Workshops II 

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Social Media: A Tool for Youth Empowerment 

Collective action depends on whether oppressed people are able to group among existing social networks where people naturally communicate everyday. Traditionally, social networks included churches, universities, schools, workplaces or recreational meeting points.  The fact that social movements take root in the everyday networks of participants is what gives these movements their concealed nature.  In the Egyptian revolution, social media played that role of getting people to meet on a daily basis.  While the meeting was virtual, it still provided the same function. In this presentation, the researcher will analyze social media features, practices, abilities, and limitations in mobilizing people for a certain cause.  This will be followed by discussion focusing on how to use social media to help students rally for how their education is being taught to them, improving the value of their education within the work world, and most importantly for securing and augmenting college funding. 

Presenters:   Eman Mosharafa (Humanities Department)

Room:  E265 

*****

Public Benefits Access and Other Uncommon Services:  LaGuardia’s Proactive, Integrated Approach to Empower Disadvantaged Students to Cope with Life Issues and Succeed in School  

This is a presentation in which we will share the unique and at times, astounding cultural and financial issues that are prevalent to a large number of our students and create a host of challenges for students trying to survive, support a family, and succeed in college. The Student Financial Services Department at LaGuardia Community College provides an array of integrated support services and special programs that address student financial needs and connect students with on- and off-campus support services. We will take a look at how these innovative programs have already made a positive impact on our students in a relatively short time and explore plans for the future.  

Presenters:   Gail Baksh-Jarrett (Student Financial Services), and David Croft (Enrollment and Management Services)

Room:   E264

*****

The Wounds No One Can See:  Helping Students Cope with Trauma Using Digital Story  

At the World’s Community College where more than half of the student population was born outside of the United States, many have witnessed or survived many forms of trauma: war zones, domestic/family violence, childhood incest, terrorism and racism.  These traumatic experiences can negatively impact on students’ academic experiences. So what roles can the college play in offering support and a process for healing so that the students may be successful in their academic endeavors?  The answer lies in an organic alignment between Academic and Student Affairs using cocurricular activities that attempt to connect students via technology and other educational tools.  The use of technology is fundamental to meet the needs of the “plugged and wired” student body.

This workshop will examine how the Violence Intervention Partners:  Digital Stories Workshop Series Program was used to address the experience of trauma in students experiencing family and domestic violence, while encouraging advocacy and activism in students.  This pilot program explored the inner workings of domestic, intimate partner and family violence, supported the development of narratives, and offered training students on the technical aspects of producing a digital video story.  These elements combined provided a rich learning experience as well as a tool for healing. We will explore how this project and projects such as these may be used to educate, empower and support academic success.  

Presenters:   Joanna Deleon (Student Life) and Vanessa Bing (Social Science) and Priscilla Stadler (Center for
Teaching and Learning)

Room:    E266 

*****

Communicating with Students: Navigating the Waters (and the Web), Improving Student Learning 

As divisions realign so, too, must we reconfigure our methods of service delivery. In 2012 Student Affairs is taking a hard look at the way we communicate with students as we teach them to take the helm as they progress at the College. We have found a variety of obstacles, but a plethora of opportunities for improvement, and we are using technology to implement change. Bringing Hobsons Retain to the campus will allow us to reframe our communications in a format that will harness the complexities of our system, meet students where they are, and offer a more holistic experience to them as members of our community.  How do we know what that might look like? Join us for this hands-on session to learn more about current and future communication viewed through the eyes of a LaGuardia student.

Presenters: Michael Baston (Student Affairs), Susan Lyddon (Marketing and Communication), and Danielle Insalaco-Egan (Student Affairs), 

Room:  E262

*****

Understanding the Crisis of Capitalism: Overcoming Divisions in the Social Sciences

This workshop will address the question, “How can we aide students in understanding that the subject matter in various disciplines is connected?”  Before we as educators can help students see the relations between various disciplines, we must first ourselves overcome what are often artificial divisions. Using the example of the current crisis of capitalism, the workshop will show (1) that the crisis can only be understood by integrating history, the conflict between social classes, state interventions and economic dynamics (2) how disciplines of history, sociology, political science and economics compartmentalize dimensions of social reality that are part of an integrated whole.

Presenter:   Michael Frank (Cooperative Eduation)

Room :   E227 

*****

Teaching through Experience: Experiential Learning in LaGuardia Urban Studies Courses  

Experiential education has been central to Urban Studies courses at LaGuardia since the founding of the college in 1971. Presenters on this panel will share their experiential learning assignments and talk about how they integrate experiential learning into their Urban Studies courses. We will also invite the audience to share their strategies and participate in a conversation about the utility of experiential learning.

Urban Studies courses provide students a variety of opportunities to expand on classroom and text-based learning by having them experience things that connect to their own lives and the life of the city. Sometimes that means doing things together outside the classroom such as going to a museum or to look at a mural, but it might also mean performing independent neighborhood-based research, doing descriptive writing and analyses of urban spaces, writing letters to local government officials, attending community board and other meetings—or something else.

By using the city as a learning lab—having students not only gather their research from the city but also apply what they are learning to the city and its communities—Urban Studies courses both draw from and address  factors that shape the lived experience of our students. Students develop a variety of skills that help them engage their environment, their community, their borough, and their city. But perhaps equally important is that what students learn in an Urban Studies course can help them confront problems in those structures more effectively after they leave college. Urban Studies asks our students to do what no other program at the college formally does: use their experience to guide the course and use the course to guide their experience.

Presenters: Karen Miller (Social Science), Kristen Gallagher (English), Chris Schmidt (English), Jim Giordano (Business and Technology), Arianna Martinez (Social Science), and Stafford Gregoire (English) 

Room:   E225

*****

Supporting Student Success with Prior Learning Assessment   

This workshop will explore the changing definitions of what constitutes advanced education and higher learning.  Government, employers and institutions of higher learning are redefining and accepting alternative paths to achievement of college degrees.  Included will be a discussion of some recent research, trends and proposals that have been made for the future.  This presentation will include LaGuardia’s Credit for Prior Learning Program, how it is integrated with national and local initiatives and how its services support student success.

Presenters:   Janice Karlen (Business and Technology) and Susan Sanchirico (Business and Technology)

Room:   E250

*****

Teaching the Digital Learner: A Spotlight on LaGuardia’s Integrative Pedagogies Using ePortfolio  

Teaching the Digital Learner: A Spotlight on LaGuardia’s Integrative Pedagogies Using ePortfolio" will use 21st century technologies to illuminate 21st century pedagogies.  Combining live and recorded faculty voices with visual artifacts, this workshop will celebrate the creative approaches of LaGuardia faculty to helping their students make meaningful connections in their educations and transition from fragmented to integrated learners.

Presenters:   Craig Kasprzak (Center for Teaching and Learning), Kimberly Ramirez (English), and Clarence Chan (Health Sciences) (plus other faculty voices presented digitally)

Room:  E258

*****

Increasing Student Learning through Student Empowerment and Programmatic Change: Closing the Loop of Assessment  

In response to programmatic assessment of student work which showed that more needed to be done regarding building student proficiency in the core competencies, the Accounting Program developed a comprehensive plan to gradually build students’ skills in these competencies throughout their studies.  A committee of accounting faculty members, through the assistance of a CTL mini-grant, revised the syllabi of each accounting course to include assignments, projects and tutorials that work to stage throughout the accounting curriculum the development of student proficiency in the core competencies. 

Just as importantly, the Program created a plan to empower students to be active participants in this learning process. The program assessment found that most accounting majors did not know what the core competencies were, let alone understand why they need to be gaining proficiency in these areas. Therefore, included in these new syllabi and assignments is explicit description and discussion of the General Education and programmatic competencies. The ability to think critically, make sound decisions based on the analysis of data, use technology and research information efficiently, and communicate effectively will serve them richly throughout their lives, and students need to be aware of how the work they are doing in all their classes help them gain these capabilities. We restructured courses to ensure that students are using their ePortfolios throughout their studies to take an active role in their learning, continually displaying and reflecting on their growth in the core and programmatic competencies, and the work that still needs to be done.

Presenters:   Edward Goodman (Business and Technology)

Room:  E259

*****

Strategies in Hybrid-Online General Chemistry  

What are some of the perceived benefits of hybrid-online courses from the perspective of the students?  What are the challenges?  How do we facilitate student success in this 21st century learning environment?  In this presentation I will examine these questions based on my experiences in designing and implementing a hybrid-online course for General Chemistry I for the past three semesters.  Specifically, I will present features of my modified syllabus and Blackboard site, as well as examples of learning activities and strategies I designed and implemented in the online environment.  Students who have taken the course will be available for a question and answer session at the end of the presentation.

Presenter:   Dionne Miller (Natural Science)

Room:    E216

*****

Evaluation of using the Print Newspaper in the Classroom  

As an informal research study in the Sociology of Learning, the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives studied the impact that reading The New York Times print edition had on students’ critical thinking both in and outside the classroom. Eighteen LaGuardia Community College faculty members, covering the fields of Business, History, Sociology, Urban Anthropology, and Psychology used The New York Times printed edition in the classroom as an essential part of the course syllabus for the 2011-2012 academic year.  Come learn how faculty are advancing their own pedagogical methodology and promoting students’ educational growth and confidence. 

Presenters:   Tara Jean Hickman (Archives/Social Sciences), Richard K. Lieberman (Archives/Social Sciences), Sreca Perunovic (Social Sciences), Rajendra Bhika (Business and Technology),  Janet Michello (Social Sciences), and Rochelle Spencer (English)

Room:   E213

*****

The Empowerment of Honors Biology to Prepare Students at the Crossroads to Senior Colleges  

The Honors (SCB-115) Biology for non-majors is the paramount course for students to challenge their basic educational core skills set behind the curtain of an already rigorous biology curriculum.  The Honors course was designed to incorporate all of the basic education elements, to prepare senior students forthe experience of a premier senior college while earning four credits towards a biology course that includes a laboratory component. The course has also included assignments involving the Common Reading,  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and the Fortieth Anniversary of LaGuardia Community College.  In addition, ePortfolios are extensively used throughout the course.  All the lecture exams are in essay format.  In essence Honors Biology serves as the quintessential capstone course for their LaGuardia Community College experience as students are expected to coalesce all of their talents, skills and experiences into this single demanding class.  Honors Biology also impresses on students the important skills of time management and preparation in advance for class.  Honors Biology is exceptional as it is the only Honors course currently offered at LaGuardia Community College that involves all the basic educational elements such as critical reading, writing, thinking, oral communication, reflection and quantitative reasoning with a laboratory component.  Many students have found Honors Biology to be one of the most challenging courses of their LaGuardia Community College career.

Presenters:   Howard Motoike (Natural Sciences)

Room:   E212

*****

Co-Curricular Activities and Learning Outcomes:  What is it?  Why should I come to this workshop? 

Who cares about co-curricular activities:  Glad that you asked?  College years are spent only partially in the classroom and in library or labs.  College students devote time to co-curricular activities by joining clubs, participating in student government and other programs. The outside of the classroom experiences influence student learning outcomes during college and life experiences after departure from the institution.  There is considerable research that extra or co-curricular activities bring educational benefits.  

In recent years, there have been few studies linking co-curricular activities to student learning outcomes in community college students.  This workshop, using the most recent research, will “Bridge the Gap”, that is link co-curricular activities to student leaning outcomes for community college students.  More specifically this workshop, a collaborative effort of student and academic affairs, will look to do four things: first, review the literature including key terms and definitions.  Second, present a brief analysis on theory about co-curricular activities and its relation to student learning outcomes.  Third, discuss what has worked at LaGuardia in the past and fourth, engage in a conversation about ways in which the two divisions can work together to create and implement co-curricular activities that impact student learning outcomes.

Presenters:  Renee Butler (Student Affairs), Fay M Butler (Student Affairs), and Eduardo Vianna (Social Sciences)

Room:   E251

*****

Respecting Tradition and Creating a Community: Culturally Appropriate Response to the needs of Japanese Students and the College in the aftermath of Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami  

What does healing mean and how does one get healed? The college grappled with this question in the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake and Tsunami in 2011.  Traditional and western ways of providing counseling is not always the most effective way to help students.  A group of students, faculty and staff came together with the rest of the college community creating an alternative healing process; multi-faceted, multi-disciplined and holistic through media, art and shared communal activities, which caught the media’s attention. This case study gives an example of examining the most appropriate and effective way to support diverse students of LaGuardia in dealing with their emotional needs.

Presenters:   Kyoko M. Toyama (College Discovery), Tomonori Nagano (Education and Language Acquisition), and Nozomi Kato (Humanities)

Room:   E252

*****

Share the Math! From Math-Phobia to Math-Philia  

Research reveals that developmental math, a gateway course for academic and professional achievement, is in reality a roadblock to success. Across the country, between 60 and 90 percent of community college students must take remedial math. At LaGuardia, the majority of our students take two courses before satisfying the math requirement. Struggling and frustrated, many abandon their hopes for higher education. Committed to narrowing the math-gap, LaGuardia’s talented Math faculty has revised curricula to include evidence-based pedagogies designed around real-life issues of local and national interest.  As a community of staff, administrators, and non-MEC faculty, can we contribute to our students’ long-range math achievement—and at the same time, refresh our own math knowledge?

Consider the problem from this angle:  What if the hopes of faculty and staff were math-dependent? Could we do the math? Would we freeze with math-fright? Or could we face our fears and convert math aversion into math-mindedness? Most important, could math achievement at LaGuardia become a community-building shared commitment—much like “common reading”-- aimed at reducing innumeracy? 

Inspired by the energy of our Math faculty, and the Harvard Achievement Support Initiative, Michele Piso will share a vision for “common math,” a possible project that engages the whole campus in learning math with and from our students. Having avoided math since third grade, Ros Orgel, finally signed up for MAT095 in Spring 2012.  She will describe her experiences as a student struggling and learning with her MAT095 peers.

Presenters:   Michele Piso (Center for Teaching Learning) and Ros Orgel (Center for Teaching Learning)

Room:   E229

*****

ePortfolio, Advising and Transfer – Traversing the Continuum  

This presentation explores the use of ePortfolios as an interactive environment for advising with the end goal of preparing students to successfully transfer to senior colleges, and eventually complete their bachelor’s. Rooted in the holistic concepts of student-centered advising and advising-as- teaching, it offers a new look at the conceptual, informational and relational concepts of the advising and transfer continuum and presents this from an active learning perspective within the combined prisms of ePortfolio as a pedagogy and practice.

In particular, this presentation aims to: 

• Explore and expand usage of ePortfolios not just as learning tools, but as potential tools for retention, graduation and transfer.

• Provide those involved in advising a more intimate tool to gain relevant information about students that is integral to advising.

• Introduce participants to assessing students’ transfer readiness.

Presenters: Danielle Insalaco-Egan (Student Affairs), Bernetta Parson (Transfer Services), and Mercedes del Rosario (Center for Teaching and Learning)

Room:   E260

*****

CUNYFirst Orientation Workshops for Faculty  

CUNYFirst orientation workshops for faculty will provide hands on review of key features faculty will use in this new system for the Fall Semester, which includes:  My Schedule, My Textbooks, Class Roster, Grade Rosters, and Verification of Attendance Rosters.   It is required that faculty claim their CUNYfirst accounts before attending a workshop.  A separate lab will be available with support staff to assist faculty in this step.  The orientation workshops will occur in 3 different rooms at staggered start times, to allow for flexibility so that faculty have time to claim their accounts if they have not done so previously.  The location and schedule of workshops and "account claiming lab" is shown below: