Blastoff occurs on August 16 at 8:30 a.m. and the countdown has begun. All sessions will be held in the Galloway Building. The folks at the Center for Distance Education will be presenting three sessions on Blackboard and there promises to be something for the beginner as well as the expert. In addition, we will have a sessions to help you rev up your research activity including a session on using your experience in teaching and learning to create scholarship and a session that will explain how you can have that scholarship published in a peer-reviewed journal. This is an event packed with professional development opportunities to help you grow as a teacher. We are still collecting ideas for Faculty Learning Communities (FLC) for the fall semester. Research shows that FLCs tends to improve the culture of the institution. In addition, one study revealed that junior faculty who participated in FLCs were tenured at a significantly higher rate that for those who were not in FLCs (Cox, 1995). There are two types of FLC: cohort based and topic-based and we hope to offer both. So send in your ideas to todd.pourciau@lamar.edu now. As we move closer to the first day of class for the fall 2011 semester, we wanted to share some tips with you. Students establish their habits on that first day so it is important for you to set the tone. Foster community by making students feel comfortable and welcome. That means you should arrive early and greet them as they enter the room. Have your name and the course name on the board. Learn their names as soon as possible and there are all sorts of ice breakers that can help you do this. Patterning also begins on that first day so you have to be really clear about your expectations and the roles that each of you will play. If you are making full use of the teaching toolbox by using active learning methods as well as traditional styles (which is what we said in our QEP) then make sure you begin the first day modeling your expectations. If you expect them to speak in class, write in class, engage in small group discussions, and develop a network of support among their fellow classmates, ask them to do this on the first day as well. Keep your message clear to avoid confusion. Remember, your CT+LE is ready to help you with any of these suggested strategies, so come by and visit us on the sixth floor of MJGL, give us a call at x8426 or send us an email.