Day 1

The first day of the conference was very productive.  It was great to meet many enthusiastic and dedicated educators from a variety of disciplines, who are committed to improving the quality of teaching and learning. I have attended several great sessions including the keynote address by Dr. Anne Nardi "Telling is Not Teaching." She focused on the "telling all to students" approach and its implications. Dr. Nardi emphasized the importance of learners' active participation in the learning process. Research studies have shown that when students are actively involved in the learning process, they retain more of presented information. Therefore, instructors have to guide students rather than "telling them all." We should not do too much lecturing. Dr. Nardi encouraged student-centered meaningful activities. I really liked her closing remark: if instructors are not enthusiastic about what they teach, their students will not be enthusiastic about learning it. We should always remember this simple principle when we enter our classrooms.  
Many other presenters talked about different ways to increase student engagement. Service-learning projects and experiential learning activities are very helpful approaches in this respect. They help students to develop a sense of belonging and a sense of personal responsibility, which are absolutely essential for their success in college and in life. Several colleagues shared their experiences with service-learning projects. I am looking forward to another day full of challenging and thought-provoking professional discussions.