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Graphic: MonolithPreconference Workshops

Transforming Traditional Classes Using Learner-Driven Principles

Individual teachers can reframe conventional "lessons" using a learner-centered philosophy, even within constraints of traditional institutions. The workshop will be a hands-on experience in shifting the focus from the teacher to individual/mutual-aid learning groups.

The activities will demonstrate the power of individual strengths in mutual-aid investigations and in problem-solving. Participants will experience empowering shifts within themselves as the activities progress and will explore implications during and at the end of the sessions. In addition, a handout discussing the process will be provided at the end of the session.

Several pivotal ways to transform conventional classrooms will be incorporated in the workshop process. These include the use of music, relaxation techniques, a left brain/right brain surface features activity, and a taste of reflective writing as a component of classes in any field.

Presenter: Clark McKowen is the author of "Teaching Human Beings," "Get Your A Out of College," and "Thinking About Thinking." He taught English at Diablo Valley College in California for over 30 years, and has authored five books and numerous articles on teaching and learning. Clark has conducted seminars and workshops throughout the United States. Join Clark and Mark Beatham in this thought-provoking session.

Saturday, March 10 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Fee  $90

Assessment Strategies to Improve Student Learning

In this stimulating workshop you will learn the basics of Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS): a series of teaching techniques developed by K. Patricia Cross and Tom Angelo that help faculty to know what students are actually learning. You'll learn how to increase involvement in learning, experience using these techniques, and see a video that demonstrates how to use Classroom Assessment in many different types of classes. Extensive handouts and Classroom Assessment samples will be provided. This workshop will provide the foundation needed to help faculty to incorporate the Learning Paradigm into classes immediately!

Presenter: Carol A. Brown is Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at Oakland Community College near Detroit, Michigan. Carol has facilitated numerous Classroom Assessment workshops at national conferences and at many colleges around the country, and has been a workshop facilitator with K. Patricia Cross and Tom Angelo for several national Faculty Institutes on Classroom Assessment at U.C. Berkeley.

Saturday, March 10 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Fee  $90

Toward A New Vision- Becoming A Learning Paradigm College

The concept and vision of a Learning Paradigm College began at Palomar College in California. No other issue has galvanized higher education in recent years. The reasons for this movement are many - the impact of technology, increased calls for accountability and unprecedented competition in the educational market. But most of all, the movement has been spurred by an increasing realization that we must move our institutions to a new level of educational excellence to survive in challenging times.
The Learning Paradigm College is a place where faculty are the designers of powerful learning environments, where curriculum design is based on an analysis of what a student needs to know rather than on what the teacher knows how to teach, where compartmentalized departments are replaced by cross-disciplinary cooperatives, and where every employee has a role to play in maintaining a learner-centered environment.

This two hour session will introduce you to the external forces that are shaping our direction for the future, examine the internal, self-imposed constraints under which we operate, and introduce the concept of the Learning Paradigm. The Palomar College award-winning video will be shown. The session is designed to give you a primer on the concept so that you may more fully enjoy the full conference that follows.

Presenter: William J. Flynn is Dean of Media, Business and Community Services at Palomar College and Chair of the annual North American Learning Paradigm conference. He authored the white paper "The Search for the Learning College" for the American Association of Community College's New Expeditions Project. Recent articles include "Re-examining Teaching and Learning," and "This Old House" in the Community College Journal.

Sunday, March 11 10:00 a.m. - Noon FREE