Renton Technical College
Instructional Improvement
May 2007
Volume 5, No 9.
The second word in our title is faculty and the focus is on items of interest in the technical college classroom. This includes
what faculty are doing well in their programs, timesaving tips, and proven resources. We encourage articles from faculty and
will help you present an idea if writing isn’t your cup of tea. So don’t hide your light under the proverbial bushel, let it shine.
Contact us to share news we can all use.
Seen Around Campus
This great three dimensional bulletin board display was created by Cheryl Dedmon’s students in the Pharmacy
Technician Program. If your students have done something “photo-worthy” give us a call at Instructional
Improvement x5750 and your idea will inspire others.
This Month’s Featured Quia Site
Stacy Ravert, of the Registered Nurse Program has created a Quia website full of links for
her Adult Health students at http://www.quia.com/pages/adulthealth3.html Rather than
trying to develop a Quia site for your whole program, consider a focused site to support a
single class or series. If you have questions about Stacy’s site, contact her sravert@rtc.edu
Inside the Profile of a Workplace Shooter
This posting has important information on danger signs to watch for.
http://www.glennshepard.com/v99.htm
Your Lecture Voice
Eric Palo, RTC Library Director, recommends this article on developing your lecture voice.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/04/2007043001c/careers.html
Quizlet Helps Students Master Vocabulary.
If you want to push vocabulary drill to students, rather than create Quia activities yourself, the Quizlet site will help
then create their own tools. Quizlet is a free web-based tool designed to help students learn and practice vocabulary.
Users enter the vocabulary terms and definitions they are trying to learn, and the site creates flashcards, quizzes and
chat areas which students can share http://www.quizlet.com
Blogs, Wikis, and now Tiddly Wikis
Combine a blog and a wiki into a reusable, personal non-linear notebook. How could you or your students use this
oddly named tool, the Tiddly Wiki?
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196604259
Consider how blogs can help students learn to express themselves. Vicki Davis shows us how to blog like a king or
queen. http://techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604374
And finally, learn more about using wikis and get information on links to great examples.
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196604307
More wisdom from the Tomorrow’s Professor listserv
Is there anyone who doesn’t subscribe to the Tomorrow’s Professor Listerv to get these wonderful postings?
Several faculty and administrators recommended posting #786 “Teaching Naked: Why Removing Technology
from your Classroom will Improve Student Learning.” When you’ve read it, and browsed through the archives,
you might join the subscribers. http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings/786.html
Teaching Generations
Kassandra Barnes, Raymond Marateo, and S. Pixy Ferris describe the learning styles and preference of Net
Generation learners and the implications of these attributes for educators.
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=382 Because many higher education classrooms are a mix
of students from multiple generations, understanding the needs of all generations is key to being effective, especially
when using technology to support learning. To meet this need, Paula Garcia and Jingjing Qin describe a research
project that analyzed the differences and similarities between traditional and non-traditional students in regards to
comfort with technology and attitudes about learning.
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=379
Clips to Enhance Presentations
If you want to spark classroom discussion, you can get speeches, panel discussions and other clips on science,
health, business, the environment and many other topics at http://www.fora.tv. There is free registration on the
site. Transcripts of many of the video clips are also available.
Free book on Teaching Strategies
Eagle-eyed Donna Maher from the Medical Office Program has discovered that the whole
book, Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement is available online
at http://stenhouse.com/0310.asp?r=n111b
Quote of the Month
"Genius without education is like silver in the mine.”—Benjamin Franklin
Renton Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or age in its
programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: HRD
Director, 3000 NE 4th Street, Renton, WA 98056, 425-235-7873