FCS FLASH ISSUE 101: March 31, 2009
Mar 31: “Spread the Word to End the Word” National Awareness Day sponsored by the Special Olympics
April 3: Novato: CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project
April 3: Northridge: CCGG (California Council on Gerontology and Geriatrics) Annual Meeting, “It Takes a Village: Toolkits for Effective Practice”
April 17: Downey: Registration Information Now Available: 2009 Culinary Arts and Hospitality Competition
April 17: Fresno: CCCECE Spring Region 5 Meeting, Fresno City College, 9am-1pm
April 17: TBA: CCCECE Spring Region 10, 9am-1pm
April 18: Yosemite: The Western Region of the Costume Society of America: “Springtime in the Sierras” a fieldtrip to Yosemite
April 22-24: Lake Arrowhead: 2009 Workforce Leaders Institute
April 24: San Diego: CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project
May 1: Chico: CCCECE Spring Region 1, Chico College, 1pm-4pm
May 1: Cupertino: CCCECE Spring Region 4, DeAnza College, 10am-4pm
May 1: Los Angeles: CCCECE Spring Region 7, LA City College, 9am-1pm
May 7: Mission Viejo: Annual Fashion Show: La Mode Du Cirque
May 8: Livermore: CCCECE Spring Region 3, Las Positas College, 10am-2:30pm
May 8: San Luis Obispo: CCCECE Spring Region 6, Cuesta College, 9am-1pm
May 15: Sacramento: CCCECE Spring Region 2, Cosumnes River College, 9am-12pm
May 16: Redwood City: Student Fashion Show: “BAM - Beauty, Art, Madness”
May 22: Long Beach: CCCECE Spring Regions 8 & 9, Long Beach City College, 9am-12pm
May 22: Pasadena: CCCECE Spring Regions 8 & 9, Pasadena City College, 9am-12pm
September 25-26: Sacramento: CSA Western Region, 2009 Symposium “Costume in the American West” Call For Papers

FCS Program Plans Have Landed! First, we want to let you know we sent the New FCS Program Plans, and trust you received your copy. A big thanks to everyone who worked on the project ... it was truly a team effort. Next, take a look at a real world application of Student Learning Outcomes. Mt. SAC’s Research and Institutional Effectiveness Department features the work of Lisa Ledeboer in their most recent newsletter. Lisa teaches Life Management classes at Mt. SAC and serves on the FCS Statewide Advisory Committee.

FCS FLASH Activity: Program Plan Puzzle
You have recently received your FCS Program Plan in the mail, on CD, and online. Now, we want to challenge you to use a brain-based activity to play your way through the plan. We have created a simple crossword puzzle for you to solve -- a robust brain workout that will leave your brain refreshed, recharged, and replenished. We want you to try out the crossword puzzle and then challenge your students to create a crossword puzzle to review information they have been learning in your class. This active and engaging learning exercise is sure to generate a lot of cognitive energy.

Try this:

• Print this FCS Program Plan Crossword and solve it using your copy of the FCS Program Plan. (Click here for the solution.) If you think this was an interesting way to learn and explore, try this activity with your students ...
• Divide your students into teams of 3-5.
• Explain to your students that you want them to make a crossword puzzle using terms and information they have learned in this course.
• Distribute the Crossword Puzzle Pointers and review instructions.
  Allow students time to work together in class to come up with their puzzle content.
  Have students select one team member to build the puzzle online and print copies for each member of the class to distribute at your next class.
• Next class, have teams exchange puzzles, solve them and discuss what they learned using this process.

FYI: With an economic crisis fueling people's anxiety, recent neurological studies suggest that anxious people might want to train their brain to stay focused via a tough crossword puzzle or game of chess.