Campers, Boot Camp for Profs® 2005 is filled! Those wanting to attend should email nuhfed@isu.edu for the 2006 camp.

 

"BOOT CAMP for PROFS®" is a unique week-long program dedicated to celebrating and enhancing college teaching. The program has achieved outstanding reviews from attendants, be they new professors looking to begin their faculty careers or established professors seeking to strengthen skills and renew enthusiasm.

Boot Camp originated in 1993 as a solution to an serious problem: "How can teaching skills truly be enhanced, given existing faculty commitments of time during the normal, busy school term?" The early Boot Camps began as a special summer week when faculty could concentrate solely on university - level teaching and career survival skills. The week provided a series of workshops that were based upon producing products for one's own courses. In recent years, the Boot Camp has evolved from a series of effective workshops to the more central unifying paradigm of what constitutes an effective educator. We described the order within this paradigm as a "teaching system," and it applied to individuals' efforts to provide effective instruction.

Boot Camp in those years concentrated on building one's own teaching system, in the context of what fits best for us and for our careers within our specific institutions. A "teaching system" addresses practice by building upon a few central - unifying concepts. The concepts are developed and expressed within a sophisticated document, a "teaching philosophy." This document addresses: (1) our core aspirations and values that result from self introspection about terms our personal growth, satisfaction and professional improvement; (2) content learning outcomes we want for students; (3) teaching in the forms of making informed choices about pedagogical approaches that match our learning outcomes and will produce the best kinds of experiences to help students to learn; (4) thinking in terms of addressing the most appropriate stages of intellectual and ethical development; (5) rubrics that will insure that high level challenges of critical thinking will be met by high level responses from students and (6) student self assessment, about their learning and their learning process, which is the correlative to our own introspection. Over time, we found that this integrated approach was more effective in producing permanent career success than were any series of workshops.

In recent years, we took this approach one step farther to stress how these six areas can be utilized to go beyond individual success to build strong curricula through unit - level development. We began to realize that no matter how good a single teacher may be, no matter how many accolades from students or how many teaching awards one individual might have, students don't become educated in one course nor from one professor. High level thinking, as a particular outcome, is not produced in just a sixteen-week course. Literature shows that an effort needs to be sustained across several semesters to produce such thinking, and that departments or institutions that want to get this result need to produce curricula that sustain planned efforts over a required time. This leads to recognition that the most effective "teaching system" is not simply an individual development issue used to improve courses and course ratings. Rather it results from individuals' efforts informed by research, made with awareness of responsibilities to an effort larger than oneself. This requires planning and colleagues' working together. Thus, when one teaches with well-constructed lessons and well-planned courses, one must keep in mind that one educates according to how well one aligns these efforts with a planned larger vision; one has to be aware of effects at different scales. The images that depict effective use of teaching systems across varied scales are fractal patterns. The Boot Camp program thus evolved through over a decade to its present form with an emphasis described in recent years by "Education in Fractal Patterns." To date, the fractal form has proven to be a good unifying model for practice.

Fractals constitute the geometry of most natural forms (including neural networks in the brain that form during learning), and patterns of events in time (education indeed results from a pattern of events in time). Such forms appear complex and maybe even random - until one realizes that these forms are constructed from recursive constructions of a simple form called a generator.

For example, if one looks at a tree in winter, it at first looks complex - until one recognizes that the branching pattern results from a recursive construction from a simple "Y" shape. Therein, another "Y can replace each branching line in the "Y," and soon a very complex branching pattern is built from the recursive assemblage of "Y" shapes. Being able to perceive the "Y" generator suddenly brings order to what appears to be an extremely complex form. Teaching too is a complex activity. But it is not "random." If a teacher can operate with a generator that isn't deficient, then the resulting product of educated students with high level thinking abilities is much akin to the product of a healthy tree arising from repeated branching forms. The "generator" of an individual teacher can be made visible in a sophisticated teaching philosophy. Such a philosophy is a blueprint to practice that accommodates one's individual aspirations and ineffable spirit along with the best knowledge available about one's content area, about teaching practices that best serve adult learners, and about mentoring students toward higher levels of thinking. Once the essence of teaching, learning and thinking in the context of one's aspirations is clear, the kinds of course products and educational experiences that are most effective and will best contribute to a larger effort will emerge in practice.

Success results from practice of our philosophy and communication that clearly conveys to students and peer reviewers specifics about the choices we have made. With a fractal system, assessment is never an added - on summative chore. Rather, it is a part of practice that insures all participants accomplish what they set out to do and that "the tree" grows into the desired form rather than leaving the form to random chance. Assessment permits disparate aspects of practice to thrive together but to nevertheless produce the desired results. Instead of merely drafting documents such as syllabi, tests, or supplementary materials based on prescriptive methods, we draft such documents based upon our core philosophy. When one has a true teaching system, then a student or a peer will know your core teaching philosophy from reading your syllabus or your tests. Consistent alignment of your efforts to do what you most want to do enables students to achieve what you most want them to achieve. When faculty are not satisfied with student outcomes, either with respect to learning or to students evaluation of satisfaction with the course experience, it is surprising how often this occurs because faculty are not actually doing what they most want to do.

There is no universal "best" teaching system, but there is a best system for you - namely the system that most effectively helps you and your program to achieve the outcomes that you desire and that matches what your program has promised to students to those particular students' needs. Discovering your personal system, and how that fits into some larger educational picture is much of what "Boot Camp" is about. The extremely supportive environment present in this program helps this discovery. Attendants have included instructors from the most prestigious top - ten schools to the most modest community colleges and have ranged from full professors with decades of experience through graduate students who aspire to become new college teachers. Outcomes of this program speak for themselves. Some attendants in "career terminating situations" later find themselves in the situation of recipients of best teaching awards. Others have founded faculty development centers at their own campuses.

The "Camp" is small. We prefer to work with a group of about twenty faculty. Other distinguishing characteristics for "Boot camp 2004" include: (1) workshops that result in attendants preparing actual materials for their own classes on - site, (2) receipt of a personal library of acclaimed resource books and (3) an emphasis on how to become increasingly successful in each passing future year. In addition to teaching, emphasis is also given to more rarely considered aspects of career success such as becoming a better colleague and becoming a better advisor for students.

The "Boot Camp for Profs" experience will introduce you to a body of literature that is seldom encountered within academic disciplines. It is immensely useful, and familiarity with it is gradually becoming indispensable to success in today's universities. Materials you will receive in the 2004"BOOT CAMP for PROFS" include a very thick and useful set of working notes plus the following books. Sections of these will be used during the week, and they will serve you for many years as good reference sources. If you were to found your own office of faculty development, these would constitute a solid set of resources.
 

Angelo, T. A., and Cross, K. P., 1993, Classroom Assessment Techniques (2^nd ed.): San Francisco, Jossey - Bass, 427 p.

Jones, Thomas B., 2005, The Missing Professor: Sterling, VA, Stylus, 144 p.

Campbell, W. E., and Smith, K. A., 1997, New Paradigms for College Teaching: Edina, MN Interaction Press, 281 p.

Davis, B. G., 1993, Tools for Teaching: San Francisco, Jossey - Bass, 429 p.

King, P. M., and Kitchener, K. S., 1994, Developing Reflective Judgment: San Francisco, Jossey - Bass, 323 p.

Light, R. J., 2001, Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds: Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 242 p.

Leamnson, R., 1999, Thinking About Teaching and Learning - Developing Habits of Learning With First Year College and University Students: Sterling, VA, Stylus, 169p.

Millis, B. J., and Cottell, 1998, Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty: Oryx Press, 282 p.

Nuhfer, E. B., and others, 2004, A Handbook for Student Management Teams: Pocatello, ID, Idaho State University, 60 p.
 
  

THINGS TO BRING TO "CAMP"

 

GENERAL

Workshops have follow - up exercises that result in products for your own classes (see for example, the schedule for Day 1 (July 25) below. Bring texts, notes or syllabi that you would likely employ in one (1) upcoming course. Also, bring quizzes, review questions, mid term and final exams you may have constructed for this course. You will have access to computers, and it will be very helpful to bring some of your class notes and, particularly, syllabi, on a computer disk or to place them online in your own e-mail as enclosures so you can retrieve these at Leadville. Because this is a golden opportunity to produce some excellent class materials, consider the course that you think will be most difficult to teach next term.

You can expect to prepare a portfolio at camp that will include (a) a revised teaching philosophy, (b) a revised syllabus, (c) a knowledge survey for your course, and (d) class lessons constructed in an active learning format for your course.

Tuesday evening contains optional sessions on evaluation and consultation. Good consultation is assisted by diagnostic formative evaluations. If you are teaching a summer course and have opportunity to give an evaluation tool, contact  Ed Nuhfer (nuhfed@isu.edu) with your snail mail address and the number of students in your class. Ed will send you the required number of  60-item surveys and response forms and he'll request that you return the completed forms prior to July 1 for the Leadville Camp . Your forms will be analyzed and the results returned to you. These results will be used for your own consultation and as raw material for the Tuesday evening sessions.

Bring to the first day's session (requires some preparation before arrival)

(1) Five copies of a one - page (maximum!) teaching philosophy (click here) that includes at least a summary of your teaching goals, as they exist today. Two of these copies should be printed without your name or that of your institution on it. You can consider these as preliminary because we will refine this document throughout the week. You will receive a file online after you register which will help to guide you in the initial introspection needed to begin to produce a sophisticated philosophy.

(2) Two copies of a course syllabus from any course that you teach or aspire to teach.

(3) Two copies of a teaching autobiography (click here) referred to in the self reflection exercise that you received by e-mail

(4) Completed self reflection exercise (click here)

 

All attendants should have received a copy of Leamnson's and Light's books a couple of weeks prior to the Boot Camp. These are used in the Thursday afternoon book discussion groups. When packing, it is easy to forget to bring these, so here is a reminder to pack those with you.

 

DRESS

Dress is very informal - summer recreational wear works very well for this entire week.

COST

The $1000 fee includes the workshops, materials, lodging, and most meals. Materials furnished include texts, bound notes, on - site Xeroxing and computer disks. Meals include breakfast/brunches and lunches Sunday - through - Saturday, a get - acquainted barbecue Sunday evening, and a banquet on the final Friday evening. Not included are Wednesday's supper (on your own) and the cost of Wednesday afternoon's recreational activity that you choose such as white water rafting or horseback riding.

Paying for Camp

For those paying by check, or those whose institutions are paying by check: Make those checks out to Boot Camp for Profs and send them to attention Ed Nuhfer, ISU, Campus Box 8010, Pocatello, ID 83209.

For those paying by credit card--personal or institutional: DO NOT email your Credit Card Number. Instead, print the form below and fax it to attention of Cindy Haddon or Edward Nuhfer at 208 282 5361.

If your institution is paying for your registration for individuals or teams from your campus, provide the information in this email to the persons responsible for handling that paperwork. They can choose to pay out of this fiscal year's money before June 30 or out of next year's after July 1. We do ask this year that all payments occur by July 20. We will have no facilities at Boot Camp itself through which to process credit cards.

 

ACADEMIC CREDIT OPTION

Attendants will have the option to earn three hours of graduate credit through Idaho State University. Credit registrants need to attend all sessions, and complete and turn in copies of all workshop assignments. To register for academic credit, call ISU's Academic Outreach Office at (208) 282-4545 or 4599, and request registration for ACAD-598P, College Teaching and Learning. The credit option costs $50 per credit, in addition to the regular Bootcamp fee. Drs. Ed Nuhfer and Steve Adkison are the listed instructors. When you phone to register for credit, be sure to inform the ISU person on the other end of the phone that you have already paid the Boot Camp fee.

Those who receive graduate credit must (A) Register for Credit as ACAD-598P as described above; (B) Attend the full week-long resident program and (C) submit the following products.

1. One copy of current teaching philosophy
2. One course syllabus
3. A representative knowledge survey that is designed for at least a month's coverage in a course. (If you have a whole-course survey, you can submit it, but for credit we only ask you to design a small one to get the experience of producing it.)
4. One lesson plan that makes use of an alternative learning method other than lecture. It can be cooperative learning, case study, writing, or any other instruction that is not primarily lecture-based.

We prefer that you actually finish these documents in a reflective way after camp so that your efforts result in products actually used by you. For this reason, we do not try to cram completion of these products into the week in residence at the camp. The deadline for submission of these products is November 30, 2005.

GETTING TO CAMP - LEADVILLE SITE

All activities will take place at Colorado Mountain Colleges' Timberline Campus on 901 South Highway 24 in Leadville, Colorado. Housing will be in the new dormitories at this campus. Attendants may drive to Leadville via Interstate 70 and exit on either Highway 24 (Exit 171) or Highway 91 (Exit 195). The closest airport is Denver International Airport, which is about 135 miles (three hours driving time) from Leadville. Weekly rates on rental cars in summer are good, and probably provide the most economical connection from Denver to Leadville. The schedule for Camp follows on these web pages.

Leadville is at an elevation of a bit above 10,000 ft with cool evenings and warm sun during days. For those engaging in white water rafting (a mid - week option) bring clothing that can (1) be doused with water without care and (2) can offer protection from excessive sun exposure. Those engaging in horseback riding (also a mid - week option) should bring long pants such a blue jeans. The area around Leadville has wonderful hiking trails and scenic biking. A newly completed bike trail lies adjacent to the campus.

Because Leadville sits at an altitude above 10,000 feet, a few tips on dealing with the altitude will be useful to those coming from out - of - state. Common inconveniences of acclimating to this altitude include difficulty sleeping and headaches for the first day or so. Drink plenty of water, because these effects usually are exacerbated by dehydration. The air is cool and thin, so you won't feel the usual heat accompanied by dehydration. Sunburns occur easily at this altitude for the same reason. Use sunscreen or dress in long sleeves when spending a lot of time outdoors.

PROGRAM

 

July 24, Sunday  --    FOUNDATIONS of SUCCESS - INTROSPECTION

Convene 1:00 p.m.              Bring to these Sunday sessions:

(a) 1 - page teaching philosophy written as a narrative (5 copies - click here)

(b) Your syllabus of a course you have taught (two copies)

(c) Your "teaching autobiography" described above - click here.

(d) Your completed introspection exercises - click here.

1:10 - 2:40--"No one gets in to see the Wizard - not no how, not no way!" Ed Nuhfer, Margie Krest

3:00 PM Snack Break - 20 minutes

3:00 - 3:30 Preparation for tomorrow's session Learning through writing — Margie Krest

3:30 - 5:15 Let's Go to the Movies! "The Teacher in the Movies" by James Rhem

6:00 Opening Night - Bar - B - Que

July 25, Monday   --  PATTERNS and INTRIGUE: TEACHING, LEARNING and our PHILOSOPHIES

BREAKFAST 8:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Convene 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - 10:30 May the Fickle Finger of Fractal Fate be With You! -- Ed "F F" Nuhfer

Snack Break 20 Minutes

10:50 - Noon MYSTERY THEATRE - Opening Act with Thomas Jones

noon - 1:00 Lunch Break

Open work time until sessions start at 2:30

2:30 Learning through Writing - Your Teaching Philosophy - Margie Krest

Bring to this session:

(a) your current teaching philosophy written as a narrative

(b) your written responses to your group members' philosophy statements

3:00 PM Snack Break - 20 minutes

6:00 - 7:00 Dinner

July 26, Tuesday   -- DOING and OVERDOING

BREAKFAST 8:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Convene 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - noon --COOPERATIVE LEARNING with BARBARA MILLIS (contains 20 minute Snack Break)

noon - 1:00 Lunch Break

1:15 Mystery Playhouse Scene 2- The Perils of Nicole—Optional after-lunch discussion outdoors weather permitting with Thomas Jones on The Missing Professor

Snack Break - 20 minutes

2:30 - 4:30 -- Getting Caught in the Over-teaching Trap--Bob Noyd

6:00 - 7:00 Dinner

7:15 Optional Evening Workshop — Applied Evaluation and Consultation: A Fractal Thinker Looks at Student Evaluations, Ed Nuhfer and participants

July 27, Wednesday -- CASES ---followed by The Case for Recreation--You make it!

BREAKFAST 8:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Convene 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - 12:00 (includes 20 minute break ) Teaching with Cases - Peter Bryant

noon - Sack Lunch--Available for Taking on Recreational Outings

Afternoon - Evening RECREATION Options - Horseback riding, biking, hiking white water rafting, or personal R & R break - your choice! Costs of recreational events are borne out - of - pocket by participants, and rates for each option will be furnished to you later.

Dinner - out on your own in Leadville or elsewhere, possibly with your recreational group, but again, your personal option.

July 28, Thursday-- Being Ethical-- (My! Must we do that? Well, Let's have fun anyway!)

BREAKFAST 8:00 - 9:00 A.M. 

Convene at 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - 10:30 Teaching with Ethics versus Other Pathways — Mitch Handelsman

Snack Break 20 Minutes

10:50 - 12:00 A Philosophy enacted: Fractal Fun in Geoscience Class — Ed Nuhfer

noon - 1:00 Lunch Break

Structured work time--meet with your "Syllabus Buddy" until sessions start at 2:30 

2:30 - 4:00 Assessment: Is It a Four-letter word? — Ed Nuhfer and Bernadette Howlett

Snack Break - 20 minutes

4:00 - 5:30 Book Discussion Groups - your choice of Leamnson, R., 1999, Thinking About Teaching and Learning or Light, R. J., 2001, Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Mind

6:00 - 7:00 Dinner

6:15 OPTIONAL After Dinner visit to the MYSTERY PLAYHOUSE - ACT 3 with Thomas Jones

 

July 29, Friday -- THINKING?? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' THINKIN'!

BREAKFAST 8:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Convene 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - 12:00 Mentoring Students to High Level Thinking — Mike Pavelich

with Break - 20 minutes

noon - 1:00 Lunch Break

1:00 - 2:10 Engaged Students? What Are They REALLY Thinking?—Mitch Handelsman

Snack Break - 20 minutes

2:30 - 4:00 --Being All You can Be --Tara Gray

4:00 --Off to the Movies! AGAIN! "Open Admissions" by James Rhem

6:00 BANQUET - WE SURVIVED BOOT CAMP CELEBRATION! - Followed by Guided Discussion of this year's "Open Admissions" by James Rhem

July 30, Saturday — Full Circle Closure

BREAKFAST 8:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Convene 9:00 a.m.

9:00 -11:00 -- Nailing Down our SOPHISTICATED Philosophy - Staff A capstone revisit of all sessions with syllabus and pen in hand

11:20 -12:00 We are all students--be our teacher. --All participants!

 

INSTRUCTORS: The instructors include faculty and faculty developers from six institutions (University of Nevada at Reno, University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, U. S. Air Force Academy, New Mexico State University, and Idaho State University) plus the Editor & Founder of "National Teaching and Learning Forum." Instructors are selected based on success in their disciplines as both teachers and scholars.