Day 2: Wed, May 14

8:30 - 9:45 Presenter: Mario Trono, English

Breakfast with M & M’s (Mario & the movies)

Film and Teacher Identity: A Collective Chat will begin with a presentation and discussion of the representations of teachers (and thus of students, classrooms, pedagogy, etc.) in mainstream and marginalized cinema. We've all seen the teacher films, so while we eat, let's dive into an analysis of the images and attendant ideologies – Mario will call for suggestions (while having several in mind as spares). How do such films shape our professional identities and/or how do they shape the cultural expectations facing our profession?

Breakfast with M & M’s will be a deliciously provocative discussion that launches your day.

9:45 -11 SESSION 3 Options:

Presenter: Tanya Samman, Earth Sciences

Balancing Act: Forward Thinking Conceptions of the Role of Post-secondary Faculty

By revising our view of the traditional, relatively rigid research-teaching dichotomy and moving towards a more inclusive and diversified conception of the role and professional responsibilities of postsecondary faculty, we can release the tremendous potential of those who currently see themselves as limited within the current system where students are subjected to disengaged and careless instruction, and faculty who make teaching a priority often lag far behind their colleagues in achieving promotion and tenure. We propose that research and teaching are complementary activities, and that encouragement and acknowledgment of teaching effort on par with research effort will encourage postsecondary faculty to invest more in their teaching. In short, a system that values true balance between research and teaching activities, and places teaching in its rightful place as a critical component of the mission of postsecondary institutions, will result in increased student satisfaction as well as increased job satisfaction among faculty.

Presenter: Randy Connolly, Computer Science

Being Unnatural? iPodolatry, Crackberries, and Other Technologies of the Absent Presence
This presentation is an exploration and description of the some of the empirical and philosophical research into personal mobile technologies. The session will focus on the discussion and opinions of the participants about these devices in the classroom, meetings, and personal worlds.
 

Presenter: Norm Vaughan, Education & Schooling

Designing Courses for Student Success through the Use of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Framework

The NSSE was originally developed to evaluate the level of student engagement at an institution. The questions are designed to gauge student perceptions related to five clusters of effective educational practice: the level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student interactions with faculty members, enriching educational experiences and the supportive campus environment. Recently, a classroom level version of the NSSE has been created for both students and faculty. This Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE) focuses on perceptions of level of academic challenge, student interactions with faculty members and active & collaborative learning in a particular course. The CLASSE was administered in several courses at Mount Royal College and the University of Calgary. This session will discuss the survey results and how they are being used to inform the redesign of these courses to increase student engagement and success.

Presenter: Wendi Walcer & Jan Wegerhoff, Nursing

Let’s Get Physical with B, X, and Y!

This is an interactive and informational session that will focus on generational learning differences and teaching methods. Participants will engage in role-playing among the three generations (X, Y, and Baby Boomers) now working and learning within our college environment. Special emphasis on understanding each other’s unique positions and values will be discussed. A variety of teaching tips that have worked effectively in the past and could impact future intergenerational learning will be provided. Participants in this session will not only “see” but “hear” the generational differences among “B, X, and Y”!

11- 11:15 Checkout & Coffee

11:15 -12:30 SESSION 4 Options:

Presenter: Anthony Chaston, Psychology

Teaching Students to Think: I Know They Have a Brain, But How Can I Get Them to Use It!

Learning is a skill. Like any skill it can be taught, practiced, and improved. Strategic learners are people who have acquired this skill set and know how to apply it effectively. How do strategic learners think and motivate themselves in a learning situation? The first goal of this presentation will be to answer that question. Once we understand the model of the strategic learner, we will want to help each student become one. But how? The second goal of this presentation is to discuss several techniques that post-secondary instructors can use in their classroom. These techniques are used to teach strategic learning skills to students in the context of your specific course material. Teach your students how to teach themselves.

Presenter: Rod Corbett, ADC

New Technologies for Faculty
Come see and discuss what new technologies will be available to you in the Fall. Some significant changes will be happening to the standard faculty teaching tool kit over the summer. These include MS Office 2007 with a new look and menu structure, a new interactive MFRA website, Blackboard 8.0 with a totally new Gradebook tool, and new content development tools. Many of these new tools will help you save time with your teaching.

Presenters: David Hyttenrauch & Krista Geissler, MRFA

Collegial Culture Conundrums: Are we Collegial, Congenial or Confused?
At this session we will present and discuss some selected results of the Collegiality Survey the MRFA conducted earlier this year.

Presenter: Sinclair MacRae, Humanities

Research Ethics

This session will consist of a brief presentation by members of the College's Human Research Ethics Board on the process of applying for ethics approval for research involving human subjects. Members of the Board will review the various elements of the application, and the entire application process, and take questions on all of your research ethics related questions.

 12:30 -1:30 Lunch in the Muk-a-Muk Dining Room

1:30 – 2:15 Closing Session