Here are some ways to apply what you've learned ...

Professional Development
Want to impress your students?  How to create dynamic syllabi with Microsoft Publisher! (Contributed by John Sullivan, Riverside Community College, Azusa Pacific Univ., & Crafton Hills College) Developing a Clear Goal Statements for Your Course: Course goals set out the benefits students will derive as a result of the course. 1. Find the answer to the question, “What personal benefits have former students in this course derived?” Sources for this information are direct (former students who’ve completed the course) and indirect (colleagues, Dept. Chair or Dean, Institutional Effectiveness Office). Obvious answers are:  - this is a required course, so students’ benefit = advancing in their degree program  - this course will provide them with tools needed to succeed in their chosen fields Less obvious answers might be:  - my best friend is taking this course, and I want to hang with him  - my parents want me to be a doctor, so I have to take this course Here, the concept of student motivation is important because students who recognize personal benefits are generally more motivated as learners. 2. Cull the list so that only the most generally applicable benefits are included. 3. Include the list as part of your syllabus and preface it with a statement that engages students’ interest in reading the list. Here’s a start: “You may wonder, as other students have, how you will benefit from taking this course. That’s a good question, and there are some good answers. . . .” (by Mark Ferrer, Santa Barbara City College)
Building Campus Community
Free Speakers: Members of your campus community are often delighted to have the opportunity to speak for a few moments with your class. This is particularly true if you teach a large introductory class. Many years ago I once asked the college President to talk about bureaucracy to my Public Administration class. I'm told he took the opportunity so seriously that he involved the research librarians and others in the administration in his preparation. The class was thrilled with his presentation and learned a great deal about a subject they could directly relate to as he discussed not only campus issues, but also how campus decisions were impacted by the state, and city. Business classes might find a presentation by the college's financial officers equally helpful. Be sure to keep the topic focused and relevant to your class. Prepare students in advance and encourage them to prep questions that are germane to your subject and do not drift into complaints about unrelated issues. (Contributed by Kristina Kauffman, Riverside Community College)