WELCOME and THANK YOU for reading! This newsletter covers what happened in February and will give you a heads up on what to look for in March and the months following.

In this issue (please note the links below will only work when viewing this newsletter in a browser):

Upcoming Board Meetings

First Wednesday of the month at 6:30 – 8:00 pm Eastern
Mar 6, Apr 3, May 1, Jun 5
Zoom information is available on the Member’s site

(Psst! You can visit the Academy Calendar on the Member's site and click to add the board meetings to your personal calendar!)

The Academy’s Destination

At the recent Winter Meeting of the Academy Board members spent a significant amount of time devoted to the concept of Strategic Planning. Not surprisingly, I have found that there is a significant diversity of reactions to such efforts. This is entirely appropriate. There are of course many ways that businesses, learning institutions, and not-for-profit organizations set out to chart a course for their future. I suspect that many of our Academy colleagues have found themselves involved in such an endeavor during their careers...

The conference planning team has announced the Schedule for our 2024 Annual Conference! Take a look at all of the interactive plans we have made for you. Submit a proposal for a session, create a Hall of Innovation Poster, or register to join us at The University of Indianapolis June 10-13, 2024. We hope you will join us for the largest conference since COVID forced us to downsize.

Keynote address on June 11 (Dr. David Leasure)

Dive into the world where artificial intelligence meets academia. Discover how AI, once a mere concept in the realms of science fiction, is now revolutionizing higher education. From student tutors to faculty assistants, learn how AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard are transforming the way we teach, learn, and conduct research. But it’s not just about the technology. This talk tackles the pressing questions: How can AI enhance the educational experience without compromising the human touch? What are the ethical considerations of data use in academia? What do students need to know about AI to enhance their careers? For the technology, the talk explains how thirty years of Process Education practices ease the way to augmenting both student learning and key faculty tasks.

Join us for a thought-provoking session that balances the excitement of AI’s possibilities with a critical eye on its challenges.

Whether you’re a professor, student, or administrator, this talk explores the intersection of technology and education while offering fresh perspectives on how AI can be harnessed for the betterment of higher education. Let's get prepared for a future where learning knows no bounds!

Treasurers Report - Matt Watts

• nothing unusual
  • income: registrations
  • expenses: web site

Conference planning

• Schedule is getting close to final form
• In addition to teams, we’ll also assign mentors/mentees for the conference
• Online Hall of Innovation will overlap with social time to help engage online participants
• Online participants will also have mentor/mentee pairing

Elections

• Open positions have been identified
• Several board members volunteered to check with potential candidates about interest.

Additional Issues for next time

• We need a director of Membership
• The International name change needs to be presented for considering in June

• The DRAFT minutes from the February Meeting are available HERE.

Techniques for Helping Learners Improve

Make sure that the cornerstones to learning are in place. There are many ways to do this:

• Ask directed questions that require students to link personal experiences, prior knowledge, informational readings, or key aspects of examples that are provided.
• Use a reading log or reading quiz to assess students’ preparedness for learning.
• Before starting a discussion in class, ask a couple of inquiry questions or have certain students summarize what they understand about the concept.
• Ask students to inventory what they think the key cornerstones are for this learning exercise.

(from 2.2.2 Elevating Knowledge from Level 1 to Level 3)

This article will feature a different learning skill each month and instead of talking theory will ONLY give ideas for targeting/strengthening that learning skill for ages 2 to 102! Remember that you can find ALL the learning skills in a free interactive tool.

Identifying key ideas: determining the important components of the message

Including (BUT NOT LIMITED TO)
workshops you'd like to attend!