The joint ACRL/CLAMS/LMDC spring conference "Effective Teaching=Effective Learning" in Ellensburg was well attended and well received. Workshop leaders were Mary Jane Petrowski, Head of Library Instruction at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and Karen Williams, Social Sciences Team Leader of University of Arizona's library in Tucson. These two indefatigable women were exemplary in their attempts to address every sort of learning style. They successfully engaged and guided the audience through very productive teaching and learning exercises that emphasized cooperative learning. I am sure that many went home contemplating how to utilize practical and readily applicable strategies.
Suggested strategies ranged from round robins and jigsaws to pairing and sharing. My two favorite exercises can be applied to a number of situations - "Pass a Problem" and "Jigsaw". "Pass a Problem" focuses on instructional change and making choices. Each member of our group wrote on a piece of paper a problem that they wanted help with, put it in an envelope and passed it around the group. Each person wrote a suggestion on another piece of paper , put that in the envelope and passed it on; thus. The originator had a half dozen solutions to consider. "Jigsaw" involved reporting after reading article reprints. Each member of the group chose from among an assortment of articles, read one and then conveyed its message to the group. This resulted in each hearing and discussing the content of varied and more articles than would have been possible to read in the same amount of time. A myriad of suggestions was discussed throughout the workshop for improving teaching and gaining insight as to your own teaching. Some of these included fostering feedback from peers - having faculty evaluate the "product" they assigned students, and gaining perspective by having an ESL teacher observe what is going on in the classroom.
Another discussion centered on the value of keeping a portfolio intended to prompt reflection and capture complexities of the work we do. Key elements of a portfolio include your vitae or resume, teaching philosophy statement, teaching responsibilities statement, and artifacts from teaching.
For more information about the topics discussed above and others from the
Spring Conference, see the handouts and PowerPoint presentations made
available on the CLAMS home page
The evening banquet included a current issues forum coordinated by Charlene
Grass, Director of Library Services at Walla Walla Community college. Two
breakout sessions included one for those who wished to continue discussion
with the workshop leaders. I attended the other session that focused on ways
to generate interest in the library among faculty and staff. Some of the
ideas included holding open houses, inviting faculty and staff to hold
meetings in the library's conference room, publishing a newsletter in print
or via e-mail, sending regular e-mail messages detailing new acquisitions,
and collaborating with new instructors in development of courses.
The CLAMS business meeting recognized new incoming and outgoing officers.
Many thanks to Margaret Snyder and Stephanie Carter for their duo-handling
of the presidency for the past two years. Discussion then became focused on
concerns regarding continued faculty status for librarians. Every few years
questions are raised over faculty status of counselors and librarians.
Efforts to forestall any changes have resulted in reviving the Legislative
Committee that is chaired by Leslie Potter-Henderson of Shoreline CC. In
the event of challenges to our faculty status we are prepared to lobby the
legislature in the same manner CLAMS did a few years ago. If you have
comments, suggestions or want to become involved, contact Leslie at (206)
546-4554 or lhenders@ctc.edu.
Prior to the conference a question-and-answer session organized by Jeanne
Crisp of the Washington State Library's Director of the Statewide Database
Licensing Project, offered a full turnout of representatives from Bell &
Howell's UMI. The session provided an opportunity to address issues raised
by a survey distributed early in the year and to discuss content, the
interface, customer service, etc. This also provided a unique opportunity
for many to meet in person Eugene Bacungan, ProQuest's intrepid and
invaluable customer service representative.
Submitted by Paula Palmer (Lake Washington Technical College)
