Students Present at Assessment, Teaching and Learning Conference

A group of Clover Park Technical College students presented at the annual Assessment, Teaching and Learning Conference at the Vancouver Convention Center May 2 in Vancouver, Washington.

Hosted by the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges, the conference brings educators together to exchange ideas, methods and strategies that promote and support student learning. Dr. Phil Venditti, a speech/communication studies instructor at CPTC, led a small group of CPTC students to present about “50 Wise Speakers,” Venditti’s sabbatical research project supported by the college throughout 2013.

Venditti’s project features interviews with 50 prominent speakers on effective public speaking tips.

Amber Drake, Ashley Perdue and Jessica Vick of the medical assistant program, and Jamel Tyler of media design and production, presented “What Do Real People Think?” using the “50 Wise Speakers” project as an example of gaining insight from people outside of the classroom.

Perdue has done two other presentations about the topic, but the conference was her first time presenting to an audience of educators.

“It was stressful but it went well,” Perdue said.

The students presented at a conference breakout session and received positive audience evaluations. All four students went through CMST& 220 Public Speaking at Clover Park.

“The college should be proud of what they did,” Venditti said. “Being able to put on your resume that you presented at a conference is something most students aren’t able to do.”