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CCID Conference Reflection
By Paul Stevens
I was awarded funds from the DDCC's CTL to attend the 2024 Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) Conference. Here's my reflection.
On Friday (2/23), I attended a workshop about the Fulbright Scholars program. This is a program of the US State Department which “offers passionate and accomplished students and scholars in more than 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to mutual understanding” (fulbrightscholar.org). Being a Fulbrighter is a great opportunity for personal growth and to be an ambassador of the US.
On Saturday (2/24), I attended sessions titled:
- “Bridging Borders: Green Academy Denmark (a college that specializes in agricultural, animal, and other life sciences) as Gateways to European Adventures”
- “How to Incubate Community College Global Citizen Scientists”
- “Multiplying Global Perspectives: Overseas Faculty Development Seminars from CAORC” (CAORC | Community College Faculty Development Seminars)
- “From Schnitzel to SWAT Teams: Enhancing Safety and Well-Being in Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs”
As a faculty member who is on the International Education Committee and one who has globalized courses, the CAORC session particularly stuck out. I was not aware that these fully funded 15-20 day programs were available for community college faculty members. I plan to investigate this opportunity in future years to enhance my understanding of our global economy and global education in general. I have also assisted in leading 3 DDCC study abroad trips so I found the Safety & Well Being on Faculty Led Programs session also very informative and useful.
On Sunday (2/25) I attended sessions titled:
- “It’s All Global Isn’t It?”
- “Ripple in Still Water: Transforming Faculty Perspectives through Field Engagement in East Africa”
- “Denmark-US College Collaboration”
- “Education & STEM: A Cross-curricular Approach to Foster STEM Education”
The most impactful session of the entire conference was the very last one I attended (#4). Throughout my career I have found that some of the most important and meaningful educational experiences come in the most unlikely and unique circumstances and often at the times we least expect it. As I entered the room for the “Education & STEM: A Cross-curricular Approach to Foster STEM Education” I was running on fumes. These conferences are fast paced and crammed full of learning over a very short time period. The presenters were both from Lone Star Community College and I ended up being the only person in this very small session that wasn’t from this particular community college. To top it off, the STEM portion of the presentation was by a math faculty member and not someone that teaches in the biological sciences like myself.
I was quickly reminded once again of the importance of not making assumptions and to be open minded as this math instructor provided a fantastic learning experience for all involved. He asked the few of us in the audience to do a simple multiplication problem and to show our work. As audience members all growing up with a US math education our work all looked very similar as you would expect. He then showed us a video of how this exact same multiplication problem is done by folks in China and Japan. If you are interested in what this looks like you can watch the short video: Different maths trick from China and Japan. (China VS Japan) maths trick. #china #japan #mathstricks (youtube.com). Lone Star College is located in Houston, Texas which is one of the most diverse cities in our country. He went on to further discuss how his students come from so many different backgrounds and that oftentimes in education there isn’t just one “right way” to teach a subject or solve a problem.
While this example was in math it has made me reflect on how I teach biology and to also be more aware of and sensitive to the different cultural backgrounds my students come from. As educators it's important for us to acknowledge that the most important thing is that students are learning correct principles and ways to figure out problems, not necessarily just the way that Mr. Stevens would do it.
I’m grateful the CTL allocated funds for me to attend this CCID conference. I always walk away from these experiences with better ideas and a greater determination to be a better instructor. If you have any questions or want more info about any of these sessions feel free to email me at Paul_Stevens@davidsondavie.edu!
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