The Center for Improving Teaching Effectiveness
Volume 1, Item 1 Jan 1999
 
Happy New Year and welcome to the Spring Semester--1999! Our reorganization and strategic planning efforts were completed over the winter break. Based on campus-wide consultations and inputs from our Advisory Committee, we are ready to go public! In order to emphasize the importance of integrating technology and pedagogy, the first major change we made involved a restructuring that combined the Language and Multimedia Center and the Faculty Resource Center. Because of this restructuring and to emphasize a focus on creating a climate for effective teaching in the increasingly diverse classroom, the Center was renamed. The new name is the Center for Improving Teaching Effectiveness or The CITE. The CITE's mission is clearly focused on providing the faculty with support in three major areas--teaching, technology, and diversity. For a complete description of the CITE's mission, vision, and goals, please visit our web site. <http://academic.wsc.edu/frc>
New Name--The Center for Improving Teaching Effectiveness (The CITE) Purpose: The CITE is a service organization that believes that no matter how good we are now, we should be asking, "what can we do to become even better?"

Mission: To provide faculty with the assistance they need to improve their teaching.

Vision: To build a campus community that values effective teaching.

 New Logo--The sundial was selected for our logo because it brings together the concepts of direction and time. The CITE will attempt to provide research-based direction to our efforts to improve our effectiveness and efficiency as educators. Additionally, the sundial illustrates the concept of technology appropriate for the task. That is, technology should not drive our teaching. Preferably, after establishing our educational goals, we should choose the technology that will help us more efficiently and/or effectively reach those objectives.

New Website-- You can find The CITE at http://academic.wsc.edu/frc or http://www.wsc.edu/frc. While The CITE is still under development, it has been designed as a faculty member's "one stop" for information. It will bring together, in a readily accessible format, all of the resources that an instructor might need to increase his or her teaching effectiveness. If you have suggestions about additional information that you would like to see on The CITE, please let us know.

NO FACULTY WORKSHOP ON 11 JANUARY! In keeping with The CITE's new focus, we will move away from general, all faculty workshops and concentrate on helping you save time by providing resources, consultations, and information on a divisional, disciplinary, and/or individual basis. See the next page for information on specific programs, workshops, and services that will be available from The CITE next semester.

 

Overview of Offerings for Spring Semester 1999
 
Teaching Peer Observation A non-evaluative way to enhance your teaching skills. There is still room for three more instructors. Call for more information.
  Classroom Interview or SGID Find out how your class is going while there is still time to make some changes. Room for 10!
  Teaching Portfolio The best way to get at both the complexity and individuality of teaching is the teaching portfolio. Here is the chance to start, complete, or update your portfolio. Move beyond Student Ratings!
  Part-time Faculty Workshop Researched based suggestions to improve your teaching effectiveness
  Effective Web Searches  Excite, MetaCrawler, Dogpile, or Yahoo! Any, All, or Phrase? 

Save time, avoid frustration as we learn how to efficiently search!
  Effective Testing Multiple choice questions that test higher levels of thinking?
  Teaching and Technology Why put your course on-line? Discover the benefits!
Diversity Academic Accommodation What is the WSC policy? Do you know the federal guidelines?
  Building Community The college has a plan--what can we do in the classroom?
Technology Win 95/PowerPoint/Web Pages/Archiving Classes Weekly workshops designed to help you master the technology. See the WSC Bulletin, monthly flyer or our web site for schedule.
  Individual Assistance--call The CITE first (375-7564) for assistance as outlined in the next column. Network Services is not staffed to help you with individual problems.  Basic solutions to hardware and software problems. The CITE does not repair damaged computers, but can assist faculty with routine computer difficulties, including software use, virus protection, etc. 

Software and hardware purchases. The CITE can help you identify the hardware and software that is most appropriate for your needs and arrange for demonstrations. 

Consultation on specific applications. The CITE provides a link between experts in certain applications and the faculty who wish to use those applications. Call The CITE for the guidance needed to overcome the initial demands of learning to use new software.
There is general agreement that the following characteristics are the essential ingredients of effective teaching:

    1. knowledge of the subject
    2. an ability to communicate with and motivate students (rapport)
    3. enthusiasm for the subject and for teaching
    4. clarity of presentation (organization) and
    5. fairness (exams and grading).
First Day of Class! --"The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the term." (Davis, 1993) To help you get your class off to a good start, I would invite you to read the article "The Most Important Day: Starting Well" by Delivee L. Wright from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This article includes a checklist for the first day of class that will help guide your planning efforts. This article can be found at http://www.unl.edu/teaching/FirstDay.html. or contact The CITE for a copy. If you would like additional information on preparing for the most important day of the semester, give The CITE a call!

Have a great semester. Enjoy The CITE and please join us in helping to create a climate for effective teaching at Wayne State College. Jeff and Phil