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I have created this site for collaboration regarding the Faculty Development Committee event we are hosting The most recent email I received from Dr. Gross (TODAY, M 2/2) is cut and pasted below - she cannot make the March date and has decided on the Friday, 4/17/09 date if we decide to host her:
 * Dr. Barbara Gross visit to Mercyhurst College **

In terms of topics: I could do a single topic or two separate topics. If it were to be a single topic, it would be on inclusive teaching practices. This is best done as a three hour workshop, but I can pare it down to two hours (and do the same workshop twice) or expand it to four hours where people could stay as long as they could Here's a blurb about it: __ Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom __. College students are increasingly more diverse. Diversity can include race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual identity, disability, age, religion and spiritually, language, family responsibilities, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, political persuasion, regional and national identity, academic preparation, academic abilities, and academic interests and goals. What can instructors do to effectively teach the broad range of students in the classroom? As one example: researchers note that we are all shaped by our backgrounds and experiences that have led to assumptions and biases about ourselves and others. Our attitudes and values not only influence the attitudes and values of students, but can affect the way we teach and our expectations for students, which could lead to unequal learning outcomes for those in our classes. Students who sense that more is expected of them tend to outperform students who believe that less is expected of them, regardless of their actual abilities. Conversely, the perception that one belongs to a stigmatized group can result in under-performance, called "stereotype threat" by researchers, which occurs when a student's anxieties about confirming a negative stereotype cause the student to perform poorly. To address self-fulfilling prophecies and stereotype threats, instructors can convey their clear convictions in each student's intellectual potential and let students know that they are expected to work hard, be challenged by the material, and be held to high standards of academic achievement. And then practice what is preached. This workshop, drawing upon research findings and best practices, will focus on pedagogical approaches to engaging students intellectually and helping them do their best work, and to creating a classroom environment where all students feel included. Workshop strategies will involve a mix of presentation, case studies, small group discussion, and written materials. If you want two separate topics, I could do a two hour workshop (pared down) on diversity and inclusion in the classroom and then do a two hour workshop on creating a syllabus (which gets at designing and revising a course, course policies, grading, etc.). Here's a blurb: __ Creating a Course Syllabus __. A course syllabus, placed on the web or handed out on the first day of class, gives students an immediate sense of what the course will be about, what they will learn, and how their academic progress will be evaluated. All courses can benefit from a syllabus. The act of preparing a syllabus helps instructors organize their course and set the schedule. The syllabus also describes to students what they will need to know and do to succeed in the class. This workshop, drawing upon research findings and best practices, will focus on understanding the multiple roles a syllabus plays and identifying the key characteristics of a good syllabus. Workshop strategies will involve a mix of presentation, case studies, small group discussion and written materials. Will either of these work for you? Also, bad news on the flight costs. It turns out that to fly from Bay Area to Erie will be about $1000 roundtrip in April (United #90 SFO to EWR and United #95 EWR to SFO, leaving on a Wed and returning on a Friday--- I like to come in a day early to adjust for jet lag and also in case planes are delayed). Does that put this out of your price range? If yes, I can recommend some speakers from Chicago or the East Coast. Let me know how you want to proceed. --barbara   Hi Kim: Well, I got the airport wrong (I had Newark!) on the info I sent you earlier. This really may be too costly for you to afford. I can fly to Phil and get a plane to Erie and back the same way for $1098. But I would need three nights hotel (Wed, Thurs, Fri)--- I can't get back to Phil on Friday after the workshop. Or I could fly from San Francisco to Cleveland and hire a car/driver to get from Cleveland to Erie. With that itinerary I can leave Fri afternoon (with multiple stops on the plane from and to SFO). Without car/driver, the cost is about $750. Not sure what the car would cost. In that scenario I would only need a hotel for Wed and Thurs nights. I would prefer to return to the Bay Area on Friday, but I haven't been able to get quotes for a car/driver from Cleveland to Erie and back. I totally understand if the cost is too prohibitive. Let me know what you decide. --barbara
 * From: ** Barbara Gross Davis [mailto:bgd@berkeley.edu]
 * Sent:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009 4:57 AM
 * To:** Zacherl, Kimberly
 * Subject:** RE: Update

[|Dr. Barbara Gross]

WHAT IS A WIKI ANYWAY?

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