Yesterday I went to a training on Integrative Learning from Gillies Malnarich (Evergreen College). It was very inspiring. This is the kind of learning I have been wanting to talk about at Laney. Here is a short summary but there are other materials on the internet that would be helpful too.

I think what I valued most of all about yesterday was thinking, sharing and planning ideas for teaching with my colleagues. This is what I really want to do and get going at Laney and other places. Teachers and others working in community college want so much to improve things and bring the best education to  our students. Building on campus a place or routine or series of workshops on best practices, methodology or simply institutional development and effectiveness is possible. Maybe this could even happen online, but the personal contact is also important.

At first I was disappointed that so few people came because this was an amazing gift to us that Gillies, an experienced instructor and teacher trainer came to us from the State of Washington to share her knowledge and expertise. But then I realized that I got to work with some wonderful people who were really interested in change and improvement and there would be a ripple effect.

We want to repeat these exercises and thinking processes and develop a new kind of Faculty/Staff Development Project, so that others can have these experiences and so we can enhance the idea of learning as a community at Laney. Other Colleges and Universities have built their own Faculty learning centers, for example LaGuardia Community College, North Carolina State University (called FIZZ), Honolulu Community College, and the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Faculty are given help to connect and to meet with each other, to create resources for each other, etc. This is what I dream about doing here. Creating a new tradition of faculty and staff learning from each other for a QUALITY experience for students.

Lately I have been saying--we have to make it worth for students to get an education!