NYS Great Teachers Seminar
Great Teachers Seminar
June 3-5, 2001
White Eagle Conference Center
Hamilton, NY
Report provided by: Les Rosenbloom, PhD, Director of Faculty Development at Corning Community College.
The second Northeastern Great Teachers Seminar was held June 3-5, 2001, at the White Eagle Conference Center in Hamilton, NY. There were 20 participants coming from the following colleges:- One person from Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield, CT
- Four people from Atlantic Cape Community College, Mays Landing, NJ
- Five people from Broome Community College, Binghamton, NY
- One person from Butler County Community College, El Dorado, KS
- One person from Cayuga Community College, Fulton, NY
- One person from Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY
- One person from Finger Lakes Community College, Newark, NY
- Three people from Herkimer County CC, Herkimer, NY
- One person from North Country Community College, Saranac Lake, NY
- One person from Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA
- One person from Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY
The participants jumped right in taking active roles delivering two sets of papers in small group sessions—an innovation paper and a problem paper. Papers were discussed, ideas were shared, and creative solutions were suggested. The facilitators noted central themes that emerged during these sessions. These themes were then used to build an agenda for a series of small group sessions the second day.
In a large group setting, the participants shared tips from their “classroom bags of tricks.” All left the session with many ideas eager to try in their own classrooms.
During the four-hour incubation period, folks got together in small groups and played tennis, went fishing, toured Colgate campus, and the like for an afternoon of cognitive ventilation (relaxation), all the while continuing to share ideas to further their professional growth. They were very excited about what they learned.
The final presentation by the original small groups, which was to “describe the Great Teacher.” Each group presented a unique demonstration of the definition of the “Great Teacher”. The presentations were both moving and entertaining.
The overall feelings of the facilitators were a positive experience with lots of sharing of ideas, personal growth, and networking with colleagues for further development.
