students who want to challenge their Accuplacer score can write an essay with a prompt that purposefully targets these areas. English faculty can score the exam for Writing ability, and Success Navigator's exam can score for these noncognitive skills. By doing so, students who are just under the cut score for the next higher English course can be given credit for high scores in noncognitive skills.

Please consider moving forward with some kind of noncognitive skill exam into the future here at Yavapai College as we continue to find a better Pathway for our students.

Sincerely,

Tina Luffman

TYFY Keynote Dr. Kay McClenney

Hi everyone,

I hope your semester is off to a great start. Mine has been rocky, to say the least, but I had a bright moment last week when I went to Denver, CO to the 2016 TYFY Conference: Reaching New Heights: Collaboration, Engagement, Retention.

Dr. Kay McClenney spoke to us at lunch on the first day. She made the case for Pathways explaining the need for organizational change. She described how Behavioral Economics and Decision Theory predicts poor performance when humans are given too many choices. Having too many choices creates a climate of indecision, procrastination, paralysis, and bad choices. I know you have been hearing this rhetoric at Yavapai College recently, and Dr. McClenney was actually sharing the science behind the Pathways movement.
Other scientific research that Dr.McClenney shared is from Cognitive Science. Students benefit when they have clear goals and a concrete sense of how to get there. She identified that scaling up is hard to do. Starting something new is easier than stopping what we've been doing in the past. Dr. McClenney emphasized that faculty engagement is NOT OPTIONAL. Faculty-driven cafeteria style programs must give way to student need. She also emphasized that the administration needs to address the predictable and understandable concerns of the faculty.

Dr. McClenney shared how students long for the message that they belong at our college. They need to connect with staff, faculty, and other students. How often do you have a student ask if s/he can really do the work for your class, for example? I have students every semester practically begging in one way or another to reinforce their fears that they don't belong long enough to drop out, or else begging that I challenge them to prove their ability to succeed. That is the life of an instructor who primarily teaches first semester students. Many if not most of them are insecure when they first arrive.

What is the most important service in Student Development? 93% of students rank their academic advisor as the most important person at the college. Advisors help them set goals, keep them coming back to see progress on their DegreeWorks path. Mandatory advising would be excellent, and yet 45% of students claim they had not seen an advisor prior to the end of first three weeks of class. Dr. McClenney recommended group advising sessions. These build a cohort of students She stated that 70-75% of advising could be done in a group setting.

Another area of interest to Dr. McClenney is Integrated Inescapable Support otherwise know of as Supplemental Instruction (SI). She says that students don't to optional. She highlighted the fact that males of color are too proud to receive tutoring. In their culture, many feel like they are inadequate if they ask for help. She said that instructors can make small group support teams mandatory. Discipline-specific study groups can be part of a grade and written into the syllabus.

In addition, Dr. McClenny spoke in favor of gatekeeper Math and English classes being paired with FYE classes. She said that students enrolled  in FYE classes are significantly more likely to excel in gatekeeper math classes and English classes. Statistics show that more than 60% of community colleges offer FYE programs. Less than 30% of the students participate.

Start with the end in mind!
1. Clarify paths to students' end goals.
2. Help students choose and enter a pathway. To do so we need to accelerate remediation and get students into credit classes during the first year. 80% want to get a degree. 20% do.
3. Help stay on path with advising, Early Alert, and other student support tools.
4. Ensure students are learning at the program-level. (a) learning outcomes, (b) integrated digital and group projects, (c) quality technological tools and infrastructure, (d) strategically targeted professional development.

Adventures in Blogging, YC Style

Hi everyone,

Here we are at the end of the 9x9x25 blog for the third year in a row. Each year it seems to get easier to come up with ideas to write about. My latest strategy is to gather notes when I go to conferences and then to blog about these. As long as I have been a teacher here at Yavapai College, I remember going to conferences and then coming home full of enthusiasm to put into action the new ideas I have gathered. Then I get back here and get overwhelmed with the pace of teaching and going to meetings and find little time or energy to initiate these new ideas. Just knowing I can write about these ideas helps me to keep my commitment to myself to remember and apply what I have learned.

Why just last weekend I went to an OnCourse one day conference at Paradise Community College and came home with a few new ideas. Will these end up in a 9x9x25 blog next fall? We shall see, but I do enjoy writing these thoughts down and sharing them with the rest of my colleagues who didn't go to the same conference. Just imagine how smart we would all be if everyone shared even a few of the top ideas s/he learn at conferences, workshops, and other training events.

I also find it is worthwhile to talk about practical experiences from the classroom. Many of my colleagues have been writing about their time teaching math, nursing, physical education, humanities, and so on. I enjoy hearing from faculty who teach other subject areas. We share many of the same challenges as well as blessings.

One more valuable topic for blogs is technology tools. I have written about using the Kindle, iPad, and iPhone in different blogs. Actually, I have found the Kindle to be best used for stress reduction after a long day of meetings. But I do find technology tools to be gaining more and more importance and availability for our students.

Lastly, I find the 9x9x25 blog to be a great place to share important changes here at the college. This semester I wrote about the First Year Experience class that Amber Davies-Sloan and I are co-coordinating. This blog was primarily written to let the rest of our colleagues know what changes are taking place with this class. This class is foundational to helping first-year students at Yavapai College become familiar with college success strategies, gain personal responsibility, and become familiar with all of the support built into our system.

Todd, thank you for creating the 9x9x25 opportunity. I have enjoyed writing each blog. Each blog seems to be easier to write as well. I hope that more of my colleagues will take the challenge next fall. You will be glad you did. Even without the cookies, ice cream, conference bags, plants, books, and so on, it has been worth it. Signing off one more time!

Involving Course Model

Recently I viewed a Cengage instructional video by Victoria Basnett, M.Ed. titled, Keeping them Hooked: Strategies for Student Engagement and Success. In this video, she highlights the Involving Course Model. This model promotes the concept that classes should follow the formula below to best engage students.

• 20% Lectures
• 20% Exercises
• 20% Conversations and Sharing
• 20% Guest Speakers and Media
• 20% Quizzes, Evaluation, Preview, Review, and Assignments

Examples of Exercises:

• Group work where students are placed according to their learning styles
• Role playing
• Scavenger Hunt
  
• Weekly self-evaluation
• Students teach concepts
• Team building exercises
• Case studies
• Top ten quotes no one told me
• Skits

Examples of Conversations and Sharing:

• Share highs and lows
• Share how students perceived an assignment
• Brainstorm at the whiteboard
• Discuss relevancy of lesson and when to apply it.
• Combine with writing activity.
• Share ideas
• Give presentations
• Use song lyrics to connect to course concepts
• Offer success quotes or stories
• Show how this class relates to other classes

Examples of Guest Speakers and Media

• Use motivational music to begin class
• Bring in career services, financial aid, academic advising, another faculty member, and/ or mental health counselor.
• Bring in librarian
• Invite industry and community leaders
• Bring in a second-year college student or student ambassador
• Use PowerPoint, Prezi, Facebook, TED Talk video, YouTube, etc.
• Have students create Google Drive shared activities

Examples of Evaluations, Previews, Review, and Assignments

• Portfolio or ePortfolio
• Jeopardy Game review
  
• Journals
• Money-Time Motivators
• Self-assessments
• Small Group review
• Discussion groups
• Quizzes
• Tests

Basnett also gave additional ideas to help teachers engage students. For example, she shared that we retain 10% of what we read but 95% of what we teach. The learner often constructs meaning in collaboration with other students. It is a myth to say we don't have enough time for engaging activities because we have too much content to cover. Active learning isn't just games or an easy A.

At the end of the session, Basnett offered a guide of additional activities. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will email it to you. If you would like to view the Webinar, I can forward the link to you.

First Year Experience

This semester Amber Davies-Sloan and I are working together as FYE103 Coordinators. We seek to build an even better first-year experience for incoming freshman here at Yavapai College. This Friday we will be attending an all-day workshop at Paradise Valley Community College. Faculty from Arizona will be gathering to hear new learner-centered methods for teaching as well as in listening to a MindTap presentation from Cengage.

What is best for our students? So far we have learned that at Yavapai College, offering a New Student Orientation and a First Year Experience class each dramatically increased student retention. The college has responded with a mandatory Student Orientation for incoming students in Fall 2016. Rules are being set right now to determine how this will look and which students will be included, but good data is actually being implemented into policy. That is great news!

The next step on the agenda will be considering whether to make the FYE103 class mandatory. Is that reasonable? We have data to show it is highly beneficial, but mandatory is a huge step for us. If the college does make a first-year experience class mandatory, who should it be mandatory for? Would a 1 credit hour option be a good idea? These will be the topics of discussion for next year, and perhaps years to come.

Coming in February, Dean Holbrook, Amber, and I will also be attending the 35th Annual FYE Conference. Here we hope to gain wisdom and data from similar sized two-year colleges to help us make some recommendations. Please also feel free to share your ideas with us. Perhaps you worked at a similar college elsewhere in the United States, and you have some success and/or failure stories to share. I for one realize that sometimes I learn just as much from a failure as from a success, and that is what we are seeking for ourselves, our college, and our students.

Working with quality administration, faculty, and staff here at Yavapai College continues to be a blessing in my life. Yes, I get frustrated and fatigued at times, but truly I have never worked in a more rewarding environment. And teaching FYE103 is one of the highlights of my career. There is no class in which I have had as much freedom to be a learner-centered instructor. We get to watch mini-videos, play learning games, dive deep in journal writing, bring in outside speakers, take college tours, and so on. If this class sounds like one you would like to support, teach, or build up in any way, please let Dean, Amber, or I know. We are eager to hear from you.

Locally Developed Classroom Rubrics

In another session from TYCA-West last fall, I will share one aspect concerning how Freshman Composition is taught at the University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP). This university has 23,000 students, 78 % Hispanic and 5% International students from Mexico. In the past they used the following system for assessment:

• A norming committee had assessed student writing
• The school had standardized rubrics for all major writing assignments in First Year Second Semester classes--mostly taught by graduate students.
• A collection of student work had been required.

During this season, UTEP maintained an English Wiki for student access. Change came because students and many instructors here and elsewhere felt that having students deal with a third party for grading seemed pointless in the sense that the student had no way of communication with the committee. (Brunk-Chavez and Fourzan-Rice, 2013).

Since that time, UTEP has moved away from doing norming, and now they look at innovative ways of assessing to make students part of the process. They have moved to a series of space observation assignments.

1) Space observation #1--Objectively describe a space in a descriptive essay.

2) Space observation #2--Observe people, behaviors, gender. What does gender mean in this space, how is the space constructed for gender?

3) Space observation #3--Interview 

4) Final Project--Space essay--Students create a field report--What does this space say about gender?

After completing these assignments, instructors guide students to create locally developed classroom rubrics. How, you may ask, can students create their own grading rubric?

• First students draft a paper based on assignment guidelines provided by the instructor.
• After students draft the paper, drafts go through peer revision.
• One entire class period is then set aside to have students do a second close reading of the assignment.
• Students write in their blogs about the most important things they should have in the rubric. (These blogs are in Weebly,)
• Students in groups of three to four share their ideas.
• Then each group comes to an internal census.
• The groups each write their list on the board.
• Groups compare their reports and come to a class consensus through negotiation.
• Next the class assigns point values for each category.
• The instructor has a non-negotiable category added to the rubric; it is for 10 points to go for APA Citation and for grammar.

The graduate assistants from UTEP said that students had better buy in for grades earned when they had written the rubric themselves. Students also were far more engaged in the writing process and truly understood the value of things such as cohesion, organization, support, and so on.

Another group of UTEP instructors use the Textual Analysis Essay. These instructors have students find an article related to a topic and analyze it for purpose, audience, ethos, pathos, logos, and so on.

Week 1--Prewrite the essay
Week 3--The rough draft is due
Week 4--Instructor returns rough draft with feedback
Week 5--Final drafts are due

Now rubric creation begins. Students study the assignment and decide what three attributes of writing are most important. Students base their decision on comments made from the instructor and peer review from the first assignment. This activity gets students looking at their own writing more actively in a new light. This process helps students grasp the elements of what constitutes a well-written paper. Finally, students test their rubric on a sample essay provided by the instructor prior to actually using it on future essays.

When students truly engage in the process, everyone benefits. And when students create the rubric themselves, they are more likely to understand the assignment. 

Kindle for Reading Improvement?

My husband recently went to Phoenix to a computer training session, and he learned about the new Kindle Fire coming out at $49. He ordered me one, and when it came in the mail, I was surprised and not so sure I would use it. After all, I really do like paper versions of books, and I do have a Kindle app on my iPad, but I have found it really comfortable to hold, and the text breezes across the screen like silk.

Another discovery I made with this device is that it has a few tools that may help English language learners quite a bit. The first tool is Word Wise. Readers can Hide or Show the Word Wise mini-definitions for selected words in the book. Readers can also adjust from Fewer Hints to More Hints depending on their personal preference. I find that these tips aren't too helpful for me, but for someone learning English, I believe they would be very helpful. Imagine learning a language and having a small group of easier words in that language showing up immediately above the word you don't know yet, and that is basically what Word Wise offers.

Word Runner is the other tool I find intriguing as a Reading instructor. Notice how in this image on the left the text rolls through one word at a time. Readers can adjust the reading rate up or down. The words are also paced differently with complex words coming up more slowly, and easier words coming up at a faster rate. This pacing is an enhanced form of speed reading technology that is sure to catch on for more than English language learners. I have even enjoyed practicing speeding up my own reading rate. Imagine the possibilities this tool can have in K-12 schools all around the country!

And alas, it is still a Kindle. This tool has Internet, Airplane Mode, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Camera, Help, Auto Rotate, and Settings buttons. The Home page has Silk Browser, Amazon Freetime, Goodreads, Calendar, Photos, Contacts, Docs, Calculator, and many other apps already loaded and included in the low $49 price. Audiobooks, Newsstand, Kindle Books, and other apps can easily be used for all kinds of homework and classroom activities. Maybe Canvas will even decide to add some of these apps.

 For now I will practice learning the capabilities of the Kindle Fire 5th Generation. I am seriously considering asking the college to get a set of these for classroom use for the ENG085 class. Another idea is to have students order one as part of their textbook supplies for the semester. And if any of you have children or grandchildren who may benefit, for $49, it is not a bad investment in their education. Be blessed, and have a great week!

Contextualized Writing for First Year Composition

How do we get students to see writing contextualized in their world as a literate activity? We first need to help students see themselves as capable writers. Students must practice using multiple methods of researching and thinking about literate activity in general and writing in particular.

One way some colleges approach this issue is by using modified writing-about-writing curriculum. Teachers can use knowledge domains as ways to explore how and why language matters. For example, students can evaluate Strava comments, Pinterest quotes, Facebook posts, etc. They can then ask themselves, "How do these literacies matter and affect the student's life?"

Another idea for helping students value and interact with writing is to have them create an auto-ethnographic report on themselves and analyze their daily written activities for two weeks. Students can then post their findings into a blog, which adds a visual aspect to the text. Some examples of research methods are as follows:

• Culture grams: to visualize social selves, literate activities, audiences, and texts
• Self-observation: to examine textual artifacts and their contextual influences
• Audience interviews: to gain new insights about textual practices and participation in literate activities through multiple perspectives (interview Pinterest audience member and a member of another social media source or sources.)
  

Students can ask themselves if the statement "I am what I post" is true. Is what I post upon next influenced by how many comments I received from a previous post? Are we constantly shaping who we are by the feedback we receive? Or are we more driven by internal or other external motivators?

Students can answer questions such as, "What is my purpose for sharing my healthy cooking recipes online? What messages am I trying to convey when sharing Facebook posts involving corruption in the food industry? Why do I share pictures and videos of my family on vacation? What political posts will I share?

I hope you can see how using the world of social media can indeed help students to grapple with written literacies and how these shape their sense of self and the world around them. Next, we can drive them into modes of research by taking the familiar and pressing that knowledge base into the more formalized college system of making meaning with documentation, scholarly articles and literature, and train them to indeed value the world of written academia. And if you have any doubts or wonder how we can make meaning with Math, check out Dataclysm by Christian Rudder. I just heard about this book and hope to read it soon.

Think Outside the Canvas for Students Sake

What inherent effects do online classes make to the sense of self and empowerment for the average college student? Feminist theorists claim that when we place a course into the online environment, there are consequences. Learning Management Systems such as Canvas tend to heighten instructor presence and flatten student presence. Most online courses primarily function with the student reading what he/she is to do and then turning assignments in for grading. Much less interaction typically takes place between students in the online setting.

In addition, social scientists Fyvbjerg, Landman, and Schram claim it is more difficult to send "ethics of care" or caring messages to students. This situation is labeled phronesis--the kind of knowledge that grows out of intimate familiarity with practice in contextualized settings. You can read more about their research in their book, Real Social Science: Applied Phronesis, Cambridge University Press, New York. 2012.

Because of this research, we need to rethink our current practices in the online environment. It is important to remember that those taking our classes are students, not customers. We need to keep academics at the top of our priority list and not "customer satisfaction." Just this week I had an online FYE103 student tell me that my class had given them the most homework of any online class this semester. I scratched my head, asked my face-to-face class students what they thought, and they similarly scratched their heads. Our teaching practices need to continue striving toward student excellence.

On the other hand, we can embrace phronetic online spaces for teaching. Students can be given spaces to posture individuality and sharing of the self. Blogs, Wikis, Facebook, YouTube, and many other online spaces are available for us to allow creativity. We should work against getting students stuck in the Canvas-only environment when creating assignments.

For example, a few years ago I created space in Ning for students to post their picture, write responses to critical thinking questions, and use multi-media tools to enhance understanding of concepts taught in the course. The students' space was still available semester after semester, and students had access to return and visit with new students along the way. The experience was rich and meaningful. Using external tools does increase grading time to check an outside location, but the rewards were worth it. Ultimately Ning began charging money. Otherwise, I would still have this site up and running.

While exploring likely external tools to build student efficacy, remember that K-12 schools do not have digital literacy outcomes. College students did not have standards for these in the past, so some will know random areas of digital skill based on personal interest and digital access. For this reason, don't introduce new tools without making tutorials available, but be brave and think outside the Canvas.

Minding the Gap

College is a transitional space for incoming freshmen. Instructors who recognize this gap will do well to create space for students to transition in a safe and comfortable environment. We need to remember that these incoming students do not have the same cultural, economic, academic, or social situation that we maintain. Some are coming with little English-speaking ability. Others come with a lack of familial background in the college environment. These first-generational college students are especially vulnerable to anxiety in the new environment.

I am not sure about your experience, but in these past years I find my classroom shifting from a multi-age population to one that is averaging students of about 19 years of age. We can take advantage of this change and ask students to explore articles relevant to their generation. One English instructor suggested an assignment where students read articles that are negative about millennials and then asking the students to write rebuttals. 

And I know you have heard this before, but it is so important to repeat that these digital natives, although many have strong multi-tasking skills and strong Twitter, Facebook, and texting skills, they may not really know how to use many other tools we would expect. Some struggle with simply asking them to write a paper in Word. Others don't know how to attach a file in email, and be sure to remind them to check their YC email daily!

With the switch to Canvas this fall, we have also made a better choice for students. They are finding the simplicity of this new Learning Management System (LMS) to enhance their ability to download and do the homework we assign on their smartphones, but again, remember that not all students have smartphones. And it is not fair to assume that they do or that they should spend their hard-earned money to buy these, so please take care when creating assignments that you don't expect them to whip out their phone and do your instant survey. Enough said.

Getting back to Canvas, let us be more willing to use the tools inside the LMS once we get comfortable with it. We can embed lots of cool tools to enhance student learning experiences with no cost. We can also encourage students to create blogs like this one outside Canvas. When students do so, they create a space that is permanent, one where they can return and read, share and explore long after the class is over.

And lastly, please encourage any students in your classes who struggle with the new college landscape to take the FYE103 class next semester. This class focuses on helping students navigate the college system, develop study skills, and build self-responsibility, motivation, and self-management skills up front. It is never too late. Please also support the new students with mentoring them whether you officially signed up to be a mentor or not. All of our students, whether first-generation or not, can use a good friend in the faculty or staff of Yavapai College. Blessings as we reach out to help them and build a positive learning environment.

Reflections 2014

Hi everyone,

In this second year of participation, I found the entries were easier to write and that I developed more practice and comfort with adding graphics and links to the posts. Creating posts is an enriching experience because the practice forces me to stop and think for a few moments about what I do that is working, not working, and what I can share with others that may help them along their path to being a great instructor.

This semester I began by writing about two tools that I enjoy using: the iPhone and the iPad. Then I wrote about one free program, Jing, that I use for Screencast videos for multiple purposes. In this post, I focused on how I use Jing to help English reading students to develop better pronunciation, fluency, and comprehension.

Then I went to a conference. I had taken so many notes at TYCA-West in Mesa, Arizona that I felt compelled to pour back over my notes and share what I had learned. First I presented on the value of going to conferences period and highlighted a little of the keynote speaker's comments as well. Next I moved on to presenting three specific presentations that I felt were beneficial to my colleagues here at the college. Just so you know, I have material to write another entire 9x9x25 left in the notebook, so I may continue to write as I get time.

Concerning the experience as a whole, the gifts are great, but they were less of the reason for writing this year as compared to last year. Yes, Todd did go the extra mile to get me sorbet since I am allergic to milk, and it was very good, and the house plant and books were awesome, and the chocolate cookies were delicious, but seriously, I just enjoy being a part of something bigger where I can share with colleagues and actually go through the process of reflecting upon my own teaching and learning process.

Technically speaking, I really liked the opening page on the 9x9x25 blog where we could click on an individual's name and read just his/her posts. That way I could read all of my English teacher colleagues' posts at once, and then move on and read those from FYE classes, and more. The sad part about this year is that I didn't spend as much time commenting on people's posts or on receiving comments. I am not sure what the difference was, but I felt more like an island this time around.

Still and all, it was a great experience, and I will certainly participate again next year. I wish you all the best as we head into the final weeks of the semester. I will miss you all Friday at the luncheon, but I will be with you in spirit. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing you all at Winter Institute.

Speaking of Winter Institute, I hope many of you will come and participate. I have heard there will be a session on December 8 for Quality Matters. There will be an opening panel discussing the new FYE103 class experience. I have also heard of an opportunity to come listen to people who have participated in the 9x9x25 experience, and that is just a taste of what is to come!

Sincerely,

Tina Luffman

Changing Mindsets and Motivation for the Basic Writer

Christine Helfers from Mesa Community College presented on the mindset research of Carol Dweck and Patrick Sullivan concerning how it relates to the Basic Writer. Helfers asked, "What would improve student attitudes toward learning while providing interesting content for student reading and writing activities? She encouraged participants to read Carol Dweck's book, Mindset: The new Psychology of Success. She claims that Google Books contains most of the chapters for free for those who don't want to purchase a copy. For those who want to test your mindset, go to Carol Dweck's Web site.

Teachers and students need to learn to hear the fixed and the growth mindset. Then we can recognize we have a choice. Just transforming thinking from "I can't do it," to "I can't do it yet," indicates I can do it. Students need to identify steps or actions toward the growth mindset. Here is the link to Dweck's TED talk titled The Power of Yet. Please view it to learn how the simple word "yet" reframes the situation for students who are still needing to work more to achieve a particular level of achievement. Students learn they are not failures, but that they have a choice to continue on to achieve. Now they can identify a step or action toward success.

Helfers mentioned to us that Habits of Mind and Mindset are similar. After doing a little online research, I found Habits of Mind rubrics for K-12 school systems using Common Core. As a college instructor, please consider what relates to the college classroom and what does not.

In addition to improving student mindset, building motivation for learners is essential. In Helfer's developmental writing classroom, she uses short writing activities and assignments. I believe these are beneficial because success in small assignments build student efficacy. Here are some she suggests:

• Freewriting
• Interviews
• Visual invention work such as creating posters on how to reach goals
• Discussion questions from Mindset research
• Chapter questions from reading materials

A way to build even more motivation is in the larger writing projects. Helfers creates essay units developed on themes that encourage positive thinking in the minds of the students. Here are some topics she suggests;

• Grit mini-essay based based on Angela Duckworth's research: TED Talk
• Successful person they know after reading or listening to Dweck and doing an analysis paper
• Career exploration possibilities to help students build toward an ultimate goal.
• SMART goal setting essay
• Character sketch of a person who positively influenced you. She suggests people like Malcom Gladwell.

When we comment on student work, she encourages us to incorporate mindset principles into our response practices. Don't just say, "Good work." Be specific. Commend effort, but write what is effective to encourage students where they are doing well, and point out specific areas where improvement is needed.

Later I spent some time meeting with Christine Helfers, I asked her what she uses for a developmental writing textbook. She does not. She uses free sites on the Internet for grammar support. The bulk of her class consists of students writing drafts, and then she edits the drafts and returns them to the students. Students learn best when seeing their own errors in writing and having them identified and having the opportunity to correct these errors.

I was drawn to Helfers' ideas since these relate so well to what I was taught at Northern Arizona University in the Composition training I had in graduate school. We read chapters from Mina Shaugnessy's Errors and Expectations, Peter Elbow's Everyone Can Write, and many others. All in all, I found the presentation very stimulating to challenge me in the way I approach basic writing here at Yavapai College. I encourage you to do the same.