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VOLUME 16, NO. 1 - OCTOBER 26, 2007
A MESSAGE FROM THE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Welcome to the 2007 fall edition of the HCC Faculty Development
Newsletter. The Faculty Development Committee for the 2007-08 academic
year is set and committed to assisting all our faculty colleagues in
providing meaningful and valuable faculty professional development
activities this academic year. The committee members for this year
include;
To access additional articles on Motivation and other teaching resources, check out the Faculty Development Website. There is a link in the left hand margin of the HCC Intranet. Please let any Faculty Development Committee Member or me know how we can better serve you this academic year. Have a great fall semester!
Jerry Cerny MOTIVATING STUDENTS: 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR TEACHERS
By Lana Becker and Kent N. Schneider, East Tennessee State University
Principles of Accounting has the reputation of being a "hard and boring"
course. It is difficult to motivate students to invest the time and effort
necessary to succeed in the course. To meet this challenge, we have
assembled a list of eight simple rules for keeping students focused and
motivated. These rules are not original, and they aren't just for those of
us who teach accounting classes. Indeed, most of these time-honored
suggestions apply to any course students find hard and boring, and we
think that makes them broadly applicable. Rule 1: Emphasize the most critical concepts continuously. Reiterate these concepts in lectures and assignments throughout the course. Include questions relating to these critical subjects on every exam, thus rewarding students for learning, retaining, and, hopefully, applying this knowledge in a variety of contexts. Rule 2: Provide students with a "visual aid" when possible to explain abstract concepts. A significant proportion of today's' students are visual learners. For these students, a simple diagram or flowchart truly can be more valuable than a thousand words in a text or a lecture. Rule 3: Rely on logic when applicable. Point out to students which information is merely "fact" that must be memorized and which course material is based upon "logic." Show students how to employ logical thinking to learn and retain new information. For example, in the double-entry bookkeeping system, "debits" equal "credits," and debit entries cause assets to increase. These are "facts" or features of the system; they are not based on logic. However, once the student accepts the system, logic can be used to operate within the system. Continuing the example, if debit entries increase assets, it is logical that credit entries will cause assets to decrease. Rule 4: Use in-class activities to reinforce newly presented material. After a new concept or subject has been presented via text reading, lecture, or class discussion, allow the students to put the concept into action by completing an in-class assignment. These assignments can be short, but they must be developed to ensure that the students understand the critical concepts underlying the new material. Typically, the most learning takes place when the students are permitted to work in small groups, to refer to their text and notes, and to ask questions of the instructor while completing the assignment. If these in-class assignments are part of the course grading scheme, class attendance also improves. Rule 5: Help students create a "link" when teaching something new. If the student can "link" the new material to something already learned, the odds of learning the new material are greatly increased. Examples of possible "links" include: prior material learned in this course (e.g., the critical concepts described in Rule 1), material learned in prerequisite courses, and "real-life" experiences of the students outside the classroom. Rule 6: Recognize the importance of vocabulary in a course. Students often struggle with new vocabulary in many courses, especially introductory ones. To succeed in these courses, students must become comfortable with the new terminology. As subjects are presented, new and/or confusing terms should be identified and introduced to the students. Present "real-world" definitions and alternative terminology, in addition to textbook definitions. One way to help students assimilate the course vocabulary is to create a "living" glossary on the instructor' website where new terminology is added, explained, and illustrated throughout the course. Rule 7: Treat students with respect. Patronizing behavior may be expected in primary school teachers, and "drill sergeant" strategies may be effective in military book camps. However, most college student will not respond well to these techniques. Give students their dignity, and they will give you their best efforts. Rule 8: Hold students to a high standard. If students are not required to maintain a specified level of learning and performance, only the most highly motivated students will devote the time and effort necessary to learn. In contrast, maintaining high standards not only will motivate student learning, it will also be the source of student feelings of accomplishment when those standards are met. Each of these rules can help motivate even the most lethargic student, but Rule 7 and 8 are the most important. If students are not treated with respect and held to a high standard, scrupulously following the first six rules will have much less impact and might end up being an exercise in futility. MID-SEMESTER EVALUATION Below is a mid-semester evaluation that has been shared and used for several years here at HCC. Feel free to format it as you see fit, using all or part or adding additional items. Let the Faculty Development Committee members know how it went after you use it. MID-SEMESTER SURVEY
THESE STATEMENTS are OPEN ENDED - you don't have to answer every one, but
if something comes to mind, fill in a response. There is no need to write
your name on this survey.
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT FUNDRAISER For those of you who have purchased the Hawaii Entertainment Book in the past, you know what a great deal it is. Not only do you save money on travel, entertainment and services here on Oahu, but also throughout the State and the Mainland. The members of the Faculty Development Committee are once again selling books this fall. Books are great for personal use and make excellent holiday gifts. Each book can be purchased for $30 with the committee earning $6 on each book sold. The committee will use the funds earned from these sales to purchase leis and light refreshments at presentations throughout the year and support professional development for faculty members. Contact any Faculty Development Committee member to purchase your book today! TENURE AND PROMOTION AND AWARDS Congratulations to the following HCC faculty members who were granted tenure and/or promotions this past summer; Tenure and Promotion/Instructor to Assistant Professor:
Steven Chu, ABRP Promotion/Instructor to Assistant Professor Jeannie Shaw, Pearl Harbor Apprenticeship Program Promotion/Assistant Professor to Associate Professor Allen Tateishi, RAC Promotion/Associate Professor to Professor Bill Becker, ITC Congratulations to the following faculty members who received Service Awards;
Jon Blumhardt, EMC, 20 years Congratulations to our colleague who received the Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching Award; Femar Lee, College Skills Center NEW FACULTY The following eleven faculty members are new to our campus this fall. As you meet our new colleagues, please help make them feel welcome. They include; Burt Chang, Instructor, Administration of Justice. Burt was born and raised in Honolulu and earned a BA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Juris Doctor from Golden Gate University, School of Law. For several years he was a practicing attorney in the private sector as well as with the County and State governments. Burt's love of teaching took him from being a lawyer to a lecturer throughout the UH System. Prior to obtain his full-time AJ positions, he lectured here at Honolulu CC, at Kapiolani CC, Leeward CC, the University of Hawaii at West Oahu and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In his free time, Bert really enjoys working on household projects, gardening and all types of sporting events. He feels it is a privilege to be a member of this wonderful HCC Ohana. Tim Cubero, Instructor, Developmental English. After years of lecturing here at HCC and also at Kapiolani CC, HPU, Chaminade, Wayland Baptist and Embry-Riddle, Tim has finally landed a full-time position here at HCC. He was born and raised in Cheverly, Maryland and the Washington, DC area. He earned a BA in English Education from the University of Maryland and MAEd from Pepperdine University and a MA from the California State University at Dominguez Hills. Tim is a professional cathedral pipe organist and music director and has been a pianist and cantor at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Waikiki, at Our Lady of the Mount Catholic Church in Kalihi Valley, Waipahu United Church of Christ, Aiea United Methodist Church, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Waipahu and Holy Family Catholic Church by the Airport. Tim wants everyone to feel free to invite him into your classes to give a pitch to your students about how important it is to write effectively in your discipline. Jennifer Higa-King, Instructor, Psychology. Jennifer was born and raised in Hawaii and attended Pearl City High School and currently lives in Aiea. She earned a BS in Psychology at the University of Puget Sound and an MS and PhD in Experimental Psychology from Washington State University. She performed postdoctoral research at Duke University and was an Associate Professor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. After living in the mainland for many years, she and her husband, George, who she met in graduate school, decided it was time to move back and raise their daughter with her grandparents and live in this wonderful place of beauty and culture. Their daughter, Kaitlyn, is in third grade and is serious about ice-skating and hula. They have a cat, Merlin who moved with them from Fort Worth. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys keeping up with her daughter's activities, watching the Food-Channel and Top Chef and collecting anything having to do with cats. Jennifer feels she is truly fortunate and excited to be a part of HCC. Carol Kagimoto, Instructor, Job Placement Officer. Carol was born in Honolulu, raised in Hilo, and still calls Hilo home, even though she hasn't lived there in 30 years. She earned a BS in Human Development and an MEd in Counseling and Guidance (specialization in voc rehab) from UH Manoa. Her interest centered on the career/employment aspect of voc rehab and she ended up focusing in this area. Carol has over 20 years experience in the career/employment field, 10 years in high school and School-to-Work and 10 years in higher education. Her last position was Associate Director, HPU Career Services Center. Carol is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two wonderful daughters. She reports she has very little free time but when she does it's usually spent chauffeuring her daughters to activities and lessons, and attending volleyball practices, games and tournaments. She wishes she had more free time to read, watch movies, play the piano, relax at the beach and try out new recipes. Carol reports it is an unbreakable tradition in their family to always return to Hilo to celebrate the New Year. There was ONE time in her entire life that she did NOT return for the New Year, and it was extremely disorienting, so she'll never miss it again. Kerry Kakazu, Instructor, USDA Biological Science. Kerry was born in Honolulu, grew up in Kalihi and Aiea and graduated from Aiea High School. He earned a BS in Biology from UH Manoa and an MS and PhD in Plant Physiology from UC Davis. Kerry preformed a post-doctorial at UH Manoa, was an Assistant Professor in Biology at Chaminade University, the Director of Academic Computing at Chaminade, Assistant Director of Operations at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and now is serving as a 50% USDA Biology Instructor at HCC and a 50% researcher/technician at the Cancer Research Center. In his free time, Kerry likes to cook and eat, play volleyball, golf and work on and with computers. He is very much looking forward to stimulating more interest in biology by relating the material to the students' experiences and incorporating appropriate technology to enhance student learning. Kara Kam, Instructor, Speech. Kara was born and raised here on the Island of Oahu in Sunset Beach and in Honolulu. She earned a BA and MA in Speech from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a PhD in Communications from the University of Arizona. She has taught as an Assistant Professor at Kwansei Gakuin University and as an Assistant Professor at UH Manoa. She specialized in nonverbal, intercultural and deceptive communications. In her spare time, Kara enjoys ballroom dancing. Paul Sherard, Instructor, Physics. Paul grew up on Long Island, New York. He earned a BS in Engineering-Physics from the University of Arizona and after, worked at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson. He earned an MS in Physics from Ohio University. His graduate research involved the study of chaotic systems. In 1994 he returned to Long Island and took a position as Assistant Editor for the prestigious physics journal Physical Review Letters. During this time Paul began teaching evening physics courses at Suffolk County Community College. In 2003 he moveded to Hawaii when he took a Physics and Astronomy Instructor position at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. In 2007 he transferred to Honolulu Community College as a Physics Instructor and is looking forward to the opportunity to enhance the learning experience for students here at HCC. In his free time, Paul enjoys swimming, snorkeling, hiking, bike riding, and generally exploring the islands of Hawaii. Eric Paul Shaffer, Instructor, English. Eric was born in Massachusetts and raised in Maryland, Michigan, and Indiana. He received a BS from Ball State University, an MS from University of New Mexico, and a PhD from UC Davis. Eric taught Okinawan and Japanese students courses in English conversation and composition and American literature and culture at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa. On Okinawa, he also taught American military members and their dependents for the Asian Division of the University of Maryland. He then moved to Maui and taught composition and literature at Maui Community College. His wife Veronica is an elementary school teacher and was raised on Java. She is fluent in Indonesian, and is teaching Eric to speak the language for their next visit to Bali. He is the author of five books of poetry, most recently Lahaina Noon, and his first novel Burn & Learn will be published in 2008 if his publisher is still in business. Eric is an enthusiastic reader and performer of poetry, contemporary and classic, and attends open-mike events and organizes readings. He is a long-time runner, birder, wildlife enthusiast, and hiker, and he spends as much time as possible with Veronica and their two cats, Hoku and Nalu. Sharon Vest, Instructor, ICS. Sharon was born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama. She has earned an MS in Secondary Education with Business Concentration and an MEd in Computer and Information Science both from the University of South Alabama. The major portion of her work experience over the past 20 years has been in administration and teaching at the university level in positions of Computer and Information Systems as a Department Chair and Associate Professor. Sharon has been busy in the short time she has been on board here at HCC. She has just been awarded the 2007 Object Oriented Programming, Languages and Applications (OPSLA) Educators' Scholarship. The Scholarship provides significant funding to attend the 2007 Conference and the Educators' Symposium in Montreal this fall. In her free time, Sharon enjoys reading, music, the theater and outdoor activities including walking and biking. Heather Weaver, Instructor, Off Campus Coordinator. Heather, whose husband is in the service as an active duty Marine, was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. She earned an AA from Faulkner State Community College, a BA and an MA from the University of South Alabama. She was a full-time faculty member at the University of South Alabama and also an adjunct/lecturer at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Heather has corporate experience with various companies in the private sector. She enjoys spending time with her husband, working and playing outdoors, reading, sports and travel. Heather's husband is currently deployed and she is very much looking forward to his return in mid-October. Shioko Yonezawa, Instructor, Japanese. Shioko was born and raised in Aomori, Japan, where there is lots of snow in winter and a very different dialect of Japanese is spoken. She earned a BA in English Language from Dokkyo University, Japan, and an MA in English as a Second Language and an MA in Japanese from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Shioko has taught Japanese at UH Manoa for four years while juggling teaching jobs between Manoa and Punahou for three years. She has also taught at Heald College, Hongwanji Mission School afternoon program, and Hawaii Japanese School (Rainbow Gakuen). Before coming to Hawaii, she taught English as a Foreign Language and other subjects at publish high schools in Aomori for six years. Her passion is for languages and dances and enjoys learning foreign language. Every so often she learns a new language, which helps her realize how her students feel when they learn Japanese. Recently, she has started learning Arabic script, a very challenging endeavor. She has been dancing bon dances from Aomori for her whole life and would like to share them with others. She is interested in salsa. Shioko very much enjoys the cultural and language diversity of Hawaii. FACULTY SPOTLIGHT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Brenda Kwon, Instructor, Language Arts, attended the Korean Association for Feminist Studies in English Literature in Seoul, Korea, this past summer. The focus of the Conference was "Post Feminism," the analysis of changes in gender studies in a period of global discourses. She also presented a paper at the Conference. Steve Mandraccia, Instructor, Math, attended the Hawaii Great Teachers Seminar on the Big Island this past August. Marcia Roberts-Deutsch, Professor, Art, Division Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences, attended in a Professional Grant Writing Workshop last winter. This workshop was offered on the UH Manoa campus and presented by the Institute for Communication Improvement. Jerry Saviano, Assistant Professor, Language Arts, attended the 2007 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference in Atlanta this past winter. This is one of the premiere conferences for teachers of writing. It offered numerous and diverse presentation concerning improving writing and the appreciation of literature in America. TECH 1 Paul Allen, Professor, AMT, attended the 2007 North American Council of Automotive Teachers Conference in Long Beach, California, this past summer. During this Conference he was able to network and share teaching ideas, concepts, theories, technology and other teaching strategies. Derek Oshiro, Associate Professor, RAC, attended the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Excellence First National Educator's Conference in Las Vegas this past summer. Gathered at the Conference was information on nationally accrediting our RAC program. TECH 2 Budd Brooks, Professor, Communications Arts, attended a Webmaster Course of Study here at HCC this past summer. The course was sponsored by HCC and Webyoda, The Webmaster Certification Standard. In the course he was able to learn about ADA requirements for on-line courses and explore web courses for possible adoption in the CA program. STUDENT SERVICES Rona Wong>, Professor/Counselor, Student Services, attended the 30th Annual Conference of the National Academic Advising Association in Indianapolis last fall. The title of the Conference was Diverse Advising in a Diverse World. At the Conference she was able to network with other professionals to share ideas about academic advising and how it can support academia and retention. ACADEMIC SUPPORT Janet Garcia, Associate Professor/Librarian, Library, attended the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC, this past summer. At the conference she attended seminars, forums and breakouts related to college libraries and saw first hand library related products, which were showcased for the first time. Christine Hacskaylo, Instructor, Developmental English, College Skills Center, attended the Hawaii Great Teachers Seminar on the Big Island this past August. Xin Li, Instructor/Librarian, Library, attended the Hawaii Library Association Annual Conference last fall in Waikiki. The theme of the Conference was Emerging Technologies Affecting Libraries. Ina Miller-Cabasug, Instructor, Retention Specialist, College Skills Center, attended the Hawaii Great Teachers Seminar on the Big Island this past August. Lianne Nagano, Professor/Coordinator, College Skills Center, attended a Microsoft Office One-Day Workshop last fall. She learned tips on using Microsoft Office to better support the teaching and fiscal support of the College Skills Center. Wayne Sunahara, Instructor, Disabilities Coordinator, College Skills Center, attended the 23rd Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities in Waikiki this past winter. The purpose of the conference is to bring together national and international educational offerings for and from persons with disabilities, family members, researchers, service providers, policymakers and professionals in various disciplines in the field of disabilities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If your activities/news were not included in the Faculty Spotlight and you wish them to be, pass on the information to any Faculty Development Committee member. The information will be included in the next issue of the Faculty Development Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This newsletter was organized and published by the HCC Faculty Development Committee. Members: Jerry Cerny (Co-Editor), Steven Chu, Pat Gooch, Charlene Gima, Grace Funai (Co-Editor), Christine Hacskaylo, Mario Mediati, and Ralph Kam (co-editor).
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