Community college workforce and economic development efforts are key to the economic well-being of the United States. Our work ensures that the organization will have a sustainable, inclusive and forward-thinking workforce. Key to this work are the collaborations with foundation, industry, and federal partners. Please join AACC at AACC’s Workforce Development Institute 2019: “Skill Up, Step Up” as we highlight promising practices, explore new opportunities, and celebrate all of the ways in which community colleges skill up, and step up. 

While they are effective pedagogical tools, leading discussions can be frustrating. They can easily go awry, leading to uncomfortable silences, the domination of a couple of speakers, superficial contributions, and off-topic remarks. This workshop reviews research-based principles for guiding classroom discussion and strategies for designing and facilitating classroom discussions that work to create an effective, positive learning experience. You’ll experience a variety of specific strategies first-hand, including those relevant to small classes, large classes, online courses, and a variety of disciplines. Plus, you’ll reflect on how to apply these strategies to your own classes. You’ll also learn what you can do to prevent the “common discussion pitfalls” listed above, along with what to do when they happen. You’ll also learn how to design discussions as a part of your course so they truly help students learn (and so you’ll know that they worked!).

This workshop provides you with the tools needed to teach critical-thinking skills while covering required course content. By the end of the workshop, you are able to create lesson plans that enhance students’ critical-thinking skills using the content from any discipline in the Humanities or Social Sciences. You also learn how to easily and accurately measure critical-thinking skills.

Promoting Student Success in Math workshop provides effective instructional approaches for non-traditional learners who rely on visual representations of information.

This workshop provides you with the tools needed to teach critical-thinking skills while covering required course content. By the end of the workshop, you are able to create lesson plans that enhance students’ critical-thinking skills using the content from any discipline in the Humanities or Social Sciences. You also learn how to easily and accurately measure critical-thinking skills.

During this interactive and fun workshop, participants explore ways faculty and other professional colleagues can increase student success and professional growth and collaboration by improving attitudes toward work, relationships, and learning. Participants also explore ways to encourage a mindset that leads to a stronger sense of self-efficacy and a more persistent effort among our students and our colleagues, as well as within our academic and professional communities.

The workshop facilitator’s philosophy is to teach adult educators how to be intentional in creating and implementing proven methods and strategies. Therefore, you should expect learning that is participatory and “skills-based.” Real-life case studies, student voices, modeling, small group activities, and frank discussions are the norm. The workshop facilitator views the masterful delivery of content knowledge, particularly to struggling students, as an art form. It is about eye contact, precision with one’s language, and the ability to pick up on non-verbal cues. As such, each workshop becomes its own community of practice, embracing the gifts and wisdom of all.

The Innovations Conference incorporates ideas, initiatives, and inspirations from five vital topics into the broader conference goal of encouraging and facilitating student and organizational learning through innovation, experimentation, and institutional transformation. The conference features Special Sessions, Forums, Lightning Talks, Roundtable Discussions, and Poster Sessions for each topic, along with General Session Keynotes aimed at inspiring innovation and change in community college education.

Join the most energetic professionals in community colleges as they come together to showcase their model programs, share lessons learned, and look to the future by exploring innovations in (1) learning and teaching; (2) leadership and organization; (3) workforce preparation and development; (4) student success; and (5) basic skills and developmental education.