Celebrating the New Year in the Community Learning Department

Be sure to check the blog next Monday!!!

We will be celebrating the blog's one year anniversary and posting a media release about the blog that has national significance.

Community Learning and Holiday Fun

The department staff decided to have a special dress-up day. Everyone wore their holiday sweater. Some even went so far as to wore festive head gear.

The office will be closed December 22 to December 29 so that we can spend time with family and friends.

Have a great holdiay!!!

Winter Weather and Its Impact on Class

'Tis the winter season and severe weather conditions may prevail. Glenda Lantis, department program manager, offers the following.

“COCC rarely has to cancel classes due to weather conditions. Closure for snow may be inconsistent due to distances between locations. If your class is held in a local school and the school is closed, your class will be cancelled for that day or evening.

The same holds true for other community facilities such as the local Senior Centers. If weather and/or road conditions deteriorate during a class session, the instructor should exercise individual judgment.

Community Learning program staff make every effort to contact instructors and students during times of emergency or weather related closures, however, occasionally, staff have difficulty accessing contact information to do so.

Listen to the local radio for announcements, check our website www.cocc.edu or call 383-7700for a recorded message in regard to COCC Campus closures.”

Five Tips for Homework Assignments

Teaching a class that involves homework?

Suggestions for helping the students with the assignments are found in a recent Inside the School Update that contained an article titled “Posting Homework Online” by Diane Trim. The following points are particularly relevant to community learning students.

1. Post assignments on the Internet. This can be accomplished using social media such as a blog.*


2. Assignments are easily retrieved when on the Internet. If a student misses a meeting, they can obtain the homework themselves and not fall behind.


3. Posting the assignments also serves as a reminder. Our adult students lead busy lives and often appreciate being reminded.


4. When writing the assignments, use a common/generic word processing program. Not everyone has the latest version of all programs.


5. Keep the assignments brief. This results in a small file size, allowing for a quick download. Those with a dial-up modem will appreciate it.

*More information on social media and blogs will be forth coming.

Carol Moorehead and Paul Stennett Give Presentations

Carol Moorehead, Dean of Continuing Education and Paul Stennett, Program Manager of Community Learning, gave presentations at the annual conference of the National Association of Continuing Education in Dallas, Texas on November 5-8, 2008.

The annual conference attracted educators from across the country, featuring a broad range of topics. Carol spoke on marketing and Paul discussed the teaching adults class for new instructors along with the department instructor blog.

COCC Community Learning Instructor Helps Her Students Outperform Others Across State

In the fall of 2007, instructor Donna Hines met the challenge of teaching the 80-hour basic course required for those who wish to take the Oregon Tax Board Tax Preparer’s exam. 91% of the 11 COCC students who took the state exam passed it. This exceeds the statewide average pass rate of 57% for public and private providers. Teaching state and federal tax code in 80-hours so students can both pass the state exam and be well-prepared for jobs in tax season is no small task! Her current fall 2008 students are busy preparing to take the state exam in early December. Judging from last years’ test results, we expect that they will also do well on the test.

Donna is currently licensed in Oregon as a Tax Preparer and Tax Consultant and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Linfield College. She owns Bookkeeping Solutions & Tax Services in Bend.

Thanks, Donna. We appreciate your hard work in the classroom.

Handling a Medical Emergency in Your Classroom

Important phone numbers:
Campus security: 480-2418 (when on campus)
Emergency: 911.
If using a campus phone: 9-911

We all hope that we will never be faced with a medical emergency while teaching a class. Our experience has been that we see emergencies very rarely. However, we also know that they do happen and it is important to have a plan in mind before a medical emergency occurs.

In the case of a medical emergency in your class, the most important factor is for you to respond promptly and appropriately to the student in need. You are also in charge of keeping control of the class. This can be a lot to manage. Enlist a responsible person or two to help you with managing the situation (this could include removing the rest of the students from the classroom), making emergency phone calls, etc.

Call 911 if there is any sign of “diminished capacity”. When in doubt call 911, the safe response is to call! If the person refuses treatment, they need to refuse directly to emergency personnel. Also call COCC Campus Security immediately to inform them of the situation. Always contact your COCC Program Manager by the following day.

The Campus Security phone number is posted outside most classrooms on the bulletin board, but please keep this number with your class roster at all times. Also ask if there is anyone with medical or first aid/CPR training who can assist with the situation. (See number at the top of this sheet)

In the event of a medical emergency, after calling 911, you should immediately ask the rest of the students to leave the classroom. Ask them to wait away from any entrance emergency services may need to use and to watch for emergency assistance.
By emptying the classroom, it is easier for you to assess what needs to be done without a group of students possibly distracting you. It is also considerate to the student in distress to not have an audience.

After emergency help arrives, you can speak to the class about cancelling the rest of class session, possibly rescheduling or resuming class, and not discuss with the class any of the medical situation. Please remember to contact your COCC Program Manager the following day.

Another Opportunity for Teaching Adults

This Saturday is another free session of the Teaching Adults class. Meet the current group of new instructors, discover the latest in department information, and teaching tips while sharing your teaching knowledge and expertise.

Please join us:

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Boyle Education Center Room 151

9 a.m. to Noon.

Return Your Contract

It is that time again---your contract is in the (e)mail!

Please sign and return the contract when it arrives. We need to have the signed document to continue with the development of the winter schedule.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

A Blog for Your Class

A blog is simply an online journal or diary. It has many applications, including several in education. There are several advantages to having a blog for your students.

1. It is a convenient way to stay in touch with current students.
2. You can make information available to former students.
3. It is a means of advertising your class.

A class-related blog of one of our community learning instructors can be viewed at http://tomsbookpublishingblog.blogspot.com/. It has been on the Internet for several years, being visited by thousands of people. Thus, it has kept his students up-to-date and exposed the class to potential students.

If you are interested in pursuing the idea of class blog, let me know by using the COMMENTS link below.

Helping the Students be There

Have you noticed how the doctor, dentist, and other professionals give you a telephone reminder of your appointment? Why not give the students a reminder?

Some of our instructors have found that a simple, short phone call several days before the start of class can be a rewarding experience for both the instructor and the student. For example, it serves not only to heighten anticipation of the class, it can be a time to unravel any mysteries— where is the classroom, should they bring anything, are there snack facilities, etc.

Of particular note is the opportunity to talk with the students before the class begins. Discovering the reason they are attending, their prior knowledge of the subject, what they would like to obtain from the class, etc., can provide for those last minute adjustments to class activities that turn it into a better learning experience for everyone.

Your program manager can give you a student roster with telephone numbers.

Six Aspects of the Adult Learner, Part II*

This is Part II of the two part article, Six Aspects of the Adult Learner. Part I was posted on September 22, 2008.

4. Adults are relevancy-oriented. They must see a reason for learning something. Learning has to be applicable to their work or other responsibilities to be of value to them. Therefore, instructors must identify objectives for adult participants before the course begins, and try to relate theories and concepts to a setting familiar to participants. Letting participants choose projects that reflect their own interests can fulfill this need.

5. Adults are practical. They usually focus on the aspects of a lesson most useful to them in their work. They may not be interested in knowledge for its own sake. Instructors must tell participants explicitly how the lesson will be useful to them on the job.

6. Adults need to be shown respect. Instructors must acknowledge the wealth of experiences that adult participants bring to the classroom. These adults should be treated as equals in experience and knowledge and allowed to voice their opinions freely in class.

*From the League for Innovation

Six Aspects of the Adult Learner, Part I*

As you finalize your classroom presentation, it would be a good idea to keep in mind six aspects of the adult learner. The first three of the six are given below. The remaining three will appear another time as Six Aspects of the Adult Learner, Part II.

1. Adults are autonomous and self-directed. They need to be free to direct themselves. Their instructor must actively involve them in the learning process and serve as a facilitator. Specifically, an instructor must get participants' perspectives about what topics to cover and let them work on projects that reflect their interests. The instructor should allow the participants to assume responsibility for presentations and group leadership (if applicable). They have to be sure to act as facilitators, guiding participants to their own knowledge rather than supplying them with facts.

2. Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and
knowledge. This would include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base. To help them do so, the instructor should draw out participants' experience and knowledge that is relevant to the
topic. They must relate theories and concepts to their students' prior experiences and recognize the value of experience in learning.

3. Adults are goal-oriented. Upon enrolling in a course, they usually know what goal they want to attain. Therefore, they appreciate an educational program that is organized and has clearly defined elements. The instructor must show participants how this class will help them attain their goals.

Part II will be the post for September 29, 2008.

*From the League for Innovation

More Teaching Tips: Stay Neutral, Active, Clear, and Play

With the new school year starting, try these tips:
1. Stay neutral on content. Your job is to pass on information but not be so attached to it that if anyone challenges it (not you) you don’t become confrontational.
2. Listen actively. Look people in the eye, use attentive body language and paraphrase what they are saying. They will return the favor when you are talking.
3. Paraphrase to be clear. Restate what you have just shared in a different way. This can clear up the looks of a “deer in the headlights” that you can get every now and then.
4. Play Ping-Pong. Picture yourself standing up front with a Ping Pong paddle in one hand. If someone asks a question or makes a comment, redirect it by sending it back to someone else to answer or build on. This helps the students not be solely dependent on you. They have a lot of knowledge and experience to share, take advantage of it.

Welcome Community Learning Instructors

Welcome to the new school year at COCC Community Learning! Registrations are pouring in and some classes have already started. If you wish to know about enrollment in your class please contact your Program Manager.

Please feel free to let you friends and neighbors know about your class.

We will be making regular weekly posts. Put us in your Favorites folder or subscribe to the blog by clicking on the Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) at the bottom of the page.

Click on the picture to access the website to see classes and register.

Community Learning Promotedat Larkspur Spring Festival

Members of the Community Learning Department worked a booth at the annual Larkspur Spring Festival on Saturday, June 7. They promoted the spring and summer classes, with an emphasis on those held at the Bend Senior Center, site of the festival. An important part of the promotion was to let the hundreds of visitors know that the community learning classes, like the center, were not just for senior citizens but community members as well.

Visitors to the department booth were given class schedules along with materials that elaborated on the department and the college. In addition, there was much discussion about instructors and their classes, a Qigong demonstration and practice session, as well as a display of computer applications. A special thanks to Larry Nonemaker, one of our instructors who loaned us an RV as part of the booth, Steven Foster-Wexler for the Qigong demonstration and Michelle Wood for the Qigong practice session.

Build Brain Power

Much of the current buzz about staying young centers around brain health, i.e. keeping a nimble mind by continuing to learn. Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, have been prominent figures in the "learn to stay young" movement. The website, RealAge.com/, expands on their efforts. The following points, from the site, are in article titled "Build Your Brainpower."

1. Take on New Challenges.

2. Learn New Tricks.

3. Explore New Places.

Interested? Read the entire article.

Top 10 Teacher Tips, Part II

Last week's post was Part I of Hotta Dover's article on teacher tips. It covered Tip 1- 5: being prepared, varieties of teaching strategies, encouraging interaction, building rapport, and use of the black/white board.

This week's post is the Part II, Tip 6-10, and is the final post related to the article.

6. Use Other Audio-Visual Aids Effectively
Audio-visual aids such as overhead projectors and transparencies, flip charts, audio and video players, etc. can be tremendous assets when used effectively, but great liabilities when not. Check equipment before class to ensure that it is working, that you know how to use it, and that tapes and counters are cued.

7. Manage Handouts
Try telling students that you will be giving a handout after presenting the material, but that you'd like them to listen and think for now.

8. Check for Understanding
Asking students the question, "do you understand?" is an ineffective means of checking comprehension. Depending upon the focus of the lesson, check comprehension by 1) asking students to make a choice such as, "Is this statement true or untrue?" or "Is the best answer A or B?" 2) giving a demonstration of a practical task; or 3) brainstorming further examples to illustrate a point.

9. Give Feedback
Keep feedback focused and positive.

10. Ask for Feedback
Give students regular opportunities to provide anonymous feedback on your teaching and the course. New teachers are encouraged to invite feedback from experienced mentor teachers as well.

Top 10 Teacher Tips, Part I

This week's post is from an article by Kimeiko Hotta Dover. Click on a link for the complete discussion.

1. Be Prepared
Before you set foot in the classroom, make sure you have a plan for the course and class. Share your plans with your class.

2. Use a Variety of Approaches
Plan a variety of approaches and activities for each session. Varying teaching strategies appeals to learning style differences and keeps participants attentive and engaged. Aim to get participants out of their chairs and interacting at least once per class.

3. Encourage Interaction
Have students work in pairs or small groups whenever possible. Not only does interaction acknowledge and draw upon the tremendous experience and knowledge adults bring to the classroom, but students gain confidence as they check and confirm answers with their peers.

4. Address Students by Name
Addressing students by name helps build rapport.

5. Use the Board Effectively
Bring your own whiteboard markers and/or chalk and an eraser to every class. Monitor the size, pressure and legibility of your writing. Use a variety of colors for emphasis and clarity.

Next week we will post the remaining five tips. They relate to visual aids, handouts, student feedback, etc.

Ten Principles of Learning

1. We learn to do by doing.
2. We learn to do what we do and not something else.
3. Without readiness, learning is inefficient and may be harmful.
4. Without motivation there can be no learning at all.
5. For effective learning, responses must be immediately reinforced.
6. Meaningful content is better learned and longer retained than less meaningful content.
7. For the greatest amount of transfer learning, responses should be learned in the way they are going to be used.
8. One's response will vary according to how one perceives the situation.
9. An individual’s responses will vary according to the learning atmosphere.
10. One does the only thing one can do given the physical inheritance, background, and present acting forces.

From: Edwards, Lea. "Interventions for Health Promotion", Health Education, 1981, Chapter 9.

Recognition for Beth Wickhamand Community Learning

Oregon Community Education honorees at the annual Oregon Community Education Association (OCEA) Conference included Beth Wickham as Community Educator of the Year for 2008. Beth, Supervisor of Community Learning as well as Director for the Business Development Center, was recognized for her tireless work promoting lifelong learning here at COCC.

The OCEA recognized that through Beth’s efforts, and that of her staff, the Community Learning department initiated a number of new efforts to better reach out to constituents including the implementation of an e-newsletter, partnerships with local Chambers to provide business education, creation of a community business directory website for the small business owner, and establishment of a blog where community learning instructors keep in touch with the department, and each other, along with learning about the many aspects of teaching adults.

Congratualtions Beth!!!

Carol Moorehead, Dean
Continuing Education & Extended Learning

Four Laws of Adult Learning

Robert W. Pike (1989), an internationally recognized expert in human resources development and author of the book Creative Training Techniques, has conducted thousands of adult training seminars. His principles of adult learning, referred to as "Pike's Laws of Adult Learning," have built upon the original philosophy to provide similar guidance for trainers:

Law 1: Adults are babies with big bodies. It is accepted that babies enjoy learning through experience, because every exploration is a new experience. As children grow, educators traditionally reduce the amount of learning through experience to the point that few courses in secondary and higher education devote significant time to experiential education. It is now recognized that adult learning is enhanced by hands-on experience that involves adults in the learning process. In addition, adults bring a wealth of experience that must be acknowledged and respected in the training setting.

Law 2: People do not argue with their own data. Succinctly put, people are more likely to believe something fervently if they arrive at the idea themselves. Thus, when training adults, presenting structured activities that generate the students' ideas, concepts, or techniques will facilitate learning more effectively than simply giving adults information to remember.

Law 3: Learning is directly proportional to the amount of fun you are having. Humor is an important tool for coping with stress and anxiety, and can be effective in promoting a comfortable learning environment. If you are involved in the learning process and understand how it will enable you to do your job or other chosen task better, you can experience the sheer joy of learning.

Law 4: Learning has not taken place until behavior has changed. It is not what you know, but what you do that counts. The ability to apply new material is a good measure of whether learning has taken place. Experiences that provide an opportunity for successfully practicing a new skill will increase the likelihood of retention and on-the-job application.

(The following material was excerpted from the NVAA specialized offering "The Ultimate Educator" by Edmunds, C., K. Lowe, M. Murray, and A. Seymour, 1999.)

Anyone have more laws or insights to add to the list?

You Can't Know It All

As an instructor, how many times have you had a participant ask a question you didn't know the answer to? The most experienced instructors out there will have this happen on a regular basis. Here are some suggested ways you can address this problem.

1. It's okay to admit you don't know the answer - we're not expected to know everything!
2. You could mention that this is something you would like to learn more about yourself and offer to find out and report back to the group.
3. Ask the other participants for their ideas and input - it's amazing how much your participants know collectively and how much you can learn from them!
4. Get clarification or more information from the inquirer about what they are really trying to find out. You might be able to still help them with an issue even though you may not be able to immediately answer their direct question to you.
5. Keep your confidence and don't become rattled or shaken. Participants want to view you as someone who can guide them, and may question how helpful you are if you don't appear confident.
Share your thoughts by commenting.
Beth Wickham, Director

Case Study in Classroom Management Issues Part 2 of 2

All instructors face this at some point. We encourage our instructors to work with all levels of students and we realize this can be very difficult and challenging.
What this instructor did was repeat the instructions and take extra breaks to catch the student up.
A couple of alternative strategies that might be used:

1) Involve those students who know a lot and like to share what they know by pairing them up with a slower student. This is a good way to keep both involved.

2) Explain to the student that the class is going to proceed at a faster rate and that the student is welcome to stay, but class will not be able to wait for him/her.

What are your strategies for dealing with a range of levels? Please share your thoughts by commenting.

Case Study in Classroom Management Issues Part 1 of 2

An Instructor wrote:

It’s always a challenge to balance the different levels of computer skills of my students, but yesterday was in a class by itself (no pun intended). There were three students (out of 16!) who really didn’t have the basic computer skills necessary to be in this level class, but one student was truly having difficulty.

At the first break she told me “I’m a really slow typist” but I knew that wasn’t the whole story. At the second break she admitted that she’d been in a car accident and that now she reported she had trouble learning. When I suggested that she re-take the class at a later date once she’d had a little more experience with the software she said that she is using the software at her current job and that her boss insisted she take this class, that she had paid for the class and she wasn’t about to leave.

Check back next week to learn what the instructor did. Every instructor faces this. Share your thoughts by commenting.

So You Want More Students? This is what others have done.

Mike Mansker is teaching Kokanee Caught and he belongs to an online discussion board for like-minded Oregon fisher-folk. He posted a description of his class before the schedule came out and asked who might be interested. When the schedule came out, he posted our website and phone number and contacted the people who had responded favorably from his initial query about the class. The class is now full and he is contacting all his students with an email thanking them for registering and getting feedback about what will be the most valuable thing they could learn from the class so he can be sure to cover (within his outline) what people want to know.

Davon Cabraloff will be teaching our Zumba class and Davon has done a number of things to get word out about her class. Since Zumba is new to Bend, she started a class back in the winter and has been advertizing all over town on bulletin boards with very professional looking signs for that class. The students she has in that class were a great base for her COCC class. She also wears a huge “Ask Me About Zumba” button wherever she goes as well as other Zumba related clothing to generate interest with strangers.

Mollie Hogan who will be teaching our Hooping class added her classes to her Hoop Dazzle website and emailed a newsletter listing the classes and the COCC contact information out to her current students and others who are on her mailing list.

What ideas do you have and what has worked for you? Please comment and let us know.

Latest 5 Best Teaching Tips

Here’s the latest 5 best teaching tips. They are from the May-June issue of the LERN Magazine, a special issue on learning and teaching.

1. Try one new thing
Every time I teach, I try to add or try one new thing.
Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it does. But the "one new thing" seems to keep me interested, on edge, and keeps the material fresher.
– Tom Trumpy

2. Students monitor timer
Notice how it is better to have another student monitor the timer rather than you as instructor.
– Joyce Brinkmeyer

3. One minute intermission
There is the one minute intermission. Interrupt participants at various times in the class and ask them to write down any questions or thoughts they have about the material being covered on 3X5 cards. Collect and respond to the cards without identifying the contributor. This allows individuals who don't want to speak up the opportunity to participate in the discussion. This process could provide a viewpoint which hadn't been considered by you or the students. You are almost guaranteed to have someone provide a bit of comic relief, too.
– Susan Grimes

4. Sing to radio
To the thoughts of preparation for class I add one that a very wise teacher once told me...prepare your voice. He taught speech and said one of the biggest mistakes we make is not getting our voice ready each day and it tires us out. So I learned to sing along with the radio, make faces and get my vocal chords ready each day on the way to school. I'm sure the cars that I passed wondered who I was talking to.
-Joyce Brinkmeyer

5. Web site for icebreakers
There is a website called About.com that is in essence a giant advertisement sprinkled with handy tips to know and tell! One of the pages is on Ice Breakers for Adults, which lists a number of activities. Check it out: http://adulted.about.com/od/icebreakers/
-Julia Dozier

This is shared courtesy of LERN.

What I Learned My First Year Teaching Adults

It’s OK to Smile!
• Have some fun when you are teaching and students will have some fun learning.
• Treat people as human beings – not just a warm body or a number – they all have names.
• Arrive early. Arrange the room and set the tone – be prepared in case you have to hunt down a key to unlock the door.

Start On Time
• Start on time; end on time.
• People learn quickly when you start on time – they’ll arrive promptly for succeeding sessions.
• Stop on time and stick around a few minutes for those with additional questions.
• Door signs and maps help get students to class on time.
• Have a plan for what you teach and how you will teach it.
• Know your content so well that you can spend most of your time working on how you teach rather than on reading your notes.
• Be flexible, but stay on target with your main ideas and objectives.

Use Variety
• A variety of teaching strategies make your points more interesting.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new to grab student attention.

Apps, Jerold. “What I Learned My First Year Teaching.” Course Trends, Vol. 24, No. 6: p. 15.

First Class Preparation

Whether it is your very first class or you have been teaching for 20 years the following 6 things will get you off to a great start every time!

1. Set Up the Environment
*Furniture arrangement
*Name badges or table tents
*Arrangement of audio/visual media
*Location of rest rooms and beverage services
*Copies of class schedule, objectives, and content
*Establish an inviting and organized atmosphere
2. Introduce Yourself and Students to Each Other
*Establish your credibility to teach this class
*Explain and model the ice breaker
*Facilitate introductions as the ice breaker proceeds
3. Give an Overview of the Course
*Review schedule, objectives or course content
*Solicit student objectives
4. Clarify Expectations
Hear theirs and share yours. “Give them a skill to take home the very first night which they can use tomorrow”
5. Use The Runners Warm-up - Distance runners don’t start a race at full speed. They stretch first and begin slowly working out the kinks, then set a good workout pace. Afterward they cool down. Students should be treated the same way.
6. Give Them a Sneak Preview of Coming Attractions.

Teaching Adults Classes

The next Teaching Adults class for new instructors is Saturday, February 9th from 9am to noon. This is a time to learn COCC's policies and procedures as well as some classroom techniques. It is also a time to meet other instructors and experience the breadth of classes we offer.

The next Teaching Adults class will be held on Saturday, April 5th.