UTSA Academy for Teacher Excellence offers study strategies workshops

Students study outside at Sombrilla Plaza on the UTSA Main Campus

By Ryan Schoensee
Student Writer

(Aug. 17, 2012) --The Academy for Teacher Excellence (ATE) in the UTSA College of Education and Human Development will host "SBi3: Strategies for Success" from 1 to 4 p.m., Aug. 20-23 in the University Center Harris Room (2.212) on the Main Campus. The free four-day workshop series will offer tips for college success and is open to all UTSA students, including incoming freshmen and transfer students.

The workshop series kicks off Monday, Aug. 20 with "Academic Success Strategies" presented by the UTSA Tomás Rivera Center. The workshop will cover study skills, time management, reading strategies, and note and test taking strategies. The Tomás Rivera Center provides tutoring assistance for UTSA students.

On Tuesday, Aug. 21, ATE will present "Staying on Track: A Guide to Thriving Inside the Classroom and Beyond," a workshop that will address problem solving, college coping strategies, varying classroom environments, school-life balance, stress and helpful UTSA resources.

On Wednesday, Aug. 22, Kennesaw State University sophomore William Mansfield of the iSchool Initiative will lead a mobile learning workshop. Mansfield will discuss what it means to be a mobile learner and how he uses mobile devices to routinely support his learning and work environment. Afterward, he will lead a workshop on using apps to support learning in biology, chemistry, algebra, calculus and time management.

The workshop series will close Thursday, Aug. 23, with "StrengthsQuest," presented by Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Biology. Barea-Rodriguez maintains that each student learns and studies best in his or her individual way. His workshop will help students identify their talents and how to develop them into strengths. Strengths can be applied not only toward academics but also their future careers. The workshop prerequisite is completion of an online assessment.

The ATE was established as a hub for school districts, community colleges and UTSA to collaboratively research, design, implement and evaluate educational programs that address emerging, local and statewide educational issues associated with a growing diverse student population. The academy is a critical element of the UTSA College of Education and Human Development teacher education programs and has helped UTSA achieve national recognition as a leader in preparing teachers to teach in culturally diverse settings.

For more information about the training series and a complete agenda, visit the Academy for Teacher Excellence website.