4. Guiding Principles
Start small
Identify resources among the members
Use existing opportunities to meet and communicate
Resist the urge to build the network too quickly
Stay focused
The average path length in the network tends to be short.
Some nodes are more prominent than others.
5. March/April 2009
Send invitation, make phone calls and set up
individual meetings:
Foothill College
Mission College
City College of San Francisco
College of the Marin
Chabot College
Las Positas College
Los Medanos College
7. March/April Cont.
Data base and Web presence
Contact information
Local list serve
Identify needs and ideas
Shared master calendar of events
Identify resource teams and pairs
Set up a system to provide on-site visits
Data analysis, discipline specific
pedagogy, technology, student services, coordination…
Meeting to create shared vision and mission
9. Ben Smith: A Learning
Communities Success Story
Redwood City's Ben Smith has never had problems passing a humanities class but
math, that is a different story. quot;I took math repeatedly and I kept getting D's,quot; said
Smith, a student at Cañada since the fall of 2006. quot;It was extremely frustrating.quot; Imagine
Ben's skepticism when Salumeh Eslamieh, assistant professor of English and chair of the
Basic Skills Committee, suggested he take two math classes in the same semester. quot;I was
really worried but I had Salumeh in other classes and I trusted her,quot; he said.
Ben, a TRiO student at the college, was encouraged to sign up for a Crossing Borders
learning community that focused on math. It was taught by instructor Denise Hum and
included an academic counseling class and a group meeting with other students in the
learning community. Ben had been involved with another learning community focused
on English so he agreed. quot;It was the best decision I've made in college,quot; he said. quot;I
learned about math anxiety and how to overcome it. I had friends in the class and we
studied together and Denise Hum would meet us in the Learning Center to help us
study. There was a lot of interaction in the class. It was magical.quot;
Because he passed both math classes, Ben stayed on course to finish at Cañada this
semester and has been provisionally accepted at San Jose State University where he will
study behavioral science and sociology in the fall. quot;I think it's pretty cool that I was in
the first math class for Crossing Borders,quot; he said. quot;The learning communities expose
you to other experiences, help you meet friends, and find people to study with. I would
certainly advise students who have trouble in math, english or reading to join a learning
community because it will help you pass the class.quot;
10. Assessment
On-going
Internal and external
With Regional Mentors
With Local network leaders
