Professional Day

Spring Semester
Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Time: Registration & Coffee: 8:00 a.m.
Location: H Building (Brick Area)
Theme: On The Road: Milestones to Student Success

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Robert S. Feldman, Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, UMass Amherst
TOPIC: Net Generation Students: Who They Are, What Makes Them Different, and Teaching Strategies that Work for Them

Abstract:
Are today’s students different in some fundamental ways from prior generations of students? Do their extensive experiences with technology, texting, Twittering, and multi-tasking make them perceive and think about the world in ways that are dissimilar from traditional students? Is their classroom behavior, ranging from how they learn best to their civility, different? This talk, based on a growing body of research, will address the issue of who Net Generation students are and how that impacts their academic success. It will first examine the key characteristics of Net Generation students and then consider strategies that address students of today, highlighting some low-cost, high-impact technologies that can be incorporated into the classroom. Finally, it will address the changing roles of college instructors and how to prepare Net Generation students for careers and life-long learning.

Bio:
Robert S. Feldman, Ph.D., is an authority on first-year college students and retention. He is author of the best-selling P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life, 5/e, as well as Understanding Psychology (10/e), Essentials of Understanding Psychology (9/e) , Development Across the Life Span, (6/e), and several other books. He also edited The First Year of College, which examines the best practices that lead to student success. His books have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, German, and others.

Feldman, who has delivered dozens of invited addresses and keynote talks at professional meetings, is Professor of Psychology and Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Director of the Power Up for College Success program for first-year students. He is recipient of the College Outstanding Teacher Award, and he has been named Senior Online Instruction Fellow and Hewlett Teaching Fellow.

A Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, Feldman received a B.A. with High Honors from Wesleyan University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a winner of a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer award and has written more than 150 books, book chapters, and articles. His work has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Disabilities and Rehabilitation Research. He is on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Associations for Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Lunch Registration is now closed. Please contact Elaine Previte (x3072) or Gloria Saddler (x3056) for more information.