Building Bridges Conference

Building Bridges 2012

2011-11-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

"Bixby Bridge" by Ian Parker

Location & Date

Friday, 24 Feb. 2012

8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Four Points Sheraton
5101 California Avenue

Bakersfield, CA 93309

Phone: (661) 325-9700

This Year's Theme: "Motivating Our Students - Motivating Ourselves"

How do we motivate and inspire our college reading, writing, and ESL students to succeed? To do so, we must first inspire ourselves. Join us for the 22nd Annual Building Bridges Conference where we will explore sources of inspiration and other topics of importance to our discipline area.

Building Bridges provides college English and ESL teachers opportunities to connect with publishers and colleagues, attend breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, and share teaching successes with each other. See the history page for more information.

Continental breakfast and lunch are provided!

Possible Topics

First-Year Experience, Basic Skills, Learning Communities, English as a Second Language, Technology in the Classroom, Responding to Papers, Teaching Research, Teaching Reading, Critical Thinking, Grammar/Usage, Learning Disabilities, Coping with Student Attitudes, or any topic related to teaching composition, literature, or ESL.

Registration Deadline: Monday, 20 February 2012

To register, fill out the 2012 Registration Form found in the right column of this website.

Note: If, after registering, you cannot attend, kindly send a cancellation message to the Conference Coordinator.

Call for Proposals

Proposals Deadline: Friday, 27 January 2012

As in years past, we know that we will have superb presentations by outstanding presenters--faculty from our campuses. If you have an idea for a group or individual presentation on a topic relevant to the teaching of composition, ESL, and literature, please submit your proposal to the planning committee for consideration.

To submit, download the 2012 Proposals Form found in the right column of this site, complete, and send as an email attachment to the Conference Coordinator.

2012 Planning Committee

2011-11-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

Bakersfield College

Pam Boyles
Sheena Bhogal
Brenda Freaney
Jeannie Parent
Kate Pluta
Kim Van Horne

CSUB

Jan Titus
Kim Flachmann
Laura Peet
Rebecca Hewett
Kaye Falconer

Cerro Coso Community College

Gary Enns

College of the Canyons

Jennifer Brezina
Adam Kempler

Intensive English Language Center, CSUB

Jeremy Caldwell
Karen Hurley

Porterville College

Susan Regier
Elizabeth Buchanan

Taft College

Gary Graupman
Kamala Carlson
Jessica Grimes

2011 Conference Highlights

2011-01-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

Pictures by Gary Graupman of Taft College.

2011 BBC Presentations In Brief
Session handouts are provided below. Send handouts to Gary Enns, BBC Web Editor.

The Runner Reader Explained
Emerson Case, CSUB

This presentation explained the evolution and set-up of the Runner Reader and how other schools can become involved with the project. Lost in Research Space: Helping Students

Understand Library Sources
Dawn Dobie and Marci Lingo, Bakersfield College

“Where do I start?” “Where do I find information?” “Can I just use a couple of web sites?” This session offered strategies to help students move beyond unsophisticated Google searches. Students who understand how to use the wide variety of library resources available to them feel less anxiety about the research process and have more success with projects. How to Develop Learning Cohorts that Create a Nurturing Environment for Learning and Enhancing

Intellectual Development in Students
Susan Regier, Jacinto Gardea, Kathryn Benander, Dean Antonia Ecung, Porterville College

Porterville College has successfully developed learning cohorts and linked courses for students from basic skills to transfer level. The faculty have learned how to “hard link” courses, so all the students are enrolled in each course—creating true “learning communities.” PC has developed a system of supplemental instruction to enrich the student experience and has incorporated Early Alert to help keep students coming to class and increase student success, and they have done it with almost no money.

Palette-able Grammar
Darlene Stotler, CSUB

"Palette-able Grammar" - PowerPoint Presentation

Palette-able Grammar is a workshop intended for ESL teachers of learners who need help differentiating the parts of speech. Using a graphic, colorful method, students can write and communicate more effectively.

Peer Revision for Composition Students: Making It Work
Dale Drennan, CSUB

This presentation looked at what we expect students to accomplish during peer revision. The presenters shared a peer-revision activity that helped students understand how to analyze fellow students' papers effectively and how to use feedback to improve their own papers.

The Synonym Monkey and Other Adventures in Teaching Non-Readers to Write
Gregory Miller, CSUB, and Pamela Fox, Bakersfield College-Delano Campus and CSUB

“How can we teach students who do not, and likely will not, read to write well?” The presenters shared exercises that they developed in response to this challenge that faculty face in all classes and at all levels of instruction.

Engaging the Millennial Student: Reaching Underprepared Students with Multi-Media and Interactive Exercises
Jeannie Parent, Bakersfield College, and Yuri Sakamaki, Bakersfield College and IELC

This workshop offered techniques for keeping ESL, English, or Academic Development students actively engaged in learning through the use of multi-media, such as video, PowerPoint, and audio. Lessons include run-on sentences as well as oral history assignments with a global focus that appeals to instructors in a variety of classes.

You May Now Begin Laughing: Using Humor to Facilitate Critical Thinking
Matthew Woodman, CSUB

The presentation discussed using theories of humor to facilitate effective critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. The presenter is a proponent of theme-based composition instruction and has found that “humor,” in both theory and practice, offers a broad spectrum of resources to engage students.

The Hiring Process at Bakersfield College
Pam Boyles, Bakersfield College

This presentation focused on the ins and outs of the hiring procedure from the decision to advertise for a position to the final announcement regarding the hire.

Using Multimedia in Comp Classes
Kim Flachmann, CSUB

This session began with an overview of some of the technology options available to students in composition courses. Attendents then discussed the advantages and disadvantages of these options. Questions to ask ourselves: How can our students learn best in their Facebook, YouTube, and iPhone environment? Are we missing out on some fool-proof connections with our students by ignoring their everyday world?

Team Teaching the Research Paper
Norm Hutcherson and Randi Brummett DeLeon, CSUB, and Laura Peet, CSUB/Bakersfield College

"Words and Music" - Handout by Norm Hutcherson

This session focused on the unique collaborative relationship between composition instructors and librarians at CSUB. For a librarian attempting to support such an effort, a number of key questions must be addressed including the focus of the section, the requirements of the final research paper, student knowledge of academically viable resources, the researchability of their topics, assignment conflicts, critical thinking, and the need to build a strong and supportive relationship between the composition instructor being supported and the librarian providing the support.

Academic Culture: How to Thrive in a “Foreign” Culture
Ann Marie Wagstaff and Melissa Black, Porterville College

While English professors have spent much of our lives in academic culture, for our students that culture is “foreign” and filled with hidden surprises. This workshop discussed how to help students be aware that they are in a new culture and how to navigate that culture with success.

* * *

Administrators Honored at Conference
Listed in alphabetical order by institution.

Bakersfield College

Greg Chamberlain, President

California State University, Bakersfield

Horace Mitchell, President
Beverly Byl, Vice President of University Advancement
Soraya Coley, Provost
Richard Collins, Dean of Arts and Humanities
Steve Watkin, Director of Outreach

Cerro Coso Community College

Rick Post, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs

Kern Community College District

Sandra Serrano, Chancellor

Porterville College

Ann Beheler, Vice President of Academic Affairs
Antonia Ecung, Dean of Academic Affairs

Taft College

Val Garcia, Associate Dean of Instruction

* * *

Special Thanks

Web Hosting and Assistance

George Badine and CSUB

Grants Funds

Bakersfield College
Porterville College
Taft College

Publishers

Cengage Learning Higher Ed
Heinle Cengage Learning ESL
Pearson Arts and Sciences
W.W. Norton

Giveaways and Raffle Prizes

Bakersfield College Bookstore
CSUB Runner Bookstore
Hoa Le, Website Design/Computer Assistance
Raheela McGhie, Massage
Pearson Arts and Sciences
Sephora
Sequoia Sandwiches
Silverado Sports, Maura Ojeda
Taft Outreach

* * *

2011 Planning Committee

Bakersfield College

Pam Boyles
Sheena Bhogal
Brenda Freaney
Jeannie Parent
Kate Pluta
Kim Van Horne

CSUB

Jan Titus
Kim Flachmann
Laura Peet
Rebecca Hewett

Cerro Coso Community College

Gary Enns

College of the Canyons

Jennifer Brezina
Fred D’Astoli
Adam Kempler

Intensive English Language Center, CSUB

Jeremy Caldwell
Karen Hurley

Porterville College

Susan Regier

Taft College

Gary Graupman
Kamala Carlson
Jessica Grimes

Building Bridges 2011

2010-10-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Location & Date

Friday, 28 January 2011

8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Four Points Sheraton
5101 California Avenue

Bakersfield, CA 93309

Phone: (661) 325-9700

Overview

The 21st Annual Building Bridges Conference will provide college English and ESL teachers opportunities to connect with publishers and colleagues, to attend breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, and to learn and share teaching successes with each other. See the history page for more information.

Continental breakfast and lunch are provided!

Possible Topics

Registration Deadline: Monday, 24 January 2011

To register, fill out the 2011 Registration Form found in the right column of this website.

Note: If, after registering, you cannot attend, kindly send a cancellation message to the Conference Coordinator.

Call for Proposals

Proposals Deadline: Friday, 14 January 2011

As in years past, we know that we will have superb presentations by outstanding presenters--faculty from our campuses. If you have an idea for a group or individual presentation on a topic relevant to the teaching of composition, ESL, and literature, please submit your proposal to the planning committee for consideration.

To submit, download the 2011 Proposals Form found in the right column of this site, complete, and send as an email attachment to the Conference Coordinator.

2011 Planning Committee

2010-10-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

Bakersfield College

Pam Boyles
Sheena Bhogal
Brenda Freaney
Jeannie Parent
Kate Pluta
Kim Van Horne

CSUB

Jan Titus
Kim Flachmann
Laura Peet
Rebecca Hewett

Cerro Coso Community College

Gary Enns

College of the Canyons

Jennifer Brezina
Fred D’Astoli
Adam Kempler

Intensive English Language Center, CSUB

Jeremy Caldwell
Karen Hurley

Porterville College

Susan Regier

Taft College

Gary Graupman
Kamala Carlson
Jessica Grimes

Building Bridges 2010!

2009-11-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Location & Date

Friday, 5 February 2010

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Four Points Sheraton
5101 California Avenue

Bakersfield, CA 93309

Phone: (661) 325-9700

Overview

The 20th Annual Building Bridges Conference will provide college English and ESL teachers opportunities to connect with publishers and colleagues, to attend breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, and to learn and share teaching successes with each other. See the history page for more information.

"The 20th anniversary is a milestone for the event, especially for those who attended the first conference and those who started this superb professional development opportunity--Kim Flachmann of CSUB and Kate Pluta of Bakersfield College. We look forward to another wonderful conference with outstanding presentations from you--the classroom experts. On behalf of the conference planning committee, I look forward to seeing you all in February." - Jan Titus, Conference Coordinator

Possible Topics

To register, fill out the 2010 Registration Form found in the right column of this website.

Call for Proposals

As in years past, we know that we will have superb presentations by outstanding presenters--faculty from our campuses. If you have an idea for a group or individual presentation on a topic relevant to the teaching of composition, ESL, and literature, please submit your proposal to the planning committee for consideration.

To submit, download the 2010 Proposals Form found in the right column of this site, complete, and send as an email attachment to the Conference Coordinator.

Contact

2009-11-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Conference Coordinator: Jan Titus

Web Editor: Gary Enns

Building Bridges 2009!

2008-11-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

Location & Date

Friday, 6 February 2009
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Four Points Sheraton
5101 California Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Phone: (661) 325-9700

Overview

The 19th Annual Building Bridges Reatreat will provide college English and ESL teachers opportunities to connect with publishers and colleagues, to attend breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, and to learn and share teaching successes with each other. See the history page for more information.

Possible Topics

First-Year Experience, Basic Skills, Learning Communities, English as a Second Language, Technology in the Classroom, Responding to Papers, Teaching Research, Teaching Reading, Critical Thinking, Grammar/Usage, Learning Disabilities, Coping with Student Attitudes, or any topic related to teaching composition, literature, or ESL.

Register for the Conference

To register, fill out the 2009 Registration Form found in the right column of this website.

Call for Proposals

As in years past, we know that we will have superb presentations by outstanding presenters--faculty from our campuses. If you have an idea for a group or individual presentation on a topic relevant to the teaching of composition, ESL, and literature.

To submit a proposal, download the 2009 Proposals Form found on this site, complete, and send as an attachment to the Conference Coordinator.

Building Bridges 2008!

2007-12-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Location & Date

Friday, 1 February 2008
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Four Points Sheraton
5101 California Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Phone: (661) 325-9700

Overview

The 18th Annual Building Bridges Reatreat will provide college English and ESL teachers opportunities to connect with publishers and colleagues, to attend breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, and to learn and share teaching successes with each other. See the 2007 Highlights for an idea of what you can expect.

Possible Topics

First-Year Experience, Basic Skills, Learning Communities, English as a Second Language, Technology in the Classroom, Responding to Papers, Teaching Research, Teaching Reading, Critical Thinking, Grammar/Usage, Learning Disabilities, Coping with Student Attitudes, or any topic related to teaching composition, literature, or ESL.

Register for the Conference

Fill out the 2008 Registration Form. Deadline: January 28, 2008.

We look forward to seeing you!

Call for Proposals

As in years past, we know that we will have superb presentations by outstanding presenters--faculty from our campuses. If you have an idea for a group or individual presentation on a topic relevant to the teaching of composition, ESL, and literature.

To submit a proposal, fill out the 2008 Proposal Form. Deadline, January 23, 2008.

2007 Highlights

2007-03-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

2007's Building Bridges Retreat on Friday, March 9 was a day for English teachers to get together with publishers and colleagues to exchange ideas on the craft of teaching college English. Our thanks go out to the publishers, their wonderful regional representatives, the presenters, college administrators, and English teachers who attended and participated. Below is the program schedule and a slideshow of highlights featuring many of the individuals that made 2007's Building Bridges Retreat a great experience. We hope to see you in 2008!

7:30-8:30 - Registration; Continental Breakfast; Publisher Exhibits

8:20-8:45 - Opening Remarks

8:45-9:30 - Publisher Presentations: Antoinett Greensky and Elvis Becerra of Allyn/Bacon Longman; Jennifer Sano and Dennis Adams of Bedford St. Martin's; Quentin Murphy of Cambridge University Press; Joy Ecklund and Alison Henry of Houghton Mifflin; Jonathan Boggs of Longman/ESL.

9:30-9:50 - Coffee Break

9:55-10:55 - Breakout Sessions: "Grading ESL Essays Fairly" by Sara Beheseta and Jeannie Parent of BC; "An Approach to Teaching Poetry" by Kerrie Buis of BC and COS; "Best Practices: Sharing Our Experiences" by Chris Chung-Wee of Taft; "Departmental Norming" by David Hurst of COS, Susan Regier of PC, and Valerie Turner of CSUB.

11:00-11:45 - Publisher Presentations: Brian Gore of McGraw-Hill; Ron Barasch of Oxford University Press; Cheryl Smith and Valerie Turner of Prentice Hall; Liz Poulsen and Alex Kasuboske of Thomson Learning; Erin Chenoweth of Thomson Learning/ESL.

12:00-1:20 - Fiesta Buffet Lunch

1:25-2:25 - Breakout Sessions: "Using Technology in the ESL Classroom" by John Hart of BC; "The How's and Why's of Increasing Student Contact" by Brenda Freaney and Paula Parks of BC; "Critical Thinking via Audience Awarenesse" by Cheryl Hogue Smith of CSUB; "Research Paper" by Gary Graupman of Taft and Kate Pluta of BC.

2:25-2:40 - Chocolate and Cheesecake Dessert Break!

2:40-3:40 - Breakout Sessions: "Designing and Effective Research Writing Course" by Gloria Dumler and Denise Mitchell of BC; "Craft-Oriented Composition Assignments" by Robert Vasquez of COS; "Handling the English Instructor Paper Load" by Kim Flachmann of CSUB; "Reading Journals and Idea Notebooks" by Randi Brummett De Leon and Brooke Hughes of CSUB.

3:40-4:00 - Wrap-Up!

2007 Building Bridges Retreat

2006-11-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

Date
Fri March 9, 2007

Time
8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Where
The Four Points Sheraton
5101 California Avenue
Bakersfield, California 93309

Cost
Free

Description
Building Bridges 2007 promises more breakout sessions on topics relevant to the teaching of English. Building Bridges is committed to serving as a major vehicle of professional development among the English and ESL faculty.

Participants include faculty from Antelope Valley College, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College, College of the Canyons, College of the Sequoias, Porterville College, and Taft College.

If you are at a California college not listed here but would like to participate, please contact the retreat planning coordinators.

Publishers
Longman ESL
Bedford/St. Martin's
Thomson and Thomson ESL
Houghton Mifflin
McGraw-Hill
Prentice Hall

A Sample of the Breakout Sessions
An Approach to Teaching Poetry
Basic Writers and Audience Awareness/Critical Thinking
Craft-Oriented Composition Assignments
Grading ESL students’ Final Essay Exams fairly while maintaining standards
Handling the English Instructor Paper Load
Humor as an Effective Teaching Tool in the Classroom

Send breakout session proposals to the retreat contact listed in the right column.

Building Bridges History

2006-11-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

The retreat originates from a grant provided by the CSU-Chancellor's office to improve communication and articulation of English classes offered at Bakersfield College and CSUB. In 1990, Kate Pluta of BC and Kim Flachmann's grant work created the first retreat that brought the campuses together to share ideas, to talk about good writing, and most importantly, to agree upon what we, as two academic communities, could do to support and encourage the writing success of our students.

Over the years, the retreat has continued to grow and to serve as a major vehicle of professional development among the English and ESL faculty, especially part-time lecturers. In addition to CSUB and BC, we have many campuses participating this year: Antelope Valley College, Cerro Coso, College of the Canyons, and College of the Sequoias, Porterville, Taft, and the Intensive English Language Center/CSUB.

This year’s program is extended to include at least 12 breakout sessions. Participants will have a wide variety of topics to choose from, including repeat sessions for the most popular sessions. Presenters are faculty and student support services personnel.