Fall 1999
Vol 8 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
Student Voices-Insights on Invaluable Learning Experiences
Taking Learning and Leadership Seriously
Redefining the Learning Environment
A Win-Win Situation for Everyone
Challenging Beliefs about Good Teaching
An Emphasis on Quality Learning
Involvement in the Teaching Process
Providing Support and Motivation
Learning at a Community College: An International Perspective
ASSIDERE
Getting Students Involved in Assessment
Students Sharing Their Learning
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Learning Communities-- Providing Support
and Motivation
Sally Rings, PVCC
In Spring, 1998, Sherry Adams and I offered a learning community that integrated reading and writing for developmental students. We wanted students to experience reading and writing as interwoven processes rather than as separate entities.
On the first day of class, sitting among a sea of young faces, was a returning woman with "eager" and "scared" written on her face. As the weeks progressed, "scared" evaporated as Shelley Clapp came to understand not only that she was growing as a reader and writer but also that she could effectively support other students in their work. The collaboration among students and teachers that is characteristic of learning communities proved to be fertile ground for Shelley's re-entry into college. Her confidence grew, and she became involved in other campus activities, notably student leadership. In the year-and-a-half since Shelley first came to PVCC, she has become a student who has made significant contributions to the life of this campus. She is a personification of the theme for that learning community: "Transitions."