Winter 2017/2018

2017 MTA Connections Conference Muskegon Community College | Muskegon, MI Friday, November 3rd

The 2017 MTA Connections Conference was graciously host- ed by Muskegon Community College. Participants had ample time to network with academic support specialists and tutors from across the state of , including the UP! This year’s Connec- tions Conference seemed to unite the tutors in attendance the most, “I love how the tutors/students became friends so fast. It would be great for them to see each other again next year if they are around. It's the best part of the conference seeing the students interacting and supporting each other. “ said Christine Huang, INSIDE THIS ISSUE MTA President. Call for Webmaster ...... 2 From the nine breakout sessions, conference participants Tech Corner ...... 2 were able to learn best practices for leading groups, effective study Collaborative Learning 2 strategies, and the inner-workings of successful tutoring programs. Book Club ...... 3 Keynote Janet Zadina also walked participants through common SI & Tutor Conference 3 myths about learning and talked about the science behind how the Space Showcase ...... 4 brain learns. If you weren’t able to attend this year’s conference, The Beginning ...... 6 you have an opportunity to connect at the Jackson College SI & Tu- tor Conference in April. See page 3 for more information. MTA Leadership ...... 6 Call for Webmaster Assistance

Are you good with maintaining websites? Would you like to take the MTA website to another level? Contact Steven Tuckey if you’re interested in serving as MTA’s Webmaster!

Tech Corner Collaborative Learning Strategies Ideas for how to increase Try these techniques in your next tutoring session or training. student outreach through Stump your partner technology.  Students take a minute to create a challenging question based on the lecture content up to that point.  Students pose the question to the person sitting next to them.  To take this activity a step further, ask students to write down their questions and hand them in. These questions can be used to cre- ate tests or exams. They can also be reviewed to gauge student understanding.

Poll Everywhere is an online Think-pair-share/ Write-pair-share service that allows teachers,  The instructor poses a question that demands analysis, evaluation, tutors, or group facilitators to or synthesis. ask their participants a ques-  Students take a few minutes to think through an appropriate re- tion. The participants answer sponse. the question using their mobile  Students turn to a partner (or small groups) and share their re- phones, Twitter, or web brows- sponses. Take this a step further by asking students to find some- ers. Both the question and the one who arrived at an answer different from their own and con- participants’ responses are vince their partner to change their mind. displayed live in Keynote, Pow-  Student responses are shared within larger teams or with the en- erPoint, and/or on the web. tire class during a follow-up discussion.

Poll everywhere works well for Group problem solving large groups, groups where There are many instructional strategies that involve students working students are shy, or to discuss together to solve a problem, including inquiry based learning, authentic sensitive topics. learning, and discovery learning. While they each have their own unique characteristics, they all fundamentally involve: Poll Everywhere offers free and paid subscriptions depending  Presenting students with a problem. on the number of desired par-  Providing some structure or guidance toward solving the problem. ticipants. Note, however, that they are all student-centered activities in which the instructor may have a very minimal role. Retrieved from https://www.polleverywhere.com/  Reaching a final outcome or solution. blog/great-ways-to-use-poll-everywhere-in-the- classroom/ Retrieved from https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/ 2 Book Club Looking to expand your library or add to your reading list? Check out our recommended title:

A Training Guide for College Tutors and Peer Educators By: Sally A. Lipsky

A Training Guide for College Tutors and Peer Educa- tors presents relevant and research-based methods for suc- cessful academic support sessions for tutors and peer educator trainees in an adaptable, user-friendly, and interactive format.

By mirroring appropriate methods for organizing and presenting material in an academic support session, it allows the reader to experience for themselves the practices and strategies they will apply as future tutors and peer educators. Based on solid learn- ing theory, the activities, assessments, examples and features included in this flexible and engaging text simulate recommend- ed peer educator practices and emphasize guiding college stu- dents to become active, self-monitoring and independent learn- ers.

7th Annual SI & Tutor Conference @ Jackson College SATURDAY, APRIL14th Jackson Community College | Bert Walker Hall Join us for the 7th annual SI & Tutor Conference at Jackson College! This satellite conference, co-sponsored by the MTA, is a terrific oppor- tunity for administrators, faculty, and (especially) students to share what they’ve learned about best practices in post-secondary tutoring, Supple- mental Instruction, and study-group leading. All are welcome, and en- couraged to propose presentations. Registration opens in January! Information on the conference, including the online presentation pro- posal process (through Sunday, 4 March), can be found here: http://bit.ly/2018situtorconf

3 Space Showcase: Jackson Community College’s Center for Student Success

“A separate, desig- nated Writing Cen- ter affords students a quiet space to re- ceive individualized writing assistance.”

4 “Included in the recent Bert Walker Hall renova- tion is a large open space for all students to study, print papers, and receive tutoring. Neat additions include a separate Math Lab for all things Math, including white-board ta- bles which are a student favorite. Another addition are large mobile white- boards which serve two purposes: standard white- board and separation of space for larger study groups.”

5 MTA Leadership The Beginning Monica Bouman The genesis of our organization was the first Connections Tutorial Con- President ference which was held in 1983 at Lansing Community College, under Jackson College the leadership of Jean Morciglio who was the tutorial coordinator at Lan- sing C.C. at the time. Three more conferences followed, and then, in Christine Huang President-elect 1986, the first active steps to create a tutorial association began. The Connections V Conference at in 1987 was the site of a pre- liminary meeting to create a state tutorial association. That meeting pro- Kelley Emerson duced objectives and initiatives to formally launch our Michigan Tutorial Secretary Association. The Constitution and By-Laws were approved at a planning committee meeting on 23 August, 1988; they have been revised in 1992, Steve Tuckey 1997, 2009, and 2012. Treasurer Jackson College This association was designed as the sole professional organization in

Stephanie Hawkes Michigan serving the needs of those interested and actively involved in Editor/Publicity tutoring in post secondary education. MTA was dedicated to providing Wayne State University Michigan tutorial personnel a network for sharing, growth and learning Susan Trudea opportunities. With this in mind, the main goal of MTA each year has Professional Development been to organize and host an annual tutoring conference. In Spring 1990, University of Detroit Mercy MTA also began publishing a newsletter, under Walter Foote at Grand Daniel Bradley Valley State University; the newsletter became a regular, tri-annual mail- Webmaster ing of MTA beginning in Spring 1994. Another contribution which MTA Kathryn Schrader made to tutoring personnel was to publish a directory of tutorial depart- Founding Member ments and contact people around the state; this was published in 1996. Muskegon Community Col- lege Finally, in-services for professionals have been scheduled on a bi-annual basis since 1996. Leadership Team Expansion When you become a member you don’t belong to MTA– MTA The MTA Executive Board welcomes belongs to you. We encourage you to participate in the annual Susan Trudeau as the new Professional conference planning activities, to Development Chair. Susan Trudeau has present at the annual conference, taught high school and college level and to contribute articles to the association newsletter. Through English for 25 years. Currently, she also your membership, these serves as director of the Student Success possibilities are yours whether you Center at University of Detroit Mercy. She are a student tutor, professional tutor, faculty member, or tutoring specializes in working with reluctant administrator. Print out writers and students with disabilities. the application and become a member today! Trudeau has been teaching English as an adjunct instructor at the College for

Creative Studies since 1999. She has also

Visit Us Online taught at Henry Ford Community College. http://www.michigan-tutors.org/

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