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This document is a series of short papers (47) on topics of interest to community college instructors and practitioners. The topics covered in the papers include: study and writing tips for students, teaching strategies and tips, descriptions of innovative programs, using technology in teaching and learning, interacting with students, and institutional effectiveness. The majority of the papers deal with the teaching and learning function, teaching effectively, and the use of technology in the classroom. Titles include: (1) "Teaching in Chunks: Promoting Integration of Concepts" by Penny Zahl; (2) "A Teacher Writes to His Students: Top Ten Tips For Tackling Tenacious Tasks" by Al Trujillo; (3) "Rethinking a Scientific Assignment" by Tricia A. Reichert; (4) "Finding New Syllabi" by Wayne Gilbert; (5) "A First-Semester Learning Community for Adult Women" by Diane Horwitz; (6) "Concurrent Enrollment: A Strategy to Meet Urban Educational Needs" by Brian G. Chapman; (7) "Technology of Humanity: Instilling High Tough in High Tech Departments" by Earl R. Dodrill; (8) "Combining Literature and Technology" by Phyllis Gleason; (9) "On Treating Students as Adults" by Richard A. Baker; (10) "Learning Styles across the College" by Diane Cheatwood; (11) "The Brown Paper Paste-Up Analysis: An Institutional Effectiveness Model" by Miriam M. Baker; and (12) "Managing It All: A Systematic Approach for Allied Health Programs." (LD)

The 52 abstracts in these 29 serial issues describe innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Sample topics include reading motivation, barriers to academic success, the learning environment, writing skills, leadership in the criminal justice profession, role-playing strategies, cooperative education, distance education through compressed video, team teaching, study abroad programs, community development, programs for at-risk students, a checklist for hiring community college faculty, on-line testing, violence on campus, improving student performance, teaching logical fallacies, teacher education, workshop development, acquiring Internet skills, nursing, quilting as a learning supplement, basic grammar instruction, ESL instruction, self-assessment in public speaking, comics in the classroom, student-created course reviews, alternatives to traditional testing, collaborative journalism, and interdisciplinary technology. (AS)

This document contains the four issues of volume 21 of the newsletter, "Linkages." The first issue discusses business partnerships, collaboration, community outreach, grants and contributions at the following community colleges: Salt Lake (UT), Monroe (NY), Niagara County (NY), Elgin (IL), Westmoreland (PA), Wayne (NC), Redlands (OK), Burlington (NJ), Del Mar (TX), and Santa Monica (CA). Issue 2 celebrates 20 years of service to community colleges, with highlights on what's "new for '98," conference features, program strands, business partnerships and community outreach at the following community colleges: Monroe (NY), Allan Hancock (CA), Colorado Mountain, Skagit Valley (WA) and Ivy Tech State (IA). The third issue covers grants, collaboration and community outreach at Long Beach City College (CA), Forsyth Technical Community College (NC), Santa Monica College (CA), Baltimore City Community College (MD), Cambrian College (Canada), Schoolcraft College (MI), Cossatot Technical College (AR), Anson College (NC) and Westmoreland College (PA). Finally, issue 4 discusses grants, business partnerships, technology, collaboration, and community outreach at the following community colleges: Salt Lake (UT), Garden City (KS), Burlington (NJ) Kirkwood (IA), Redlands (OK), Washtenaw (MI), DuPage (IL), Mountain View (TX) and Metropolitan (KS). (AS)

The 52 abstracts in these 29 serial issues describe innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Sample topics include a checklist for conference presenters, plan to retain students, faculty home page, improvements in writing instruction, cooperative learning, support for high risk students, competitive colleges and the community college student, computerized student orientation, final exams, developmental writing software, community involvement, basic composition, a team approach to orientation, an innovative speech course, encouragement for proofreading, undergraduate student research, computers as scientific instruments, a theatrical approach to English as a Second Language (ESL), women's support services, motivational development, student empowerment, English as a Second Language, literacy development, grading methods, empowering the re-entry student, making tests more user-friendly, math meets, building connections, student telecounselors, e-mail, educational technology, humor's role in preparing future leaders, community interaction, connecting curriculum, leadership, using student-initiated questions in instruction, connection of curriculum, faculty partnership with library staff, and facilitating classroom discussion. (YKH)

The 29 abstracts in this volume describe innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered include the following: (1) strategies for providing management training to faculty and staff; (2) activities to help developmental mathematics students overcome obstacles to success in mathematics; (3) incorporating technology into mathematics classrooms; (4) developing an orientation conference for first-time freshmen students; (5) developing alternate sources of revenue; (6) implementing honors symposia; (7) developing an exchange program for public speaking courses; (8) using content-related humor in the classroom; (9) moving toward computer-mediated communication without networked computers and electronic mail; (10) student-centered composition classes; (11) using the World Wide Web, electronic mail, and campus networks to enrich classes and academic support services; (12) develop programs to ease first-time students into the college experience; (13) the characteristics of college catalogs; (14) guidelines for the effective use of teaching assistants; (15) Middle College, a high school-college enrollment program in California for at-risk students; (16) team-teaching in an interdisciplinary environment; (17) using voice mail to provide information on lectures; (18) the use of computer-assisted writing; (19) the use of commemorative speeches in a speech class; (20) using spreadsheets of grades to motivate students; (21) using dialogues to introduce students to persuasive writing; and (22) setting standards for student behavior. (HAA)

The abstracts in this volume describe innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered include: (1) the use of message mapping for speaking and writing instruction; (2) group projects and portfolios as evaluation tools; (3) helping students become strategic learners; (4) using writing assignments to ensure that students read class materials; (5) using indicators of excellence in institutional outcomes assessment; (6) utilizing technology for professional development and daily communication tasks; (7) a project to help teachers share ideas; (8) the functions of a community college Ombudsman Service; (9) college orientation for new students; (10) providing feedback to students with a word processor; (11) strategies for improving lecture format classes; (12) assigning relevant writing topics based on current events; (13) the validity of prerequisite courses for student success; (14) difficulties of using a controlled vocabulary in electronic research; (15) team teaching; (16) competencies classes; (17) improving teaching effectiveness through self-observation; (18) having students create posters of main ideas of readings; (19) an institute for intercultural understanding to promote diversity; (20) tutoring services at an innovative learning center; (21) the value of interdisciplinary studies; (22) using electronic mail as an evaluation tool; (23) teacher-student collaboration in writing instruction; (24) teaching research skills through interviews of English as a Second Language students; (25) using community-based writing assignments in introductory composition; (26) feedback sessions to discuss exam results with students; (27) strategies for establishing wellness programs; (28) integrating study skills into the college curriculum; (29) grading collaborative activities; (30) the role of grammar in developmental writing classes; and (31) a staff retreat for improving communication skills. (BCY)

The 1993 book, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The At-Risk Student in the Open-Door College," provided a status report on community college responses to at-risk students, or students who possess academic, social, and economic problems that challenge their success in college. In addition to providing a brief history of at-risk programs and literature and research reviews, the book highlighted 12 exemplary community college programs. Although the programs served different at-risk populations, they shared numerous policy and procedural characteristics. These characteristics, and their implications, can be condensed into the following nine recommendations: (1) pre-enrollment activities should be proactive, offering skills testing to potential students in elementary or high school and occupational testing to adults; (2) orientation should be required of entering students; (3) late registration should be abolished; (4) basic skills assessment and placement should be mandatory, with test data used to place students in appropriate classes; (5) dual enrollment should be eliminated for basic skill and regular academic courses; (6) working students should be strongly encouraged to reduce academic loads to help them better accommodate the demands of work, family, and college; (7) more comprehensive financial aid opportunities and employment for students on campus should be provided; (8) problem-solving and literacy activities should be incorporated into all courses; and (9) student and program outcomes should be evaluated regularly and findings disseminated. (BCY)

This volume of 30 one- to two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the abstracts include: (1) music in the biology classroom; (2) pairing English as a second language and freshman composition students in writing activities; (3) moot court exercises in public law classes; (4) applying current events to economics classes; (5) junior high school/college collaborative learning; (6) tailoring college curricula to fit customer needs; (7) helping students make the transition from the social to the learning mode; (8) cultural diversity for faculty and curriculum development; (9) the use of academic warmups in class; (10) teaching ethics across the curriculum; (11) employing structured conversations in conversational Spanish; (12) the use of editorials in writing classes to engage the campus community; (13) taking roll and learning names; (14) experiential learning; (15) a course examining criminals in literature; (16) interactive drama to teach community concerns; (17) the use of freewriting; (18) assessing instructional strategies; (19) talk-alouds for student assessment; (20) technology in teaching; (21) a group method for teaching public speaking; (22) survival Spanish for college staff; (23) teaching students how to achieve excellence; (24) creative writing in history classes; (25) recruiting women engineering students; (26) journal article dissection in biology; (27) innovative topics for speech classes; (28) encouraging students to build academic libraries; (29) a bilingual computer class; (30) portfolio creation; (31) benefits of group papers; (32) increasing student participation in business classes; (33) criminal law and fairy tales; and (34) teaching empathy in nursing classes. (KP)

This volume of 30 one- to two-page abstracts from 1993 highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the abstracts include: (1) role-playing to encourage critical thinking; (2) team learning techniques to cultivate business skills; (3) librarian-instructor partnerships to create a bond for student success; (4) the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development's role in faculty development; (5) teaching business law in a mock courtroom; (6) faculty development for part-time instructors; (7) a teaching factory which prepares students for careers in manufacturing; (8) honors philosophy classes that meet in restaurants; (9) strategies for teaching mathematics as an international language; (10) the use of peer review and portfolios in a writing class; (11) teaching communications for technical students; (12) using student presentations in an economics class to make technical terminology understandable; (13) assigning students two-person dialogues between television characters to debunk microbiology myths; (14) culturally sensitive strategies for teaching speakers of Black English; (15) having at-risk students assume the role of literary critics to discuss literature; (16) giving students essay questions a few days before the exam to improve study skills; (17) collaboration with college librarians in library assignments; (18) the use of drills at the beginning of class to encourage developmental mathematics attendance; (19) cooperative learning in mathematics; (20) designing an effective advisory committee; (21) a group approach to multiple choice tests; (22) using pen pals with basic writing students; (23) an incremental approach to measuring institutional effectiveness; (24) self-regulated foreign language learners; (25) the use of a feedback sheet to evaluate class performance; and (26) publishing student essays. (KP)

This series of 30 one- to two-page abstracts covering 1992 highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the abstracts include: (1) faculty recognition and orientation; (2) the Amado M. Pena, Jr., Scholarship Program; (3) innovative teaching techniques, with individual abstracts focusing on instruction in English, mathematics, economics, nursing, computer education, and science; (4) study and test preparation tips for students; (5) alternative evaluation methods; (6) an international visitor program; (7) cultural diversity and multicultural education; (8) the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development conference results; (9) the role of writing in different disciplines; (10) building student self-esteem in the classroom; (11) the role of student as teacher; (12) the "Course Selection System"; (13) instructor and student goals; (14) poetry writing in English classes; (15) using newspapers in the classroom; (16) measuring student and institutional effectiveness; (17) law enforcement and security simulations; (18) student retention; (19) teacher student relationships; (20) political correctness in science instruction; (21) desk top publishing in education; (22) student problem solving; (23) student psychology; (24) nontraditional literature instruction; (25) implementation of a handicapped awareness day; (26) student test anxiety; and (27) creative writing in programs for older adults. (MAB)

This series of one- to two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the abstracts include: (1) internationalizing the curriculum through focused interaction; (2) improving the small group approach to learning; (3) writing across the curriculum with early essay tests; (4) how to start writing a paper; (5) an oral approach to communication; (6) curing library phobia; (7) adult student development in an off-campus setting; (8) information for mature women thinking about college; (9) establishing a writing workshop; (10) longevity and organizational climate; (11) using teamwork as a key to success for students with disabilities; (12) evaluating student class participation; (13) high expectations for student papers; (14) cultural and linguistic exchange; (15) breaking down barriers; (16) thinking and working like a scientist; (17) celebrating teaching excellence; (18) programs for enhancing academic growth; (19) writing centers; (20) sitting and standing in class; (21) encouraging students to become more involved readers; (22) helping freshmen survive their college experience; (23) involving administrators in the teaching process through team-teaching; (24) surveys of departing students; (25) using student evaluations for instructor learning; (26) getting students involved in the community; (27) activating learning in the classroom; (28) letters to a teacher; (29) broad-based community courses; and (30) inviting nontraditional students into the science culture. (DJD)

This series of one- and two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the articles include the use of Hollywood films as a tool for teaching history; displaced homemaker programs; the relationship between teaching and scholarship; helping students write for the real world; incorporating art assignments in science classes; increasing written output among academics; low-cost/high-impact marketing; the practicality of the liberal arts major; learning biology through writing; the instructional skills workshop as a mechanism for instructional and organizational renewal; the START program (Success through Attrition/Retention Techniques) at Jefferson Community College (Kentucky); the partnership exam at Ashland Community College; the "high tech" classroom as a theater for the mind; teaching critical reading as a way of teaching critical thinking; the Faculty Mentor Program at Austin Community College (Texas); writing as a way of learning; implementing a community college wellness program on a shoestring budget; in praise of exhibits; teaching mathematics as a language; beating the high cost of microcomputers; the New Mexico Junior College Part-Time Faculty Program; transitions from the classroom to consulting; bringing faculty together with the "Faculty Forum"; getting students to think; writing in the quantitative classroom; mid-course evaluations; the laboratory practical final; and tips for teaching excellence and student motivation. (UCM)

This series of 34 one- to two-page essays provides brief descriptions of innovative approaches to various aspects of two-year college education. Included in the series are: "Debatable Learning," by Beti Thompson; "Mentors to the Rescue," by Cynthia A. Barnes; "How to Take Line Management Risks: Push Them Downward," by David P. Campbell; "Applying Basic Skills Concepts to the General Curriculum," by Donald J. Jung; "Teaching Small Business Management: Using Multiple Teaching Strategies," by William Dotson and Jean Names; "Playing Around with the Humanities," by Betty Jo Kramer; "Faculty Renewal: A Model for Professional Development," by Barrie J. Saxton; "Attacking the Skills Problem: A Useful Study Aid," by Peter Incardone; "Thirty-One Ideas for Initiating International Work," by J. Nick Eastmond; "An Alternative to Mid-Term Exams," by Donna A. Nickel; "Grade Expectations," by Trudy Drucker; "An Upper-Division Writing Course," by Robbins Burling; "The Professional: A Definition," by Joseph S. DiPietro; "The Instructor's Report Card," by Vernon A. Magnesen; "Teaching History in the Two-Year College: Some Current Challenges," by William F. Mugleston; "New Directions for Success," by Robert H. McCabe; "Teaching: Another Way of Loving," by Harold Whittington; "ESP in the Classroom," by Norman E. Tandy; "A Study of Honors Programs in Community Colleges," by Patricia M. McKeague and Christine M. White; "What I Did When... Excusing the Inexcusable," by Gary Budd; "Learning Strategies: The Flip-Side of Teaching Strategies," by Claire E. Weinstein; "Serving the Dislocated Worker," by James L. Lancaster; "Using Student Observers in the Classroom," by Diane Orlich Kuhlmann; "Learning to Read--In College," by Art Buchwald; "Application: Coaching Strategies in Oral Anatomy," by O. B. Rominger; "Teaching Thinking Skills," by David Perkins; "Passion and Pedagogy," by Bob Miller; "The History Journal: Writing-Across-the-Curriculum," by Martha J. Pierce; "Improving Qualitative Conduct: A Teacher's Perspective," by Bill Magill; "The Un-Committee," by Steve K. Mittelstet; "Teaching Accounting and Using Computers," by Thomas Vannaman; "Science Mastery: A Design for High-Risk Student Success," by Peggy McClure; "Thoughts and Actions on Student Retention," by John Weber; and "Testing: In Praise of Ambiguity," by Susan Parman. (LAL)

This series of one- to two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the abstracts include: (1) staff development; (2) integrating computers into the curriculum; (3) a strategy for selecting and hiring good teachers; (4) faculty involvement in support services for disabled students; (5) a 3-week course in health and self-awareness taught in Yosemite National Park; (6) using a team approach to improve communication among students in different health fields; (7) cooperation with high schools; (8) cultural immersion and developmental education; (9) improving students' chances for academic success; (10) a class assignment that has composition students visit various departments and offices on campus, while improving their vocabulary and writing skills; (11) eliminating the letter grading system; (12) learning to learn strategies; (13) cost/benefit testing; (14) teaching English composition; (15) "research" in freshman chemistry; (16) historical illiteracy in the community college; (17) assessment and advisement; (18) behaviors associated with academic success; (19) student-teacher relations; (20) keeping abreast of academic trends; (21) the reinstatement of taking roll; (22) the role of the department chair; (23) role playing in history instruction; (24) the high school-to-college transition; (25) instructor-created barriers to student learning; (26) moving from theory to practice in science instruction; (27) physics students' retention; (28) the instructor as division chair; (29) using the law library as a resource; (30) establishing academic objectives by consensus; (31) competency-based learning; (32) improving students' ability to take multiple-choice exams; (33) using student information cards; and (34) teaching thinking skills. (AJL)

This series of one- and two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the articles include: the use of "trigger films" in group learning situations; letter writing as a means of maintaining group cohesion in a nontraditional classroom; creative grading; the use of "Innovation Abstracts"; instructional strategies for multilingual vocational education; interdisciplinary science-humanities courses; professional development for classified staff; improving student retention; the scoring of writing assignments; student feedback; the value of "reinventing the wheel"; cultural literacy; European study tours; critical thinking and valuing as basic skills; word processor use in composition courses; dropout prevention through expectancy value theory; academic advising; teaching and grading methods in business law classes; a competition for high school students; student persistence at Miami-Dade Community College (Florida); active learning; the "interactive errand" as an instructional tool for English as a second language; improving study skills; enhancing student creativity; Red Deer College's (Alberta, Canada) preceptorship program; teleconference extension courses; faculty development at Yukon College (Alaska); social science research projects; teaching the philosophy of success; conducting efficient meetings; qualities of outstanding teachers; computerized practice sets; and tandem testing. (LAL)

This series of one- to two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the abstracts include: (1) cooperative planning for institutional excellence; (2) rewarding scholarship among community college faculty; (3) in-class debates as a learning strategy; (4) instructional approaches for remedial mathematics and English composition; (5) providing incentives for faculty publishing; (6) creating supportive environments for change and for effective adult learning; (7) strategies for helping students with declining grade point averages; (8) using a lottery approach to get students to "volunteer" to answer review questions; (9) study groups and study partners; (10) motivating adult basic education students; (11) helping students prepare for biology exams; (12) goal-setting and goal-using as learning strategies; (13) survival strategies for nursing students; (14) faculty hiring practices; (15) using desktop computers and combined auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learning methods in auto shop; and using computers to recruit students for the program; (16) enhancing critical thinking; (17) an experiment with freshman education majors in a college mathematics course; (18) formal program review of student services programs; (19) faculty taking classes from colleagues in other departments; (20) techniques to help instructors remember names and faces; (21) enhancing teacher enthusiasm; (22) selecting a chief instructional officer; (23) freshman orientation; (24) humor in instruction; (25) critical thinking and collaborative learning; (26) a review of the movie "Dead Poets Society"; (27) "Podium," a journal designed to promote educational research in the community college; (28) improving classroom communication; (29) staff development through a wilderness program; (30) employee orientation; (31) a common-sense approach to good teaching; and (32) the future of writing-across-the-curriculum programs. (JMC)

The popular notion that excellence in sports is inherited is seriously questioned by experts. The belief shared by many sports specialists as well as by some top athletes is that the characteristics that breed success in sports are developed. Sports experts offer the following advice to those who wish to improve their own performance: (1) relax; (2) reduce anxiety; (3) use imagery and mental rehearsal; (4) establish a good self-image; (5) concentrate; (6) be motivated and have a positive attitude; (7) develop rhythm; (8) accept failure; (9) be persistent; and (10) anticipate. Each individual has the potential of being a natural athlete within the limits of size and strength, and attitude may well be more important than ability. The same elements that promote excellence in the sports world promote excellence in education. Teachers can create environments in which students will be motivated to learn. Teachers can also assist in reducing some of the personal and academic barriers to excellent student performance. (EM)