John Toomey to Speak Nov. 3 for 'Provost's Conversations on Teaching and Learning'

John Toomey, chair of the music department and director of jazz studies, will be the next Old Dominion University faculty member featured in the "Provost's Conversations on Teaching and Learning" speaker series.

Hosted by Provost Carol Simpson and the Center for Learning Technologies, the series will feature many of ODU's award-winning faculty members. Toomey's presentation, "Engaging Students: The Art of Lecturing," will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in room 202 of the Gornto Teletechnet Center. Faculty members are invited to attend any or all of the conversations.

"Conversations on Teaching and Learning" is designed to provide faculty members from across the campus with the opportunity to share, think and reflect on a wide range of teaching and learning issues, according to Simpson.

"Noting that one of our six strategic goals for 2009-2014 is to 'provide students with the tools to succeed,' we are working, as always, toward a pedagogy that fosters creative learning, encourages student independence and enables inspiring teaching," said Simpson. "To that end, this series of conversations affords our award-winning faculty the chance to share the philosophies and techniques behind their strong teaching practices, and it offers all of the rest of us a chance to consider, and discuss, our own successful experiences with students, both in and out of the classroom."

A University Professor, Toomey received a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award in 2000 and is a recipient of the Teletechnet Professor of the Year award. He is an active jazz pianist performer and has toured with Maynard Ferguson, Mark Murphy and Rene Marie. He has composed soundtracks for the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, PBS and NBC. Toomey also conducts the ODU Jazz Choir and teaches courses in ear training, jazz improvisation and the history of jazz.

For more information about the series, including a calendar of dates and conversation leaders, visit: http://clt.odu.edu/pctl.

To register visit: http://clt.odu.edu/facdev.

Questions? Write to: clt@odu.edu.