Professional Growth

Brown Bag Lunches

I really enjoy brown bag lunches because of the relaxed atmosphere and opportunity to interact with colleagues from different disciplines. The brown bag lunches usually have a flexible agenda so the conversation can be tailored to the needs of the participants and everybody has the opportunity to ask questions and share. The ideas, solutions, and strategies my colleagues have shared have been extremely beneficial. I wasn't sure how to do an introductory activity and complete interactive labs in my in-person class with all of the social distancing guidelines, so I brought this concern up in a brown bag lunch. My wonderful colleagues brainstormed on my behalf and developed a list of ideas to help me. I have also learned additional strategies for engaging students, communicating effectively, and utilizing services on campus. I knew we had an impressive Career Services center, but I did not know about the mock interview opportunities until I attended that brown bag lunch. Since then, I have incorporated a mock interview into the career planning module in my EXS101 course. This year has posed unique challenges, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to discuss successful strategies and problem solve concerns in these supportive group sessions.

I attended the following Brown Bag Lunches:

September 23rd, 2020~ Coffee and Chat

October 1st, 2020~Chow and Chat

October 7th, 2020~ Lunch and Learn

October 26th, 2020~ Coffee and Conversation

November 3rd, 2020~ Snack and Yack

November 12th, 2020~ Eat, Learn, Grow

November 17th, 2020~ Snacks and Best Practices

December 9th, 2020~ Cheese and Whine

January 15th, 2021~ Cheese and Whine

March 4th, 2021~ Expecting the Unexpected

Visible Body Training Series

My department made the decision to require Visible Body in all of our EXS101 and EXS125 classes, so I attended training opportunities held on 6/17, 8/13, and 1/13. My goal was to learn how to create activities, assessments, and lessons in Visible Body that are meaningful and aligned to our course competencies. Visible Body has excellent visual and interactive demonstrations that allow students to manipulate and dissect parts of the body. Visible Body was designed to teach advanced Anatomy and Physiology, but EXS101 is an introductory course. Many of the lessons and features are more challenging than what is taught in EXS101 so I had to adapt the assignments and activities to make them appropriate for the EXS101 competencies. My colleague, Louise So, shared excellent resources with me and I learned strategies in the Visible Body trainings and office hours I attended. I am really pleased with the positive feedback I have received from my students about the assignments and activities in Visible Body.

Packback Training Series

I piloted Packback Questions in the summer and during the course set up and facilitation, I had the opportunity to meet with my Packback representative individually on a regular basis to discuss my concerns and best practices. In addition to providing me with resources and data, we spoke about how my students were performing and research-based strategies I can implement to support my students. I really struggled with letting go of the control and changing my approach to discussions, but it was a rewarding experience. When I requested feedback, many of my students commented on how much they benefited from the Packback discussions.

The Packback representative shared data with me that showed my students performed well above average and that each student wrote the equivalent of a 10-page research paper. I am very pleased that my students conducted research and wrote about their findings in a manner that was interesting and beneficial for them.

Fostering Student Autonomy

I attended the Fostering Student Autonomy Workshop on October 20th and I found the research they shared fascinating. The workshop explained benefits of the Communities of Inquiry Model in which students actively inquire and discuss information with their peers to develop critical thinking skills and encourage collaboration. They said, "More interaction from the instructor is not always a good thing" and that "A high level of faculty-to-student interaction has been shown to lead to a lower engagement rate." I found this fascinating because, in a traditional discussion, I strive to enhance the conversation, share insight, and provide feedback. Packback incorporates the Communities of Inquiry Model, so I have been striving to provide encouragement and engage using Packbacks feature, spark, and feedback options. It is challenging for me not to jump in and answer the questions or post alternate examples, but I want to give my students the opportunity to engage with each other and have their voices heard. This workshop was really beneficial because it provided research and explanations to support the approach recommended by Packback.

Maricopa Open Digital Press Workshop

I attended the Maricopa Open Digital (MOD) Press Workshop on October 30th to learn more about how the technology works. I learned that I can transition my OER resources into a pressbook through MOD that includes interactive resources and visually appealing elements. During the workshop several participants discussed the potential of a Canvas integration and the technology needed to facilitate that integration. Since that technology is not yet available, Joann Pell and I decided to wait on using MOD because our current system of sharing OER resources through Google has been effective. The MOD pressbooks look very professional and visually appealing, so I am interested in transitioning in the future if there is an efficient way to integrate into Canvas and access the resources to update the information regularly. I am also intrigued by the resources that are currently available. I looked through the catalog and found a pressbook on Culture and Psychology that has a few chapters that I can incorporate in my Cultural Aspects of Health and Illness class. I will continue checking the catalog for updates and new releases.

Pathway Planner Demonstration

I attended the Pathway Planner Demonstration on September 30th, to learn about this new tool digital tool for supporting students.The Pathway Planner digitally tracks student progress and helps students identify the courses they need to complete. My EXS101 class has a unit on academic planning, so I will be incorporating this tool into my lesson and encouraging my students to utilize this resource. Having a clear path will help them plan effectively and stay on track for achieving their academic goals.

Farm to Table

On May 31st, 2020, I attended a workshop titled Farm to Fork that was hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine. The Farm to Fork workshop consisted of a panel of scientists and dietitians discussing GMO, antibiotics in farm animals, hormone use, pesticides, animal welfare, and food labels. The research and insight they shared was fascinating. I teach label reading in Healthful Living (HES100). The unique perspective and insight I learned has helped me provide my students with the most current information and resources.

Coach It Up

On May 21st, 2020, I attended an online workshop hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine called Coach It Up. The Coach It Up workshop discussed how to use both verbal and non-verbal cues, Ideal cueing language, exercise modifications for progressing and regressing movement, and tools for enhancing both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The information I learned will benefit my teaching because In EXS214 (Instructional Competency: Flexibility and Mind-Body Exercise), I teach my students how to cue effectively as well as how to progress and regress movements. In both EXS214 and EX$101 (Introduction to Exercise Science), we discuss how to Increase both Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The topics discussed in this workshop gave me ideas that I have implemented into my instruction to benefit my students.

Dynamic Programming

On May 29th, 2020, I attended an online workshop hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine about Dynamic Programming. In the Dynamic Programming workshop, we discussed the specific exercise needs of the active aging population, specific programs to focus on improving strength and balance, and how to effectively teach the active agers. The information I learned will benefit my teaching because In EXS214 (Instructional Competency: Flexibility and Mind-Body Exercise). The course competences include designing programs for seniors, improving balance, and teaching exercise effectively, so the information I learned is directly in line with what I teach. This workshop provided a unique perspective on these topics that gave me ideas for additional examples that have enhanced my class.

Multiple Intelligences

On May 20th, 2020, I attended an online workshop hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine about Multiple Intelligences. The Multiple Intelligences workshop discussed Howard Gardner's theory about the multiple intelligences and provided strategies for reaching students with each intelligence type. This workshop provided me with insight and ideas for adjusting my lessons to appeal to students with varying intelligences. I learned that teachers tend to teach to their intelligence type. This awareness and the ideas I learned have inspired me to integrate additional activities and teaching strategies to appeal to more intelligence types and reach all of my diverse students.

Positive Psychology

On May 20th, 2020, I attended a workshop on Positive Psychology that was hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine. This Positive Psychology workshop discussed current research and strategies for improving mental health and happiness including positive affirmations and gratitude. In Healthful Living, HES100, we discuss mental health, so I have used the information I learned in this workshop to teach my students the rationale for these strategies as well as how to apply these strategies into their daily lives to improve their mental health and happiness.

Closing the Gap

On May 20th, I attended a workshop hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine about Closing the Gap. This workshop discussed the need for healthcare professionals and fitness/wellness professionals to collaborate and communicate to help patients. Healthcare professionals often recommend physical activity to their patients but patients often don't know how to get started or where to go for help. The majority of my students are going into either healthcare or the fitness/wellness industry, so helping them understand this gap will help them successfully meet the needs of their clients and patients. It is important for me to stay in tune with the industry so I can prepare my students for their future careers.

Breakfast of Champions

On May 20th, I attended a workshop titled "Breakfast of Champions" that was hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine. This workshop discussed current studies about the benefits of eating breakfast and the type of foods to include to enhance performance and prevent obesity. I have incorporated this information into both the nutrition unit of my Healthful Living course and my Exercise Science courses when we discuss fueling performance. Staying current on the latest research benefits my students because I can share quality information and relevant industry trends.

Achieving the Dream and Equal Opportunity Assessment

I attended Achieving the Dream on 9/22 and Equal Opportunity Assessment on 10/6. I found these workshops really interesting and eye opening. I had not considered how much my attendance policy could deter a single parent. A single parent could have to miss class if his/her child had a fever and then have to miss additional classes because students can not return to school until they have a normal fever for 24 hours. While I always try to work with my students who contact me, if a student just read the policy in my syllabus, they could be discouraged. I also had never considered how limiting our food choices are for night students. If a student works all day, then comes to campus for night classes, the cafe could be closed and the vending machines only take limited payment options. It is not ideal for our students to sit through class after a full day of work on an empty stomach. I have often wondered why our schedules have to be released so early, and these workshops answered my question. Some students need that extra time to rearrange their work schedules and make arrangements. In the future, I will be understanding about the need to finalize the schedule so far in advance. I also learned that many students select online classes, even though that is not their learning preference, because of childcare, work schedule, and/or transportation concerns. As an online instructor, I need to be aware that not all of my online students prefer learning online, and provide a variety of learning activities and frequent support to help all of my students succeed.

Web Editor/Drupel Training

I attending the Web Editor/Drupel Training on November 19th so I have the opportunity to help edit the website for my department if needed. During the training, we learned how to add a link, picture, text, and media. We practiced completing each of these tasks and I found the website to be fairly user friendly. I was relieved to learn that all of the changes I make have to be approved, so I can't accidentally mess anything up. Since I am not the point of contact, I will not be completing many edits, but I am happy that I have the ability to step in and help when needed.

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