The LLCC Bird Banding Station announces its final report for the fall 2016 banding season (our 9th banding season) Final Report — LLCC BBS (Fall 2016). Below are some of the highlights:

• 2,318 birds were banded of 78 species over 73 days (5,100 net hours)
• there were 570 captures of birds that had been previously banded
• we had 4 days where we captured over 100 birds, including  a 241 bird day (Oct 19)
• the 3 most abundant species captured were: American Goldfinch (336), Dark-eyed Junco (269) and House Finch (250)
• 3 new species were captured/banded this fall: Belted Kingfisher, Grasshopper Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• a variety of guests visited the LLCC BBS including: Illinois Audubon Society members, a group of home-schooled kids and their parents, various other members of the community and over 300 LLCC students

The spring 2017 season is scheduled to begin March 20. If you need to stretch your legs, come visit us in our new facility north of the batting cages! Once the spring banding season begins, the station will be open from sunrise to 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Follow us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Lincoln-Land-Community-College-Bird-Banding-Station-1623835961203812/

Thanks again for all the support each of you has provided for this project!

Tony Rothering

Over the summer break I was given the opportunity to travel to Baltimore, Md. for a professional conference in Early Childhood Education.  The conference was sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  The National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development was a great conference for individuals teaching in preschools or elementary schools and for those who are instructors in these fields.  This conference taught me a great deal and I felt it was a very worthwhile experience.

I went to sessions with topics regarding advocacy, nature in early childhood, and powerful interactions.  Our plenary session featuring Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, was politically charged.  All sessions offered a learning opportunity for myself to bring back to work with me.

One of the sessions that stood out to me was on Advocacy in Early childhood.  I find this to be an interesting topic, because I try to integrate advocacy into all of my courses.  It is important for early childhood as a field to advocate for children’s rights and the education that we are offering to them.  So this session gave us information on finding our message and speaking to legislatures.  I will be integrating some of the ideas from this session into my Home, School, and Community course.  Many students have to complete a service learning project and attend an Advocacy Day for this course.

Danyle Watkins, assistant professor, early childhood education

The Mid-semester date for fall 2017 is listed incorrectly.  It should read Oct. 13, 2017. View an updated calendar.

The Office of Academic Effectiveness was formed to create a centralized location for assessment and curriculum activities. This centralization will allow for improved communication as we strive to promote a culture of continuous improvement. For more information, please see the attached brochure: Academic Effectiveness Brochure.

The presidents of Lincoln Land Community College and Illinois College signed an agreement yesterday allowing elementary education majors to start at LLCC, transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree at IC in a total of four years, prepared to become licensed teachers.

This is the first transfer agreement between the two institutions. Dr. Charlotte Warren, president of LLCC, and Dr. Barbara Farley, president of IC, said students will be prepared for a career field that, due to retirements, is expected to see a rise in the need for replacements over the next five to 10 years.

“We enjoy a close proximity to Illinois College with our LLCC-Jacksonville Outreach Center, and many of our graduates throughout the years have chosen to continue their education at IC,” said Dr. Warren. “Today we’re pleased to formally sign an articulation agreement to facilitate transfer of LLCC students to IC for the completion of a baccalaureate degree in elementary education.”

Dr. Warren noted that students seeking a career in elementary education will be able to attend LLCC for the first two years, earning an associate degree, while also taking two education classes at IC. The LLCC students taking classes at IC will pay tuition at the current LLCC tuition rates.  Read more. 

The ICCTA Board of Representatives also gives an award to adjunct faculty each year. Congratulations to Melinda Pitt Kaye on being nominated for ICCTA’s 2016 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member Award! The recipient of the award will be recognized at ICCTA’s 50^th anniversary banquet on June 3 in Springfield.