Dr. Maureen Conner

Creating Presence in the Age of Continual Change: Judicial Educators Leading the Edge

In 1995, I wrote an article for NASJE News titled “Creating Presence”. I heard from many colleagues about how helpful the concepts were in establishing the importance of education in the courts. Now, two decades later, creating presence is even more important. External forces that will not abate increasingly drive contemporary change. Directly meeting the challenges of change with a clear vision and unified voice is required to thrive in what will likely be a very exciting and frustrating time.

Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development

Experiential learning is a powerful and proven approach to teaching and learning that is based on one incontrovertible reality: people learn best through experience. In this book, David A. Kolb offers a systematic and up-to-date statement of the theory of experiential learning and its modern applications to education, work, and adult development.

NASJE Curriculum Design

Introducing “The Journey Toward Diversity, Fairness, and Access Through Education” Curriculum Design

We are excited to announce the completion of NASJE’s newest curriculum design! The history of this effort began when NASJE undertook, with support from State Justice Institute (SJI), the task of developing a comprehensive set of curriculum designs to advance the profession of judicial branch education based on core competency areas.

Dr. Anthony Simones, second from left, with Lee Ann Barnhardt, third from left. Photo by Margaret Allen.

My Experience with the Mentor Program

Even though I had known success in other arenas, I was new to the field of judicial education, so it seemed I could benefit from regular conversations and consultations with someone experienced in a similar job. I agreed to be assigned a mentor, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

A Guide to Conducting Effective Training Evaluations: Recommendations, Strategies and Tools for Dependency Court Improvement Programs

Conducting Effective Training through Careful Evaluation

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), as part of the National Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues, a service of the Children’s Bureau, developed A Guide to Conducting Effective Training Evaluations: Recommendations, Strategies and Tools for Dependency Court Improvement Programs. The Guide assists in identifying training needs, developing training methodologies and evaluation tools, and assessing training outcomes.

Thumbs up for NASJE’s new curriculum resource

Before I entered the field of judicial education a little less than a year ago, I spent the previous twenty years as a college professor. Teaching was something I had to learn on my own, through trial and error. I would have profited enormously from guidelines and suggestions of the type provided in these materials.