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Previously Approved Summer Projects (2005)
Below are selected examples of previous summer projects
Diana Abel
Glendale Community College
The Power of Communities through Early Childhood
My project goal was to explore the issues of culture in the lives of children, as compared across multiple countries. Culture plays a complex and ubiquitous role in shaping children's earliest learning opportunities and experiences in the home. Parent's beliefs about when and how children learn preschool-related skills, their daily interactions with their children, and the social rules that guide these interactions combine in intricate ways to create what Luis Moll has termed "funds of knowledge" that are based in culture (Moll, Amanti, Neff, and Gonzalez, 1992). The four cultures explored: Ireland, Japan, Italy and Australia share strong commonalities with respect to the dignity of the young child. All four cultures share common themes: 1) fostering of diversity in curriculum; 2) teacher knowledge about how children learn best is a valued and sought behavior; 3) the value of the family in support of the young child is crucial.
Set against the backdrop that America does not yet embrace a national policy in the involvement of the federal government in the lives of young children, the individual governments of Japan, Italy, Ireland and Australia have embraced or having an emerging concept of the need for a unified national policy that defines the role of best practices with young children and a need for education of their teachers and caregivers.
The duration of my project lasted three weeks and included Internet-based research conducted from my home.
 Final Report  More Details in MLX
Carlotta Abrams
Estrella Mountain Community College
Study Abbaye St. jean des Vignes, France and meet Japanese classical musician in Vienna
I worked with Dr. Ed Boyden of Nassau Community College in Long Island, NY. He is a Medieval scholar who has studied the abbaye for many years. I have read and discussed his articles on the abbaye. I was in France the beginning of the week of May 23-27. Dr. Boyden was ill, and unable to accompany me, but I was still able to view the site and learn of the area and its architectural history. I was able to see where the excavations were. Although I was not able to be with a professional at the time, I was still able to learn a great deal about ancient French history, architecture, and culture. I improved my ability to read and function in a French speaking environment.
During the remainder of the week, I traveled to Vienna, Austria, to meet with Asako Hosoki, classical klavier musician. During this time, I was able to meet with Mr. Hiroshi Isaka, the founder of Camerata Records in Tokyo, a label that records classical musicians around the globe as well as such luminaries as Wynton Marsalis. I also met with Dr. Haydar Sari, head of Intercultural and International Activities for the City of Vienna. I attended a music performance and met musicians, arts professionals, and leaders in the music industry.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Scott Adamson
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
The Crafting of a Professional Learning Community for College Mathematics Faculty (Group Project)
This project was used to research prior work regarding the relevant and successful aspects of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and to craft an effective model of professional development designed specifically for residential and adjunct mathematics faculty at the community college. The purpose of this project was to learn how to better facilitate the improvement of community college mathematics teachers’ practice.
A PLC implementation plan was constructed consisting of meeting agendas for 12 PLC dates for each semester of the 2005-2006 school year at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Products and tools were created to support the implementation and assessment of the PLC as it is to be executed.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Emi Ahn
Mesa Community College
Workshop for Language Placement Assessment
I participated in a summer workshop hosted by National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), entitled, “Designing Effective Foreign Language Placement Tests,” as my summer project 2005. The workshop will be held from June 20 - July 1, 2005, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. My project extended from June 20-July 3, including time to attend the two-week workshop and to study on my own. My goal for this project was to learn methods and techniques of language placement test extensively so that in the near future, I would be able to create and implement Japanese language placement test which would more properly and accurately position in-coming students.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Mary Aldridge
Mesa Community College
Reading Ireland after the Celtic Tiger
When James Joyce wrote most of the stories that comprised Dubliners in 1904-05, he believed that no one had yet presented Ireland to the world. A century later, Ireland has a place on the literary stage that would have delighted Joyce and his contemporaries. As Ireland, Irish identity and Irish literature have undergone multifarious changes over the last century, but particularly in the last two decades. Ireland is now a major force in the European Union both economically and artistically. Today, Irish writers reflect these changes with humorous, imaginative, and poignant treatments of the country and its people.
From 23 May to 15 August 2005, I researched Irish writers and definitions of Irish identity and attended conferences and workshops such as the Ulysses reading group at the James Joyce Centre, the James Joyce Summer School, and the UCD summer school (all in Dublin, IR). Through this project I discovered that there are continuities and connections between Joyce’s and W. B. Yeats’s time and Ireland’s present. Contemporary writers continue to use the caustic humor and subtle insight that characterizes Irish literature. While Ireland’s role in the world has changed dramatically, it remains the subject matter of enormously gifted writers.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Jed (James E.) Allen
Phoenix College
Clarity and Meaning in Poetry: The
My 2005 FPG Summer Project concerned the relationship between poetry and clarity of meaning. My students (and many readers of poetry) persistently question the value of poetry--and literature in general --that resists relatively quick and easy comprehension. One might call this the "I don't get it so what's the point" syndrome. The issue of meaning in poetry reflects a much contested area in poetics and linguistics and again in the arts in general: how is "meaning" generated by language, or "how do we make meaning?" Poetry sometimes suggests other ways of "making meaning." Working on my project, I first examined a number of poems from avant-garde writers; next I looked at poets, critics and philosophers who have written about difficulty in literature. My third objective was to work with my notes and questions to develop a better vocabulary for presenting and discussing the issue. This project was important to me as a teacher, a poet and a professional in my teaching fields of English and the Humanties. I worked at home and in Hayden Library in Tempe.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Brent Alvar
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
2005 NSCA National Conference, Invited Presentation, and Educator of the Year Nomination
1. Research – I finished collecting data on 5 research projects with 5 adjunct faculty members. We analyzed the data and prepared the research in the form of research posters. The second area of research involved a main session lecture. It was a 2-hour debate between Bob Otto, Ph.D. and myself in the area of resistance training and our conflicting research.
2. Dissemination – I attended The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) national conference in Las Vegas, Nevada (July 5 – 9, 2005). I (along with the adjunct faculty) presented our research and the current practices utilized at CGCC. The research was received with quite a bit of enthusiasm.
3. Application - I have been working the past two years to establish a more scientific way to approach strength and conditioning at CGCC. I helped each of the 5 adjunct faculty to design and implement research studies utilizing CGCC students and athletes. The summer project allowed us to examine the efficacy of our programs and techniques and then present them to other professionals.
4. Award - Finally, I was nominated for the Educator of the Year from the NSCA. Unfortunately I didn’t receive the award, but was invited to sit as an Associate Editor on the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. About 30 of the top researchers in the field of strength and conditioning sit on the editorial board. I was quite honored by the invitation and accepted the invitation wholeheartedly.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Debbie Anderson
Estrella Mountain Community College
Cyberplagiarism: Investigation of Online Plagiarism in the ‘Cut and Paste’ World of Today
My summer project was spent investigating online plagiarism. I looked at paper mills - tools such as Turnitin, BigNerds.com and iThenticate which allows instructors to submit papers and see if the students have ‘borrowed’ from other papers. Plagiarism.org was a great starting point that gave you a great background and insight into the current issues surrounding plagiarism. I also spent a lot of time on other college library homepages that focused on plagiarism and how to control it. Several sites had information that I could use with our students and even some ready made handouts that they allowed you to use. Purdue University and the Center for Academic Integrity were also outstanding sites that gave insight into the issues and problems and some potential solutions for instructors.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Adebiyi Banjoko
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
New Summer Institute for Bioinformatics Online Course
Over the summer of 2005 I participated in a self-paced, online course made available by the NSF Bioinformatics Summer Institute for Community College Faculty. The course was developed to assist community college instructors in the methodology of functional genomics and bioinformatics, and to enable participants in the creation of open source learning objects for use in teaching bioinformatics. We examined the basic concepts underlying bioinformatics and had hands-on experience with some of the important tools of bioinformatics. Many of the skills that I acquired can be used to enrich courses I teach to take advantage of our new computer technology capability. The course was well planned and presented in a way that allowed us to tailor the lesson plans to our personal needs. Collegiality was encouraged and we were provided guidelines to help maintain focus on the key concepts. We also were made aware of a plethora of free, supportive resources.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Al Battle
Phoenix College
Learning the Macromedia Dreamweaver-MX Web Development Software
The purpose of this project was to learn the Macromedia Dreamweaver-MX web development software application. This software will be used in courses such as Internet/Web Development Level-I (CIS133) and Internet/Web Development Level-II (CIS233), which are courses that I teach. Learning this software will enable me to introduce new and powerful software to both courses and ultimately replace the antiquated software presently being used. I learned the software over the course of the last 5 weeks of summer (the second summer session) and it took me approximately 120 hours. The majority of the work was done on my computer at home, although I felt it necessary to completed six hour of work in my office because access to a network was required. I learned the process of planning and designing a website, adding and formatting text for a web page, the proper procedure for creating webpage layout, how to create multiple frames, how to manipulate webpage content through the use of layers, and I learned to add rich media, forms and database functionality to a web page.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Gretchen Berning
Mesa Community College
InDesign Training
The focus of this project was a 2-day intensive training session to learn Adobe InDesign, a computer publishing tool used in advertising, newspaper and magazine design and formatting. This software manipulates and manages text, graphics and photos from creation to print. As a group project, the Journalism Department, which conducts classes to teach these skills and also publishes the student newspaper, the Mesa Legend, wanted to compare and contrast this popular program with the software we currently use and teach: Quark XPress. The onsite training, held in the Legend newsroom with a professional certified Adobe trainer, allowed us to focus on our immediate questions and concerns in the same environment where it would be used. We used existing files and formats to evaluate the learning curve for integrating and implementing this software for student use in coursework and for the newspaper. We were able to learn the features of InDesign using our own existing fonts, files, printers and network, to see how the software would function in a “live” network of real world publishing for the Mesa Legend.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Karen Biglin
Scottsdale Community College
Library Site Visits and BookExpo America Conference
This project provided the opportunity to visit college libraries in the New York City area and attend the BookExpo America 2005 - the largest book publishing event in the United States. The purpose of visiting multiple college libraries was to examine library instructional materials and discuss Information Literacy strategies with colleagues. We also examined library buildings and design layouts, particularly in relation to library services and instruction. BookExpo America 2005 was a multiplex conference of over 30,000 booksellers, publishers, and authors. It was a great chance to review forthcoming books and to learn about new publishers, especially in the areas of remedial reading and Spanish language.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Cynthia Bingham
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Study of Spanish Language and Culture
Patti Johnson and Cynthia Bingham spent 17 days traveling in Spain in June. We went to important Spanish cities such as: Madrid, Bilbao, Burgos, San Sebastian, Pamplona, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba and other smaller towns along the way. We visited many significant cultural and historical sites like the Guggenheim Museum, the Prado Museum, the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, the monastery of La Cartuja de Miraflores, Gaudi's Parque Guell, Montjuic Hill, where much of the 1992 Olympics took place, the Alhambra, the Generalife, many large and important cathedrals, la Mezquita de Cordoba and other significat sites. We attended a professional flamenco show in Sevilla and also went to a gypsy flamenco show held in a cave in Sacromonte, Granada. In addition, we went on a full day excursion across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco and visited Tetuan with its fascinating marketplace. Our travel to Spain was truly an unforgettable and highly educational experience.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Carol Bolton
Phoenix College
Phoenix College Ireland Study Abroad
My summer project’s major goals were to learn digital photography, digital story telling techniques, and to experience the Irish culture, learning much of their history, legends, and day to day activities and attitudes of the modern Irish person. The program started from Phoenix on May 17, and ended on June 11, 2005. I went as a student with other students and faculty members to Tullamore, Ireland, where we stayed in various hotels and bed and breakfasts, took classes in the Charleville Castle, went on educational tours, visiting several of the central villages and cities and attending a historical tour while cruising a portion of the Shannon River. The digital photography class information included getting to know how a digital camera works, the proper settings for different subject, lighting and focus, a brief intro to Photoshop, and what to consider when choosing a subject. The digital storytelling class information included elements of stories, collections of pictures, videos, music, and vocal recording, explanation of the software Premier, and actually combining all the elements to produce a computerized visual/auditory story. I gathered knowledge of the Irish culture in several ways. I attended the historical River Shannon cruise, took some afternoon walks in town talking with adults and especially children, read myths and children’s fables in the library, and visited castles, abbeys, and museums in Dublin, Tullamore, Tara, Knouth and Kells. I was able to visit and enjoy the countryside from Dublin to Westport to the base of the Ring of Kerry – tops of mountains to the inside of the earth - bogs, cliffs, sandy beaches, lakes, farms and rock fenced pastures.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Ilene Borze
GateWay Community College
Discovering new Vistas in Hepatitis C(HCV) and HIV treatment Modalities
I did my summer project at Phoenix Body Positive a non profit organization that provides the HIV and Hepatitis C positive community medical and outreach services. I spent several Fridays and Saturdays in July at this facility working with the education coordinator, research team members and the community outreach coordinator. My goal was to learn about the current treatment modalities in treating Hepatitis C and AIDS. I wanted to get involved in a center that also approached treatment of these diseases in a non traditional manner and Body Positive has a clinic that does just that.
The first week I Had an orientation to the facility and then attended in-services with other volunteers and new employees. I gained a great overview of the center and was able to get a good foundation for the upcoming weeks. The second week was spent with the clinical research coordinator in the clinic where new trial medications are given in an outpatient setting. It was here that I was able to see firsthand all the new medications that are being tested especially 3 new HIV regimens. I was also able to see how they screen new patients who may be candidates for experimental drugs. The third week I spent in the outpatient clinic shadowing the outpatient coordinator while he reviewed treatment protocols with new and established patients who were both HIV and Hep C positive. I was also able to view a video and speak to nurses involved in Alternative Herbal therapies for HIV patients that are utilized at Body Positive. My fourth week I was able to view a video on a new HIV drug and speak to the clinical Pharmacist on new HIV treatments. I was also able to shadow the clinic nurse all day and assist with patient information sessions and sit in on counseling sessions. My last week I was able to spend the day at the Outreach education department and learned about how they compile statistics and the different roles of the community outreach team.
Although the exact schedule I had originally proposed was not exact, I was still able to fulfill my goals and had a very valuable experience. The information I received will be extremely valuable to all of my nursing department colleagues as well as my students.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Analicia Buentello
Estrella Mountain Community College
Exploring Literary Criticism in Film and Literature
The purpose of my project was to explore the mythic roots in film and literature during summer, specifically from June 6 until July 29. I researched the theory of archetypes and literary/film devices. In addition, I read a number of novels/novellas (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Shane, The Color Purple, The English Patient, Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams, Being There, and “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”), then viewed their film version to explore how each story conformed to a mythic tradition.
Besides reading novels and watching films, I also read up on archetypes in film and literature, (Literature and Film as Modern Mythology, Myth and the Movies, A Short Guide to Writing About Film, The Elements of Writing About Literature and Film, Anatomy of Film) and kept a journal chronicling my research and reflections.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Pat Case
Rio Salado College
2005 Summer Project
I attended the CQIN 2005 Summer Institute. The focus of the Summer Institute was to have a better understanding of building organizational learning systems so that we could accomplish our mission through internal partnership and collaboration and therefore increase our ability to have data driven decisions in on teaching and learning processes at Rio Salado College. My objectives were to:participate in the activities and training offered; dialogue with faculty from other leading community colleges regarding the institute learning objectives and dialogue with the Institute learning partners.
The Summer Institute was held in Kansas City from July 31, 2005 through noon on August 3, 2005. The four-day conference included sessions with the following learning partners: St. Lukes Hospital, Boeing Aerospace, Missouri Quality Foundation, Northwest Missouri State University.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Niccole Cerveny
Mesa Community College
Rock Art Research in the Field and Laboratory
The two-week project, completed May 27-June10, began with the purpose of enhancing my content knowledge in rock art research for incorporation of scientific inquiry and field techniques into my personal research and community outreach. First, I attended the annual conference of the American Rock Art Research Association (ARARA) in Reno, Nevada. At the conference, I participated in the conservation committee meetings, attended all academic presentations, and networked with active researchers in the field. I acquired many books and articles. I used the information obtained from the conference to enhance a Rock Art Stability Index (RASI) created for my PhD research. Finally, I tested the RASI with a group of 17 volunteers through training and fieldwork over a three-day period. The use of RASI for rock art conservation for the site stewards and the general public appears to be very promising. Publication of this research and the Rock Art Stability Index over the next year is expected.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Karen Ann Conzelman
Glendale Community College
Becoming a Microbiologist: Re-tooling in midcareer
In preparation for an anticipated change in my instructional load toward BIO 205 over the next several years, I attended a four day national conference for Undergraduate Educators in Microbiology at Emory University in June. I participated both in a pre-conference workshop as well as attending its plenary presentations, poster sessions, and breakout sessions. The conference included both “Try Something New” (emphasizing innovative teaching approaches in the sciences) and “Learn Something New” (discussing what students need to know and best practices on its presentation) sessions.
Final Report More Details in MLX
B. Cooper
Glendale Community College
Acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to design and develop a hybrid course
I spent 6 weeks from May 16 through June 30 on campus at GCC and at home, searching the internet and reading literature on hybrid and online courses with particular emphasis on biology courses. I found that while there is a quite a bit of literature and online course experience for many disciplines, there is much less in science and biology for science majors in particular, a fact I think very telling. However, I found that there are some University sites that provide wonderful materials for students to use in an explorative manner, materials which can easily be incorporated into a hybrid course.
I also briefly participated in the online course for hybrid course development offered by Michelle Shivnani, Director of Instructional Technology at GCC. Unfortunately I had to drop out before the course was completed, beause I went into active retirement and moved to WA. I also participated in the TED 3 day workshop on Blackboard learning about one of the platforms by which a hybrid course may be delivered.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Victor Cornell
Mesa Community College
Leaders: That Is What Teachers Are
My project was a comprehensive study in leadership. I learned about leadership through books, articles, searches on the internet, watching videos, and consulting with experienced leaders in education. My project took place at Mesa Community College @ Red Mountain from May 21st, 2005 through July 28th, 2005. I worked out of my office at the Red Mountain campus (PV227). I used libraries and the Internet for additional research and books.
The focus of my project was creating an action plan and activities that will make me a more effective leader in each of my leadership roles. I learned leadership skills that are proven to work in a positive and effective way. I feel I have just scratched the surface about being a leader. This project has been very valuable because I was able to continue to build on my ability to influence students, colleagues, and the community in which I live in a positive way and to make an impact in their lives.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Trey Cox
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
The Crafting of a Professional Learning Community for College Mathematics Faculty
The purpose of this project was to learn how to better facilitate the improvement of community college mathematics teachers’ practice. This was done by researching prior work regarding the relevant and successful aspects of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and to craft an effective model of professional development designed specifically for residential and adjunct mathematics faculty at the community college. A mathematics PLC is a collaboration of six to eight teachers who meet periodically to advance the knowledge necessary for teaching mathematics and to enhance pedagogical techniques for the advancement of student learning.
A PLC implementation plan was constructed consisting of meeting agendas for 12 PLC dates for each semester of the 2005-2006 school year. Products and tools were created to support the implementation and assessment of the PLC as it is to be executed.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Michael Little Crow
Scottsdale Community College
Study of Mathematical Visualization Tools and Techniques
Final Report More Details in MLX
John Dassinger
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
New York City Central Park Geology & The American Museum of Natural History's Dinosaur Exhibition
My summer 05 project was divided into two parts. Both segments of my project dealt within the heart of New York City and took place from August 3rd through the 7th. Part #1 pertained to the geologic substructure of the greater New York City Skyline. It was a general survey of the petrology (base rock) characteristics that allow the engineering and building of New York's massive office structures. Included in these observations were the visible surface outcrops of the normally hidden basement rocks which appear in Central Park and give rise to urban field geology exercises within the New York Public School System and local colleges.
Part #2 of my project was focused on the traveling exhibit "Dinosaurs: Ancient New Discoveries" which was housed at the American Museum of Natural History. This exhibition focused on the current thinking of some of today's leading paleontologists, particularly contemporary changes pertaining to the ideas of dinosaur biology.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Jan Downey
Paradise Valley Community College
Ecuador: The Amazon and the Andes Field School
The 4-week ASU Summer Field Experience began in Quito, Ecuador with a tour of museums and colonial places. The following day, we proceeded by bus seven hours to our research site, an indigenous community called Venecia along the south bank of the Napo River. Second-growth and virgin jungle surround the cleared area where the locals farm, raising manioc, corn, and plantains, among other crops. Our hosts were the Andis, an extended family group that consider themselves “Napo Runa” (Napo River People).
We slept on raised platforms that had a high roof suspended over screened walls reaching partway to the roof, surrounded by jungle, with no electricity, and the constant sounds of frogs, owls, and other night creatures. Our diet relied heavily on Amazonian dishes, including chontu grubs, aguti (a type of wild pig), plantains, manioc, lentils, soups, and many varieties of fruits.
Prior to the start of the program we were expected to complete required reading from various texts. While in Venecia, our day was structured into morning and afternoon classes, five days a week; on Saturday classes were held only through the morning. Morning classes centered on learning Kichwa (Quichua), and afternoon classes on culture. Every night there was homework and reading to complete. Guest lecturers from various universities provided many scheduled as well as impromptu lectures. Notable locals provided other lectures and panel discussions.
We engaged in many activities designed to help us understand the language and culture of the region. For instance, we helped clear land and plant a new manioc garden; we had a lecture about shamanism and later in the program visited the shaman late at night for a cleansing ceremony; we walked in the jungle with a local man who taught us about the medicinal plants used by the community. We also had Saturday afternoons, Saturday evenings, and Sundays to visit the town of Tena by bus, eating, doing laundry, and shopping in that community. Some nights we danced and sang around a central fire with locals from Venecia.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Carole Drachler
Mesa Community College
Educational Study Tour of China
This travel project was spent researching and visiting unique art sites in China. Historical places and art museums were studied and photographed as part of this experience. I also attended a series of lectures on Chinese art, culture, religion and philosophy. I collected informative and educational academic materials, books, and brochures for professional growth. The time span of the project included two weeks of travel and study in China, May 12-16, 2005 and six days to organize and assimilate the material in Phoenix, May 27, 30, 31 and June 1, 2, 3, 2005.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Virginia Edwards
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Ireland ESL Project
I went to Dublin, Ireland to analyze an English as a Second Language Program at the International Study Institute. I was there from May 14-22, 2005. As ESL Faculty and Coordinator, I was hoping to observe and acquire information that may help me develop an understanding of what other countries are doing with their students who are trying to learn English
Final Report More Details in MLX
John Ellis
Scottsdale Community College
Research into Recent Developments in Second Language Acquisition Theories
My Summer project involved reading current research in second language acquisition theory taking into account what has been produced in the following fields: (Linguistics, Psychology, Neurology, and Methodology) within the last few years.
My project was to read, take notes and analyze a series of articles (44-46, to be precise) as they relate to my work as a Spanish teacher. The project was slated for July 1st to August 5th, but in fact extended beyond that date, due in no small part to the fact that the initial readings spurred my interest in more articles and books.
Of the four fields that I read about, I found two to be more immediately relevant to my needs and interests: Linguistics (particularly applied linguistics and psycholinguistics) and Methodology. Of the linguistics articles, those that had to do with bilingual lexicon access, semantic information flow in the bilingual lexicon, and forward and backward word translation in bilinguals of varying proficiencies were most interesting. Of the methodology articles, those that addressed student centered learning, strategic use of translation, and the accounting for diverse learner styles and strategies, seemed more immediately pertinent and applicable.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Geoffrey Eroe
Phoenix College
Complex Modeling and Animation Techniques for Character Studio and 3D Studio Max
I concentrated on two specific areas in this project. The first one was the the construction of low-poly characters in 3D Studio Max. This included advanced modeling and animation techniques of character rigging, wiring custom attributes, skinning, using spline Inverse Kinematics (movement), fabric (clothing) construction for animated figures, and animating a walk sequence. Characters constructed from this process can then be attached to bi-ped constructs via Character Studio. This led to the second part of my project, animating bi-peds in Character Studio. Bi-peds are skeletal (human shaped) figures that can be customized and edited, and are used as "life-like" characters in number of animated applications. In this case for architectural animation and stage design. Throughout this part of the tutorial I concentrated on shaping and editing bi-peds in a number of different poses and movements. Next I worked with fitting the bi-peds to Physique. Physique is a sub-object animation process which allows the bi-peds to be edited further through NURBS modeling, so that when a limb moves (like an arm) the attached surface (skin) looks and reacts as skin would on a human. The bi-beds were then fit to character creations, lo-poly characters, (done in the first part of the project in 3D Studio Max) and finally animated through both free-from animation and Footstep Animation.
The overall time-span for the project was over a couple of months during the summer (approximately 190 hours). I am still working with the software and the animation processes and making application currently to theatre stage designs. There is still a lot to learn!
The work was done in my home studio desktop and on my laptop.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Brooke Estabrook-Fishinghawk
Mesa Community College
Options in Mobile Computing
The purpose of my project was to familiarize myself with various mobile technologies to stay up-to-date in my field and share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues and my students.
The primary goal of the research was to research various types of mobile technology devices to determine which technologies are industry standards, whether or not programs can be written for those technologies, and whether the technologies are likely to remain standards or quickly become outdated.
I discovered that there is not one standard device that industry favors over others. Depending on the company or user, a device is chosen that meets the needs with the features it offers. Price is also a consideration. At the current time the industry seems to indicate that we are right on the edge of the next generation of Pocket PC phone units. When phones are combined with Pocket PC's, they all the features needed with access to real time data via email and the internet.
It would be feasible to offer workshops in getting started with Pocket PC’s but they would all have to be the same type as it is not practical to teach different devices in the same classroom. There are emulators that could teach all students to learn to use one type of mobile device (IPAQ for example) but that emulator is limited to the number of devices it supports at the present time. Given the current status of the devices, you could offer an internet class in mobile devices and have tracks that students could choose to match one of 4 popular devices. This information would have to be frequently updated as hardware and software changes monthly in this field.
You could also offer a Phone device course for a high end mobile PC/Phones but all participants would need to have the same hardware and most likely the same provider for a live class.
My students need to be ready to use Mobile Devices when they are hired but there is no way to determine which mobile device they might need to master. Therefore preparing with some baseline skills for the most popular devices through on online class or a PC emulator enhanced course is a possibility.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Peter Facciola
South Mountain Community College
Developing Creativity in Communication
From May 31 to June 23, 2005, in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona I read, annotated, and abstracted four seminal works on creativity by the noted cognitive scientists and philosophers Howard Gardner, Susanne Langer, Nelson Goodman, and Ernst Cassirer. Further, I learned about how the nature and development of creativity in individuals can be applied to teaching in the communication discipline. From this I learned how great theorists have defined and studied creativity, how creativity develops in individuals, the nature of the creative process, and how creativity can be induced in learners. From this basis I will be able to develop my own creativity as an instructor, as well as activities to help others develop their own creativity.
Final Report More Details in MLX
William Farrar
Estrella Mountain Community College
Visions of Balance: Integration and Culture at the Nexus of Spanish and Native Iconography
The project, which examined Native American culture in Arizona and New Mexico, took place during the summer. In this project, I looked at how the regional art, particulary the art of the Spanish Catholic tradition, was influenced by native American culture. I am interested in this topic because one of the goals of my teaching methodology is to demonstrate to students strategies for understanding one's own culture and the way that a diversity of influence can be synthesized into a unity.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Doug Ferguson
South Mountain Community College
Researching HIV/AIDS Prevention Needs OF The Latino Community
This project took place from May 16 to June 8, 2005 at ASU Hayden Library and the ASU Law Library. Personal interviews of Latino community leaders were conducted in the month of June. My research focused on gathering information on HIV/AIDS prevention in the Latino community.
The information was gathered by doing research on articles, books, web sites at the ASU library and site visits. The information gathered showed a lack of prevention programs dealing with HIV. This population has been underserved and has limited access to services and treatments.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Mauro Da Fonte
GateWay Community College
A Journey into Lifelong Learning
I attended three conferences in the United Kingdom.
June 24-26, 2005. 3rd International Conference entitled “What a Difference Pedagogy Makes” presented by The Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning at the University of Stirling, Scotland, U.K.
June 27-28, 2005 International Conference on “Interrogating Third Spaces in Language Teaching, Learning and Use” presented by The Centre for English Language Teacher Education and Applied Linguistics in the School of Education at the University of Leicester, England, U.K.
June 29-July 1, 2005 “Enhancing the Student Experience” presented by the Higher Education Academy at Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
Going to these conferences helped me focus on how to develop lifelong learning practices for my students at GateWay Community College. Attending the meeting gave me pieces of information to help me devise a plan for students.
As the students enter the college the plan is to help them develop knowledge and skills. Activities are created focusing on enabling students to develop the higher level learning skills that they need to be successful. The knowledge obtained assisted me on creating new strategies on increasing student involvement in their educational process. Students must gain authority of their learning by assuming active learning role on the process of life long learning.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Deana Gahn
Mesa Community College
Maricopa Writing Project
This summer I participated in the Maricopa Writing Project at CGCC along with other community college faculty. We spent time each day writing and sharing ideas that would be valuable to our students. Each of us present and taught a lesson in our own discipline that would have a universal application to our colleagues. In addition, we wrote public pieces which we began in our journals each week. Before sharing with the large group, we met in smaller groups for peer editing suggestions and discussion so that the piece was ready for “publication” in the large group at the end of the week. The topics we wrote included: Reflections on My Name, I Remember Poem, So Much Depends and I Am From…
We also did book reviews and critiques plus had guest instructors. These included: Lynn Nelson, PhD: The Four Commandments of Writing & The Whole Writing Process; Neal Lester, PhD: Critical Thinking & College Writing; George McDade, PhD: How Teacher Roles Affect Learning; Darby Heath: Brain Research; James Blasingame, PhD: Multigenre Writing.
The summer project was personally and professionally an invaluable and energizing experience.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Donna Gaudet
Scottsdale Community College
Online Community and Retention Research
The purpose of this project was to research current literature related to the building of community in online teaching and learning environments as well as current literature related to online student retention. Major tasks associated with the project included searching for, reading and summarizing individual articles as well as writing an overall summary of articles found. Online resources found both through the public Internet and from university databases were retrieved and summarized.
This project was conducted from May 30– June 30 as part of the 2005 Summer I term and from July 1 – July 20 as part of the 2005 Summer II term. Project activities were completed in both Phoenix, AZ as well as Sandpoint, ID.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Dianne Geddis
Phoenix College
Full body Dissection Seminar
Between 8/2/05 and 8/8/05 I attended a 40 hour Human Cadaver Dissection seminar at the University of Southern Florida Medical School. As an instructor of Anatomy in the Massage Program my intention was to gain valuable knowledge of the human musculo-skeletal system. With 5 other “students” I was assigned to dissect the cadaver of a 38 year old female of Asian descent whose cause of death was Hodgkin’s disease. Her weight was estimated between 100 and 110 pounds. With very little body fat it was easy to distinguish muscle groups and attachment sites. I was also able to identify many arterial, venous and nerve vessels throughout her body. I worked closely on her lower extremity, fully dissecting her leg and foot. Other students at our table fully dissected and identified the structures of the brachial plexus, thorax, pelvis and abdomen. In addition to working with the musculo-skeletal system, I also dissected the cadaver’s heart and identified each component of the heart. Many of our cadavers’ organs were infested with dense fibrous tumors, a reflection of the tenacity of the Hodgkin’s disease process.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Roberta Gray
Estrella Mountain Community College
Exploring the Culture of Buenos Aires
My project consisted of the following components:
1) Study Castilian Spanish (7 days)
2) Conduct research to learn about the culture and history of Buenos Aires, Argentina and
Montevideo, Uruguay
3) Travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. (9 days)
Visit several art galleries, museums, opera theaters and dance performance settings.
4) Reinforce Spanish Skills and organize trip information (2 days)
The research component was designed to obtain cultural and historical information. Textual material and interactive language media were selected as the primary learning tools.
My objectives were to:
1) Increase my vocabulary
2) Improve my Castilian Spanish conversation skills
3) Experience and participate in a new culture
I feel particularly connected to this project because successful completion will enhance teacher-student relationship with Spanish speaking ESL students from South America.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Paul Harasha
Mesa Community College
The Role of Globalization in International Race Relations.
I conducted research into the effects of globalization on international race relations. My research focused on race and ethnic issues on a global level. It is often assumed that what occurs in our own society is unique and that others are simply not like them. Also, it is sometimes assumed that what happens in our own society is characteristic of human societies in general. My research shed light into the validity of both of these assumptions. The countries and societies that I conducted comparative research included South Africa, Northern Ireland, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the former Yugoslavia, and the Middle East.
In my SOC140 “Racial & Ethnic Minorities” course; we implement a sociological study of ethnic minority groups within the United States. This research expanded my understanding of race relations beyond our country and into international racial and ethnic issues including the role of globalization.
My research took place from May 16 to June 30, 2005. The majority of research was done on ASU’s campus, through my personal library and through collegial interaction with experts in the area of globalization.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Clifford Heide
South Mountain Community College
Data Telecom for Convergence
From May 31 to June 28 I worked at home and occasionally visited SMCC to attain information and learn concepts related to data convergent systems.
As a result of the summer project, I attained the following goals.
Goal 1: Upgraded my educational background in data technology related to convergence.
Goal 2: Mastered subnetting math concepts that are used in data telecom classes.
Goal 3: Became familiar with and experienced hands-on data labs at SMCC
Goal 4: Observed and discussed data telecom concepts with SMCC IT staff.
The summer project enabled me to learn important data/ voice/ convergence concepts and how they relate to each other. A particular important and useful objective was learning subnetting principles used in data. Binary and hexadecimal math concepts are essential to design data convergence systems. It was interesting visiting SMCC to assess the data networking infrastructure and the subnetting format used at the college.
As Director of the Telecom Technology Program, I can now serve as a mentor to adjunct facility who need assistance with specialized telecom data/convergence courses.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Christine Held
Mesa Community College
Computer Literacy Research: Do high school students meet college and workforce basic requirements?
Queen Creek High freshman and sophomores, and MCC athletic students were observed, researched and IC3 certified measuring computer literacy levels and/or entry level computer workforce skills. Research, observation and documentation were done.
High school computer literacy competencies were researched and compared with students at the college level who did not learn basic computer literacy in K-12. However, final statistics are pending because the data I want is to be compiled from the start of the BPC100 classes from Fall 2004. This information is to be compiled by the MCC research department and completed when they are available to run the data.
Kelly Temporary Services were consulted and responded determining entry level job force computer literacy skills. Many of our student taking the entry level computer classes offered are meeting the minimum requirements for job force skill for entry level positions. The more advanced software courses--such as BPC/CIS114DE, BPC/CIS117DM, BPC210, and BPC250 and Microsoft Office Specialist certification is more in line to the needs of the workforce.
This research results shows the need for basic computer content needed at the college level to meet basic workforce requirements and the best way to deliver the courses.
Research and fact finding was conducted through computerized pre/post assessments using Skills Pro software, preparing documented reports and classroom observations. Listed below are the results of the project.
Final Report More Details in MLX
John Holmes
GateWay Community College
Study of Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Program Accreditation
The study of nationally recognized certifications and accreditations done in June and July of 2005 revealed a number of appropriate certifications available for technicians. These include the EPA Section 608 certification mandated by the Clean Air Act and required for any technician working on residential, commercial or industrial refrigeration systems, the ICE exams (formerly the ARI/GAMA exams) appropriate for graduating student technicians, and the NATE and RSES certifications designed for those technicians with two or more years of field experience.
My study revealed that the only significant institutional accreditation was offered by PAHRA (Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation), sponsored by virtually every major professional HVAC industry organization. CARE (the Council of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Educators) lists accredited institutions but their list is the one established by PAHRA. An organization called HVAC Excellence also offers program and technician accreditation.
A full copy of the study and a review of GateWay CC conformance is available on request.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Heather Horn
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
National Summer Institute on Learning Communities
As part of a team from Chandler-Gilbert Community College, I attended the Seventh National Summer Institute on Learning Communities, held at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, June 21-25, 2005. I prepared for the institute by completing required reading, as well as by reading a monograph about learning communities for developmental and at-risk students. At the institute, I participated in all plenary and team planning sessions and in concurrent sessions, especially those focusing on student learning, on learning community pedagogies, and on strategies for integrating reading, writing, and critical thinking. While I found the plenary and concurrent sessions to be valuable to my professional growth as an instructor, I found the team planning sessions to be valuable to my professional growth as a faculty leader in the learning communities initiative at CGCC. Since returning from the institute, I have followed up on one session by reading two books about brain research, student learning, and the teaching of English; I have incorporated numerous teaching strategies into my courses; and I have shared what I have learned with both faculty and administrators.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Edward Hoskins
GateWay Community College
American Association for Respiratory Care National Education Forum
My summer project was to attend the American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum. This is an annual conference developed to provide current information for educators and administrators in the field of Respiratory Care. The conference was held in Lake Buena Vista Florida (Orlando Florida) from July 8th through July 10th. I attended this meeting to get new and up to date pedagogical information, communicate with my peers in Respiratory Care Education, and get current and updated information from the professional accrediting and credentialing agencies.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Charles Hulihan
Glendale Community College
Gypsy Jazz: The Guitar Style of Manouche and Sinti Gypsy Musicians
I spent most of this summer learning the style of acoustic jazz known as “Jazz Manouche”. The focus of my project was a study of this unique musical genre that allowed me to develop a familiarity with an improvised art with it’s own language and idiomatic approach. My role as faculty requires that I stay active in my field, and my responsibility to our students necessitates my continual pursuit of artistic growth. During the project, I employed the right-hand pick technique known as gypsy-picking, developed an improvisational vocabulary of musical phrases, and familiarized myself with extra-musical information regarding the context and history of gypsy jazz music. The materials I studied were all found to be valuable, with many of them deemed appropriate for the level of student I instruct at GCC. I was able to work through method books, audio and video recordings, and transcriptions that I obtained and determined what was useful to myself and what would be useful to my own students. The new knowledge and application of technique, repertoire, style, and history, along with the mechanical adeptness, physical coordination, improvisational fluidity, and cultural perspective made this project highly worthwhile and personally rewarding.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Heidi Hutchins
GateWay Community College
Learn to create digital videos
The goal of my summer project was to learn to create digital videos. In July, I completed a 2-day training course and learned basic through advanced concepts and features of Adobe Premiere Pro, which is a powerful program for editing digital video. I became proficient in using the software. I also learned a great deal about how film producers can influence or manipulate their audience through film editing techniques. In June and July, I also spent time researching the equipment needed to create quality videos. What I discovered is that there is a huge body of knowledge in this area. I learned that in addition to a video camera, computer hardware, and video editing software, I needed to learn about scripting, lighting, sound design, and much more. I had also intended to purchase a video camera and other equipment. The costs were much higher than what I had originally anticipated, so I will need to delay purchasing digital video equipment until I have saved the $10,000 needed. Still, I will be able to share what I have learned about video editing in my classes. I also plan to use my new skills to create video clips for my classes.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Craig Jacobsen
Mesa Community College
Science Fiction Research Association Annual Conference
The 2005 Science Fiction Research Association conference was held in Las Vegas from June 23rd through June 26th. I attended the conference sessions and presented a paper on the advertising of contemporary science fiction films, and participated in a panel on the teaching of science fiction. I took extensive notes during the sessions, journaled nightly, and collected contact information from a number of attendees with whom I developed professional relationships.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Alex Joncas
Estrella Mountain Community College
Focusing Self as Faculty on the Importance of Diversity
I teach ENH294, Multicultural Folktales where I facilitate student learning as they explore the impact of the oral tradition in American society with the intentions of making students aware of the rich cultural heritages and contributions to American life as well as broadening their awareness of cultural superstitions, customs, and traditions. I facilitated my own learning in the realm of multicultural awareness, diversity and international study by embarking on a two-week intensive reading quest of materials related to but so far outside of my course in folktales. I stepped outside of curriculum development and read for pleasure and self learning which has enriched my knowledge of my subject matter for this course.
Final Report More Details in MLX
John Kavanagh
Scottsdale Community College
Forensic Science Skills Acquisition
My summer project consisted of classroom lectures and practical exercises in crime scene reconstruction and forensic science at the Massachusetts State Police Academy and the Annual Educational Conference of the International Association for Identification in Dallas. My attendance improved my knowledge and skills in these areas and will be incorporated into current and future courses. Additionally, because many of my fellow students were practicing crime scene technicians and criminalists, I gained insightful knowledge of their occupational culture and work environments.
In Massachusetts, I learned how to collect and analyze impression, trace, blood pattern, insect, DNA, arson and other types of evidence from crime scenes and review information from autopsy reports for the purposes of reconstructing crime scenes (determining what happened) and identifying and excluding suspects. In Dallas, I learned, among other things, to calculate bullet trajectories at shooting scenes with lasers, collect insect evidence from bodies at crime scenes and locate and exhume buried bodies and bones at hidden gravesites. All of these workshops included “hands on” exercises with the “buried bones” class including the excavation of two simulated graves in a marshy area of Dallas. I was also able to view the products and services of about 150 forensic science vendors at the conference’s exhibit area.
All of the information and skills I learned will be used to improve my existing crime scene and forensic science courses, create new courses, and provide academic and career advice to my students.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Mehrzad Khorsandi
Mesa Community College
Learning Architectural Desktop Computer Software
My summer project focused Architectural Desktop software to increase software knowledge, use as alternative teaching tool, help student’s knowledge, and use in design and document of projects especially for MCC buildings. Most of my work was done at home and occasionally at MCC office. My daily format was to review the tutorial, practice new commands, and apply learning to a small project. Not having other major responsibility for the summer was helpful and allowed for concentration especially when I work at home. I created small projects that could be used for class assignments. A large portion of tutorials were about residential buildings. After I learn to draw floor plan (2D representation) then I was able to develop mass models (3D representation) using the Model Explorer to represent the shape of building. The Model Explorer, camera views, walkthroughs, along with other commands allow for 2D and 3D setup and presentations concurrently, which prevents many repetitious work done in other packages. My knowledge and hands on ability of this software has increased tremendously. Currently five students and I are working on the design of MCC Stadium and Athletics office buildings, which I am hoping to use Architectural Desktop package.
Final Report More Details in MLX
J Lampignano
GateWay Community College
Arizona Master Teacher-2005
The Arizona Master Teacher Seminar was held in Prescott, Arizona at the Emory-Riddle Aeronautical University from May 22nd to the 26th. The seminar was co-sponsored by GateWay Community College and Southwest Community College in Virginia. The seminar is designed for new and experienced high school and college faculty.
The Master Teacher Seminar concept has been sponsored in various states since 1991. Past participants have found the experience both informative and reflective. The seminar provides an opportunity for an exchange of learning, teaching, and pedagogy. The focus of discussion and activities was on innovations and problems of instruction in education. This experience will benefit my students by encouraging me to implement new and varied teaching techniques.
Also the Arizona Master Seminar was an opportunity to reflect on the reasons that first brought me to education and if I still have the passion to teach. As with many faculty, I was becoming “burned-out” due to the many demands placed upon me as a classroom instructor. Through the experiences at the seminar, I was able to share both frustrations and successes with my colleagues. I came away from this experience more dedicated to my profession, the college, and most importantly, to my students.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Rosemary Leary
Estrella Mountain Community College
Seeing and Understanding: Using Visualization in Chemistry Education
I attended a Gordon Research Conference (GRC) entitled "Visualization in Science and Education" at the Queen's College, Oxford University, UK from July 3 to July 8, 2005. The GRCs provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences. This specific conference consisted of an interdisciplinary examination of the uses of visualization for scientific discovery and for advancing science education. The participants consisted of scientists, science educators, and cognitive psychologists. The size of the conference (about 100 - 150 attendees) and the format used (all attendees attend all sessions simultaneously and eat all meals together) is conducive to extremely productive conversations and analyses. This Gordon Conference enabled me to gain a greater understanding of how visualization impacts learning, specifically in chemistry.
I appreciated the way the conference organizers linked presentations on the use of visualizations (as well as the use of other types of representations) with the work of cognitive psychologists on learning. There was a good balance of presentations – e.g. classroom studies on learning, ways to use various visualization tools, and actual experiences with these tools. There was time after most of the presentations for discussions and for responding to the majority of the questions which arose. While a chemist, I also enjoyed the views into the use of visualization in other disciplines such as astronomy, geology, space science and molecular biology. The inclusion of haptics as a visualization tool was also an unexpected plus. Previously I had not really thought of haptic tools as “visualizations” per se. However the links between the two representations became quickly apparent and the interactions of the two in learning environments generated some intriguing questions.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Charles Levine
Mesa Community College
Influence of Native American Art in the Southwest Spanish Mission System
My project proposal is to visit certain Spanish Missions in Arizona, New Mexico, and California, and record Native American symbols found in mission art and architecture. I want to research the influence Native American cultures had in the artwork that were part of the Christian mission system. My project will begin June 3, 2005 and end July 29, 2005.
Sharon Luczu
GateWay Community College
Increase Professional Knowledge about field of ElectroEncephalogram Testing
Between May 26, 2005 and June 21, 2005, I spent (27) hours in the EEG Departments at Mayo Clinic Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix observing EEG testing and monitoring student's increasing skill development in this area. I questioned working EEG technicians and GateWay students regarding the ease and challenges of their skills development and their ability to transfer classroom learning to the workplace. I further researched EEG literature at ASET, the professional web site, to acquire information for my division and prospective students.
Final Report More Details in MLX
B. Matar
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Learning Simulink—a new addition to MATLAB Software
The purpose of this project was to learn the computer software Simulink with MATLAB. Simulink has become the most widely used software package in academia and industry for modeling and simulating dynamic systems. It supports linear and nonlinear systems, modeled in continuous time, sampled time, or a hybrid of the two.
It took me over two and half weeks to go over Simulink documentation, build and run a simple Simulink model, learn key concepts needed to build and execute Simulink models and overview Simulink for Digital Signal Processing (DSP). Since MATLAB software is used in ECE 103 class, I will be sharing the knowledge of Simulink with my students and help them use the tool for their modeling assignments. I worked on the project in my office at CGCC and at home during the period of Jun 6-Jun 29, 2005.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Kathie May
Mesa Community College
Digital Storytelling as a Narrative Approach to Public Speaking
The purpose of this project was to explore story telling as a narrative approach to public speaking through independent study by researching digital storytelling from May 16 to June 16, 2005. This research and study gave me exposure to proven techniques, innovative storytelling performance methods, and expert resources. I discovered a variety of online and print material resources by the author Steve Denning, which include The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling, Storytelling for Organizational Change, Squirrel Inc.: A Fable of Leadership Through Storytelling, The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations. Steve Denning states the following. “The attractions of narrative are obvious. Storytelling is natural and easy and entertaining and energizing. Stories help us understand complexity. Stories can enhance or change perceptions. Stories are easy to remember. Stories are inherently non-adversarial and non-hierarchical. They bypass normal defense mechanisms and engage our feelings.” My goal included how exposure to how various approaches of storytelling could enhance personal reflection performances and understand how technology can provide visual dimension. I conferred with members of the storytelling and digital story telling associations to speak informally with faculty who have designed lessons related to this type of narrative.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Patri Rose Mays
Paradise Valley Community College
On Course Workshop Project
I attended the On Course Workshop in Baltimore MD in June. The workshop is a four day experience which includes an evening session on one day. As an attendee I used the many of the recommended stategies, exercises, and examples in the class and had the opportunity to discuss other recommended strategies from the Workshop Guide and Faciliators Manual. It was also helpful to discuss the experience and techniques with faculty from other colleges who attended the workshop.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Robin McCord
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Institutional Diversity and the European Credit Transfer System
This summer project conducted between May 25 and August 12, 2005 was designed to examine the implications of the approaching deadline European Union (EU) countries are facing to implement new higher education reforms and what the implications for MCCCD/CGCC might be. The goals were accomplished although the unanticipated spring referendums of some EU countries, forced a reconsideration of the true progress of the EUs Bologna Process and its support and acceptance by the European community.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Reyes Medrano
Paradise Valley Community College
International trade and Workers Rights
My project this summer was to attend a week long roundtable discussion held from July 31st – August 5, 2005 at the University of Oxford in Oxford England. The roundtable was hosted by St. Anthony’s College one of the many prestigious college’s at the University. The roundtable was titled Adapting to Globalization in the 21st Century. There were a number of presenters from different countries who presented on a variety of topics all related to the aspect of international trade. Some of the topics of the presentations related to issues like global labor migrations, globalization and workers’ rights, labor issues in the European Union, the intersection of free trade human rights and distance learning, and environmental impacts of global trade. The information that I brought back from the roundtable will greatly enhance the international courses that I currently teach at PVCC.
I plan to put together a presentation that will summarize the topics discussed at the roundtable and offer a brown bag lunch for any of my colleagues who are interested at PVCC. There are some unique pieces of information that could possibly be adapted across curriculums. I would also offer to present to classes that may have a special interest in a particular subject from the roundtable.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Cathy Mendoza
Paradise Valley Community College
Grief Recovery Certification Training
I attended a four day Grief Recovery Certification Training in Sherman Oaks, California on July 22- 25, 2005 which enhances my counseling skills to work with students dealing with loss issues. I am now certified as a Grief Recovery Specialist.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Lisa Karen Miller
Paradise Valley Community College
Preparing to Team Teach Northern Ireland Modules
The project took place in my home, from June 6-29, 2005. Reading these books gave me a needed update on the topic within the contexts of three subject areas: Psychology; Journalism; and Communication. I have already begun redesigning assignments for the JRN classes, based on last Spring's class experiences.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Susan Miller-Cochran
Mesa Community College
Writing to Learn: The Maricopa Writing Project and the Writing Program Administrators' Conference
During my summer project, I pursued opportunities that would teach me about encouraging “writing to learn,” both in my own teaching and so that I could share methods and ideas with colleagues in other disciplines. I participated in two experiences that allowed me to learn more about “writing to learn”: the Maricopa Writing Project at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (May 23-June 16, 2005) and the Writing Program Administrators’ Conference in Anchorage, Alaska (July 6-11, 2005). In the Maricopa Writing Project, I enrolled as a participant and experienced what it is like to be a “student” in a personal writing class. During the Writing Program Administrators’ Conference, I attended sessions about teaching and assessing writing.
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Chas Moore
Mesa Community College
Library archival and music research
This summer project was a three week working visit to several libraries, archives, museums and music organizations in Ireland to refine my skills in library archival processing and knowledge in the history, literature and performance of traditional Irish music. The site visits were a combination of public, academic and private libraries, museums and archives in Dublin, Ennis (County Clare), Tullamore, Athlone, Galway and Limerick, Ireland. In addition to site visits to libraries and archives, I also attended a one week academic workshop on traditional Irish music at the World Music Centre at the U. of Limerick.
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Noel Morelos
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Cross-disciplinary Approaches to Political Science
I attended the 4th Annual International Conference on Social Sciences in June. The objective was to explore commonalities in the social sciences and give a chance for experts to share knowledge from their respective fields. This conference gave me a chance to enhance my knowledge and broaden my skills as a political scientist. My objectives, including attending workshops and discussion sessions, were achieved.
This professional conference was held in Waikiki, Hawaii from June 13-16, 2005. This conference was co-sponsored by the East-West Council for Education, University of Louisville- Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods, and Asia-Pacific Research Institute of Peking University.
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William Mullaney
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Hot Days in Harlem: A Research Project in African-American Studies
For my summer project, I conducted four days of research (7/22-23, 25-26) at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York, the premier repository of African-American culture in the country. I was able to spend an entire day in four of the five major divisions in the center: General and Reference; Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books; Moving Image and Recorded Sound; Photographs and Prints. The purpose of my project was to deepen my knowledge of African-American literature and culture, and I feel that this goal was met, as I read letters and unpublished stories, listened to rare recordings, watched documentary footage and pored through vintage photographs. Although I did not go there with a defined research project in mind, my work in archives led me to one involving the figure of the African-American detective in the 19th century, which I hope to continue to pursue. In addition, I was able to photocopy much of the material for later use with my students and colleagues. Having spent time at the center and the surrounding area, it is my dream to be able to take the students in my African-American literature class to New York for a research trip.
Final Report More Details in MLX
David Munoz
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Research on Mexican Philosophy and Culture
As I engaged in my summer project I became aware of the great differences existing between the Mexican Culture and the American Culture. I did manage to obtain my goals that were: To update my knowledge of philosophy and culture in México at the beginning of the 21st century. I came back with a fresh perspective on Mexican culture and philosophy. I was able to observe the trends of Mexican institutions and see first hand how they are developing their own philosophy of education. There seems to be a crisis according to some professors in Mexico, education is loosing ground due to the hard economic situation. This gave me a perspective to better understand cultural diversity in relation to pluralism in the USA. Many cultural aspects are within the Mexican-American community. I managed to see first hand the ways in which their philosophy and their culture has been brought to the United States and identify some of the consequences. In the short term for example, the first generation maintains the status quo, the second generation begins to assimilate and by the third generation the original identity has been lost almost completely. Last but not least, I believe there are ways to build bridges of communication between two rather different ways of approaching life and philosophy. By doing more projects like this, by learning as well as teaching the way things are done differently in the USA and Mexico.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Regi Munro
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
National Strength and Conditioning Association 2005 National Conference and Exhibition
The purpose of this summer project was to attend the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) 2005 National Conference and Exhibition. This conference took place from 7/6/05 to 7/9/05 in Las Vegas, NV. As wellness faculty I teach a broad spectrum of courses in health, exercise, and sport specific training. In the 2005-2006 the Maricopa Community Colleges will begin offering a new AAS in Exercise Science. This conference provided the most current research in strength and conditioning, practical classroom applications and critical thinking strategies, and networking opportunities with leaders in the field. The symposium Advanced Concepts in Sport Specific Speed Development applied biomechanical concepts of speed to practical teaching strategies. A short lecture and video introduced the concept, and then the participants performed the skills, and applied drills to improve the skills. Second, the lecture on Undulating Periodization applied the concept to maximize the development of strength and power in athletes. Third, the lecture the Influence of Resistance Training on Overall Metabolism shed a surprising light on the small amount of caloric output that takes place during a weight training session, and how increasing lean body mass does not have significant effect on overall metabolism that was once thought.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Jd Neglia
Mesa Community College
Learning the New Microcontrollers and Development Tools
I built a circuit that can communicate with a PC through a USB port. Sounds simple, but there is much behind-the-scenes complexity involved. No other schools (that I'm aware of) have this capability, but soon MCC students will be exposed to this technology as a result of this project.
It took over two weeks (a few days longer than expected), but otherwise went smoothly. It involved attending the Microchip MASTER's conference to learn the technology, then designing a prototype circuit, buying the parts and then building and programming it. The program that runs the microprocessor is complex; it consists of over 17 separate program files which all work together. Once programmed, messages can be sent to a PC running a terminal program. A special Windows driver must also be installed. Currently, simple messages are sent, but this will soon be expanded (in an NSF grant) to send actual, measured data.
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Mark Nielsen
South Mountain Community College
Network Servers (Linux & Windows)
My project was a study of two different kinds of servers: a Linux computer configured as a router/firewall and a Windows Server 2003 computer configured as a Domain Controller running Active Directory.
The research aspects of this project were conducted at the MCCD DO, SMC and also my home office where my time was spent researching various protocols and daemons in textbooks, lab manuals, and the Internet. The configuration aspects of this project were completed in a test environment that I created at the DO, SMC and my home office. However, the final implementation was the installation and configuration of both technologies in an actual production environment (i.e. my home network now has Internet connectivity through the Linux router, is secured from outside attacks with the Linux firewall and is controlled by the Windows 2003 Server Domain Controller.)
The projected spanned approximately 8 weeks (three weeks more than I originally anticipated.)
Final Report More Details in MLX
Linda Offenberg
Phoenix College
Preparing For and Sustaining Learning Communities at Phoenix College
This past summer, I led a 9 member team of faculty and student affairs personnel to the Washington Center summer Institute on Learning Communities at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Prior to going, we were sent 6 articles to read. In addition to these, I read 2 books and numerous other articles that our librarian copied for each of us. I wrote summaries of many of the articles . attending the Learning community Institute was an incredible opportunity! The 9 of us really bonded as a group and got a deeper understanding of each other’s responsibilities and how each of us fit in with Learning Communities. It is a wonderful core group to build upon. I had the opportunity to talk to others from MCCD who were also attending, and others from throughout the country. The sessions were packed with helpful information; the speakers were dynamic and thought provoking. However, the time that the 9 of us spent as a group, developing our 2 year plan for Phoenix College was the most exciting! With the guidance of seasoned Learning Community professionals, we were able to char out a path for PC. I had the opportunity to share this plan with our President, Dr. Solley, upon my return from Olympia.
After returning, I transcribed all of my notes from the various sessions that I had attended. I asked our librarian to put together a notebook with everyone’s notes and handouts, which has been done.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Veronica Pantoja
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
The Intersection of Writing and Assessment: The Writing Program Adminstrators' Conference
My summer project involved my attending the Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference at the University of Alaska, Anchorage from July 6-11, 2005 to discover various methods for critical assessment, to explore the ways assessment impacts writing and learning, and to share my findings with my colleagues in my department (English) and with the CGCC Writing Center staff. I therefore attended an Assessment Institute to learn about assessment outcomes, how to develop them, and how to build upon assessment results. I also attended sessions focused on Writing Center issues for new directors. My goals were to learning more about how assessment and writing intersect and to become more aware of the ways in which individual student outcomes are measured by writing departments such as CGCC’s. I want to be able to implement assessment models for the English department and the Writing Center that fit with CGCC’s goals and mission, and that fit into a broader institutional assessment.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Larry Pesta
Estrella Mountain Community College
Spanish A-Go-Go 2005
This past summer, I increased my proficiency in the Spanish language by undertaking professional instruction, realistic practice, and guided self study. In order to achieve this goal, I attended two weeks (40 hours) of language instruction at the Daniel Wasser School (DWS) in Buenos Aires, Argentina (May 15-30). While in Buenos Aires, I participated many hours (approximately 42 hours) in realistic practice with others (May 15-30, 2005). I then continued my study (more than 50 hours) at home in Avondale, Arizona (June 1-29) while using Spanish textbooks and online support materials found on the Internet.
I more than completed the agreements of this Summer Project.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Bruce Peterson
Mesa Community College
Superstition Mountains and Community Identity Research Project
In preparation for my MCLI Learning Grant, an Undergraduate Research Expedition to Circlestone, an ancient ruin in the Superstition Mountains, I reviewed the archives of the Pueblo Grande Museum, Tom Kollenborn’s personal research archives, searched for hiker journals and pictures of the ruin, identified local articles and literature concerning the site, and interviewed: Todd Bostwick, City of Phoenix Archaeologist; Scott Wood, Tonto National Forest Archaeologist; Tom Kollenborn, Apache Junction School District Community Program Director and expert in Superstition Mountain lore: and Kathy Regal, Archivist of Pueblo Grande Museum.
The primary objectives of my summer project were to identify essential readings that would benefit the students of the upcoming Circlestone project, set the stage for student research with particular experts and contacts the project students will need, and to locate and assess the best available sources of information and documents on the Circlestone Ruin.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Paul Petrequin
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Spanish Language, Culture, and History in Andalucia, Spain
I spent a little over five weeks in Andalucia, Spain from June 26 to August 2, 2005. For four weeks I took intensive Spanish language courses in the city of Granada. I visited historical sites and museums in seven different cities in Andalucia during the trip as well.
Final Report More Details in MLX
D. Pineda
Phoenix College
Research in Developmental English
The purpose of this project was to research current literature in developmental education theory, and 2) to search for specific strategies for working with developmental writing students as they transition to traditional composition courses. Work consisted of locating, reading, and annotating books and articles. From May 16 through June 7, research was done on-line at Phoenix College. From July 11 through Aug 8 work was done at Phoenix College and at ASU Main.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Pushpa Ramakrishna
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Bioinformatics research project at TGen
The purpose of my 2005 summer project was to learn about bioinformatics and to keep current in my field. I was lucky to work in the lab of Dr. Touchman for the second year at T-Gen on annotation of genes.
Initially I did a lot of readings on how organization, indexing and annotation of genes are done in research labs. Once a gene is isolated, cloned and sequenced, the automatic sequencer gives the output of the DNA sequence. This DNA is sent to the international DNA databases of microbial genomes and we receive their comparisons. My summer project was specifically working on one such database of the photosynthetic bacteria R. denitrificans. I learned how to use the TIGR software for annotating the genes Then I started working on the indexing, organizing and annotating the genes of R. denitrificans. Once the automated sequencing and annotation results are obtained, I learned to go over all the data sent and confirm the DNA sequence. I learned and worked on annotation of the gaps, the mutations and discrepancies in the sequence manually. Once we got some results, Dr. Touchman and I also visited our collaborators at Arizona State University to confirm the results.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Jean Revie
South Mountain Community College
Exploration of Hybrid Teaching and Learning for Anatomy and Physiology Courses
This project was accomplished at home and online while I was recovering from surgery during the month of June 2005. I read a number of texts about hybrid and online learning and teaching that were a part of my husband's master's degree program in online learning. I found a number of excellent articles online as well. I also took three classes through the CLTE at ASU that dealt with online and hybrid instruction. All of them encouraged a high level of structure in the design of the course, clearly defined deadlines and communication with the instructor and other students. Included was a list of how to manage discussion boards to encourage collaboration among students who can feel more isolated in the learning process. This included some etiquette tips which will can help overcome some of the drawbacks of not being able to see nonverbal cues when communicating online. It was encouraged that we include interactivity to the course. I found some wonderful resources for interactive exercises and streaming video animations for Anatomy and Physiology through Merlot and Wisconsin edu. My favorite is Adam Animation Player. These links can be found on our Ocotillo site.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Miriam Reyes
Scottsdale Community College
Boot Camp and Beyond:Best Practice for Nurse Educators
I would like to attend the conference Boot camp and beyond: Best practices for nurse educators that will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from July 25-28, 2005. This is a highly recommended conference that draws outstanding nationally known speakers that are expert educators in the field of nursing.This conference will provide a wonderful opportunity to meet, hear, and interact with nursing leaders from around the country. In addition to attending the sessions every day and learning much new information at this conference, I will be applying lessons learned directly to my teaching in the classroom and in clinical.
Darien Ripple
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Research in Belize
I spent the month of July 2005 researching and actively observing the effects of globalization on cultural diversity, social inequality and environmental conditions in Belize. My project involved three stages: research gathering, three weeks travel through Belize, and analysis which is an on-going process that began during the travel. I have focused on globalization for the past decade, observing its effects on social inequality and environmental conditions. Thus, I chose to study Belize, which is geographically a small country, because of its diverse population with distinct languages, and varieties of eco-systems. Belize has a standard of living that is better than many Central American countries, although it suffers from some of the same problems such as a poor infrastructure, corruption that allows a dominate informal economy and population explosion. To understand any country, it is important that one research historical-economic realities but also, one must meet people and hear their stories. I informally interviewed individuals and realized that there are a multitude of realities regarding how globalization has influenced Belize, and that the romantic notion of an eco-friendly country that professes cultural pluralism tends to be a part of its adaptation to an economic niche which conforms to the world economy.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Rochelle Rodrigo
Mesa Community College
Living & Working Efficiently
A better focused and organized instructor makes for a better constructed and facilitated learning environment. During this summer project I will worked on my personal organization and leadership skills by designing my own self-paced courses based on Stephen R. Covey’s _The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People_, John C. Maxwell’s _Developing the Leader Within You_, and working through three other self-paced courses offered through the Employee & Organizational Leadership Team (7/5-20/05). Working on these skills not only improved my ability to teach, they also improved the learning and life skills elements I incorporate into my courses plus improve my service to the college and district.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Toni Rodriguez
GateWay Community College
AARC Summer Forum
The purpose of my Summer Project was to attend the American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum. This is a yearly educational meeting held with a focus on topics relative to respiratory care educators and managers. This years meeting was held in Orlando Florida from July 8th through July 10th. I attended the meeting as a participant for exposure to new pedagogy and educational trends in respiratory care. I was also able to network with other respiratory care educators. Finally I was able to communicate with representative from our program credentialing agencies on new and current accreditation requirements.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Vanessa Fowler Sandoval
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
National Summer Institute on Learning Communities
Attending the National Summer Institute on Learning Communities in Olympia, Washington from June 21-16, 2005 allowed me to expand my knowledge of learning communities and also to build a community with my colleagues. As co-chair of the Learning Communities Committee at our college, I am inspired to provide the information collected and create discussion about future innovations. The institute provided a new sense of direction for my work within learning communities. I had the opportunity to assess my teaching in learning communities in a general sense and reflect on my professional goals in providing leadership with this faculty initiative.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Ann Scarbrough
South Mountain Community College
Increasing Bioscience Instrument Knowledge and Skills (IBIKS)
During Summer I a database of reagents was created. This database will be used by students to identify unknowns in laboratory courses and research projects. For each of the reagents a variety of data was obtained. These databases can be compared with student data or with larger commercial databases during analysis of samples. I also created posters and web page documents that explain the instruments, their design, and uses. I also identified research instrument applications in the areas of forensics, environmental science, bioscience, and industry. From this research I identified a set of Forensics laboratory experiments that will be used in SMCC General Chemistry courses.
A survey of instrument use in 4-year bioscience teaching and research labs occurred during Summer II. I gathered data via web-based research and by contacting scientists at universities. Results were analyzed to identify core scientific instruments and focus instrument acquisition at our college. In this project I analyzed the 4-year institutions without graduate schools because of their exceptional quality of undergraduate science education. This data has been distributed and used by faculty at SMCC. I found that undergraduate students at these institutions were very likely to use current instrumentation.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Mona Scott
Mesa Community College
National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education- NYC
I spent 5 days in New York City at the Annual Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education. I attended workshops and lectures on issues of race, privilege, inequality and faculty recruitment. Race and ethnicity are my passion in socoiology and as a result of attending this conference I had an opportunity to interact with some of the greatest minds on race and privilege: Peggy McIntosh, Victor Lee Lewis and Hugh Vasquez. Victor Lewis and Hugh Vasquez are participants in the video, The Color of Fear, a powerful documentary about race, fear and privilege in the United States. Peggy McIntosh writes about white privilege using the famous knapsack analogy. This trio led a powerful and exciting workshop on white privilege and institutinalized racism- by far the best workshop I have attended in my career.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Marsha Segerberg
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Summer Research at Barrow Neurological Institute
This work was carried out at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, between June 27 and July 14, 2005.
The purpose of my proposal was to provide salary support for me to carry out experiments, prepare data, and write a manuscript based on my findings to a peer-reviewed professional journal. My collaborators (Drs. Jie Wu and Ronald Lukas) and I are currently preparing two manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. These manuscripts will include data from my experiments on drug interactions with cell lines expressing nicotinic receptors and also voltage-activated potassium ion channels. In addition, I will also be conducting further experiments, the protocol and rationale for which will derive from the findings from this 2005 summer project. These data will form the basis for a third publication.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Diane Travers Shipman
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence (CLTE) Summer Institute
I completed several short-term classes offered at the ASU CLTE Summer Institute during the summer of 2005. I learned how to make adjustments to facilitate learning for different types of students via “Universal Design.” I increased my knowledge base and proficiency in classroom assessment techniques. I increased my knowledge about teaching online and hybrid classes using Blackboard, and I relearned some classic active learning techniques in addition to learning new techniques. With the knowledge and skills I gained, I am in the process of modifying the way I teach and assess student learning. I am also incorporating more tools offered by Blackboard with more confidence and ability.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Barbara Shovers
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Spirituality in Education
I have completed the goals I set out for myself professionally and personally by my research into Spirituality in Education during the first summer session. I identified numerous scholarly articles in professional publications, which asserted the importance of educating the whole person, including the spiritual dimension.
According to Parker Palmer, noted educational leader, “Spirituality is at the heart of what we teach.” He also stated that education doesn’t necessarily answer the BIG questions in life like, “Why am I here,” but it helps students find questions worth asking and living.
What I found in my research was that many postsecondary educators recognize the need to guide students in finding meaning and purpose in life, developing inner resources, understanding the interconnectedness of all life, and working towards the common good. Also, the implications for promoting health by addressing values and meaning are significant.
In addition to my research, I completed a four-week course at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Developing Your Spiritual Gifts, which presented me with the tools to develop one of my spiritual gifts, intuition. I journaled throughout my project on the insights gained from the research, the course I took, and the spiritual methods I employed to further develop my intuition.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Carlyn Sikes
Scottsdale Community College
Yoga Intensive
I attended a week long Yoga intensive in San Francisco with senior advanced teacher, Manouso Manos. My project was to include daily workshop attendance, pranayama (breath) study and daily journaling to record what was taught in the sessions. On my return to Scottsdale, the project continued with a daily practice session to implement what was learned. One of my main goals was to begin a daily pranayama practice as that is an area that I feel I need to learn more about and be more disciplined in my practice. As I did in San Francisco, I kept a daily journal to record what I practiced and anything that I learned that was new or reinforced what I already knew.
Final Report More Details in MLX
April Strom
Glendale Community College
How Do Community College Mathematics Students Construct Understanding in Social Situations?
Researchers in mathematics education have focused their attention on students' understanding of various mathematical topics, such as functions (Breidenbach, 1992; Carlson, 1998; Sierpinska, 1992), but few scholars have looked into how students construct this understanding from the social-constructivist perspective. In this study, my lens will be on how the social nature of the mathematics classroom aids in students' construction of knowledge and understanding. I will answer the following questions:
1. How do community college mathematics students construct understanding?
2. How do social actions influence this construction of knowledge?
Students from GCC will be observed in a classroom setting and interviewed to obtain knowledge of these research issues. The process of data gathering, coding, and analyzing to formulate answers to the research questions will be completed in approximately six weeks.
Lo-An Tabar-Gaul
Mesa Community College
Research on Web Accessiblity and the Creation of Web Accessible Contents.
I spent most of my designated weeks to research the topics of web accessibility for challenged learners. I have learned that this area is still in its infancy stage and will not fully be publicized and/or enforced for several more years, despite the efforts of the government to mandate its requirements within government and non profit organizations.
Specifically, the web accessibility issue for web page development is more complex than I anticipated. The time and efforts put in to redesign any web sites to become accessible can be expensive and a time-consuming process. There are so much to learn on web technologies for accessibility for different types of challenged learners, from visual disability to hearing, motor, and cognitive challenges.
I found myself becoming overwhelmed with the aspects of how to design a functional and useful websites that would accommodate the above four challenged learner types. The checklists from Section 508 from the government and Web Content Accessibility Guideline 1.0 from The W3C organizations cover many areas of web design. The checklist covers only general standards in the U.S. It does not cover additional requirements for international web accessibility standards.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Olivia Templeton
Glendale Community College
Yoga Teacher Training
My faculty positon in the Fitness/Wellness Department requires that I keep my knowledge and skills in fitness training at the highest level of expertise. As Assistant Department Chair, I also have a responsibility to implement popular classes into our department course offerings and evaluate instructors. This proposal involves my training in one of the oldest, yet fastest growing forms of exercise: Yoga. Yoga is a complete art and science of which the physical postures are a small part of the practice. Yoga is the practice of using physical postures to help calm the mind and ultimately strengthen the body beyond the limits of our mind. Currently, the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that over 12% of Americans participate in Yoga and the numbers are quickly growing. My proposal is to participate in the Summer Intensive Teacher Training at At One Yoga, in Scottsdale, June 3 - July 25, 2005.
My training will result in achieving several goals. I will learn the difference in the numerous styles of yoga. I will become proficient at teaching the skills of yoga. My personal proficiency will enable me to not only teach classes but also to evaluate the various styles, how they can be implemented into our Yoga program here at GCC and evauluate instructors.
I feel that with my background and previous experience in fitness, that I can accomplish my goals with this intense summer schedule.
Frank Torres
South Mountain Community College
Information Technology Security Instructor Training
My summer project consisted of Advanced Cisco Network Training here in Phoenix with an emphasis on Network Security and Wireless Networking. I spent 102 hours in May and 32 hours in July self-studying and self-training advanced networking and security material with a major focus on hands-on labs and configuration. I also attended a week long IT Security conference that focused on some of the topics that I was working on. I attended a wide variety of sessions, but my primary focus was on network security, computer forensics and wireless security for that week.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Ly Tran-Nguyen
Mesa Community College
Researching Cutting Edge Neuroscience Resources to Enhance Learning
Neuroscience is a rapidly growing field and most psychology textbooks make references to brain anatomy and its role in behavior and mental processes. My summer project allowed me to research web-based neuroscience resources to remain current in this field and to enhance my effectiveness as an instructor of psychology. Research was performed at Mesa Community College (MCC), Arizona State University, and home from 5/31/05 to 6/27/05. My research began with current biopsychology textbooks which contain a wealth of information on web-based resources in neuroscience. After weeding out out-dated resources, I explored and summarized over 70 resources on topics including: anatomy of the nervous system, emotions, cognitive psychology, learning, memory, language, neural communication, neural development, stress, sensation and perception, consciousness, hunger/eating behavior, hormones, sexual development, drug/addiction, reward systems, and psychiatric disorders.
I was able to review many resources from the Society for Neuroscience, universities, and medical schools. These highly reputable web/print resources were informative and provided me with a review of current neuroscience research. I was also able to evaluate the resources for their usefulness as pedagogical tools.
Final Report More Details in MLX
David Turkon
Glendale Community College
Sudanese Refugee Life History Project
This project is carried out in cooperation with the AZ Lost Boys Center (AZLBC). Through AZLBC I organized data, facilitated its entry onto portable computers, and helped to arrange for the data to be taken to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, where it will be disseminated. I also worked on making files accessible to Sudanese refugees here in the United States.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Roselyn Turner
Estrella Mountain Community College
Brain Theory & Stage Fright
Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is the number one phobia of Americans. Reactions can range from mild apprehension to paralysis. The purposes of this Summer Project were to (1) research Brain Theory as it applies to fear, and (2) to investigate potentially “brain friendly” teaching strategies to use in the Communication classroom that could help my students with PSA. The initial research of Brain Theory took place in the libraries of ASU and EMCC, and via online databases and web sites from July 5-28, 2005. New information was recorded in a learning journal with regular entries of reflection. The Emotional Brain, by Joseph LeDoux; The Art of Changing the Brain, by James E. Zull, and an unpublished an untitled, as yet, textbook by Gamble and Gamble, provided explanations of learning cycles of the brain and how emotions can either enhance or hinder learning. Fear, and what to fear, are learned. While PSA can be caused by fear of evaluation, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, shyness, and/or ethnocentricity, the main cause is cultural. PSA is modeled and expected in our society. The final synthesis of findings and planning of strategies occurred from August 1-11, 2005, at my EMCC and residence offices. Because fear, or what to fear, are learned, they can also be unlearned. Conquer Your Speech Anxiety, By Karen Kangas Dwyer, and a number of articles, including “Behavior Neuroscience of Fear Control,” by Tarik S. Bel-Bahar provided information about how patterns of thinking and feeling can be changed in the brain. “Cognitive restructuring” involves self talk and other-coaching. The value of self-fulfilling prophesy (Galatea and Pygmalion Effects) was reinforced. Finally, using a number of self-help books on Emotional Intelligence, I was able to identify or modify activities that I will use in the classroom.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Sonia Valle
Paradise Valley Community College
Inspiring and Sustaining Artistry
Inspiring and Sustaining Artistry was an annual seminar for ballet and modern dance instructors offered by The National Ballet School in Ontario Canada from August 2nd to August 6th, 2005. The seminar was presented by renowned figures in dance who discussed dance and its artistry, teaching approaches to dance technique, anatomy and neuro-muscular approaches, and most importantly the knowledge, tools and skills provided to dance teachers to nurture and inspire the artists of tomorrow. The seminar was a weeklong event that included classes in modern and ballet technique, Lectures, discussions and seminars by Irene Dowd whose thirty years experience in functional anatomy and neuro-muscular re-education proved to be one of the highlights of this event. The weeklong seminar also included practical applications of the material presented as well as keynote speaker Gretchen Ward Warren who has taught dance for over 22 years at the university of South Florida Tampa. The weeklong event ended with a closing conference addressing the necessary tools for teaching artistry to our next generation of students.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Kathy Ward
Scottsdale Community College
Boot Camp and Beyond: Best Practices For Nurse Educators
The summer project, which I attended was in Albuquerque, NM in July of this year. Several hundred individuals attended this 4-day conference from all over the US. New, as well as seasoned nursing educators, nursing program directors, and allied health educators were represented. The program allowed for multiple choices of program sessions each day along with beginning session with all in attendance. I planned to attend some sessions each day that were varied and some that were continuations of previous sessions. In these sessions we discussed how educational theory and practice has evolved and how to better inform the present-day student, predominately the adult-learner. The information provided insight into the increasingly diverse student populations and with this diversity comes differences in values, social mores, and perspectives. I attended sessions on creating assignments using the Internet to stimulate learning and innovative strategies for integrating technology in the classroom. Along these same lines, a session on the use of PDA's for clinical evaluation was helpful. This will be very useful in the clinical area of my teaching. Ideas were presented to improve student thinking abilities and I found the session on the importance of utilizing evidenced-based educational practices and evaluation tools very applicable to the environment in which I am now working. In addition to the educational component of this conference, the opportunity to meet and collaborate with my peers from a variety of educational environments was invaluable.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Edward Welsh
Mesa Community College
2005 Annual Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Conference
I want to attend the annual ALSB Conference on Teaching/Researching Technology, August 2-6, 2005 in San Francisco, CA to update my knowledge/background in how to teach and research technology. Each semester some of my GBS 205 (business law) students are tech wizards who teach me a great deal, but I'm falling behind because I’m learning, but not as fast as the field is changing! The panels/sessions run concurrently so I can’t attend all of them, but I have, in the past, gotten copies of most of the panel’s papers. I plan to review the papers and discuss them with the authors, as needed, and return with a wealth of material- to include adding names to my network of business law faculty.
Dennis Wilson
Mesa Community College
Learning the Skills to Facilitate Student Projects
The goal of this Summer Project was to learn software skills to facilitate student projects. Specifically I attended intensive training workshops for: Photoshop CS, digital image manipulation software and Dreamweaver MX, website creation and management software. I routinely incorporate student centered projects and activities that involve digital media such as digital images, sound and video, and publication of projects to the web. However, I found that the scope, imagination, and length of time to complete the projects were curtailed by my limited understanding of these software tools we use to create to the projects. I therefore wanted to attend intensive workshops to learn these software tools to broaden the scope of the projects, reduce the use-of-software component of the projects, and fully explore the students imagination and creativity. In addition, I am involved with campus initiatives and committees that benefit from advanced understanding of these tools. I attended (1) 3 hr Photoshop CS workshops on 5 evenings in Phoenix @ Pro Digital Image each Thursday 7-10PM June 9- July 7, (2) 3 day Macromedia Dreamweaver training 9AM-5PM for 3 days Wed June 1- Fri June 3 at Anthony Technology Training in Tempe. I have already been using the skills learned form the Photoshop class and feel very comfortable using this software with students and working with students on their projects. Dreamweaver was and is more of a challenge and I still limp somewhat with this software, however, the training has helped and I hope to get student projects in an HTML format using the skills I’ve learned.
Final Report More Details in MLX
Vanessa Wilson-Ford
Mesa Community College
National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education
I attended the Annual Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education in New York City from May 31 – June 5, 2005. I attended a myriad of lectures, pre-conference institutes, lectures, plays and workshops which addressed the issues of race, social justice, racial privilege and inequality. My primary purpose for attending this conference was to be able to explore the dynamic issues of socioeconomic class and examine how they intertwine with issues of color, ethnicity and the social construction of race. As a result of attending this conference, I was able to explore this sociological construct and I even had an opportunity to engage in several experiential activities that I have been able to share with my fellow faculty members and adjunct colleagues. I was also given a set of guidelines for implementing many of these exercises with my students and other staff members.
Final Report More Details in MLX
LynnAnn Wojciechowicz
South Mountain Community College
National Storytelling Network Conference
The National Storytelling Network Conference took place in Oklahoma City from July 13th to July 17th. During the Pre-Conference, I attended an all-day workshop presented by Nancy Donoval entitled “From You to Universal: Transforming Personal Experience into Powerful Story.” She suggested that storytellers think in terms of “themes” and “images” as they work to craft personal stories, and stated that the key to getting to universality is to be as specific as possible about details. During the opening keynote session, Elizabeth Ellis gave storytellers an invitation, a challenge and a dare: She invited storytellers to travel together in the storytelling journey; she challenged us to fight against censorship; and she dared us to eliminate “elitism” in the storytelling community. The Native American Panel with Tim Tingle, Lynn Moroney, and Dovie Thomason was equally thought-provoking, asking tellers to respect the cultures of American Indians. In response to the question about whether anyone could tell Native American tales, Dovie answered, “Would you tell the story in front of the people of that culture?” My favorite general session was “Same Story, Different Voices” in which Milbre Birch, Tyrone Wilkenson, Michael Parent, and Susan Klein told their versions of “Beauty & the Beast.”
Final Report More Details in MLX
Sandy Zetlan
Estrella Mountain Community College
Effects of Restoration on Herpetofauna along the Santa Cruz River Floodplain: baseline data
As a summer project, I helped to plan and execute the first phase of a complete reptile and amphibian inventory on a riparian site undergoing habitat restoration. Data was collected for the before-restoration phase of restoration work planned by the Audubon Society. The Audubon Society’s "Santa Cruz River Habitat Restoration Project" site encompasses the overgrazed riparian corridor along two miles of the Santa Cruz River, one mile of the Chivas Wash, and interconnected ponds sites, near Tubac, Arizona. Between April and September, I worked with the research herpetologist surveying this site and several volunteers. We surveyed 7 weekends from April to September, during daylight and night periods. I learned the visual and aural recognition of riparian herpetofauna, how to conduct a visual encounter survey, build, operate, and monitor a variety of traps, identify, photograph, and collect data on, and release captured snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads. I encountered and solved many of the problems associated with working alone in the field with live, and sometimes cranky, animals in the heat of an Arizona summer.
Final Report More Details in MLX
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