Loyalist College Continues Learning-Centred Journey with Carving New Pathways II Conference
Loyalist College will host the second annual Carving New Pathways conference on Thursday, May 29. Educators from across Eastern Ontario are registering, eager to join Loyalist’s ongoing, learning-centred journey. The one-day conference will be a celebration and sharing of the excellent work being done to enhance learning experiences and environments to meet the needs and aspirations of learners. The conference, initiated in 2007, provides an excellent forum to share information on how to create these positive environments – environments that harmonize the needs and aspirations of learners, the learning processes, and learning environments.
A day filled with keynote and plenary presentations, workshops and dialogue, promises participants the opportunity to share and explore excellence in practice, and to discover the most recent research findings with respect to learning-centred teaching and learning. Participants will gain a heightened understanding on how to implement these principles and practices.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Maryellen Weimer, associate professor of teaching and learning at Berks-Lehigh Valley College of the Pennsylvania State University and editor-in-chief of the Teaching Professor newspaper. She has authored and co-authored numerous books including Teaching on Solid Ground and Learner Centered Teaching. Dr. Weimer will work with participants in exploring the power of assumptions to influence the quality of instructional life in her presentation entitled “Assumptions that Grow Teachers”. The afternoon’s plenary sessions will be conducted by Ken Steele from the Academica Group and Dr. Judith Herrman from the University of Delaware. Mr. Steele will discuss research insights into the attitudes, insights and motivations of college-bound students. The physiological differences in the teen brain will be discussed by Dr. Herrman and she will consider the impact of these differences on selected behaviours, describing interventions to promote interpersonal and teaching-learning relationships with youth.
“The College views the professor-student relationship as an equal partnership, with the faculty member as the facilitator and the student as an active participant, taking their learning to a deeper level,” said George Burton, Vice-President Enrolment Management and Student Services. “This philosophy has shaped adult education for some time, but the benefits it offers to learners of all ages are now being recognized. We are very pleased that Dr. Maryellen Weimer will be returning as our keynote speaker. Her expertise in this field is essentially unparalleled and to have her share that knowledge is a great opportunity for all of us.”
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332; e-mail: mwarren@loyalistc.on.ca or Geoffrey Cudmore, Associate Vice-President Academic, ext. 2604