Sharpen Your Teaching Skills

Title: Becoming a More Effective Classroom Teacher

Panelists:
Joe Hoyle, University of Richmond
Lynn Clements, Florida Southern College
D. Scott Showalter, North Carolina State University
Eric Bostwick, University of West Florida - Pensacola

In “What It Takes to Be Great,” in the October 30, 2006, issue of Fortune magazine, author Geoffrey Colvin makes the following assertion. “In virtually every field of endeavor, most people learn quickly at first, then more slowly, and then stop developing completely. Yet a few do improve for years and even decades, and go on to greatness.” In What the Best College Teachers Do, published in 2004 by Harvard University Press, author Ken Bain makes the following assertion. “Great teachers emerge, they touch the lives of their students, and perhaps only through some of these students do they have any influence on the broad art of teaching. For the most part, their insights die with them, and subsequent generations must discover anew the wisdom that drove their practices.”

This panel will discuss the many assorted problems and challenges that experienced teachers must address in order to continue improving throughout their careers and, hopefully, “go on to greatness.” The panel will look at teaching from a practical perspective including questions such as the following. How does a teacher get students to prepare for class? How does a teacher test in order to emphasis the development of critical thinking skills? How does a teacher encourage all students to be engaged and interactive during class sessions? How does a teacher stress thinking rather than memorization?

The educators on the panel have decades of classroom experience, a wealth of knowledge that (according to Ken Bain) should be shared with other teachers. What strategies have each of these teachers used over those years that have worked so very well? What can other teachers learn that will help them to continue their own improvement?

Title: Building or Enhancing Your Teaching and Learning Accounting Toolbox – Part II
Presenter:
Cathy Scott, Navarro College, Markus Ahrens, Saint Louis Community College-Meramec

Are you looking for new activities or resources to use in your courses? Are you looking to improve your use of technology in your courses? If so, then come to the Building or Enhancing Your Teaching and Learning Accounting Toolbox - Part II session. In this session participants will take away numerous new teaching and learning activities, as well as, technology resources that have been proven to improve student engagement and enhance student success. Whether you are teaching face-to-face, online or in a hybrid format, this session is an excellent opportunity to build or enhance your current teaching resources. The presenters share a variety of new resources they have successfully utilized in their courses, identify toolbox pedagogies and demonstrate to participants how easily technology can be blended with course activities.

Title: Professor, What’s on the Exam?? Creating Independent Thinkers Through Self-Directed Learning
Presenter:
Tracie Miller-Nobles, Austin Community College, Brenda Mattison, Tri County Tech College

Do you wish that your students took more initiative in your class? Do you struggle with students expecting you to give them the answers to the homework, assignments, or the exam? Do you wish your students would be more independent thinkers and not solely dependent on you, the instructor? If so, this is the perfect session for you! In this session, we will introduce the concept of self-directed learning as a way to empower students to take control of their own learning. We will discuss the different stages of self-directed learning and identify instructional strategies that will work best for each different stage. Participants will be presented with concrete examples and models that can be used in the accounting classroom to encourage students to be more engaged and aware in their own learning.

Title: Recent Events & Activities: Keeping Up-to Date and Keeping Accounting and Auditing Class Content Current and Relevant

Panelists:
Cindy Sobieski
Scott Showalter
Cindy Bolt Lee

The proliferation of new and changing guidance and authoritative requirements (FASB, SEC, PCAOB, CAQ, etc.) along with increasing and fast-paced economic and business changes, new events and challenges (such as the financial crisis, short sellers, activist shareholders, reverse mergers, tax inversions, globalization and emerging markets, and the like) all impact accounting and auditing, directly or indirectly. How do instructors and professors keep up-to date? How are these events and activities, and the related impact on accounting and auditing, brought into the classroom augmenting text and course content, as appropriate? A diversified panel will share leading practices and facilitate discussion on these questions.

Title: Issues in Accounting Education Focusing on Non-tenure Track Faculty
- Panel Discussion

Panelists:
Diania McRae
Charlene Spiceland
Emma Cole
Donald Berecz
Amy Williams

This session is a wide ranging panel discussion. Some of the topics
include: developing unique approaches to the classroom, developing an advisory board of professionals, opportunities for advancement, assistance with achieving doctoral degrees, creating a community of non-tenured faculty, opportunities and expectations for research/publications.

Title: Simple Ways to Leverage Technology

Presenter:
Chula King

One of the benefits of online education for students is flexibility, but there are many options available for professors, as well. This session will discuss the best uses for synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies and different screencasting technologies. We will also look at lessons from the MOOC revolution/evolution and get a taste of other "cool technologies to play with."