Center to Advance Education for Adults

Increasing Innovation and Productivity by Building a Diverse Workforce
DePaul welcomed a diverse panel from higher education, industry and the community will address these and other critically important questions in the study of diversity today. The conversation continues at: http://caeacommcon.ning.com/forum/topics/lets-start-and-keep-the-1.

IMPORTANT: If you don't already have a profile, you will not see the RSVP link.  You may sign up on the Main page CAEA Ning site: http://caeacommcon.ning.com/.  Log-in or set-up your profile,then you may RSVP and add the event to your Outlook calendar.

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SAVE THE DATE!

Learning Leaders Book Discussion
TOPIC: How Leaders Leverage Diversity
Friday, February 12, 2010 from 8:00-9:30 a.m.   
DePaul University, 14 E. Jackson Blvd., 14th Floor (Breakfast provided)

Great teams include people with diverse perspectives. To grow our leaders and our business, many companies including GE sense the need to proactively work across natural silos of regions, functions and hierarchy. Join us to explore strategies that help leaders cross boundaries and leverage diverse perspectives to meet the dynamic needs of the business.  Each quarter, the Center in collaboration with the Executive Learning Exchange, hosts a book discussion on a topic of interest to adult learning practitioners in organizational settings.

Discussion Books:

"Putting our Differences to Work" (2008, Debbe Kennedy) - click here for the 10-page summary
"Transnational Leadership Development" (2009, Beth Fisher-Yoshida & Geller) - click here for the 11-page summary

Co-Facilitator: Cynthia Medina, Grainger eCommerce, Service Center Manager.  Cynthia is recognized leader in continuous improvement, people development and expense management. Highly experienced in operations, customer service and bilingual, she is currently the President of the 1st Latino Business Resource Group at Grainger.

 

Co-Facilitator: Roy Whitmore, President, WexecCoach.com.  Roy has thirty years of retail experience supporting operations, human resources, and marketing. Most recently VP of operations with Jewel-Osco, leading 15 direct reports and sales of over two billion. Extensive experience in mentoring and coaching executives to success.  He is a member of the Governance Committee and Social Justice & Diversity team at Fielding Graduate University and a board member at DePaul's School for New Learning Center to Advance Education for Adults and visiting faculty member of  DePaul's School for New Learning. Roy is pursuing a Ph.D. in human & organizational developmental at DePaul and he is interested in academic work as well as OD or diversity profession.

Register today at http://www.learningexecutive.com/calendar/display_event.asp?id=154

Reflective Practice for High-Pressure Learning and Change
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.   
DePaul University, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., 11th Floor, DePaul Center North End Cafe (Refreshments provided)

Facilitator Anna Zaltz, PepsiAmericas, Inc. Director, Global Leadership Development and Co-Facilitator Pamela Meyer, Ph.D., DePaul University Center to Advance Education for Adults

In the midst of high pressure, fast-paced work, adult learning practitioners and facilitators rarely have the opportunity to step back and reflect on their own practice. In response to many requests to provide such an opportunity, in this workshop you will have a hands-on learning experience in which you will both identify key organizational and learning issues as you reflect on a global case study, and consider the assumptions and mental models that are guiding your decision-making.

In addition to gaining insight into your own practice, you will learn how to incorporate reflective practice into your work and learn a collaborative approach to issue-identification and action-planning.  Participants will receive the brief case study in advance of the session.  For more resources on reflective practice, and the work of Donald Schon please visit:  

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-schon.htm
see also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practice

Schon, D.A. (1983).  The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action.  New York: Basic Books.

Register today at http://caeacommcon.ning.com/events/reflective-practice-for.
IMPORTANT: If you don't already have a profile, you will not see the RSVP link.  You may sign up on the Main page CAEA Ning site: http://caeacommcon.ning.com/.  Log-in or set-up your profile,then you may RSVP and add the event to your Outlook calendar.

Check back soon to view the pre-event materials and join the online conversation.

From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.   
DePaul University, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., 11th Floor, DePaul Center DePaul Club (Refreshments provided)

All of us charged with enhancing creativity are facing increasing pressures to accomplish more with less time and fewer resources, and yet are asked to be more innovative and deliver measurable outcomes.  In this lively workshop, participants will discover how high-engagement organizations across sectors are transforming their high-pressure workplaces into playspace for innovating, learning and changing.  Meyer shares inspiring stories and best practices of organizations that are finding fresh approaches to engagement using limited resources, while directly impacting the bottom line and strategic goals.

This workshop will balance experiential learning with case study reflection, as well as creative collaboration.  Participants will leave with a new understanding of the business and learning case for attending to the spaces we create for engagement in innovating, learning and changing, and ideas to bring playspace to life in their own organizations and practice.

The registration fee of $45 ($25 for student or person in transition) includes a copy of Meyer's new book, From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement, which she will sign after the workshop.

Facilitator: Pamela Meyer, Ph.D.

Pamela Meyer came to her passion for playspace through her years working with creative teams in the theater as a director and producer. She now uses the lessons she learned in rehearsal halls performance spaces, and research to work with organizations around the world that want to create playspace for innovating, learning, and changing through dynamic engagement. In addition to her consulting and speaking practice, Meyer teaches courses in business creativity, organizational change, and adult learning at DePaul University’s School for New Learning in Chicago, where she is a faculty fellow at both the Center to Advance Education for Adults and the Center for Creativity and Innovation. She holds a doctorate in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University. Meyer is also the author of From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement and Quantum Creativity: Nine Principles to Transform the Way You Work.

Register today at http://caeacommcon.ning.com/events/from-workplace-to-playspace.
IMPORTANT: If you don't already have a profile, you will not see the RSVP link.  You may sign up on the Main page CAEA Ning site: http://caeacommcon.ning.com/.  Log-in or set-up your profile,then you may RSVP and add the event to your Outlook calendar.

Check back soon to view the pre-event materials and join the online conversation.

Graduates' Showcase
Thursday, May 13, 2010 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.   
DePaul University, 14 E. Jackson Blvd., 14th Floor (Refreshments provided)

Students completing their program in the DePaul University Masters of Arts in Educating Adults will be showcasing their final pieces.

Additional Upcoming Events

CAEA events are open to all adult learning practitioners, DePaul students, faculty and alumni.  TO REGISTER go to http://caeacommcon.ning.com and log-in or set-up your profile and then you may RSVP and add the event to your Outlook calendar.  For more information on Center activities and opportunities to participate, contact caea@depaul.edu. 

The Center engages diverse communities to improve adult education practice by providing a venue for researchers and practitioners to study and share the most effective and imaginative strategies for educating adults in a wide range of settings.



   In 2008, the work of the Center culminated in a conference in which educators, community and business leaders, and all interested in advancing the education of adults, gathered to share the latest research, trends, and conversations with practitioners. This year's theme was Globalization, Technology and Complexity.

Conference highlights included:
• Elliott Masie, keynote speaker and conversation-starter, an internationally recognized futurist, analyst, researcher and organizer on the critical topics of learning, technology, business and workplace productivity
•  Daniel Pink, best-selling author, discussed his new book The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need
• An international and interdisciplinary panel of respondents
• Facilitated conversations with learning practitioners from diverse settings
• Reports and discussion of latest research findings on adult learning and practice


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       Statement of Need

    The convergence of four major factors impel SNL to think broadly about the future of higher education for adult students.

    Pressure for Education. The first factor is the increasing pressure for worthy education. Demands and opportunities of contemporary life make it imperative that people learn on an ongoing basis-even as they have less time to study. In businesses, community organizations, churches, hospitals, government organizations, schools, and community groups, people seek continuous upgrading of their knowledge and skill. 1 Making ethical choices and developing capacity to work collaboratively are key to contemporary education and practice. This is true in the United States and other developed nations, as well as in emerging and underdeveloped areas. 2

    Global Integration. The second factor is the impact of global integration. Increasingly, individuals must attend to issues that formerly stood far from their consciousness. Scientific and engineering revolutions have reduced barriers across space. Transportation, the Internet and telecommunications compel nations, organizations and peoples to build networks across boundaries. People work remotely from afar, competing and collaborating with people they cannot see. Provincial approaches to problems are rarely relevant, and thinking adults must become familiar with practices, values, and assumptions of people in distant places.

    Availability of Information through Emerging Technology.    The third factor is the increased availability of information through emerging technology. Adults world wide can retrieve, store, manipulate and use data in entirely new ways. There is intense need to learn what is possible and to think about the meaning of the capabilities. On-line learning options multiply, bringing with them compelling questions of effectiveness and viability.

    Widening Education Gaps. The fourth factor is the dramatic widening of the educational gap within the United States—especially relative to the educational preparedness of other nations. The November 2005 report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education sounds the alarm that the population of the United States that has completed a bachelor’s degree will decline within the next decade, just as the level of education within other nations is on the rise and the need for more education grows. “The key resource in the 21st century will be knowledge, and our ability to develop skilled, flexible workers who know how to quickly seize knowledge and adapt to shifting tastes and markets is the fundamental challenge to furthering our economic bounty.” 3


       Creating a Nation of Lifelong Learners. Conference Proceedings, Washington, 1997.    Monique Perrot-Lanaud. Building Learning Societies. UNESCO, no. 127, 2000.    James Duderstadt. “The Future of Higher Education in the Knowledge-driven, Global Economy of the 21 st Century. 175 th Anniversary Symposium, University of Toronto, October 2002.

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       Podcasts

    You can now access the recent center events and conference highlights online at iTunes U. Apple iTunes required. Download iTunes
    - Open iTunes and navigate to the iTunes store.
    - Click on the iTunes U link on the top right.
    - Select DePaul under the list of universities. The Center to Advance Education for Adults is listed under the DePaul Community. Scroll to find available videos from past events.

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       Center Leadership, Structure and Staff

    The Leadership Team develops the Center's mission, including assembling a strong Advisory Board of representatives from business, community organizations and higher education. The Board forms committees to guide the Center’s initiatives, each led by a Leadership Team member. Supporting this collaborative structure are the Center’s Associate Director and Administrative Assistant.

       Staff 

    Shannon Stone-Winding, Coordinator. 
    Shannon Stone-Winding has worked at DePaul since 2005, currently in the School for New Learning as Assistant to the Dean for Special Projects. Formerly, she worked in the School of Education. Prior to coming to DePaul, Shannon was the Senior Administrator for the Controller in the Headquarters Finance division at Kraft Foods North America, Inc.

    The Center Office is located at 14 East Jackson Blvd., 14th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604
    Phone: 312-362-6508
    Email: caea@depaul.edu

    Leadership Team

    Ellen Benjamin, Ph.D.
    Ellen J. Benjamin is a member of the DePaul University faculty, serving as an Associate Professor.  She earned her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and her Doctorate in Social Service Administration at The University of Chicago.  For more than twenty-five years she has been involved in advocacy work on social causes, having served as an employee, co-founder and trustee of nonprofit organizations such as The American Friends Service Committee, Planned Parenthood and The Midwest Women's Center.  She has also directed two philanthropic institutions within Chicago, the Borg-Warner Foundation and The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation.  Awards received in recognition of these activities include National Society of Professional Fundraisers' Professional Grantor's Award and DePaul University's Excellence in Public Service Award.  During the 1998-99 academic year she taught courses on nonprofit management and women's studies as a Visiting Scholar in Turkey, through the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department's Fulbright Commission.  In 2003 Dr. Benjamin spent a semester abroad, again with Fulbright sponsorship, joining the social work faculty at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania.  In 2008 she taught in the social work school of Mongolian State University of Education, working with faculty on curriculum development and enhancement of their field placement programs.

    Miriam Ben-Yoseph, Ph.D.
    Originally from Romania, Miriam Ben-Yoseph received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her doctorate in French literature from Northwestern University. Before joining DePaul in 1991, she was a vice president in market research and training at Continental Bank. She teaches and researches in the areas of culture, gender, and work. Recently she has focused her teaching and writing on the Holocaust and on cultural homelessness and identity issues. Her work has been published in the U.S. and abroad. Ben-Yoseph was selected as the 2006 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Illinois Professor of the Year.

    Catherine Marienau, Ph.D.
    Catherine Marienau is Professor and Faculty Mentor in SNL where she teaches and mentors in undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Marienau coordinates the Master of Arts in Educating Adults program and the graduate-level Certificate in Educating Adults. Her areas of publication include assessment of learning, adult/women’s learning and development, adults’ civic engagement through community-based learning. Her current areas of teaching include: women’s issues; philosophies and practices in educating adults; reflective practice; and individualized degree program planning. Dr. Marienau co-chairs the Programs Committee.

    Pamela Meyer, Ph.D.
    Pamela Meyer came to her passion for playspace through her years working with creative teams in the theater as a director and producer. She now uses the lessons she learned in rehearsal halls performance spaces, and research to work with organizations around the world that want to create playspace for innovating, learning, and changing through dynamic engagement. In addition to her consulting and speaking practice, Meyer teaches courses in business creativity, organizational change, and adult learning at DePaul University’s School for New Learning in Chicago, where she is a faculty fellow at both the Center to Advance Education for Adults and the Center for Creativity and Innovation. She holds a doctorate in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University. Meyer is also the author of From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement and Quantum Creativity: Nine Principles to Transform the Way You Work.  Pamela Meyer’s research and practice are in the areas of organizational development and adult learning, with a focus on the use of improvisation and expressive arts in making space for transformative learning. In addition to serving on the SNL Part-Time Faculty since 1992, she is an author and organizational consultant. She holds a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University.



    Advisory Board Members
    Marisa Alicea, Ph.D., DePaul University, Dean, School for New Learning
    Tom Barr, Ph.D., Frmr. Motorola University
    Ellen Benjamin, Ph.D., DePaul University, School for New Learning
    Miriam Ben-Yoseph, Ph.D., DePaul University, School for New Learning
    Mary Cahillane, Spencer Foundation
    Cheryl Cornell-Powers, Corporate & Professional Training
    Marie Ann Donovan, Ph.D., DePaul University, School of Education
    Susanne Dumbleton, Ph.D., DePaul University, Frmr. Dean, School for New Learning (Emeritus CAEA Advisory Board)
    Catherine Marienau, Ph.D., DePaul University, School for New Learning
    Mary McGuinness, DePaul University, Human Resources
    Pamela Meyer, Ph.D., DePaul University, School for New Learning
    Daniel Mittleman, Ph.D., DePaul University, College of Computing and Digital Media
    Elory Rozner, Elory Rozner Consulting
    Carol Semrad, C. Semrad & Associates
    Gillian Steele, DePaul University, Career Center
    Carol Taylor, Chicago Transit Authority
    Judith Wertheim, Ed.D., The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
    Roy Whitmore, W Consulting & Mentoring Group and GRN of Warrenville
    Vincent Wiggins, City Colleges of Chicago

    Advisory Board Network Site (Members Only): http://thecenter.ning.com

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