Anya Ivanova
\nIn Motion Staff Writer<\/p>\n
A group of faculty and administrators from Daytona State College has been recognized by the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). Rebecca Block, Jessica Kester and Joy Lewis have received an Excellence Award for using their talents to improve college education.<\/p>\n
NISOD is a national organization for technical colleges which supports teaching, learning and leadership. They provide professional development resources to the colleges. Every year colleges who are members of the organization nominate their most enthusiastic and hard-working employees for the award. The NISOD Excellence Award has been around since 1989 and since then it became the most wanted award among technical college faculty.<\/p>\n
Jessica Kester, professor in School of Humanities and Communication, and Rebecca Block, Wring Center Director, are receiving this award for implementing WAC\/WID program in Daytona State College.<\/p>\n
Block says, \u201cWriting across the Curriculum\/Writing in the Discipline is a professional development program for faculty to help them get strategies and get the time and resources to work on redesigning one or more of their classes to incorporate more writing and critical thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program is based on the international movement that has been happening for the past 40 years across the Unites States. It has been introduced to the college last spring and first year it had nineteen participants. Kester and Block ensured that the program is going to be helpful by conducting a survey among students about what they want to see in their classes.<\/p>\n
The course starts out with participants reading the book \u201cEngaging Ideas\u201d by John Bean. Every week of the spring semester they read a few chapters and make a discussion board post about their thoughts and what they learned. At the end of the spring semester, they participate in a 15-hour workshop where professors get specific tasks to better their courses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey redesign an entire course around the idea that incorporating writing into it is not just about improving students\u2019 writing abilities but it\u2019s about using the writing to improve students\u2019 ability to think through and understand a particular field,\u201d Block says.<\/p>\n
Faculty apply to be accepted into the course and the group is chosen by different criteria. Teachers from every field can apply. Even though some courses don\u2019t seem like writing assignments are possible there \u2013 like College Algebra \u2014 adding writing assignments to them helps students to understand the information and actually process it to know what they are doing.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Block works as a facilitator for the WAC\/WID program. Jessica Kester is the main coordinator and she is leading the workshop.<\/p>\n
Joy Lewis, professor in College of Education, is also recognized for her work as a facilitator with WAC\/WID program but her main achievements are in the education department. She organized a Scholarship Boot Camp where DSC students from the education department went to New Smyrna Beach High School and helped senior students with writing their scholarship essays for colleges they are planning to go to.<\/p>\n
Lewis is also an advisor for the Education Club and Kappa Delta Pi honors society at Daytona campus. Kappa Delta Pi is currently working on organizing their Teaching Beyond Borders program.<\/p>\n
\u201cKappa Delta Pi is raising money right now because we are helping out Teaching Beyond Borders program, which is going to Haiti this summer. We had a big bake sale where we raised over $400 to be able to ship school supplies down there,\u201d says Lewis.<\/p>\n
The recipients of NISOD Excellence award are celebrated in many different ways. They get a medallion, a certificate; they are listed on the Excellence Award web page. They also get to go to the NISOD conference in May, where their achievements will be recognized and they will get a chance to meet with other award winners.<\/p>\n
Lewis says, \u201cI think that what\u2019s nice about this award in particular is that it has been taking place for over 35 years so it is something nice to be a part of that I know has a value and a history to it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Anya Ivanova In Motion Staff Writer A group of faculty and administrators from Daytona State College has been recognized by the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). Rebecca Block, Jessica Kester and Joy Lewis have received an Excellence Award for using their talents to improve college education. NISOD Continue reading Excellence Award given to DSC team<\/span>