This week, my goal was to create a framework for the faculty learning community I plan to rollout to the English for Academic (EAP) instructors.
I have decided the Faculty Learning Community will be set out as follows:
Faculty will be invited to attend a "Lunch and Learn" session to start.
"Lunch and Learn" sessions will be held once a month (may consider scheduling two sessions to accommodate a larger number of faculty).
The first Lunch and Learn is scheduled for November 15th.
I will create a calendar to reflect learning opportunities over the next six months and disseminate it along with the invitation for November 15th, so faculty can plan ahead. (Challenge: faculty schedules change each semester so sessions may need to be adjusted.)
To begin, I will develop a short session to introduce a "best practice" and model the sharing for the group. I hope to solicit one other faculty member to present a best practice. For the first Lunch and Learn, I will share with faculty a new app - Padlet. The goal for subsequent sessions is to have faculty take turns presenting ideas and best practices.
I've decided to also create a shared online space (Padlet, Google Docs, Facebook Group). I will get faculty input with regard to a shared space. I am particularly interested in setting up an online discussion forum for faculty and I think a Facebook group might be suitable. I hope that offering multiple means for faculty to share will enhance their appetite to participate.
My goal is to create an EAP Faculty Learning Community which is more informal and offer multiple streams for sharing. I think this is important because it gives the faculty agency over their participation, and they can share using mediums that best suit their learning styles.
Although, the goal is to keep the learning community less formal, I would still like to, I would like to ask faculty to minimally participate and share twice in a six month period. This benchmark should be one that is easily met and faculty can use the hours spent toward their PD hours required for their TESL recertification.
My vision is grand - I see EAP faculty sharing best practices related to our new curriculum thus strengthening our classroom delivery. I see EAP faculty growing as a community, supporting each other thus strengthening our ties as a team. I see the faculty learning community reaching out to a broader audience and sharing best practices across other program areas, thus strengthening our ability to support international students across the college.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. --- Walt Disney