DARE Meeting Highlights 5.4.2011
 DARE core-reviewed proposals from OTI, Math department, English department and
a joint proposal from the ESL department and SSC. A list of approved proposals ia
posted on the DARE website.
 Upcoming DARE sponsored workshops (for more information visit the DARE
website under the professional development section):
o Helping generation 1.5 students to be independent writers is tomorrow from
12:00 – 1:30 pm and on 5/19/2011 from 12:00 – 1:30 pm. Jim Nguyen’s
workshop on “De-colonization and Filipino Indigenous Values” is on May 12,
2011. Paula Silva’s workshop Teaching with Love is on 5/24/2011 12:30 –
1:30 pm.
 DARE members are encouraged to recruit 2-5 colleagues for the DARE open house
via word-of-mouth and using the half-sheet flyers.
 The following questions were developed for the Student Panel:
o How has being in this program helped you?
o Where did you start and where are you progressing to?
o How has a class/program impacted the way you see your goals? Or how you
see yourself?
o What has a teacher or somebody done that made a difference for you?
 Resource Tables: we will have tables with information, books related to
developmental education and displays of the various cohorts and other programs
that DARE is supporting.
 Raffle: We have the promotional materials (flash drive, tote bags) for raffle and also
some books. There will be a flashcard on which people can write down one
takeaway from the open house and we will deliver the prize to the winner
afterwards.
 DARE Display Board: Bhavi will make a poster board with DARE mission
statement, charge and the core values that were identified during the retreat when
the taskforce was created. It will be available at the resource table for display.
 Quotes from DARE members: Everyone should send their quotes to Bhavi by
Monday to use for the display board/presentation. The prompt will be “what do you
like most about serving on the DARE task force?”
 Reflections on the Open Letter to Campus Community: The letter has been
distributed around the campus as well as on the statewide BSI list serve. We
received good feedback from the statewide Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, the
statewide BSI Director and others. DARE members are encouraged to use this
document to talk to colleagues about the success we’ve had statewide with the basic
skills initiative and to remind people that basic skills education is at the core of what
we do.
 Brainstorm and Discussion on Curriculum and Pedagogy (Group Activity) The
task force was divided into groups with each group having 20 minute to read
through what was outlined and then brainstorm ideas or questions about how we
would actually implement what was outlined in the BSI action plan. Identify an
inventory of things we are already doing or could do.
 Some of the Ideas that emerged from the discussion on curriculum and
pedagogy include:
o Faculty should be familiar with the content of the modules that students use
for placement testing. Encourage them to take the test that their students
take to become familiar with it.
o Certain amount of hours of professional development activities in the areas
of cultural competency, basic skills, understanding disabilities etc. should be
required. Suggestion was to discuss with FA about having some language
around this in the FA contract.
o Allow faculty to teach each other about effective strategies for basic skills
students.
o Emphasize on divisions and departments to take on the leadership in basic
skills areas.
o Require all faculty members to use De Anza email address. It’s a simple task
but it can increase their participation in the campus community.
o Stipends for research or experts coming in on why it’s an effective form of
instruction.
o Offer workshops on educating the campus around accelerated learning and
models that exist on campus.
o What we should do for Cultural Competency in the future – workshops
around stereotypes that exist about race and gender and particularly
performance in Math.
o Explore ways that administrators and classified professionals can take
advantage of these opportunities, not just focus on faculty.
o Need robust research where we have a control group and look at the impact
of the workshops or activity.
o A lot of ideas, but need to streamline. One idea to break into sub-committees
to keep developing these ideas or implementation strategies, bring in faculty,
staff and students in order to keep advancing some of the efforts.
o Develop a BSI action plan for classified professional development.
o If we are using FYE as a model, we need their voices heard. Send a call out to
the FYE to join the DARE task force.