Annual “Teaching for Transformation” Conference Held at University
University
Reporter 
Institute
for Community Inclusion, A National Center,
To Move To UMass Boston
Russert
to Speak at Commencement
Fulbright
Scholar Aids
Environmental Management in China
WUMB
Debuts New Station at WNEF 91.7
Educator
Inspires Beacon Leadership Students
Technology-Enhanced
Classrooms Open for Spring Semester
Reality
Check Conference Examines Gap Between Income and Housing Costs
“Happenings
@ UMB” Column New to University Home Page
Center
for Social Policy Researchers Recognized for Work on Issues of Homelessness
in America
Celebrating
Black History Month: How Academics and Athletics Led to Success
Best
Practices: Nursing Students Connecting with Communities
Annual
“Teaching for Transformation” Conference Held at University
Revealing
and Celebrating a Great Poet
PeopleSoft:
Where in the World is Becky Hsu?
By Melissa Fassel
The Center for the Improvement of Teaching’s Annual Conference on Teaching for Transformation conference on January 25 began bright and early in Wheatley Hall with coffee, registration, and good pre-conference conversation.
Attendees had trouble choosing from more than 20 concurrent presentations, which addressed a wide range of issues, such as engaging students in academic work, building on students’ diversity and strengths, using technology to enhance learning, and teaching post-September 11.
One session, entitled “No Self, No School: Zen and the Art of the College Classroom,” presented by Wayne-Daniel Berard of Nichols College (who is also the Peace Abbey’s peace chaplain), discussed teaching in the college classroom from a Zen-founded perspective, rather than the traditional Western Aristotelian point of view.
Another session, entitled “Working with Immigrant and Refugee Students: The CIRCLE Program,” was presented by members of UMass Boston’s Asian American Studies Program, Peer-Tutoring Program, and College of Public and Community Service. Presenters shared their experiences working with students from CIRCLE (Center for Immigrant and Refugee Community Leadership and Empowerment) and discussed their attempts to respond to the needs and strengths of such a unique cohort while creating instructional activities consistent with the CIRCLE goal of building leadership.
Other sessions included “Patriotism and the Attack on Free Speech on College Campuses Post September 11th,” “Hackey Sacks and Beyond: Team Building Exercises for the Classroom,” and “Ensuring that Students with Disabilities are Participating in Your Classroom Experience.”
The concurrent sessions featured more than fifty presenters from all of the colleges at UMass Boston as well from different educational institutions in the Boston metro area, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lesley University, Fitchburg State College, Suffolk University, Northeastern University, and Massachusetts Bay Community College. More than 120 people from a wide-ranging group of institutions registered to attend.