wie: WESTBROOK COLLEGE
. PORTLAND, MAINE 04103
January 2, 1975
TO: Deans of Academic Affairs, AACJC ienber Colleges; and Associate Members
FROM: Roger H. Garrison, Director of Special Programs, Westbrook College

Re: Seventh Annual National Seminar for ilaster Teachers

This 8-day Seminar is the only national in~service workshop of its kind in the
U.S. There are usually more than 100 faculty participants, from 25-30 states
and 80 or more colleges. ‘They represent the widest variety of disciplines and
subjects. In every respect, the Seminar is truly “interdisciplinary.' The
participants spend the eight days exclusively on practical ways to make their
teaching more effective.

Ve emphasize that the Seminar is a working meeting, designed to generate useful,
relevant teaching ideas and techniques for each participant. There are no
Speakers, panels, canned presentations, or any of the usual apparatus of pas-
sivity. ‘The nain stress is on how-to-do-it aspects of instruction. Among items

on the agenda for special discussion and mini-workshops are:

~~ How to handle varying levels of student ability in the classroom;

-~- How to individualize instruction in many different ways;

~~ How to adapt teaching techniques to varying requirements and/or situations,
especially in respect to adult students in continuing education;

-- How to organize course material for more efficient learning for varied
student groups;

-- How to make increasing use of the community as a resource.

 

This basic agenda is always expanded by Seminar members as they identify special
interests and needs. ‘The structure of the Seminar is such that participants are
able to act as resources for one another, and to adapt the Seminar structure to
their priority interests.

Basic Working Plan for Seminar - The total group is divided into working teams of
15 or 16 each, representing mixed disciplines. These teams meet daily to discuss
coimmon teaching problems. In addition, there are "mini-workshops” - sometimes
two and three days long-on specific matters, such as writing behavioral object-

. ives developing; special teaching materials; revising courses; individualizing

. course fiaterial; and the like. Also, special group presentations are invariably
developed from the resources of the participants themselves.

 

Apolication

Colleges are invited to send one or more participants, (Last year, 102 people,
representing 80 colleges, came from 25 states, including Alaska.)

Though the Seminar is basically for teachers: deans of instruction, counselors
and university professors working in the Conmunity college field are cordially
invited, too. Participants in past years have testified that the Seminar is the
“one place” where they have been able to find a national perspective on their
common teaching problems.