Educational Developers Conference

February 22/23 2008, Vancouver B.C.

My name is Paul Stephenson. I am a career teacher and my passion is teaching. I have a B.Ed, two Master’s degrees and I am in the midst of an interdisciplinary Ph.D. I work as an ESL Instructor and Learning Centre Coordinator at Okanagan College.

Last week I attended this conference with the intention of participating in a polite exchange of ideas which would assist me in supporting Okanagan College faculty in their career-long quest to continually improve their teaching skills.

The purpose of this Conference is to provide an opportunity for those interested and/or involved in educational development to meet and interact. We discussed techniques, strategies and methodology for working with faculty. The participants included Directors of Teaching and Learning Centres from universities and colleges across Canada, professors and instructors from various subject areas, administrators, and support staff.

As with all conferences that I attend, there are always concurrent sessions which give me new ideas and make me re-think about what I do. A fresh perspective always leads to new possibilities which enables teachers to reach more students.

What I was not prepared for was the emotional reaction I experienced as the Conference progressed. Some of the work which is being done in other colleges is truly career- altering for faculty. The support they receive directly influences the quality of their teaching, their ability to reach more students…in essence their skill development as learner centred educators. In today’s society, customers expect more and they deserve more. However, what many people overlook is the fact that this is a winning situation for all involved: students are more engaged, faculty are more satisfied and the reputation of the institution spreads quickly. I reflected on the situation at my own institution, Okanagan College. We currently have the opportunity and ability to develop an infrastructure of teaching leadership which would establish an exemplary level for British Columbia. In order to bring this to fruition, we need to move our committee forward to the next level which involves a substantial financial commitment to translating our potential into reality.

If you have any comments or questions please contact Paul at 762-5445 ext. 4647 orpstephenson@okanagan.bc.ca