TYCA West: Keynote

TYCA-West Conference
October 12-13, 2007
Building Bridges of Lifelong Learners

Keynote: Robert M. Sherfield, College of Southern Neveda
Building Bridges of Lifelong Learners
October 12, 2007

The original keynote speaker, Howard Tinberg, was unable to attend :-(

Education is tools to help build a bridge to get to the rest of your life. As teachers we help students understand what they need for their own survival; bridge building is to help them understand what need to be successful student, citizen, employee...“sharing what we know are the truths at this moment.” Example of teaching math “changing” from the 60’s (actually doing math word problem) to now (no math, all touchy-feely problem). He is discussing how/why learners have changed and that we need to address these changes without sacrificing the content.

Sherfield shared a personal anecdote about his own lack of success in grade school. His senior year, however, he met a faculty member and a friend that he bonded with. Statistically, a student is 50% more likely to succeed if he or she connects with: one faculty member, one staff member, one friend. He went to a summer college preparatory program that changed his life. He claims it was “us” who changed his life about. Faculty, especially two-year college faculty who work with students who are “unlikely to succeed,” matter! We build the bridges that allow these students to cross over from one life to a more successful one. More importantly, we help them learn to build their own bridges.

Challenges Students Face (adapted from Roueche, Wright, Upcraft, Gardner)

• Learned Helplessness
• Inability to Set Realistic Goals
• Lack of Motivation
• Low Self-Esteem
• Academic Shortfalls from K-12
• Limited Perception of Payoffs
• Fear of Involvement
• Social Adjustment and Isolation
• Financial Issues/Work
• Lack of Minority Role Models

Building bridges can occur through caring, caring about the issues about these students face and helping them address them. The attitude of caring focuses on individuals. Said that one of the most important things that his college education did for him was make him feel comfortable in multiple places with different people.

What are we going to do to make our class materials so important that they will come and remember? If we can not defend how and why are materials is important, we shouldn’t be teaching it.

Motivating Students

• Act Like the Class is Important
• Relate the Material to Life and Work
• Do Exercise and Activities With Them
• Recognize Their Accomplishments
• Catch Them Doing “right”
• Talk with Students About What They Want
• Listen to Them
• Show Gratitutde

When was the last time you taught something that changed a human life?

PS: Sherfield gives various quotes throughout his presentation and has posted them at his website http://www.robertsherfield.com/keynotequotes.html.

November 18 2007 | Posted in TYCA-West