Candidate’s Workload Context:

I teach five sections of SPC1600, Fundamentals of Speech a three credit hour course in both traditional and online formats. Ten hours of student engagement (office hours) are scheduled per week during a semester allowing students to meet with me either in an office setting or virtually. I have served as a member of the 2007-2008 Destination’s team developing the Master Course Shell for SPC1600 for online learning, and the 2008-2009 Action Research track for Destinations. In the fall 2009 semester I plan on having the first student Supplemental Learning Leader for SPC1600.

 

Candidate’s Strengths:

Community of Learners:
Teaching speech allows me the opportunity to build a community of learners through collaborative or active learning.  Group work provides the students with an opportunity to work with a diverse group of students and build relationships that often go beyond the learning environment.  Group work is often cited as one of the best aspects of the class on my student course evaluations. Additionally, I promote student engagement with Valencia resources (e.g., library, communication center) in an effort to extend the community of learners.

Think, Value, Act, Communicate:
Giving students the opportunity to speak freely about societal issues helps the student develop voice, examine their ideologies, values and to respect views that are different from self.   

Professional Commitment:
I have participated in numerous faculty development opportunities offered at Valencia. I have presented at professional conferences in communication and education. I have published a paper on non-verbal communication in a peer review journal. My completed dissertation work examined self-regulation among community college students taking speech in the online, telecourse, and traditional formats. I have served as a mentor to 5 doctorial candidates; 3 graduated in May 2008 and two in May 2009. I presented at the 2008 Florida Communication Association convention with a Valencia colleague and together, we will be presenting at the National Communication Association in November 2009. I currently serve on the Site Selection Committee for the 2009 FCA Convention and serve as a campus contact. I have served on the Distinguished Graduate and 2+2 Committee. I have recommended students for the Student Development Awards, Volunteer Award, Supplemental Learning Leader position and have written letters of recommendations for students. I have opened my class for teacher observation and shared teaching/activity resources with colleagues. I have developed a plagiarism/ethics workshop for my class with Erich Heintzelman, a Valencia librarian.

Content and Teaching Experience:
I have a strong background in communication, curriculum and instruction, and the community college. I have over seven years of teaching experience to include teaching at a University and at two different community colleges. My professional experience in the restaurant and petroleum business often adds to the teaching and learning situation.

Candidate’s Philosophy of Teaching:

My philosophy of teaching is rooted in a belief that is best described metaphorically: Teaching is a form of coaching.  A coach (teacher) develops the player’s (student) skills, provides feedback, redirects, encourages, informs and holds players accountable to the rules of the game, other players, themselves and the coach. A coach asks the players to: practice what is taught, watch others, play fair, and be respectful of the game, all players and spectators. As a coach in the educational arena, these are the most important concepts that are taught to my team of players.

As the coach, the game is not played in solitude but is extended outward to a diverse team of players and supporters. Coaching is about learning, trying new methods, building relationships, and growing knowledge and skill. The coaching method is a social structure and trusts that learners want to play the game when that is not necessarily the case. The coach must not be tied to the metaphor but be flexible in the teaching method in order to accomplish learning goals and engage the brain muscle. Content must be relevant to student interest in an effort to invoke a desire to learn, retain, and transfer existing knowledge and skill into new knowledge and skill.

All games have a start and ending time. Providing players with a playbook (grading rubrics) allows the player to become familiar with game expectations and inducement. As players progress through the game, the coach introduces learning strategies and observes all players in action following the playbook. Understanding and using the proper equipment (WebCT and speech lab recording) during play can assist the player while participating in the game. Demonstrating how the equipment is used, explaining the benefits of proper and routine use of the equipment, and having the players practice with the equipment prior to performing with the equipment may cultivate a sense of responsibility within the player to continue to use the equipment.

By observing players from the start of the game to the end of the game, the coach can determine the progression of player knowledge and skills. Challenging the player to look beyond the play at hand and engage in honest reflection of self is a process of learning and assessment. Players observe previous player performance, current player performance, and provide feedback on the players. Teaching players to analyze written, verbal and nonverbal play of self and others is important to the reflection and assessment process. Reflection is a form of thought, thinking contributes to learning, learning produces a product, and the product yields to assessment. Assessment and reflection are complimentary endeavors. Players who genuinely participate in reflection can opt to associate reflective thought and observation with changing or maintaining a specific behavior which may lead to a more positive assessment outcome as well as aid self-efficacy.

Through the reflective, assessment process the player learns strategies to guide the player toward performance enhancement. By employing learning strategies, reflection, and assessment to improve player performance, a player may learn to value and engage in self-regulating behavior and advance or preserve self-efficacy.

While many of today’s students are technologically savvy, many lack experience, knowledge and skill with navigating within the WebCT platform. Current measures to familiarize students with WebCT have not netted the outcome desired. For example, students are not referring to the calendar which houses all assignments and due dates or fail to access all content pages and links available in the weekly learning modules. When students fail to navigate the content in WebCT they often suffer from not being prepared for a class (e.g., having speech forms, CD, or completing homework assignments). In order to help students’ navigate the WebCT course environment, retrieve content and build routine use, I plan on developing a WebCT tutorial for students enrolled in my SPC1600, Fundamentals of Speech, face-to-face course.

To help students learn the rules of the game, build skills, and establish routine use of WebCT, I plan on developing a WebCT tutorial to introduce students to the basic functions of WebCT (as utilized in my course). At the end of this tutorial, students should be able to understand how to navigate and retrieve course content from WebCT and develop a plan for routine application.

The tutorial will provide the student with an opportunity to acquire knowledge about the design of the course and gain hands-on experience with WebCT tools (home page, calendar, learning module, discussion board, assignment, assessment, e-mail, and grade book tabs) required to navigate and manage coursework. On the first day of class during the fall 2008 semester, students will be asked to complete a questionnaire regarding his/her experience with using WebCT. Students reporting proficiency and indicating a desire to mentor other students learning WebCT, will be asked by the instructor to help guide the learning during the hands-on tutorial session. Students will be taken to a Valencia computer lab for training on the last class period of the first week of class.

During the tutorial session students will gained experience with opening tabs, reviewing content and performing tasks to become familiar with the WebCT course tabs used in my course. To help students gain practice with using WebCT after the hands-on tutorial session, the following assignments will be given: two assessments (Course Policies Acknowledgement and Consent), e-mailing the instructor, posting a response on the discussion board, locating and printing an artifact to bring to class.

During the next class session the discussion board posts will be reviewed at the start of class by the instructor. Students who have the knowledge/skill to answer the question will be asked to demonstrate or explain the answer. Students who did not complete the assignment prior to attending the next class period will have an opportunity to complete the assignment following the in-class question/answer session. Subsequent to this session, students who still have questions regarding WebCT will be encouraged to post questions in the discussion board and visit me during my office hours.

1. Essential Competencies:  Learning-centered Strategies: a. Employ active learning techniques. b. Use cooperative/collaborative learning strategies. Assessment: a. Employ formative feedback to assess the effectiveness of teaching, counseling, and librarianship practices. 2. Conditions: a. A guided introductory tutorial session conducted at one of the Valencia computer labs on the last class meeting date of the first week of class during the fall 2008 semester. b. Students registered for one of my 4 face-to-face sections of SPC1600, Fundamentals of Speech, will attend the WebCT Tutorial. 3. Products/Performance: a. Results of student surveys b. Tutorial Handouts c. WebCT Assignments and Assessments

Learning Outcome 2: Preparing for Game Day (Action Research Project)

A. Needs Assessment:

One of the essential competencies in the public speaking course is for the student to prepare an outline and speaking notes and then to practice the speech prior to being graded on a formal outline and speech delivery. In previous classes I have noticed students not making corrections from the draft outline to the formal outline, and preparing note cards on the day the student is scheduled to speak. When students fail to properly prepare for a speaking assignment performance usually suffers. An action research project designed to elevate the value of engaging in rehearsal strategies including pre-planning and performance, and post performance analysis will be implemented.

B. Learning Outcome 2: Preparing for Game Day (Action Research Project)

To prepare students for game day (formal grading of speech assignments), I plan on developing a rehearsal assignment that will give students in SPC 1600 (traditional face-to-face) class an opportunity to experience and optimistically value the pre-planning process and post-analysis process of an informative speech assignment.  At the end of this action research project, students should value the benefits of planning and evaluating performance.

C. Description of the Process:

Just as many sport teams watch practice and game tapes to prepare and advance player performance, this learning outcome attempts to produce similar results. The learning module will call for students to submit a draft outline and to make an appointment at the speech lab to record a rehearsal of an informative speech about an organization that compliments future career goal. The draft outline will be graded with corrective comments and returned to the student prior to the formal outline submission date. The rehearsal recording will be used by the student in two ways: First, the student will complete a self-evaluation checklist. This checklist will ask the student to evaluate his or her rehearsal performance based on the competencies used for formal grading (effort grade). Second, the student will write a self-evaluation of performance by comparing the rehearsal recording to the informative speech recorded and delivered in front of an audience for formal grading. All students in the course will be assigned to a group and individually, complete a peer evaluation on and for the student speaker. Additionally, following the subsequent speech assignments, students will be asked to complete a survey inquiring about the student’s commitment to pre-planning.

1. Essential Competencies: 

TVAC
a. Engage students in construction of knowledge.

b. Align course, library, or counseling outcomes and learning activities with core competencies.

LifeMap
a. Help students to continue clarifying and developing purpose.

b. Help students transfer life skills to continued learning and planning in their academic, personal, and professional endeavors.

Inclusion and Diversity
a. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students (interdependence and teamwork).

b. Foster connections among students in and out of the classroom, counseling and library environments (learning communities).

c. Develop student self-awareness.

SoTL
a. Produce professional work that meets the Valencia Standards of Scholarship.

b. Build upon the work of others.

c. Be open to constructive critique.

d. Make work public to college and broader audiences.

e. Demonstrate relationship of SoTL to improved teaching and learning processes.

f. Demonstrate current teaching and learning theory and practice.

2. Conditions:
a. Students will attend a library session to learn about researching.

b. Students will engage in class activities to learn the parts of the speech, outlining, informative speaking, and verbal citations.

c. Students will review grading rubrics, complete surveys, peer evaluations, and submit written assignments.

d. The Action Research Project (ARP) will be completed during the summer of 2008 and will be implemented during the fall 2008 term. The written analysis of the results of the study will be completed by spring 2009.

3. Products/Performance:
a. Following a library session and in-class lessons on researching, constructing an outline with references, informative speaking, and verbal citation exercises, students will be asked to write and submit a draft outline and go to the speech lab to record and submit a rehearsal of his or her informative speech. The informative speech assignment will ask students to investigate an organization that compliments future career goal and to discuss how the organization addresses diversity. The draft outline will be graded using a Draft Outline Grading Rubric in WebCT. Students will view his/her rehearsal speech video and then complete a self-evaluation checklist. The checklist will be based on the competencies defined on the Rubric for the Assessment of Oral Communication (content and delivery) which complements the grading rubric for the informative speech assignment. Students will then submit a formal outline and perform the informative speech assignment in front of a student audience at the speech lab. Students will be required to purchase either two CD-R or have a flash-drive for saving of recorded speeches. Students will be placed in a group and individually, required to view and complete a peer evaluation on the assigned speakers. All students will be required to write a comparative-analysis of performance. This written assignment will ask the student to view and compare the rehearsal speech to the audience delivered speech, and to incorporate testimony from peer feedback. One follow-up survey will be given based on pre-planning. The questions in this survey will relate directly to rehearsal and organization (cognitive and metacognitive strategies).

b. Questions from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) will be given during the third week of the course (September 8, 2008) and week 13 (November 17, 2008) to measure if the activity resulted in a change to motivation and learning strategies after treatment. The components of the MSLQ that will be utilized to analyze this ARP will be: Value Component: goal orientation (locus of control), and task value; and Resource Management Strategies: effort regulation, peer learning, and help seeking.

c. This will be an Action Research Project.

 

Learning Outcome 3: Scouting for Talent

A. Needs Assessment:
Students in a public speaking course often enter the classroom feeling anxious about speaking in public. While students learn techniques to help ease such emotional responses, one method to help students cope with the uncertainty is to view examples of speech assignments. Traditionally, today’s speech textbooks offer a variety of video speech samples however, our students often view such speech examples as suspect (e.g., he/she attends a prestigious university so they are better prepared, he/she must have lots of experience, or the statement, “I can’t get the CD to work,” etc.). What better way to help current Valencia students identify with and build efficacy than to utilize former Valencia student speeches? To help demonstrate that Valencia students’ have the skills and ability to deliver well constructed speeches, establishing a bank of student speech and outline samples to be used in the traditional, hybrid, and online courses (as well as for other projects that may require student speech samples) will be undertaken.

B. Learning Outcome 3: Scouting for Talent
For this learning outcome, I plan on recording student speeches (narrative, informative, problem-solution, persuasion, award) to obtain a data base of student speech and outline examples to be utilized as examples for future students enrolled in the traditional, hybrid, and online speech course. At the conclusion of this project, the communication department will have a speech bank available as an instructional tool for student learning.

C. Description of the Process:
Scouting for talent is an essential element in recruiting players. Once players have been courted and joined the team (a speech class), having the right equipment for the players is essential to participate in play. One fundamental piece of equipment in a speech classroom is video recorded speeches. Students will be selected from my courses, and other professors who would like to participate in the project. Students who agree to participate will be asked to go to the Valencia studio to record his/her selected speech topic.

1.		Essential Competencies: Professional Commitment
	a.	Contribute to the discipline/academic field.
2.		Conditions:
	a.	Students selected from traditional face-to-face courses will be asked to film at the Valencia studio.
	b.	Other faculty members will be asked (via e-mail) to select students for the project from his/her class.
	c.	The project will begin in the fall 2007 term and conclude with the spring 2009 term.
3.		Products/Performance:
	a.	The project will include speeches with accompanying outlines that are considered A and B level.
	b.	Speech samples will include students using visual aids (PowerPoint and Poster).
	c.	Speech samples will consist of the following types of speeches and outlines: Narrative, Informative with Visual Aid, Problem-Solution, Problem-Solution Charity Speech, a Persuasive speech with one student presenting a “for” and one student presenting an argument “against” and an example of a persuasive speech following the Monroe’s Motivated Sequence organizational pattern. An Award speech (recognition and acceptance) will also be included.
	d.	Extra credit will be offered to my students chosen for this project and will be recommended to other professors electing students to participate in this project.

 

Course Prefix  & Number	Seminar Name	Description	Check ILP Choices	Date Completed
Year-1 Seminars  2100 Seminars are best taken during the first year of tenure, but are also offered Y-2 and Y-3 for your convenience.
PRFC 2161	Creating an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) Class 2010 Kickoff	This online mini-course provides TLA participants with an overview of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator.  Participants also learn how to create an effective Individualized Learning Plan.  The face-to-face Kickoff introduces the TLA participants to WebCT6 and to the ILP concept.		9/28/2007
PRFC 2161	Creating an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP)  WebCT Course Wrap-up	The face-to-face Wrap-up meeting provides a collegial, supportive environment of peers to assess each candidate’s ILP development. Registering for the Kickoff will automatically register you for the online course and Wrap-up meeting.		10/4/2007
ASMT 2121	Understanding of Assessment as a Tool for Learning	This Essential Competency seminar examines strategies that promote student growth through consistent, timely, formative measures, and promote students’ ability to self-assess. Also examined will be assessment practices that invite student feedback on the teaching and learning process, as well as on student achievement.		10/18/2007
SOTL 2171	Understanding Scholarship of Teaching & Learning	This Essential Competency seminar examines strategies, particularly Action Research, that enables educators to continuously examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, & librarianship.		11/15/2007
TVCA 2131	Understanding Valencia’s Student Core Competencies:  TVCA	This Essential Competency seminar examines strategies that facilitate student growth in thinking critically; communicating effectively; articulating and applying personal values and those of the various disciplines and appreciating the values of others; and applying learning and understanding effectively and responsibly.		1/17/2008
LCTS 2111	Understanding Learning-centered Teaching Strategies	This Essential Competency seminar examines diverse teaching and learning strategies that accommodate the learning styles of students and that promote the acquisition of knowledge through meaningful and practical applications.		2/7/2008
INDV 2151	Understanding of Inclusion & Diversity	This Essential Competency seminar examines learning opportunities that acknowledge, draw upon and are enriched by student diversity and create atmospheres of inclusion and understanding.		February 28, 2008
LFMP 2141	Understanding LifeMap	This Essential Competency seminar examines learning opportunities that promote student life skills development while enhancing discipline learning.		3/20/2008
Year-2 Seminars  2200 Seminars are best taken during the second year of tenure, but also offered Y-1 and Y-3 for your convenience.
LCTS 2215	Writing as a Tool for Learning	This session will help instructors appreciate the link between writing and thinking skills already imbedded in their courses.  In this hands-on workshop, participants will experience concrete strategies for instructing and evaluating student writing in the disciplines.		Fall 2008 (September)
LCTS 2218	More Than Words: Speaking across the Disciplines	Practical strategies to develop and assess students’ oral communication skills for effective class presentations regardless of the discipline or field of study.  In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to use assessment rubrics to design and assess students’ oral presentations.
PRFC 2263	Creating an Evidence-based Portfolio  WebCT mini-course  Class of 2009 Kickoff	This Web CT mini-course provides TLA participants with an overview and examination of the elements of a Valencia Faculty Portfolio.  Participants also learn how to demonstrate learning through artifacts.  The face-to-face orientation reviews WebCT6, the faculty portfolio concept, and the rubric used to evaluate the portfolio.		Fall 2008 (October)
LCTS 2216	Helping Students Comprehend Reading in the Disciplines	In this workshop, participants learn strategies for strengthening students’ reading comprehension in any discipline.
ASMT 2227	Beyond the Writing Classroom:  Rubric Construction	In this hands-on workshop, participants learn the elements of rubric construction and examine a variety of models to use in creating their own discipline-specific rubrics.
PRFC 2263	Creating an Evidence-based Portfolio  Class of 2010 Wrap-up Meeting	The Wrap-Up provides a face-to-face workshop where participants can review each others’ portfolio artifacts.		Fall 2008
LCTS 2214	Problem-based Learning	This workshop explores the learning of subject matter and skill acquisition through collaborative problem-solving.  Emphasis is placed on using this method in community college courses.
ASMT 2228	Authentic Assessment	Concepts from current literature about learning-centered testing and grading are presented and discussed. Participants can expect specific suggestions and strategies to make their assessing more learning-centered.
ASMT 2224	Course Design:  From Learning Outcomes to Assessment	Course design can be one of the most interesting and challenging areas of a faculty member’s work.  Drawing from research in the field, this session focuses on understanding the characteristics of learning-centered course construction from learning outcomes to assessment.		February 1, 2008
PRFC 2266	Legal Issues	In this seminar, faculty members will have the opportunity to discuss legal issues with Valencia’s General Counsel.
LCTS 2212	Engaging Lectures	This workshop explores effective lecture techniques. Participants will leave with practical applications for engaging student learning through the lecture format.  Participants should bring a set of lecture notes to this hands-on workshop.
LCTS 2210	A Big Mac: Math across the Curriculum	In this seminar, participants will examine activities or assignments from a variety of disciplines that require the use of mathematics or quantitative reasoning to enhance the learning of the concepts of the discipline. Participants will be given resources and the opportunity to work collaboratively to create a lesson or activity incorporating mathematics within their discipline.
INDV 2253	Personality & Learning Styles for Richer Classrooms	Understanding one’s own style can lead to deeper meta-cognition and an appreciation for diverse learning styles. This seminar offers information on available online personality, learning and thinking styles inventories. Participants are provided examples of discipline-specific classroom assignments that facilitate this understanding.		March 13, 2008
INDV 2254	Brain-based Learning Meets Learning Styles	In this seminar, participants will examine the relationship between the ways people learn and the biology of the brain.		March 21, 2008

Other Professional Development:

1. SoTL Action Research (CRN 1812) part of the Destinations plan (October-November 2008)
2. INDV 1151 Virtual Reading Circle
3. LET Program Summer 2008
4. Presenter at Florida Communication Association Annual Meeting (October 2008)

 

Year I Review:  The Individualized Learning Plan
for Dr. Edie Gaythwaite is available here in a pdf document.
The description of the review process is explained below.

Candidate Explains

• Workload Context
• Philosophy of teaching, counseling or librarianship
• LOs as they reflect candidate’s professional need
• Understanding of Essential Competencies (artifacts not necessary at this point)
• Professional Development efforts/plans

Panelists Verify (yes or no) and offer suggestions

• Workload Context discussed
• Philosophy described
• Learning Outcomes discussed
• Professional efforts described

Panelists Assess

• Candidate’s understanding of Essential Competencies

(Artifacts not necessary at this point; candidates explain understanding in general terms and by giving examples from their practices and often from their LOs)

• Learning Outcomes Statements

Effective Written Reports

• Provide specific and constructive feedback/assessment
  

Report Schedule

• Report sent to Candidate, Provost, TLA within 2 weeks of the review
• See Report Schedule for complete reporting process
  

Year 2 Portfolio Report of the Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) Review Panel
for Dr. Edie Gaythwaite is available here in a pdf document.
The description of the review process is explained below.

Candidate Clarifies

• Panelists’ questions about Portfolio contents and progress

Panelists Assess (Yes or No)

• Educational & Professional Background

Panelists Assess (exemplary, acceptable, not yet acceptable)

• Philosophy Statement
• Learning Outcomes (LO)
• Supporting Artifacts Documentation for each LO
• Effective Presentation

Panelists/Deans Write Effective Reports

• Provide specific and constructive feedback

Reporting Schedule

• Report sent to Candidate, TLA and Provost within 2 weeks of the review
• (See Report Schedule for complete reporting process)