The Dean's Corner
I hope that the school year has gotten off to a great start for you.
We are in the midst of ramping up for our Fall programming which includes the After School Academy at George H. Corliss High School and our own Olive-Harvey Middle College. We are planning to pilot our new Saturday STEM Academy this Fall. This program will be used to tutor high school students, and provide assistance for ACT preparation.
In addition to these programs, we are moving forward with the Learning Community Project, an interdisciplinary study which requires testing of water and soil samples on our campus and neighboring communities for microbial and chemical pollutants by biology and chemistry faculty. These disciplines will share their results with other focus areas such as political and social science, criminal justice, philosophy (ethics), African- American Studies, English, Child Development and Library Science. We plan full implementation of this project in Spring 2015.
Inside this issue you will get an update on other activities sponsored by the STEM CTL. Technology trainings, workshops and webinars will continue to be provided and we welcome you to share your expertise with your colleagues. Please stop in to see one of our technology staff if you have questions or wish to update your skills on various techniques. We appreciate your continued support!
STEM CTL Open House - Save the Date!
We will share an update on our programs and activities, introduce our Advisory Board members, and welcome our guest speaker, Dr. Khaldoun Sweis. Refreshments will also be provided!
Let the STEM CTL Advertise Your Next Workshop
Interested in Facilitating a "Best Practices" Workshop?
Dr. Khaldoun Sweiss will present "The Most Effective Strategies in Teaching to WOW Your Students" on September 30, 2014 in the STEM CTL.
Race to the Top
After School AcademyThe After School Academy will begin at Corliss Early College STEM HS and Olive-Harvey Middle College the week of October 6, 2014. The After School Academy provides tutoring for students in Math, Science, English and Reading. | |
State of the Art Math Emporium Opened Fall, 2014
The new Math Emporium met its Fall 2014 targeted opening date and welcomed faculty and students to an aesthetically appealing open space which is equipped with state of the art technology equipment and accommodates three simultaneous classes of 25 students per class. The Math Emporium includes a SMART Board in the breakout room, wall mounted monitors, microphones, a projector, and 83 desktop computers. Student response to the Math Emporium has been mixed, while the Math faculty members are responding with enthusiasm while adjusting to this new model. The Emporium is located on the 3rd Floor West Corridor. | |
STEM Club Welcomes the Healthcare Professionals Student ClubConsistent with each of the disciplines which are represented by the STEM acronym, the Science Department's Healthcare Professionals Student Club now falls under the same STEM umbrella as the other disciplines. Healthcare Professional students will have opportunities for PCAT and MCAT preparation, and a select few will compete for opportunities to attend national conferences. The STEM Club meets every first Thursday of the month from 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm in Room 3319. Please encourage your students to join. Plans for this year include an in-house student Robotics Competition, 3D Print Modeling, AMATYC Student Math Team Competition, Android App Development, Guest Speakers, Field Trips, and more. | |
Faculty Highlights
Middle College instructors, Mr. Roach, Mr. Nguyen, and Ms. Mims have been using iPads in the classroom to engage students in a series of class assignments and projects. Mr. Roach has incorporated the use of iPads in his class in a number of ways, from reading and annotating texts (The Tipping Point), to using the ipads for research, video production, engaging students in group discussions, and completing assignments and assessments through Edmodo (an educational social network website for the classroom).
Their most recent accomplishment is a Public Service Announcement about the common flu created, filmed, and edited on an iPad by student, Julian Cummings. The goal of the PSA is to remind and inform students about the spreading of germs and the importance of washing one's hands. You can view the PSA below. We are proud of the creative approach this group of students and instructors have taken to use the iPads as a tool to accomplish the learning outcomes of the course.
Photo: Left to Right: Mr. Nguyen (instructor), Ms. Mims, (instructor), Julian Cummings (student), Mr. Roach (instructor)
Technology Integration
On Friday June 13th, 2014, the Technology Integration Specialists held the first "Tech In Specs" Day of Sharing at Truman College. Kevin Truong coordinated the day filled with 6 different topics of sharing including a Remote Desktop Sharing, SMART Board Tips and Tricks, New Features in the next Blackboard release, Clickers, How OHC streams live presentations, an 'Atomic Learning' on demand tool being piloted at Truman, and new tools in the SMART Notebook 11. The day culminated in a discussion around the
Participants Included:
- Nick Nicholson, Truman, IT Director
- Kevin Truong, Truman, Technology Integration Specialist
- Elizabeth Rosenthal, Truman, Director of Development Education
- Elissa Tobin, Olive-Harvey, Technology Integration Specialist
- Michelle Ferguson, Olive-Harvey, Manager Instructional Technology
- Helen Y. West, Olive-Harvey Manager Instructional Design
- Jonathan Gandy,Olive-Harvey, Media Specialist
- Maureen Boland, Wright, Technology Integration Specialist
- Alonzo Rhoden, Malcolm X ,Web Manager
- Brittany Thornton, Malcolm X, Manager Information Technology
- Sydney Adams, Malcolm X, Media Specialist
- Alex Ajishediri, Malcolm X, Media Specialist
- Vincent Wiggins, Harold Washington, Computer Lab Manager
- Dashaun Hits, Daly, Technology Integration Specialist
- Syed Abedi, District, Blackboard Manager
- Adolfo Caballero, District, Manager Instructional Technology & Web Services
- Ross White, District, Senior Project Manager
- Wayne Knox, District, Project Manager
Supplemental Instruction International Conference 2014
Presentation Title & Summary:
Survival of SI at a 2-year Commuter College
Presenters: Cornelia Forrester, Elissa Tobin, Katrina Randle, Cyntkaille Coleman, Olive-Harvey City College, Chicago, IL
The presenters will provide insight into the reality of implementing a Supplemental Instruction program at a 2-year predominantly black commuter college with a distinct population of underprepared students. The session will focus on both the lessons learned and the best practices employed to create a successful and sustainable SI program.
NSILC Team Develops Action Plan for OHC Learning Communities
The team collaborated over a period of five days developing a proposal for redesign of the Learning Community Program at Olive-Harvey College, resulting in the OHC Learning Community Action Plan.
Recognizing that a successfully run Learning Community Program will require campus wide support, the Action Plan will be presented to all stakeholders for their review, feedback, and ongoing support.
The Action Plan includes a Learning Community proposal targeted for first year students, as well as plans for a Learning Community Interdisciplinary Project, and the Learning Community Task Force. Resources for implementation of the Action Plan have been identified.
For more information or to join the Learning Community Task Force, please contact Helen West in the STEM Center for Teaching and Learning, Ext. 6470, Room 3314.