TCCTA Blog

Hear Interview with Keynote Speaker

TCCTA Executive Director Richard Moore recently conducted an interview with 2010 convention keynote speaker Ori, Brafman, who will speak on "Irrational Behavior and Student Decision Making," at the annual convention's general session, Thursday, March 4, at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston.

Mr. Brafman is a renowned organizational expert and author of the bestselling and groundbreaking books The Starfish and the Spider, and Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior.

During the interview, the speaker describes new research on how decisions are made within groups, and the implications for classroom instruction. His study of group dynamics encompasses all disciplines, and also applies to the manner in which decisions are made collaboratively at the campus level by administration and faculty.

Here's the link to the interview, as well as more information about the banquet and general session. If you wish to ask Mr. Brafman a question prior to the conference, please send it to chawkins@tccta.org.

Reserve your spot by February 13th! 

TCCTA Seminar to Examine Brain Research

The Professional Development Seminar at the annual TCCTA convention will feature "Brain Research and the Community College," presented by Janet Zadina, a cognitive neuroscientist, reading specialist, and former high school and community college instructor. The presentation will be Friday, March 5, 2010, from 1:00-2:15pm, at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston. The event is sponsored by the TCCTA Professional Development Committee, chaired by David Lydic, Austin Community College.

Dr. Zadina received her doctorate in the College of Education at the University of New Orleans, conducting her award-winning dissertation research on the neuroanatomy of dyslexia through collaboration with Tulane University School of Medicine. She continued her postdoctoral education with a fellowship in cognitive neuroscience in the department of psychiatry and neurology at the Tulane University School of Medicine where she researched neuroanatomical risk factors for developmental language disorders through MRI brain scans.   

She is currently engaged in neuroscience research as an assistant professor in cognitive neuroscience in the department of psychiatry and neurology at Tulane, and in Psychology at the University of South Florida. Dr. Zadina is the author of Six Weeks to a Brain-Compatible Classroom, a workbook for educators, among other books.  She is the founder of the Web resource, Brain Research and Instruction, and has presented keynotes and workshops internationally on brain research and instruction. Here's the Web site. 

Bestselling Author Slated as Convention Keynoter

Clear your calendars now to attend the general session of the TCCTA annual convention, on Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston. More convention and hotel information is available at this link.

The keynote speaker will be New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ori Brafman, a renowned organizational expert and author of the groundbreaking books The Starfish and the Spider, and Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior. 

Born in Israel and raised in El Paso, Texas, Mr. Brafman has been a lifelong entrepreneur in business, government, and the nonprofit sector.  His projects include launching healthy fast food restaurants, leading political and advocacy campaigns, and co-founding Courtroom Connect, a wireless network company.    

In 2001, Mr. Brafman co-founded a network of more than 1000 CEOs working for peace and economic development projects. The network was supported by the likes of venture capitalist John Doerr and the Ford Foundation and has catalyzed projects in the Middle East, Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia.   Most recently, Ori has facilitated a course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  

His first  book, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations (Penguin Portfolio) was released in October 2006, and is currently in its 12th printing. It looked at the power of the new organizational forms and business models that characterize such “starfish” as Wikipedia, craigslist, and the original Napster – and al Qaeda and the Apache nation. Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said, “As a result of reading The Starfish and the Spider, I proposed ten action points for my organization.” Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay, described it as “compelling and important.” And Jack Covert of 800CEO-READ summed it up: “I love this book.”    

Continuing his discovery of unlikely connections, Ori teamed up with his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, to tackle decision-making, hiring, marketing, employee motivation and group dynamics. This exploration led to his second book, Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior (Currency/Doubleday, June 2008) .

The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller draws on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, to reveal dynamic forces that influence every aspect of our personal and business lives, including loss aversion (our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis of a person or situation), and the “chameleon effect” (our tendency to take on characteristics that have been arbitrarily assigned to us).  

“A breathtaking book that will challenge your every thought… SWAY hovers above the intersection of Blink and Freakonomics,” according to Tom Rath, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket?  

Alan M. Webber, Founding Editor of Fast Company magazine, said, "If you think you know how you think, you'd better think again! Take this insightful, delightful trip to the sweet spot where economics, psychology, and sociology converge and you'll discover how our all-too- human minds actually work.” And Kirkus Reviews found it “a worthy companion to Malcolm Gladwell at his best.”

Mr. Brafman has appeared in the New York Times, ABC News, BBC, National Public Radio, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, CSPAN, AP Video, and National-Cable-Radio among others.  He has presented before audiences at Microsoft, Amazon, Televisa, Stanford Business School, Harvard Business School, and many others. He writes for the New York Times international edition and Fortune magazine.  

He holds a BA in peace and conflict studies from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Academics Under Fire

Stanley Fish is a popular blogger on higher education issues for the New York Times. He is invariably provocative and his posts attract comments from all over the country. And he's certainly got the credentials to hold forth on a host of subjects in the halls of academe. Currently he is the Davidson-Kahn Distinguished University Professor and a professor of law at Florida International University, in Miami, and dean emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has also taught at the University of California at Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, and Duke University. He is the author of 11 books, and a noted authority on Milton. 

Dr. Fish is accustomed to controversy, but even he was taken aback by the comments on a book review he posted recently on the withering of academic freedom in the courts and in the public policy arena. The full blog is available here, which includes a link to his book review. Both are definitely worth a look, particularly if you are concerned about academic freedom, tenure, and the impression the general public may have about professors and the work they do. 

There is no claim that the comments are a scientific survey of the general population, but it's still striking to read them, along with Dr. Fish's reaction. It's probably safe to say that readers of the Times are not, generally speaking, the most vociferous critics of higher education. 

Obviously, the controversy relates primarily to university educators and not community colleges. Here's a passage:

Academics are of course aware that there is a certain amount of hostility toward them and their practices, but they like to attribute that hostility to the public relations efforts of conservative critics who, they contend, construct caricatures that are too easily accepted by the public. But the comments I received come from readers of all political persuasions and from both inside and outside the academic world, about which almost no one had a good thing to say.

Phi Theta Kappa Leader Addresses General Session

If you were unable to attend the General Session of the 2009 TCCTA Annual Convention on February 19, in Austin, one of the major highlights was a speech given by Katie Bierschenk, Phi Theta Kappa Texas Regional President. She is a student at Richland College.

Below are Ms. Bierschenk's remarks:

Thank you so much for having me this evening. It is both an honor and a privilege to be here today with so many distinguished professors and instructors from community colleges across the state. As a student at a community college, I have always been amazed by the diversity of the student body. Community colleges not only provide educational opportunities to traditional college students, but also to returning students, exchange students, and in my case, dual credit high school students. 
      With such a diverse student population, teaching to such a variety of students can be quite a challenge. I have always admired how my professors were able to gear their lectures towards such a broad age range, to students from such diverse backgrounds. Many students come straight from high school to college, others return to school after years in the workforce, while others have come from other countries for the opportunity of getting an education. By offering developmental courses in addition to regular college classes, community colleges offer more students an opportunity to receive an education they could not get at a four year university. 
     I have been privileged to meet one of these students. I first met this young man about a year ago through our mutual involvement in Phi Theta Kappa. It was not until several months later when I was reading an article in our college newspaper that I learned the story of his life. This young man came to the United States three years ago from Zimbabwe as a Green Card Lottery winner. He came with only fifty dollars in his pocket. He left his family and everything he had ever known behind, all for the hope of making a better life for himself and providing for those back home. Because he did not have the educational opportunities we so often take for granted in America, he placed into all developmental courses. While this would have discouraged many students, he never gave up. His professors continually encouraged him in his studies and soon he was taking all college level classes. This young man went on to win just about every scholarship Phi Theta Kappa offers and this past year he graduated from community college. Today, he is currently pursuing a business degree at Cornell University on a full scholarship. However, he would not be where he is today if it weren’t for the world of opportunities offered by community colleges. 
     It’s not just the community colleges in general which make the difference; without the individual professors that make up community colleges, there would be no “community” IN the college.
     As an instructor in a community, you are in a unique position to make a difference in the lives of many of your students. You are in a position to share your love and your passion for a particular subject or field with an entire generation of students. Now what other profession can boast of that? What other profession has the opportunity to influence not only the current generation, but future generations as well? Over the years, other than my family, no one has had more of an impact or influence in my life than my teachers. 
     Now believe it or not, I’m an engineering major. I mean, don’t I look like a future engineer to you? I’ve always enjoyed puzzles and problem solving and believe it or not, one of my favorite games as a child was to solve math problems my dad would write down for me. Sometimes this would even happen on napkins while we were waiting for our dinner at a restaurant. Even at an early age, I’ve always had a love for math and science. This love has continued into college and it doesn’t take much for a professor to make a math or science class interesting for me. Now British Literature on the other hand has never been very high on my list of favorite things. So when I found out British Literature was a required course for graduation, I started calculating how I could get through the class with the least amount of “cultural exposure” possible. I looked up the course schedule online and found a class that met on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I only had to spend two days of my week trying to decipher poetic metaphors instead of three. Before I ever set foot in the classroom, I had already decided I was going to hate this class. 
      However, my professor had other plans for me and his other students. On the first day of class when he started lecturing, I knew my views were about to change. His lectures were so interesting and engaging that he made literature come alive for me in a way I never thought possible. His captivating stories from his travels abroad entertained and engaged his class. Even those confusing poetic metaphors actually started to make sense. I was so amazed when I actually found myself not only enjoying, even understanding British Literature, but I actually looked forward to going to class each day. After the end of the semester, rather than selling my book back to the bookstore, I held onto it and still enjoy reading it today, just for fun!
     Even though my professor never knew it, he made a difference in my life. His passion for literature and poetry was evident in every lecture he gave. Whether it was by telling a humorous story to go along with his lecture or in teaching us how to decipher poetry on our own, he always held his students’ attention. He took a subject I disliked and turned it into something I enjoyed. Sometimes, you will never know the difference you have made in the lives of your students. But please know this, you DO make a difference. Whether you teach math, science, English, literature, history, philosophy, or speech, you have the opportunity of a lifetime. You have the opportunity to influence the future of America. Someone once said that “teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions.” You have the chance to instruct the future doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, authors, and teachers of America.
     The best community college professors see a student as a name, not merely a number, as opportunity, not an obligation. They encourage the potential they see rather than focusing on shortcomings. They see what can be, not what might have been. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that “The great teacher is not the man who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people.” Because of the encouragement and support of my teachers and professors, I am a different person today. Without encouragement of a certain professor, I never could have seen myself as the Regional President of Phi Theta Kappa and I most certainly never would have envisioned myself speaking to so many professors all at once. Now whether that encouragement was a good thing or not, I’ll leave you to be the judge of that. Thank you. 

Join Us in Austin!

Now is the time for all community and technical college educators to come to the aid of themselves and their profession. The TCCTA annual convention begins on Feb. 19, with Community College Day at the Capitol, followed by the General Session that evening, featuring keynote speaker David Weinberger.

After that there are two days filled with activities providing the best professional development programs anywhere—and all at bargain prices. All events are at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, in the Arboretum shopping area, with plenty of popular dining and entertainment venues within an easy walk. 

Details, including updates and hotel information, are accessible using this link. Join us!

Phi Theta Kappa Leader to Address General Session

One of the the highlights of the TCCTA annual convention is hearing remarks from the current Texas Regional President of Phi Theta Kappa, in addition to the keynote speaker and other features. 

Katie Bierschenk will address the General Session at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, on Thursday, Feb. 19. The session begins at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Bierschenk is a member of the Alpha Alpha Xi chapter at Richland College of the Dallas County Community College District. 

 

While at Richland College, she has been an active member within her chapter, helping to plan chapter events, attending conventions and meetings. Ms. Bierschenk also volunteers at United Way affiliate, Helping Hands of Rockwall County. As a member of the ballet and tap performance teams, the London Dancers and Dance Dynamics, she has performed in many benefit shows and fundraisers for organizations throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. 

 

A formerly homeschooled student, she is currently a senior at Richland Collegiate High School, a unique program where high school students can complete their final two years of high school while simultaneously earning their associates degree. She will graduate in May with an Associate of Science degree and plans to transfer to a university and major in mechanical engineering. Currently Ms. Bierschenk is ranked third in her graduating class.

 

In her spare time, she enjoys ballet and tap dancing, playing the piano, and spending time with her family.

Faculty Organizations Walk Tightrope

“Faculty Leadership: Walking the Tightrope in Campus Governance,” will be the topic of an important session during the annual TCCTA convention on Friday, Feb 20, at 4:00 p.m. Previous sessions on faculty organization “best practices” have been extremely popular at association conferences.

These meetings are designed by faculty, for faculty, and moderated by faculty. Moderators for this meeting will be Fred Newbury, Richland College, and David Lydic, Austin Community College. All members are invited to attend and participate.

For more information on the annual convention, to be held Feb. 19-21, at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, visit this link.

Section Programs Online

The discipline-specific Section Programs are the backbone of the annual TCCTA convention. This year they offer an amazing array of programs, featuring award-winning scholars, panel discussions, and experts on the latest technology. For a fraction of the cost of national disciplinary conferences, members can receive professional development that is unsurpassed, and engage in dialogue with colleagues from every community college in Texas. The dates are February 19-21, at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. 

Visit this link for the full lineup, plus information on the Technology Seminars, Financial Planning sessions, the Professional Development Seminar, GIFTS sessions, as well as registration and hotel information. Don't miss it!

Financial Planning Seminars Include Social Security Update

Two authorities on recent developments regarding the Social Security Administration's Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) will present a special update to attendees at the TCCTA annual convention in Austin. The meeting will take place on Friday, February 20, at 8:00 a.m., at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. 

"TRS/ORP and Social Security" will be presented by Dave Bell, a certified financial planner, and Dean Wallace, a certified public accountant and attorney. Mr. Wallace is also a professor of accounting at Collin College. The discussion will center upon the WEP and GPO, and their effect upon those who plan to retire from schools that do not participate in the Social Security system. Members of the Texas Teacher Retirement System and participants in the Optional Retirement Program are urged to attend.

Also on Friday, at 1:00 p.m., "TRS, ORP, Social Security and 403-b (TSA)” 
will be presented by Jay Allen Finn, a certified public accountant (and former IRS agent) and Tim Webster, a financial advisor.

The speakers say they will discuss "How to invest your ORP, Parcial Lump Sum and 403(b) with current maximums to maximize your nest egg, utilizing a proven approach for retirement planning." The presentation will include an outline of the most important changes to the 403(b) in 50 years. Social Security will also be part of the discussion.