TLA Best Practices Manual Highlights

TLA Best Practices Manual Highlights from Feb. 14/15 2007 Dialogue Groups

Who should contribute to the manual? . Collaborate with other TLA manual groups to create 1 project/document . Create an open forum for faculty and students . Incorporate (or highlight) students’ perspective on teaching strategies/practices: student input on teaching/learning experiences. . Gather data from TLA subgroups – brainstorm solutions? . Condense existing techniques & material before creating new resources

What topics should the manual include? . Options for different learning styles . Students’ favorite/most appreciated techniques . Group/classroom dynamics . To what degree are teachers and/or students responsible for an effective learning environment? . Trusting, acknowledging, and affirming students’ responsibility for their own learning . Technology . Writing . Generating discussions . Ethics . Motivation . Creating a guided reflection . Common problems/challenges in the classroom

What format to use? . Use an online wiki format for the manual – anyone can contribute content . Could also have a static hard copy. . Make sure users can relate to the material . Manual should be user-friendly and accessible. TLA Mentoring Program Highlights from February 14/15, 2007

What form should the program take? . Offer online/email interaction/in person interaction with mentor . Offer choices/options in format, topic areas, mentor placement . Upperclassmen receive credit for mentoring . Small group interaction – interdisciplinary?

Who should be involved? . Academic Advising . Students at all levels (campus unity) . Faculty and staff: make clear that they are approachable . Service Learning (off-campus community involvement) . Gather data from students from TLA, Western Front, Sociology & Psychology departments

What resources are available? . MyWestern: create a banner with helpful tips for students . WWU website – helpful areas for specific topics . Summerstart (divide into smaller sessions/groups)

What topics would be most helpful for mentorship? . Common questions - what students wish they had known as freshmen . Registration . Bellingham resources . Scheduling requirements . Advising (academic advisors) TLA Learning Stories Highlights February 14/15 2007

What examples/models of learning stories do we have? . Anna Deveare Smith presentation . Boba and Kiki experiment . Big ideas project . Monologues: responsibility to tell the story authentically . Live narrative

What effect do learning stories have? . Extend beyond personal experience: for example, let students into professors’ personal experience, and vice versa – “wakes us up” . Help us retain knowledge . Help us become better people . Establish a relationship: bonding . We learn without realizing or worrying about it . Reveal things the storyteller may not know about

How can we use learning stories at WWU? . Connect with Service Learning . Incorporate storytelling into GURs . Share cultural differences TLA Online Forum Highlights February 14/15, 2007

Goals: . Provide compelling quality. . Give ongoing, timely information. . Have a memorable & usable name.

Possible Categories: . What students wish professors knew . What professors with students knew . Events calendar . Hints & tips/advice . Mentoring . Teaching resources . Discussing specific issues (like diversity) . Academic/discipline-related clusters, like Geography

Potential partners/resources: . Mentoring program: Offer a forum to discuss mentoring issues/online mentoring . Best Practices manual: Generate ideas for best teaching practices in interactive forum

Possible names: . Get It Now . Network Connection . Real Time . The Western Connection . DigitalViking.org . Thought Spaces