Session I                        10:00 to 11:45 A.M.                    Monday

Doing More with Less: BYU’s All Volunteer Tutoring Service
 (Capital C)
Brother Theodore Okawa
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT

Today’s  colleges and universities face budget cuts, finding ways to provide needed tutoring services at a lower cost becomes even more crucial.  The BYU (Brigham Young University) model in which tutoring is done by volunteers may provide insights to saving scarce dollars while still helping students learn.  BYU has an enrollment of about 30,000 students, between 600 – 800 students request help from tutors every semester, between 600 – 1,000 student volunteers give 1 to 3 hours a week tutoring other students.  Questions answered in this session include: How to recruit volunteer tutors, what motivates BYU students to volunteer and how a program with all volunteers is managed.

Snooze You Don’t Lose, Sleeping and Learning: A Partnership for Academic Success.
(Capital B)
Monica Cocca, Ashley Rider, Sherri Spector, Evan Sheppard
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA

Sleep is critical to health and well-being of both the mind and body.  However, it is most often sacrificed by a busy college student.  Students may not realize how sleep impacts their immune system, metabolism, stress level, decision making ability, and interpersonal relationships.  Important to student’s academic success is the positive effects of sleep on learning, retaining, generalizing, and consolidating new information gained in reading, lectures, or labs throughout the day.  This presentation will explore the above, review research, and examine the relationship between sleep and learning.  Information will be shared by Master Tutors in this presentation, followed by small group discussions of situations commonly experienced by college students.  Strategies to encourage behavior change will be discussed and reviewed.  Handouts about managing sleep will be available as a resource for workshop participants. 

NTA Tutor Training & Certification –Available Online or as a Licensed Program!
(Olympus A)
Bob Lasiewicz
Crossroads of Learning
LaCanada, CA

Do you need to train tutors or staff with a consistent, practitioner focused, nationally tested and approved curriculum? Would you like them to start within minutes of enrollment in a self-paced, individualized online environment with constant supervision and interaction from an NTA certified master tutor? Or would you prefer to take advantage of the new program licensing and trainer development (delivered online) that now allows you to provide the program in your own classroom, school learning management system, or a private online classroom just for your staff to teach in! During this session you’ll experience the pedagogy and curriculum included in the widely acclaimed “Tutoring Foundations” program now in use by schools across the country as well as commercial practices and individual practitioners. You’ll see results of student surveys on the quality, ease of use, and professional enhancement experienced by hundreds of graduates to date. You’ll learn about volume discounts available to learning centers as well as streamlined certification processing utilized by NTA approved affiliates. For more information after the session please contact Bob Lasiewicz, Managing Director at 818.249.9692 or BL@crossroadsoflearing.com. Or visit www.crossroadsoflearning.com.

Optimizing & Automating Your Center Services & Data
 (Sundance)
Mary Oberhelman
AccuTrack
Winter Park, FL

Is your Center really running at its maximum efficiency using an Automated Center Management System? How are you collecting & tracking the information that you need to meet grant requirements? Is an automated system affordable for me?  Are you automatically emailing your no-shows or cancellations? Web appointment scheduling keeps your data safe & secure behind your college security! How do you track walk in appointments? What about after the fact appointments? Are you having problems coordinating tutors/staff schedules during your busiest hours? When are your busiest hours/seasons? Are you automating student and staff, surveys and feedback? Can you instantly print, fax, or email a .pdf of your CURRENT center/student statistics in a clear concise report or chart for a last minute meeting? Why bother with AccuTrack if you have systems like Banner, DataTel, or PeopleSoft?  Pen and paper sign in systems are inaccurate and time consuming. Using an automated system gives you more accurate reports by collecting data and keeping it current.  Automated systems that can be customized for your individual needs will optimize services and automate manual processes like appointments scheduling and loaned material checkouts.  In this session we will address the above questions/comments & open the floor for a discussion of the advantages of using a computerized tracking system.  We will also take you through a tour of the AccuTrack software, the most popular administrative software for tutoring centers in the US. 

Innovative Methods in Best Practices for College Literacy Tutor Training
(Capital A)
Steven Bookman
Lehman College Cuny
Bronx, NY

The job of a college literacy tutor is to explain the processes and/or concepts of academic reading and writing, and demonstrate them to their students in order for them to be able to do it on their own. Many tutoring manuals discuss different tutoring scenarios with these processes and concepts. However, few of them elaborate on the knowledge and procedures that are required of tutors to work with students with academic reading and writing, punctuation, and grammar. The purpose of this workshop is twofold: (1) to share how to incorporate innovative methods for best practices in college literacy tutor training to college tutoring/writing center directors and tutor trainers; and (2) to show different academic reading and writing strategies college literacy tutors can use with their students to help them revise their academic assignments (e.g., general academic papers, and scientific and clinical assignments) with the goal of them becoming independent learners. The presenter, an experienced college literacy and content tutor, and college instructor, will elucidate on the most important concepts in academic reading and writing, grammar, and punctuation for all types of academic assignments that are needed to build a tutor’s foundation of literacy skills. He will also demonstrate how to explain these concepts using scenarios from samples of students’ assignments. Participants will have a chance to practice these strategies using mock tutoring scenarios, leaving this workshop with a greater knowledge of how to train their tutors with these new strategies.   

Session II                      2:00 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.            Monday

Maximizing Center Resources Through Tracking Software
(Olympus B)
Kelly and Jennifer Corder 
Red Rock Software.   
Mesa, AZ

Accurate maintenance of learning center data is critical in today’s “technologically aware” campus.  Successful service to students is required as more campuses compete for students. Students want access to their information and the ability to make appointments easily. Software is a powerful tool in optimizing tutor center personnel and resources.  Paper systems are no longer feasible in a high-volume center.  Proper use of software can increase student satisfaction that in turn increases center usage allowing directors and administrators to not only justify their program’s existence, but obtain much-needed funds. Our presentation will include an interactive demonstration of TutorTrac software. Participants will be able to see the latest version of the  software, ask questions and discuss the relevance of this software in their centers. SurveyTrac for assessment and TutorTrac WhiteBoard for online tutoring will also be demonstrated.  Specific case studies will be examined and discussed.

Piece by Piece: Putting A Tutoring Program Together
(Sundance)
Donna Earley, Laura Jones
Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier City, LA

That’s Not What I Said! Difference In Communication
(Capital B)
Monica Cocca, Kimberlee Koehler, Kristina Snader
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA

Effective communication is a cornerstone of the tutoring experience.  So why do some tutoring sessions seem to break down, even if both the tutor and the tutee are successful communicators?  This presentation, led by two Master Level tutors from Muhlenberg College, will explore their experiences with different communication styles, both verbal and non-verbal.  They will also discuss how these different styles may affect both the process and outcome of a tutoring session.  Based on Deborah Tannen’s research, some typical gender-specific communication differences will be demonstrated in a role-play.  Audience participation will be encouraged.  Lastly, in an effort to compensate for gender or communication style differences, tutors will review effective strategies and feedback techniques.  This presentation is one that you won’t want to miss!

Tutoring Tax Incentives for the Middle Class
(Capital C)
Steve Pines 
Education Industry Association   
Potomac, MD

Help may be on the way for your tutoring customers if the Education Industry Association (EIA) is successful with its current legislative agenda. Proposed changes to the current Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), will now allow working families to set-aside up to $5000 of their own pre-tax wages and use these funds to buy tutoring and test prep services from qualified providers. This session will detail how this will affect your tutoring business and what you can do NOW to help ensure the bill’s passage in this Congress.

Innovative Scheduling: Creating Technological Solutions for Learning Center Challenges
(Amethyst)
Carmen Christopher
Meredith College
Raleigh, NC

Signing up for an appointment at Meredith College’s Learning Center had always been confusing.  Outside the door of the Learning Center, students could write their names on a paper schedule to make an appointment.  Tutors could check to see when they had appointments, and the Directors could monitor use and success of the Center.  This method worked well until the Learning Center expanded to include not only writing assistance, but also help in math, foreign language, and a variety of other subjects.  The Learning Center, which began with about eight tutors, currently employs about forty tutors—the second largest student employer on Meredith’s campus.  The paper sign-up became so arduous that it took one student worker, both Directors, and all of the tutors to manage it.  (And, oh, the chaos if someone called in sick!)  Not only was the management of this sign-up method debilitating, but Administrators had some valid student privacy concerns.  The Learning Center had outgrown its sign-up procedure, and the Directors sought help from Technology Services. Technology Services at Meredith College has created a way for students to sign-up for tutoring sessions online.  The program was specifically written for The Learning Center, and it can manage scheduling, reporting, and data collection.  The Directors of the Learning Center would like to share this technology with our colleagues who are struggling with data collection, reporting, and student privacy issues.  Representatives from Technology Services at Meredith are willing to help our colleagues build a sign-up procedure for their own institution.

Bridging the Gaps of Academic, Economic, and Social Inequities to Make Science Teaching and Tutoring More Effective in Urban Communities.
(Capital A)
Austin Ferguson
Olive Harvey College
Chicago, IL

The United States of America is facing tremendous challenges as it seeks to compete in science in the global community. The challenges are not new, but stem from academic, economic, and social inequities rooted in urban communities. As a consequence, we are losing the battle of producing enough students  in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) sciences to compete. To alleviate these inequities, we must focus on urban education, because students in
 urban communities represent a major source of potential STEM candidates.  This session will focus on some known strategies such as: collaboration,  empowerment, peer-tutoring, relevance etc. which have been known to improve  urban students success rate. It will also be an interactive session where a sharing of best practices will occur.

What Dyslexia is and howTutors can help.
 (Olympus A)
Dr. Kara Vander Linden
V.L. Educational Services and Consulting
San Diego, CA

According to research, up to 20% of students in the United States are dyslexic, making the most common type of learning disability.  As a tutor, it is likely you work with an even greater percentage of students with dyslexia.  This session will explain how the latest research from the National Institutes of Health has broadened our understanding about what dyslexia is and what causes it.  The session will also go over the warning signs of dyslexia at various ages so that you can recognize the signs in the students you tutor.  Finally, the session will discuss research-based best practices for working with students with dyslexia. 

Session III           3:45 to 5:00 P.M.                     Monday

Creating an “Active” Adult Learning Environment through Tutoring
(Capital A)
Lester L. Wright
Kennedy-King College
Chicago, IL

Some believe the study of tutoring adult learners is a relatively new phenomenon. The adult educational process tends to place learners, particularly adult learners, in a passive position.  However, research indicates that education is more transformational than transactional therefore being an active learner versus a passive is one way be becoming successful.  It has been proven that adult learners are self directed and adult programs must accommodate this fundamental aspect. Active learners become responsible owners and managers of their own learning process.  Ann Palmyra states that Active learners “do”, and passive learners “sit”.  This workshop will explore the roles of both the tutor and the adult learner and their relationship in a General Education Development (GED) Program. 

The Effects of Working as a Peer Tutor on College Students
(Sundance)
Clint Gardner
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT

Traditionally, assessment instruments of peer tutoring programs measured what students are learning in tutoring sessions, or how effective the tutors are in their work.  The aim of such assessment is to determine the impact of the service on the service’s primary audience—the student.  The theory of peer tutoring is that both students learn from the situation, in other words, there is a measurable effect on both parties in the tutoring situation, not just on the student who is seeking tutoring.  According the Kenneth A. Bruffee who was an early pioneer in developing peer tutoring programs in writing centers, “ Peer tutoring made learning a two-way street, since students’ work tended to improve when they got help from peer tutors and tutors learned from the students they helped and from the activity of tutoring itself” (“Peer Tutoring and the ‘Conversation of Mankind.’”)  In this presentation, I will focus on an often overlooked subject of assessment: what the peer tutor learns and the impact that working as a peer tutor has on one’s educational career and one’s life in general.  Through use of recorded interviews and other assessment instruments, I will demonstrate the impact that working as a peer tutor has on college students.  I will also present methods others can use to assess the impact of working as a peer tutor at their own institutions. 

Tutoring for Foundations: The Honeycomb Framework of Public Education
(Olympus A)
Amanda Frye, Ami Engel, Michael Bregy
Harry D. Jacobs High School
Algonquin, IL

Once a wise and discerning man accurately observed an ever changing, fast paced world and spoke these few, but powerful words, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education” (Mark Twain). In those few intricate words, reality revealed itself, thus providing educators with more challenges to make education not only more effective and attainable, but more motivating, encompassing and rewarding.  Today, more than ever, there are infinite intertwined obligations in ensuring that each individual student receives the kind of education they deserve.  Acronyms such as AYP, Rtl, PBIS, IEP, etc. seem to concurrently work in opposition of each other and aggrssively consume the time of educators.  How can we as mentors make a sound education more possible despite all of the exigent responsibilities in public education today?  The successful implementation of an effective peer tutoring program can actually construct sturdy ground work in tying these aspects together and creating an optimal learning environment for each student that travels through the educational system.  This presentation/workshop will provide ample resources for proper implementation in your building and/or community and time for collaboration will also be allotted.  Topics covered include:                           
                               *Effectively creating a peer tutoring program
                               *Adequately funding a peer tutoring program
                               *Successfully running a peer tutoring program
Come journey with us and see how all of us working together can allow your school to contribute to the quality of each students’ education, not interfere with the process, which could be the very reason they are struggling in the first place. 

The Future of SES Under Secretary Duncan?
(Olympus B)
Steve Pines 
Education Industry Association   
Potomac, MD

What can we infer about the future of SES from Arne Duncan’s term as Chicago’s CEO? What is in the economic stimulus legislation that will benefit schools and educators?  Will the strong union vote for President Obama create chips that the NEA/AFT will cash in during NCLB reauthorization? Get the answers to these and other questions about how federal policies may affect your education enterprise.

Illiteracy … the Quiet Crisis
(Capital B)
Carole Richards 
North Coast Education Services   
Solon, OH

Even though our nation spends billions of dollars each year educating our children, why do we continue to lag behind the rest of the world?  Learn why we are becoming an illiterate nation and how you can help.

The World Tutor Exchange
(Amethyst)
Terri  Kochersperger
World Tutor Exchange   

Terri, VP/COO of World Tutor Exchange Corporation (WTEC), will introduce World Tutor Exchange Company and how it is an enabler for tutors needing to reach more students from around the world. She will begin by focusing on Ozity Collaboration Services, an online tutoring resource for tutors.  She will describe the various features of Ozity and the value it provides to tutors.  She will walk us through the WTEC offering and illustrate how Ozity integrates into the WTEC website to provide a seamless tutoring platform.   The objective of this presentation is to provide the audience with a full understanding of the WTEC offering and how it benefits those wishing to have an online presence, be that an independent tutor or a tutoring/training organization.

Session IV                     5:15 to 6:30 PM                       Monday

NTA Certification Basics
(Sundance)
National Tutoring Association Certification Committee
This session will focus on NTA certification basics: Who can and who should be certified; Basic steps to completing the application; and suggestions for successful completion of the NTA certification process. The session will cover individual certification, program certification, discipline specific endorsements, and certification for academic coaches.

April 7, 2009

Session V                      10:00 to 11:45 A.M.                    Tuesday

Expand Your Business Up, Down, and Sideways
(Sundance)
John Kusik 
North Coast Education Services.   
Solon, OH

Explore and discuss new areas to expand your tutoring business without increasing costs. Review your tutoring assets, market potential and current needs as we face growing unemployment and tighter credit.  What can we do and where can we turn in our chaotic economy?  We will discuss positive solutions.

Mind/Body Wellness for the Busy Student: Critical Factors for Academic Success
(Capital C)
Wendy Cole, Caley Caras, Jaclyn Kiely
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA

Today’s college student is assuming more responsibilities with double majors, co-curricular activities, service-learning activities, varsity athletics, and social commitments. Combined with their primary academic obligations, students are increasingly overwhelmed and often sacrifice their health and wellness in order to build the perfect resume.  This presentation will examine recent research concerning mind-body wellness and how it affects new learning, information processing, and memory. Master Level Tutors will discuss how diet, sleep, exercise humor,  emotions, alcohol, marijuana, and stress impacts thinking and learning.  They will review strategies and behavior changes which will improve academic performance and enhance the overall wellness of today’s busy student.  This is a must see presentation for any academic resource personnel involved with direct student service. 

Research Design: The “architecture” of research
(Olympus B)
Dr. Kara Vander Linden
V.L. Educational Services and Consulting
San Diego, CA

This session will begin with a discussion on the concept of research design in general, examining what it is and why it is important.  Then we will examine various factors that a researcher must consider with planning research. Some of the topics to be covered will include pragmatic considerations, such as time and access; the goals and objectives of the research and ethical issues.  The conclusion of this session will be an open forum for participants to discuss research they are conducting (or would like to conduct) and receive feedback for others interested in research.

Maximizing Center Resources Through Tracking Software
(Capital A)
Kelly and Jennifer Corder 
Red Rock Software.   
Mesa, AZ

Accurate maintenance of learning center data is critical in today’s “technologically aware” campus.  Successful service to students is required as more campuses compete for students. Students want access to their information and the ability to make appointments easily. Software is a powerful tool in optimizing tutor center personnel and resources.  Paper systems are no longer feasible in a high-volume center.  Proper use of software can increase student satisfaction that in turn increases center usage allowing directors and administrators to not only justify their program’s existence, but obtain much-needed funds. Our presentation will include an interactive demonstration of TutorTrac software. Participants will be able to see the latest version of the  software, ask questions and discuss the relevance of this software in their centers. SurveyTrac for assessment and TutorTrac WhiteBoard for online tutoring will also be demonstrated.  Specific case studies will be examined and discussed.

Optimizing & Automating Your Center Services & Data
 (Olympus A)
Mary Oberhelman
AccuTrack
Winter Park, FL

Is your Center really running at its maximum efficiency using an Automated Center Management System? How are you collecting & tracking the information that you need to meet grant requirements? Is an automated system affordable for me?  Are you automatically emailing your no-shows or cancellations? Web appointment scheduling keeps your data safe & secure behind your college security! How do you track walk in appointments? What about after the fact appointments? Are you having problems coordinating tutors/staff schedules during your busiest hours? When are your busiest hours/seasons? Are you automating student and staff, surveys and feedback? Can you instantly print, fax, or email a .pdf of your CURRENT center/student statistics in a clear concise report or chart for a last minute meeting? Why bother with AccuTrack if you have systems like Banner, DataTel, or PeopleSoft?  Pen and paper sign in systems are inaccurate and time consuming. Using an automated system gives you more accurate reports by collecting data and keeping it current.  Automated systems that can be customized for your individual needs will optimize services and automate manual processes like appointments scheduling and loaned material checkouts.  In this session we will address the above questions/comments & open the floor for a discussion of the advantages of using a computerized tracking system.  We will also take you through a tour of the AccuTrack software, the most popular administrative software for tutoring centers in the US. 

Employee Performance Appraisals: Clear goals, Specific objectives, and Measurable outcomes (Amethyst)
Janie McNichols
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Terre Haute, IN
Susan.smith@rose-hulman.edu
The employee performance appraisal process is viewed by some as a complex and burdensome task.  However, if structured properly, the process can serve a number of important purposes for both the employee and the supervisor, ranging from providing feedback on work performance and accomplishments to recognizing opportunities for planning professional development seminars for employees. For the appraisal process to be effective, an employee must have been given a clear position description and understand the performance criteria. The traits to be evaluated might include such area as: adherence to policy, effectiveness/quality of work, job knowledge, judgment/decision making, leadership, managerial ability, and professional relationships.  The supervisor completing the evaluation must consider the entire appraisal period to avoid focusing on an isolated incident; the “halo” effect which allows all areas to be influenced by one outstanding factor; the length of service bias; or personality conflicts.  Keeping an employee performance journal throughout the year can be a useful tool for supervisors to record achievements and other notes. Additionally, asking the employee to complete a self-appraisal at least once a year may also help to eliminate surprises at a yearly, performance appraisal meeting.  By setting aside enough time to meet with the employee without interruptions, ensuring the meeting is a dialogue rather than a monologue, and reviewing goals and objectives and creating a plan of action, the supervisor can help to make the yearly meeting a positive experience for both the employee and supervisor. This interactive session will discuss the employee appraisal process for professional staff and student peer tutors.  Participants will review and discuss sample employee situations and consider what strategies to implement. Information will be shared via a presentation interspersed with opportunities for audience participation, discussion, problem-solving, and questions.

Developing Tutors’ Interpersonal Skills Through The Four Agreements
(Capital B)
Mr. Lynn Giese
Columbus State Community College
Columbus, OH

Have you ever thought about how to improve your tutors’ interpersonal skills? Do you recognize your tutors’ lack of interpersonal skills? If you answer “yes” then join me for an informative and practical workshop exploring the “four agreements”. We will define the four agreements, determine how to apply the four agreements in tutor training, and demonstrate the concept.

Session VI                     2:00 to 3:30 P.M.                     Tuesday

After The Keynote Discussion
(Amethyst)
Dr. Crystal Kuykendall
Chicago, IL
Spend some time with our keynote speaker in a small group. Continue the keynote topic or explore new questions.   

Successful Negotiation for Tutorial Directors 
(Olympus A)
Avery Austin
National Tutoring Association

Practical negotiating skills are critical to the success of every business relationship and that includes tutors and their managers or directors. Are you skilled in the art of give and take? Do you know why “no’ is the best word in our language? Do you know how to negotiate from the other person’s perspective . . . from their world?  In this interactive workshop, we will practice the rules of the game of successful negotiation for everyday survival, learn 5 important negotiating tips, and see how intergenerational gaps play a crucial role in negotiation success and failure.

NTA Tutor Training & Certification –Available Online or as a Licensed Program!
(Capital A)
Bob Lasiewicz
Crossroads of Learning
LaCanada, CA

Do you need to train tutors or staff with a consistent, practitioner focused, nationally tested and approved curriculum? Would you like them to start within minutes of enrollment in a self-paced, individualized online environment with constant supervision and interaction from an NTA certified master tutor? Or would you prefer to take advantage of the new program licensing and trainer development (delivered online) that now allows you to provide the program in your own classroom, school learning management system, or a private online classroom just for your staff to teach in! During this session you’ll experience the pedagogy and curriculum included in the widely acclaimed “Tutoring Foundations” program now in use by schools across the country as well as commercial practices and individual practitioners. You’ll see results of student surveys on the quality, ease of use, and professional enhancement experienced by hundreds of graduates to date. You’ll learn about volume discounts available to learning centers as well as streamlined certification processing utilized by NTA approved affiliates. For more information after the session please contact Bob Lasiewicz, Managing Director at 818.249.9692 or BL@crossroadsoflearing.com. Or visit www.crossroadsoflearning.com.

Customizing Your Tutor Training Workshop – A Blueprint for Community Colleges
(Olympus B)
Paula D. Causher, Ed.D.
Olive-Harvey College
Chicago, IL

This seminar is intended for community college tutor trainers who conduct certification training sessions at their respective institutions and/or organizations.  Based on the National Tutoring Association’s guidelines, tutors are provided a template regarding the structural parameters required in order to successfully implement this workshop.

The following topics will be explored:

• tutoring in community colleges;
• establishing  training objectives and time schedules;
• importance of a positive learning environment;
• listening and critical thinking skills;
• varying learning styles, learning activities and;
• roles and responsibilities of the tutor including code of ethics.

After covering and institutionalizing these topical ideologies and developing a tutorial manual, it is noted that both are necessary for the development of a “Certified Tutor Training Workshop.” Finally this workshop will look at assembling these key components into a coherent framework for creating and effective workshop for community colleges tutoring programs

College Tutoring More Important Than Ever
(Capital B)
John Kusik 
North Coast Education Services.   
Solon, OH

Student success becomes critical to colleges as funds tighten.  Federal, state, foundation and private funds are all shrinking.  Keeping students and helping them succeed is vital to every campus.  What can you do to help more students?  How can you build a positive reputation among students, and college staff?

THE “SOS” PROGRAM: “The steps you need to succeed!”
(Capital C)
Sheila O’Shea-Resto
S.O.S. Tutoring
Quincy, MA

Did you know that over 90% of student behavior is made up of habits and that these habits will determine a student’s future academic success or failure?  Come learn more about how a new, powerful habits formula, with over 15 years in research and development has been changing the academic lives of hundreds of students!  Field tested and proven effective, the “SOS” Program reveals the three simple, yet effective, specialized techniques that have helped students from all backgrounds achieve their academic goals!

Business Student Learning Center as a Catalyst
For Self-Directed Learning
(Sundance)
Anneli Hilpinen         
Florida International University
Miami, FL
    
This presentation analyzes a dilemma: How can a Student Learning Center develop self-directedness in students when they express their goal as a wish to pass the next exam? Self-directed learning can be perceived from two different perspectives: as a learning style or as an instructional design. Self-directed learning as a learning style explores self-directedness of individuals. For individual learners, the components of self-directed learning are motivation, method of learning, use of time, physical environment, and social environment – each component has to be present for self-directed learning to take place. Self-directed learning as an instructional design calls for a learning method in which students work at their own pace, receive support from a facilitator when needed, and aim at mastery over the subject material. For instructional design to enhance self-directedness among the participants, three components are needed: offering those involved with adequate preparation for the self-directed learning experience, providing a support system of facilitators and tutors, and building a feeling of confidence and success. This practice is consistent with andragogical learning, as defined and popularized by Malcolm Knowles. All three components can be effectively administered through a learning center that promotes self-directed learning. Today’s self-directed business students are the future leaders of corporate America. Self-directedness gives them the capacity to cope with complexity and advocate constructive change, both of which are characteristic elements in modern organizations. Self-directedness is one of the features that distinguishes true leaders from the crowd.

Session VII    3:45 to 5:00 P.M.           Tuesday

Advance Your Students’ College Readiness Skills With A+vancer
(Olympus A)
Kathie Montognese
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN

Do you want to increase the retention of your incoming students?  Join us for an informative session to learn the benefits of using A+dvancer with your students.  A+dvancer is an online tutorial that helps identify college readiness proficiencies, performs skill level diagnostic reporting and also has optional prescriptive instruction.  The Presenter will share how Hennepin Technical College has expanded the use of A+dvancer from an on-line placement review for both first time testers and retesters, to utilizing the program in our tutoring lab while working with multiple students, to partnering with area High Schools and ABE’s to improve the success rate of students who are under prepared for college coursework.  We will provide an overview of what we do, how we did it, and lessons learned as we created a more efficient and effective placement process in reading, writing and mathematics.  Join the discussion to learn the many uses of A+dvancer to foster students’ chance for success in higher education. 

Receptive and Expressive Learning Styles
(Olympus B)
Dr. Kara Vander Linden
V.L. Educational Services and Consulting
San Diego, CA

There is a lot of information available on learning styles and how they can make learning easier.  Knowing one’s learning style can help a person develop coping strategies to compensate for weaknesses and capitalize on one’s strengths.  However most students, not only have to learn the material, but also express what they learn. This session will provide a quick overview of learning styles and then look at the relation between learning styles and the receptive aspect of learning and expressive aspect of learning.  A handout will be provided with practical tips on using one’s learning style to maximize both the receptive and expressive aspects of leaning.

Doing More with Less: BYU’s All Volunteer Tutoring Service
 (Amethyst)
Brother Theodore Okawa
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT

Today’s  colleges and universities face budget cuts, finding ways to provide needed tutoring services at a lower cost becomes even more crucial.  The BYU (Brigham Young University) model in which tutoring is done by volunteers may provide insights to saving scarce dollars while still helping students learn.  BYU has an enrollment of about 30,000 students, between 600 – 800 students request help from tutors every semester, between 600 – 1,000 student volunteers give 1 to 3 hours a week tutoring other students.  Questions answered in this session include: How to recruit volunteer tutors, what motivates BYU students to volunteer and how a program with all volunteers is managed.

But You Didn't Say That - A conversation about communication between supervisors and tutors
(Capital A)
Arleen Janz
Private Tutor
Tampa, FL

Even with the best of intentions, communication lines can become garbled and important information can be lost. In colleges where the tutoring service includes a hundred tutors or more, it isn't always easy to keep tabs on how each tutor is doing or whether or not they have all of the information that they need to do their jobs. Even with only fifteen tutors, days can be hectic and finding the time for quality communication can be tough. In this session, after an overview of common sense communication dos and don'ts, we will discuss techniques and ideas to improve daily communication with our tutors.

Accommodating Learning Disability and Processing Issues with Your College Students
(Capital B)
Carole Richards 
North Coast Education Services   
Solon, OH

They can’t read well.  They don’t understand what they read.  They don’t take notes.  They don’t remember what they learned in lectures.  They don’t write effective essays.  They are totally disorganized.  They seem disinterested in their college work.    Learn some effective techniques to assist your students.  This workshop will provide ideas and the participants will share their own creative solutions.  Leave with a new “bag of tricks”.

April 8, 2009

Session VIII            10:00 to 11:45 A.M.                   Wednesday

Tutor Trainer Certification Training Debriefing
(Capital A)

Challenges and Success: Tutoring and Mentoring Students in Online Only Programs
(Olympus B)
Dr. Scarlette Spears Studdard
Western Governors University

Mentoring and tutoring students in an online environment is still a new concept. At present time, there appears to be no standard method for online mentoring and tutoring. Institutions, of all sizes, in all locales, and at all levels, are floundering to find a method of online mentoring and tutoring that meets the needs of their students, the faculty, and the institution. The presenter proposes to discuss online mentoring and tutoring from a variety of viewpoints. Participants will be encouraged to share experiences from their own institutions. Time will be allotted for questions/discussions.

Education Technology- Internet Optional
(Olympus A)
Kabir Kassam
Brilliance Academy of Math and English
Niles, IL

Brilliance Academy has provided services to thousands of students throughout the United States.  The online program offered is self-paced and conducted on a personalized laptop, allowing the
student to complete the session when it is convenient to their schedule.  The program is backed by live US based tutors who are centrally located at our office where they field phone calls from both students and parents.  We call it the Homework Help Hotline.  The program comes equipped with a laptop and individualized curriculum already installed.  Learn how to adopt and/or implement this Ed-Tech program in your tutoring environment.  The program provides a new, non-judgmental opportunity for student’s to learn.  The students are encouraged and instructed to build a foundation of knowledge that will enable them to succeed in their current classes and future endeavors.

Tutoring ESL students’ through real life situation to improve their English skills
(Capital B)
Lidya M. Gonzalez
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT

Lidya M. Gonzalez is originally from Uruguay. As a former ESL student whose personal experiences offer a unique perspective on tutoring English. She has discovered many of the academic concepts taught to ESL students may not enable them to perform every day tasks. Based on her and other students’ struggles she has developed several concepts to help ESL students adjust to American culture through the process of learning English. Coming from another country, ESL students must learn and become familiar with many new concepts and experiences that natives take for granted. For example, ordering food, buying groceries, writing a check, reading a bank statement, making appointments by phone, or emergency 911 calls. These topics are often not taught in formal ESL classes. We will focus on how to help ESL students with conversation, pronunciation, reading, writing, grammar, oral presentations and telephone calls with the help of peer tutors. We will talk about how to recruit peers to help with tutoring the growing ESL population in our colleges and universities. We will explain peers benefit from meeting new people, gaining appreciation for foreign cultures, languages, and customs. As the global world shrinks, peers and student tutors will gain valuable skills and insight through their ESL experience.

Bridging the Gaps of Academic, Economic, and Social Inequities to Make Science Teaching and Tutoring More Effective in Urban Communities.
(Amethyst)
Austin Ferguson
Olive Harvey College
Chicago, IL

The United States of America is facing tremendous challenges as it seeks to compete in science in the global community. The challenges are not new, but stem from  academic, economic, and social inequities rooted in urban communities. As a  consequence, we are losing the battle of producing enough students  in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) sciences to compete. To alleviate these inequities, we must focus on urban education, because students in urban communities represent a major source of potential STEM candidates.
This session will focus on some known strategies such as: collaboration, empowerment, peer-tutoring, relevance etc. which have been known to improve urban students success rate. It will also be an interactive session where a sharing of best practices will occur.

The Making of SLCC’s Mandatory Online Tutor Training; Tutor Training on a Budget
(Capital C)
Christie Hall
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT

The Learning Center Programs, with other Salt Lake Community College programs, seek high quality and flexible training for tutors. We feel an online resource would solve time and location barriers we now face. Yet, many programs are costly and ill-fitted to our needs. Since, we already have a trusted curriculum for tutor certification we decided that developing one online training module was within the integrity of the curriculum. It could be accessed by tutors and administrators College-wide as well as serving to advertise our existing free certification program. In this presentation, I am going to show how, on a very low budget, SLCC is designing this online workshop for tutor training. We hope that this can serve as a model to other tutoring programs looking for low-cost training solutions.

Session IX                     1:30 to 3:00 P.M.           Wednesday

Tutor Training: Teaching and reinforcing Questioning Skills
(Olympus A)
Jennifer Fasy
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT

The session demonstrates a tutor training role play that helps tutors develops their questioning skills for use when working with students.  The role play is an extreme example of what tutors should do in an actual tutoring session; our tutors had fun doing it and found it helpful.
      *Discussion of Questioning Skills
      *Explanation Of Role Play And Roles
      *Role Play
      *Debrief In Small Groups
      *Discuss As a Large Group
      *Things To Watch Out For
      *Handout
After attending this session, participants will be able to:
      *Explain the importance of tutors developing questioning skills to use while working with
         students.
      *Learn a training technique to help tutors practice questioning skills.
      *Develop tutor training for their departments on questioning skills using a role play that
        involves all tutors practicing the roles of the student, the tutor and the observer. 

Hit and Run Tutoring: Leaving No Casualties Behind
(Olympus B)
Kathryn Van Wagoner and Tutor Panel
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT

Do you know the difference between remedial and developmental tutoring?  Remedial tutoring often occurs in drop-in labs where tutors float around and just answer homework questions.  The students’ homework is completed, but the student does not gain skills to become an independent learner.  Developmental tutoring builds independence in students by doing more than just handing out answers.  While this is more easily accomplished in appointment-based tutorials, it can be accomplished in “hit and run” tutoring.  In this session, the manager of a math lab at a regional state university and a panel of tutors will discuss the challenges of drop-in tutoring and how they overcome them.  The manager will outline how the tutor training program is used to connect the developmental goals and objectives of the lab to actual practice by the tutors.  This tutor training curriculum is tied to brain-based learning theories.  The tutors will share personal experiences and how they have developed their tutoring techniques to be able to provide a developmental tutoring experience for students, with whom they sometimes spend just a few minutes.  This presentation will include video segments demonstrating the techniques that the tutors will be discussing. 

Developing Leadership in Your Tutoring Program
(Capital B)
Mr. Lynn Giese
Columbus State Community College
Columbus, OH

Have you ever thought about your ability to be a leader? Do you wonder about how well you lead others? If you said, “yes” then join me for an informative and practical workshop. We will define leadership; determine how leadership skills can be developed and how to apply these skills to running a tutoring program. Emphasis will be on the value of strong leadership skills and how to use them effectively and immediately in practical ways in your tutoring program.

Mathematics Equations - Rules of engagement (MERE)
(Capital C)
Austin Austin
National Tutoring Association

Mathematics Equations - Rules of engagement (MERE) identifies and emphasizes mastery of seven (7) specific rules to confidently work with equations (i.e. formulas, mathematical relationships, etc.) in Mathematics and Science. With MERE, students spend more time critically thinking about what solutions mean rather than continually doubting routine operations performed on equations. Mastery of these rules builds a student's confidence for higher level classes/courses. As multiplication is to division, so is MERE to finding solutions to equations. MERE promotes competence for seasoned and inexperienced tutors of Mathematics and Science. (Non-Math tutors and individuals seeking to overcome Math Anxiety will find this session beneficial as well.)

First Do No Harm:   Taking an Academic History and Physical
(Capital A)
Leslie Giles Smith
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

Many tutors are in too much of a hurry to start “teaching.”  This presentation encourages tutors to pause before they begin and take time to diagnose what type of help the student needs.  Some students are able to tell tutors exactly what they are struggling with and how they can best be helped.  Others may have a difficult time articulating the root of their problem.  Through presentation and group discussion, this session will cover a variety of approaches to assessing the student’s understanding of content, as well as basic study skills.  Participants will receive multiple assessment tools to use in diagnosing students needs.  After all, wouldn’t you want your doctor to perform a thorough history and physical before he starts performing surgery?

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