Fall 1997
Vol 6 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
A First Year Editor's Perspective
Wu Yi - MCCD Business Initiative
Alternative Assessment in Mathematics
The Library Tour is Gone, Long Live Live Instruction
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
An Editor's Opportunity to Share
John Nelson, PVCC
Last April found me completely absorbed in my usual year-end activities -- writing remaining lesson plans for my English humanities and composition courses, developing final exams, and planning for fall staffing. It never entered my mind that this fall would find me as the visiting editor of the Labyrinth/Forum for MCLI.
When I received a call from Jane McGrath, editor of the Spring 97 issue, with this proposal, I felt both honored and a little uncertain. I wondered whether my emphasis in English humanities and composition would translate into desirable skills for the Labyrinth/Forum. I had never officially edited a publication before and have no real journalism experience. However, after some thought and encouragement from Jane, I accepted this assignment and began working as a co-editor with Andrea Greene.
Immediately, Andrea and I met and began soliciting article abstracts in late June. Within two weeks several District instructors had responded with their abstracts, and we were on our way. However, an important change came about when, in August, Andrea accepted a new position as Director, Institutional Assessment and Planning, at Mesa Community College. I was now on my own; in a manner of speaking, but thankfully Naomi Story and her staff were there to assist me with any questions as we continued the process. At this time, I just want to relate a special "thanks" to Andrea for all of her input into the formative stages of this publication and send her my best wishes.
Throughout this time of as guest editor of the Labyrinth/Forum, my experiences have been uplifting. It has been a privilege to work with everyone at MCLI; they are extremely professional and dedicated to their mission of supporting learning initiatives and creating the connections that a publication such as the Labyrinth/Forum brings to our District. I have appreciated both Alan Levine's and Naomi's reassurances that my classroom and composition based experiences bring a different perspective to our paper and that the Labyrinth/Forum is not locked into one redundant format or predictable style. It is a dynamic work and open to a diversity that every individual and discipline brings to the Maricopa community.
The greatest part of my experience has been a sense of sharing -- sharing experiences with the MCLI staff, sharing thoughts with the contributors, and a sense of sharing that the Labyrinth/Forum itself promotes! It's been a distinct pleasure to learn "What's Happening Around Maricopa" and work with colleagues who contributed their time to produce these unique articles.
Finally, it has provided me with an opportunity to share a concept that helped shape this issue. In order to assist the writers as they wrote their articles, I developed and suggested a list of guidelines. It was my hope that a rubric of this sort would guide the writers as they organized and developed their articles. It was also my desire to have a consistent manner of editing the articles so they would contain a clear arrangement of content for the readers. Very briefly here are the guidelines for the writers in this issue:
- Audience -- consider interests and information needs of the readers.
- Context -- describe the learning situation.
- Need -- develop current significance of the pedagogy.
- Thesis -- share the main point and author's attitude.
- The Pedagogy -- explain and describe it; give relevant examples.
- Benefits -- reveal how the pedagogy is superior to what's been done before.
- Show how this process improves learning for students.
- Title -- preview your main thesis.
Of course, I did not intend to impose a completely rigid structure on our writers; I encouraged each to cultivate his or her own distinct style and this issue shares ideas from five of your colleagues in the District.
Representing Glendale Community College's Business Department, Richard Shortridge relates his insights from a collaborative learning experience between faculty from MCCD and Wu Yi University in Jiangmen City, China. Ted Corley, also from GCC, relates the results of meetings which are designed to make MAT 102 a more valuable mathematics course and meet the future occupational needs of math students. Along with the idea of math reform, Melinda Rudibaugh, from Chandler-Gilbert Community College, explains alternative approaches to assessment for math instructors. Another article comes from Lisa Miller, Paradise Valley Community College, who writes about the dreaded "Library Tour." Lisa has found a method, through a collaborative approach, to make library instruction more palatable for every student and ensure that students take responsibility for his or her learning. Finally, we relate a story from our Egyptian correspondent, Jon-Lea Fimbres, who continues to fill us in on her discoveries of a place where the modern world of technology is meeting one of the oldest civilizations.
We sincerely hope that these articles will provide new insight for you and stimulate further opportunities to share "What's Happening Around Maricopa."