New Year, New Horizons: Empowering Educators Thursday, January 11 Conference Schedule

Thursday, January 11, 2023
8:00 am – 8:50 am
What is Education, anyway? The Science of Flow and Education (CRTP, L, E, A, D, S, ACUE)
Seminar
Please join us for our introduction seminar in the series on Flow and Education. Here, we will be looking at the science and chemistry of flow, motivation, creativity, and, ultimately, educational success, which are related in terms of brain chemistry and overall outcomes. In this introductory seminar, we will explore flow alongside research into skill mastery to question the overall purpose and structure of college courses and assignments.
Presenters: Kurstin Bush and Robert Ladd
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Thursday, January 11, 2024
9 am – 9:50 am
Forced Moves, Mindfulness, and Classroom Conflict (L, S, CRTP, ACUE)

Presentation
Have you ever regretted the way you handled a situation (at work or otherwise)? If so, you are definitely not alone.  This presentation will take a look at conflict management and resolution through the lenses of mindfulness and communication theory, providing some guidance to addressing and resolving.  
Presenter: Harlan Pease
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Thursday, January 11
10 am Instructor Training on Respondus Monitor & LockDown Browser
Presentation
This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The training will cover:   

– How to use LockDown Browser to prevent digital cheating in proctored testing environments   

– How to use Respondus Monitor in non-proctored environments, to protect exam integrity and confirm student identity   

– Advanced settings including combining proctored & non-proctored settings and using external tools in quizzes without compromising exam integrity  

– The student perspective using each application   

– Efficient review of the assessment data collected, including the Review Priority system, timeline, and milestone features   

– Best practices and tips for success with both applications  
Presenter: Rebecca Schkade, Customer Success and Training
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Thursday, January 11
11 am – 11:50 am
Do Students Really Understand?
(L, E, S, ACUE, CRPT)
Panel Discussion
During this panel discussion NSCC faculty will share ideas for how to design course activities and assignments that use effective direction strategies and support student comprehension. 
Panelists: Melissa Fleck, Associate Professor Early Childhood Education
Amy Blum, Instructor English
Connie Mathews, Associate Professor ESL
Jennifer Goncalves, Associate Professor Early Childhood Education
Kassidy Schmidt, Assistant Professor Early Childhood Education
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Thursday, January 11
12 pm – 12:50 pm
The Neurobiology of Fear (L, E, A, D, S, CRTP, ACUE)
Presentation
“””New Horizons”” can be frightening if you feel you are in an unfamiliar and threatening environment, do not know what the future may hold, and the stakes are high if you fail. This is a common situation for many NSCC’s students. Student fear often causes conflicts with faculty and can impede student learning. Fear can lead students to misunderstand faculty motives, create a feeling of helplessness or anger, and overwhelm students with anxiety to the point that they feel compelled to lash out, withdraw, or shut down instead of embracing the challenges of learning and growing. 

Faculty also experience fear in the classroom, leading to similar misunderstandings and negative outcomes as students face. The only difference between students and faculty being how we are assessed and perceived power dynamics. In this session, I will discuss the basic neurobiology of fear in the context of specific situations that both students and faculty experience in the classroom and discuss the results of a survey on fear that students took in my classes. Audience questions and participation will be encouraged both during the presentation and in the discussion afterwards. 

If you would like to prepare ahead of time or need something to read over Christmas break, the idea for this presentation was inspired by the following book: Cox R. D. (2011).  The College Fear Factor: How Students and Professors Misunderstand One Another. Harvard University Press.”
Presenter: Gracie King, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology
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Thursday, January 11
1 pm – 1:50 pm
Fear & Power: Learner & Professor (L, E, A, S, CRTP, ACUE)
Panel Discussion
As professors, we have been exploring ways that we can create effective relationships with all students to facilitate their learning. Reflecting on our social positions in the college, culture and community has been a necessary part of trying to connect with students from different social positions. This is a daunting experience which moves us beyond our comfort zones of teaching strategies and places us in vulnerable situations where we confront our fears. This panel of professors – Ayesha Keller, Brian Curtis, Gracie King, and Yvonne Simerman – will describe what we are learning about ourselves and students, and what we hope to gain from this ongoing exploration. Audience questions and participation will be encouraged both during the panel discussion and afterwards where all will be given an opportunity to share their own strategies for alleviating both student fear and their own.
Panelists: Ayesha Keller, Brian Curtis, Gracie King, and Yvonne Simerman
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Thursday, January 11
2 – 2:50 pm
The Science of Reading: Why do so many American students struggle to read? (and other topics related to literacy) (L, E, S)
Seminar
Come join this 3-part seminar based on the podcast “Sold a Story” where journalist Emily Hanford explains how many schools around the world have been teaching reading (badly) for decades in this 6-part audio series from American Public Media. Let’s discuss all things related to literacy and reading skills!
Presenter: Kurstin Bush: Asst. Prof. of Education and Teaching Fellow
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