Individualized Learning Plan (ILP)

Revised 7/3/2008

 

Candidate’s name:

 Harold Lewis, Ph.D.

Dean's name:

 Dr. Barbara Lopez

 

 

I.  Candidate’s Workload Context:   

 

Number of credit hours/contact hours per week

Usually 17 hours per week

Number of preparations

Usually Three Per Semester

 Year 1: Fall and Spring- Honors Statistics, Statistics, and Calculus I

 Year 2: Fall and Spring- Honors Statistics, Statistics, and Calculus I

 Year 3: Fall- Honors Statistics, Intermediate Algebra, and Calculus I

Other professional commitments

TLA seminars & follow-up roundtables; selected Leadership Valencia workshops; College Algebra textbook committee.

 

 II. Candidate’s Strengths Assessment:

 

My strengths include a thorough understanding of my discipline mathematics, and my ability to effectively communicate, both inside and outside the classroom. I have first hand knowledge of how math and statistics are used in industry and can share that with my students. Additionally, I am dedicated to learning new ways of educating, including the infusion of technology where appropriate.

 

I would like to work on three particular areas during the pre-tenure period.  First, I’d like to learn more about assessment, specifically alternative assessment for math classes. Second, I’d like to investigate ways of infusing LifeMap into my courses, since I know very little about this topic.  Finally, I’d like to focus on incorporating more real-world examples into my classes, ensuring that the material makes sense to my students.

 

I have placed my Needs Assessment above the Learning Outcomes where they are addressed.

 

III. Candidate’s Philosophy of Teaching, Librarianship, or Counseling:

 
My first years as a teacher were very much influenced by the way I was taught.   The teacher lectured, I listened and took notes, and then a couple of times a semester, the teacher administered a test to measure my understanding of the subject. Thinking about this process now, it worked in courses where I had a natural aptitude or interest, but certainly not in my other classes.  Those methods, which I now recognize as following a more Behaviorist view of learning, guided my teaching.  Now as I return to the classroom after years in industry, my teaching and views about student learning are more influenced by a Constructivist view, which engages the student in the creation of their own knowledge.  Today, I am working toward methods whereby the the student becomes part of the learning process and not just the receptacle. 

 

As I currently view teaching, being an effective mathematics instructor involves the desire and ability to provide students with educational experiences that are relevant and that allow them to connect their prior knowledge to the concepts to be learned. By determining where my students are at the time they first come into my classroom, and by strategically organizing the new information to be presented, I can more effectively help them develop the necessary mathematical and problem solving skills to help them be successful academically and professionally.  For example, I start every semester with a needs assessment of my students' attitudes about mathematics and their skill levels. This way I can assist students in developing the prior knowledge needed for my course.  If enough students need the same prior knowledge, I may devote a mini-lesson to this.  If student's needs do not cluster, I direct individuals to tutors or I conduct one-on-one instruction during office hours. Also, clear articulation of the learning objectives is essential to help students effectively encode the material presented.  To encourage student active participation, which helps in their creation of their own knowledge, I design real-life application activities that are relevant to their own lives and interests. In the end, students must be willing to fully participate in their learning by diligently participating in the classroom and homework/lab activities. I try to motivate students to develop these mature learning attitudes.

 

Ultimately, I believe that learning should be a process that develops over an individual's life and extends beyond the classroom to equip students with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills to become productive members of society. As a mathematics professor, I must guide students in their understanding and utilization of mathematical and problem solving skills, thus allowing them to become well-educated and capable individuals. My aim is that successful learners in my classes will develop an appreciation and knowledge of mathematical concepts and will learn to take responsibility for their own learning.


 

IV. Learning Outcomes (LOs)

LO 1

 

Needs Assessment:  I would like to learn more about assessment, specifically alternative assessment for math classes. I am not familiar with assessment other than tests, quizzes, homework, and final exams.

 

           

Learning Outcome:  Develop alternative assessment technique(s) to improve calculus student's ability to learn. 

 

Essential Competencies addressed:   

 

  1. Assessment
    1. employ formative feedback loops early and often to inform students of their learning progress
    2. employ a variety assessment measures and techniques both, formative and summative, to form a more complete picture of learning
    3. evaluate effectiveness of assessment strategies and grading practices

 

  1. Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
    1. produce professional work (action research) that meets the Valencia Standards of Scholarship
    2. build upon the work of others (literature, peers, students)
    3. be open to constructive critique
    4. make work public to college and broader audiences
    5. demonstrate relationship of SofTL to improved teaching and learning processes
    6. demonstrate current teaching and learning theory & practice

 

  1. Professional Commitment
    1. stay current in discipline
    2. collaborate with colleagues in department/discipline

 

Conditions:     Course:  Calculus I (MAC2311)

                        Course Unit:  Mean Value Theorem

                        Time line:  I will be evaluating writing as an alternative assessment tool for learning theorems in Calculus I.  I will develop the methodology for this LO in the summer term following my first year.  I anticipate implementing the Action Research Project portion in the fall of my second year, so as to have results to compile for analysis in the spring of my second year.  I will then share the results of my ARP, as well as the materials created at a department meeting in the fall of my third year.

 

            Products of Learning Outcome:         Assessment tool(s)

Example of student work

Action Research Project

Action Research Project results shared in a department meeting and/or college-wide workshop.

__________________________________________________________________________________

LO 2

 

Needs Assessment:  I would like to investigate ways of infusing LifeMap into my courses.  As an Essential Competency and an important part of Valencia's goals, I know I’ll need to learn a lot about this important topic.

 

 

Learning Outcome:  Create LifeMap strategies to help students understand how statistics can equip them with skills that are necessary for their academic as well as their professional careers.

 

Essential Competencies Addressed:

 

  1. LifeMap
    1. facilitate student gradual assumption of responsibility for making informed decisions
    2. facilitate student’s formulation of their educational, career, and life plans
    3. understand how courses relate to personal goals and chosen career.

 

  1. Student Core Competencies (TVCA)
    1. employ the facts, formulas, procedures of the discipline
    2. revise conclusions consistent with new observations, interpretations, or reasons
    3. make reasoned judgments and responsible commitments 
    4. recognize values as expressed in attitudes, choices, and commitments 
    5. employ methods of communication appropriate to your audience and purpose
    6. apply disciplinary knowledge, skills, and values to educational and career goals
    7. implement effective problem-solving, decision-making, and goal-setting strategies

                                                                       

Conditions:     Course:  Honors Statistical Methods (STA 2023H)

                        Time line:  I plan on developing my LifeMap activity in my second year. I anticipate that I will implement this in fall or spring of my second year.

                

             Products of Learning Outcome:               Project Materials

Student Project

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

                                                                       

LO 3

 

Needs Assessment:  I need to learn how to motivate students.  While I have real-life experience, I do not have experience incorporating real-world applications and collaboration into my classes in ways the ensure the material makes sense and is relevant to my students.

 

 

Learning Outcome:  Develop learning-centered teaching strategies designed to improve students' motivation and learning in Statistical Methods I.

           

Essential Competencies Addressed:

 

  1. Learning-Centered Teaching Strategies
    1. encourage students to challenge ideas
    2. employ active learning techniques (collaborative learning and discussions) that promote acquisition and applications of knowledge
    3. integrate concrete, real-life situations

 

  1. Inclusion and Diversity
    1. design learning experiences that address students' unique strengths
    2. develop reciprocity and cooperation among students (interdependence and teamwork)
    3. establish connections among students in and out of the classroom (learning communities)
    4. create learning atmospheres that encourage all students to share viewpoints
    5. use diverse perspectives to engage and deepen critical thinking

 

  1. Valencia Student Core Competencies (TVCA)
    1. engage students in the construction of knowledge
    2. facilitate the discovery and use of ways of knowing in the discipline
    3. design assignments that demonstrate student growth in the core competencies

 

Conditions:     Course:  Statistics I (STA2023)

                        Course topic:  descriptive statistics, quantitative and qualitative graphing

                        Time line:  I anticipate this will take at least a year to create, implement, and fine-tune, based on my observations and student feedback.

 

Products of Learning Outcome:         Descriptive analysis of activity implementation:

                                                            Materials developed

                                                                        Student work   

                                                                        Results of student survey on activity

 

Competencies that I will need to demonstrate outside my ILP work:

None

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

V.  In the chart below, check off the seminars that you plan to attend or complete. After you have attended or completion, you can put the date in the box next to the activity.

 

 Year-1 and Year-2 TLA Seminars 

While seminars are designed for first year (2100 courses) or second year (2200 courses), please note that they are offered every year and can be attended at any point in the pre-tenure process. Substitutions can frequently be made if a particular seminar is not available or you were unable to attend it.   Register and retrieve transcripts for TLA seminars via ATLAS.
 


Course Prefix  & Number


 Seminar Name


Description

Check ILP Choices

Date Completed

Year-1 Seminars 


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. 

X

10/5 Year-1


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.

X

10/5 Year-1


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.

X

10/19 Year-1


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.

X

11/15 Year-1


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.

X

1/18 Year-1


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.

X

2/7 Year-1


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.

X

2/28 Year-1


LFMP 2141


Understanding LifeMap

 


This Essential Competency seminar examines learning opportunities that promote student life skills development while enhancing discipline learning. 

X

3/20 Year-1

Year-2 Seminars


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.

 

X

10/21 Year-2


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.

X

11/2  Year-1


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 2009 Wrap-up Meeting


The Wrap-Up provides a face-to-face workshop where participants can review each others’ portfolio artifacts. 

X

11/2  Year-1


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.

X

10/14 Year-2


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.

 

 


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. 

X

 

9/16 Year-2


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. 

 

 

 

Other Professional Development:

 

 

 VI. Demonstration of ILP & Essential Professional Competencies:

Please check all that will apply.

□      Paper Portfolio          

□x      Digital Portfolio

□      Other Mode