This year’s Shark Tank Open, sponsored by Minnesota State Educational Innovations, will feature 12 innovative project proposals in three categories.
One category at the 2019 Shark Tank Open is College Prep and Inclusion. Get to know the presenters and preview their pitches in the Presenter’s Spotlight below.
Presenters: Karla Lassonde, Megan Mahowald, Sheen Chiou, Michael Altomari
Students: Madison Glende, Jackie Gehling, Ibelizet Dominguez, and Dorothy Nakibirige
Institution: Minnesota State University, Mankato
Project Title: LEARN: Creating a Cognitive Training Program for Student Success
In 2 sentences, describe your Shark Tank Open project:
Students learn a lot in college, unfortunately how to learn effectively is not one of them. We want to change this with the LEARN method.
What part of Shark Tank Open are you looking forward to most?
The competition and pride of being there with my colleagues and students!
Who is the innovator that inspires you most (past or present)?
The Learning Scientists
Presenters: Lisa Bergin and Jay Williams
Institution: Minneapolis Community & Technical College
Project Title: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy at Minneapolis College: An Intensive, Cohort Training
In 2 sentences, describe your Shark Tank Open project:
In the fall 0f 2019, we hope to begin a year-long, intensive training to support our college Strategic Priority that we create an expectation of culturally responsive pedagogy, with the goal increasing student success and decreasing our equity opportunity gaps.
An administration-endorsed, faculty-created, and facilitated, peer-support experience, the training focuses on building faculty skills through shifting practices to more fully incorporate not only Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, but also Poverty Responsive Pedagogy, Trauma Responsive Pedagogy, Mindfulness-based Equity Pedagogy, and Open Educational Pedagogy as well.
What part of Shark Tank Open are you looking forward to most?
We are looking forward to showcasing the momentum toward equity our college has been able to build up through collaboration with the Shark Tank program.
Who is the innovator that inspires you most (past or present)?
With respect to this project, the work of Gloria Ladson-Billings has been instrumental in inspiring new ways of being and doing in the classroom: engaging and increasing the learning and skill development of all by drawing out the best in every student, rather than focusing on pushing out static instructor knowledge.
Presenters: Thomas Bruflat
Institution: Saint Paul College
Project Title: Co-Curricular Assessment – Partnerships Centered on Student Learning
In 2 sentences, describe your Shark Tank Open project:
Saint Paul College and Minnesota State have a unique partnership opportunity right now to capitalize on a pro-active method of unraveling the complexities of student learning that challenge us as educators.
By expanding the co-curricular assessment toolkit at Saint Paul College, including the utilization of existing technology, we will strategically partner with the Minnesota State System Office and other system institutions to develop avenues to adapt and expand co-curricular assessment as an emerging best practice.
What part of Shark Tank Open are you looking forward to most?
Sparking curiosity and ingenuity so we can re-frame challenges as opportunities.
Who is the innovator that inspires you most (past or present)?
Thomas Edison
Presenters: Julie Poyzer and Sue Kraus
Institution: Minneapolis College
Project Title: Value of using an accessible, mobile-friendly, online interest assessment to help prospective, newly enrolled, and current undecided students select an accurate major/career
In 2 sentences, describe your Shark Tank Open project:
Prospective, newly enrolled, first year, and undecided Minneapolis College students (including students with low-vision, blindness, color vision deficiency, and other accessibility needs) will benefit from our accessible, online, mobile-friendly Interest Assessment and guided major/career exploration activities.
Through this innovative tool and exploratory programming, they will obtain a better understanding of their interest areas, discover majors/programs at Minneapolis College that align with those interest areas and find a pathway to major/career clarity.
What part of Shark Tank Open are you looking forward to most?
I am looking forward to presenting our pitch and previous work while networking with colleagues.
Who is the innovator that inspires you most (past or present)?
Minneapolis College Colleagues who’ve also presented at Shark Tank
For more information on the Shark Tank Open please contact Stephen Kelly.
Leave a Reply