tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89824641473954538332024-03-14T00:08:22.428-04:00Robin's ChalkboardThoughts on Pedagogy and LiteratureRobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-26868240920570238222018-04-30T23:11:00.002-04:002018-04-30T23:11:35.777-04:00Decision Matrix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What kind of chocolate chip cookie do you like?<br />
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Some are crisp and dip well into milk. Some are gooey. Some have molasses, some have a nutty flavor from browning the butter. And then there's the chocolate! Dark, semisweet, milk. With all of these possibilities, how do you decide which is the best overall?<br />
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That's where a decision matrix can help.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jkd_fLU3HMs/WufaUgGw99I/AAAAAAAAA3o/TKxiizojKXoxHpNnhNrRgWQe1WHS1lW_ACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-04-30%2Bat%2B11.05.56%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="713" height="152" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jkd_fLU3HMs/WufaUgGw99I/AAAAAAAAA3o/TKxiizojKXoxHpNnhNrRgWQe1WHS1lW_ACLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-04-30%2Bat%2B11.05.56%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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To teach this lesson, I bring to class a variety of mass-produced cookies. The students come up with the qualities to compare, and they sample the cookies to determine the scores in each category.<br />
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I ask them to use a decision matrix when determining their recommendation for their formal reports, and this is a fun way to help them see how it works.<br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-66127098788399970622018-03-01T15:22:00.000-05:002018-03-01T15:22:26.399-05:00SubstitutingI taught two composition classes this week for a teacher who is ill. I'm not familiar with the teacher's normal practices, so I was somewhat stressed preparing for the class. Their assignment for Tuesday was to bring their homework and two historical artifacts, and the assignment for Thursday was to read.<br />
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There were several surprises in store for me, but the biggest was that this class rarely uses small groups. Most of their classes are large-group discussion.<br />
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I depend upon small groups, especially in composition class. They enable participation from a wider range of students, they teach teamwork, and they help students make personal connections--which to me is just as important as the first two reasons.<br />
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Based upon this and a few other discoveries, I suspect that the students are not producing high-quality work. They aren't preparing well for class, they don't know to read the syllabus, they're confused about the assignment, and they don't know each other.<br />
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What I'm really wondering: Is my grade distribution higher than normal because I utilize a wider range of pedagogical approaches?Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-52992870122999431422018-02-23T22:02:00.002-05:002018-02-23T22:02:56.065-05:00The dangers of lecture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past week, I took a risk in my Workplace Writing class. The lesson concerned accepting constructive criticism, and it seemed to me that the most useful way to model it would be to let them criticize me. I put the students in groups and had them come up with a criticism jointly, so they would be more daring.<br />
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Only three groups of five were able to come up with anything. One criticism was that sometimes my voice is too quiet (something I wondered about with the room's weird acoustics), and another was that sometimes on Canvas the assignments are hard to find. The third was that they want to spend more time going group work.<br />
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From my perspective, they do group work ALL THE TIME. Every day there's an active learning activity, either individual or group. To clarify, I asked, "so it seems like I lecture a lot?" And the way they said yes made it seem like that should be obvious.<br />
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As I'm lecturing, I stop and ask the class questions, or have them ask me questions. From my perspective, that feels less like lecture and more like discussion to me, but it may not for them.<br />
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It's also possible that I've fallen into one of the dangers of lecture: getting carried away with talking. It's important to stop talking sometimes and turn control over to the class. Not just for a minute, but for ten or fifteen minutes at a time.<br />
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My goal for next week is to <i>begin</i> with a group activity to make sure there's enough time.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-24696328121270583152018-01-26T22:35:00.001-05:002018-01-26T22:35:19.103-05:00Striking a balance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The beginning of the semester is incredibly important, as it sets the tone for the rest of the semester.<br />
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The first thing that has to occur is showing your students that the class has value. This makes them willing to work and more patient with the educational process. The way I do this in Writing for the Workplace and Technical Communication is beginning with a lesson about email. Many students use it poorly or too informally. Interestingly, as texting has replaced email for informal communication, student awareness of email as professional communication has increased, so it's possible I will need to change tactics.<br />
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In a writing class, the second task is to establish community. The students will be providing feedback to one another and working in project groups, so it's vital that they get to know each other. I accomplish this through group work such as asking composition or literature students to share their favorite quote from the text with one another.<br />
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Neither of these projects is complex or mentally demanding, and there lies the danger. If too much time is spent on them, students may start to think they don't have to work.<br />
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As I was talking to my Workplace Writing students today, I noticed that none of them had their book out. Few even had their computers open. That had to change. When I put them into groups, I gave them a task requiring the book, and for once I didn't project the book onto the classroom's screen. I'm always urging students to be self-directed, which means I had better stop babying them!<br />
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I titled this post "striking a balance" because a successful educational environment must be comfortable but not TOO comfortable.<br />
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-3964809844672946262018-01-19T23:24:00.001-05:002018-01-19T23:24:10.782-05:00In-class collaboration with Google Docs<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BLUF: Google Docs is useful for collaboration and community building. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today each of my composition classes created a chart using Google Docs. Based on the "Writing in the Disciplines" section of the <i>Writer's Harbrace Handbook</i>, they compared standards of writing in the humanities, in the social sciences, in the natural sciences, and in business. I asked them to compare the purposes for writing (such as interpretation or solving a problem), tasks (like summary, description, literature review, laboratory steps), sources of evidence, and some conventions. Here is part of one class's chart: </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5YEXnAg10O8/WmK_mYxYh4I/AAAAAAAAAzs/pLAsUAvbYR8J970r2s8UawyeNMrfYplJQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-19%2Bat%2B11.03.06%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chart as described above" border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1231" height="270" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5YEXnAg10O8/WmK_mYxYh4I/AAAAAAAAAzs/pLAsUAvbYR8J970r2s8UawyeNMrfYplJQCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-19%2Bat%2B11.03.06%2BPM.png" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I assigned this task because their first paper asks them to evaluate "truth and knowledge" in a discipline, which is a broad, vague topic that must be refined and limited to be successful. I argue that examining</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> standards of writing is one way to approach the types of claims and evidence valued in a field. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After discussing their findings, each group created an entry for "truth and knowledge" in their discipline. Here is what they found: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Humanities</b>: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth is subjective. Truth is an abstraction. Knowledge is valuable for its own sake. Knowledge is facts and theories, history and perspectives. Reasoning is very important. Complex claims are most valued. Argumentation is valued to hone reasoning skills and for leading to better understanding. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Social Sciences</b>: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth is observable/replicable and evidenced through research/experimentation. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth is objective. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowledge can be proven and should be shared. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowledge contributes to the conversation in the field and can be expanded on by other professionals. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Derives something concrete from broad, observable phenomena</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Natural Sciences</b>: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">can only disprove or fail to disprove a “truth”. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">truth is what you observe and what can be reproduced. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">quantitative data are valued more than qualitative data when it comes to what is knowledge. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">extensive background knowledge of particular field required to get as close to truth as you can get. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">unarguable, empirical, fact based truth and knowledge. what can be seen and tested</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Business:</b> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth is often dependent upon the situation. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most truths are based on facts. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">However truths are commonly portrayed with bias leading to misconceptions. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowledge is based upon truths paired with past experiences. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowledge is more valuable as the genre requires the individual to be have a certain drive for the business or idea to be successful.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm very pleased with their thinking. They're gaining confidence and depth as they discover avenues for exploring the topic.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I'm especially pleased with the community-building that occurred in each class as a result of the collaboration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoy using Google Docs in class because it's fun. It can have a large number of collaborators at any moment--20 seems to be a reasonable limit, based on past experience--which made some chaos inevitable. Sometimes one student would be writing a sentence only to have another edit it right behind them. The anonymity of logins makes it a challenge to discover who the culprit is! They laugh at the login-handles: animals like the loris or elephant. The laughter makes the task more enjoyable, encourages them to relax, and brings them together as a group. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One further advantage of this task is that they'll have this document to look back on for the rest of the semester. </span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-45255811527481726782018-01-10T22:13:00.001-05:002018-01-19T23:25:15.104-05:00Frustrated learners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pd6IJ9alXdI/WlbS0NC0jRI/AAAAAAAAAzI/zt8Yeen9liIJD06gRluWOTxD__lnOL0OgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hula hoops with drawn sad face" border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="448" height="301" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pd6IJ9alXdI/WlbS0NC0jRI/AAAAAAAAAzI/zt8Yeen9liIJD06gRluWOTxD__lnOL0OgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3966.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's very humbling to be bad at something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm trying to learn to hula hoop. I have NEVER been able to do this. Not as a child. Not now. I want to do it because (a) it looks like fun and (b) I want to prove something to myself, that there's nothing wrong with me and I really can do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Obviously, there's a lot of psychological baggage tied up with this. It comes from watching everyone else do something and making it look <i>so easy</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is this how my students feel who tell me they've never been good at English? For some of us, language just clicks. Like someone who succeeds at hooping their very first time, people who are "good at English" probably enjoyed playing with words at an early age, took pleasure in their sounds and variety. And it came "naturally." Of course, "nature" depends on a lot of factors, like how much their parents read and their early teachers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I suppose there was a time when language wasn't easy for me. I remember in kindergarten, my teacher asked me to summarize the story of the three little pigs after we had just watched a film on it, and I was embarrassed that I couldn't do it. There must have been other struggles before that. But it was so brief and so long ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some of my students, though, have been stuck at the same skill level for years. They learned to read and compose their thoughts up to a certain level, and didn't progress beyond it. And it's terribly frustrating. If they feel anything like I felt tonight at my hooping class, they sometimes want to cry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think it's important to recognize that learning can be an incredibly emotional process. It's easy to turn off and give up when something causes us pain. Tonight the other students told me it takes time and that it was hard for them too. I don't fully believe them, but it's comforting. That's something our students need from us: the awareness that getting to the skill level they want to be at will take time, and the assurance that eventually they can do it.</span>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-82411857564251827932017-11-20T00:22:00.000-05:002018-01-05T00:45:44.000-05:00tl;dr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nf_29c9W7fw/Wk20kDENS9I/AAAAAAAAAyc/nzHCX6Y__Eskvk98sbXcyRDMcZzD7RkwgCLcBGAs/s1600/Anonymous_aiga_waiting_room.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="765" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nf_29c9W7fw/Wk20kDENS9I/AAAAAAAAAyc/nzHCX6Y__Eskvk98sbXcyRDMcZzD7RkwgCLcBGAs/s200/Anonymous_aiga_waiting_room.png" width="152" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're all in such a hurry these days. Myself included. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We skim our newsfeeds and social media. If a video is over 10 minutes, we seldom open it, and even a short video is abandoned if it doesn't engage us in the first 15 seconds. We depend on abstracts and summaries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This impatience extends to other areas of our lives. For instance, I've been ordering groceries online because it's faster. I can sit in my car, reading Facebook, while a clerk loads the trunk. I'm usually in and out within 10 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a teacher, the length of an assignment is something I have to give special consideration to. Will this engage the students? Will they watch/read the whole thing? Will they stop and think about it? Or will their response be "tl; dr" (too long; didn't read)? I'm beginning to prepare some videos for an online course I'm teaching in the summer, and the current recommendation is to keep videos under 5 minutes. Five! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The benefits of slowing down are obvious. It takes time to consider multiple sides of an argument, to fact-check, to consider our logic, to formulate a response. Inspiration takes time. Art takes time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A recent book by Maggie Berg and Barbara Seeber, <i>The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy</i>, advises faculty to reject the corporate culture of speed and train our students to slow down. But that's not what I'm arguing for today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I would like to suggest is that people have always been in a hurry. Always. Humans feel the pressure of mortality and passing time. Think of Keats' "<span style="text-indent: -1em;"><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44488/when-i-have-fears-that-i-may-cease-to-be" target="_blank">When I have fears that I may cease to be</a>," or Marvell's <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44688/to-his-coy-mistress" target="_blank">"To His Coy Mistress."</a> Before television and mass transit, a family sat in their drawing room, sewing or playing games or reading, and wondering whether their lives were worthwhile. Now we're in a hurry <i>faster</i>, but <a href="http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/116" target="_blank">Time's bending sickle</a> is headed for us all. </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Urging people to slow down isn't the answer. Instead, we should focus on consciously choosing what we spend time on. As teachers, we can train future generations to use their limited time well, to consider what is best summarized and what is best read in depth, or what are the best sources for recaps. Accepting a natural, human impulse is a much better use of faculty time than complaining about students who are in a hurry. </span></span>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-7717934992217264272016-04-17T12:45:00.001-04:002016-04-17T12:45:56.685-04:00Skateboarding is not a crime. This phrase was taught to me when I was in teacher training at the University of Iowa. The workshop leader meant that if students want to skateboard through college, that's their right. I've held on to that idea ever since, and it prevents me from getting too frustrated over students who aren't reading, aren't studying, and are writing their papers at the last minute.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLIZu9Tj1uw/VxO8pNnl7SI/AAAAAAAAAmM/NmZ8PNXveWoT5lK11S56ouAxgnIBtZWjACLcB/s320/800px-Streetboarding_At_North_Hobart_Skatepark_Tasmania.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="217" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Streetboards#/media/File:Streetboarding_At_North_Hobart_Skatepark_Tasmania.jpg" target="_blank">Nick Robson catches some air</a></td></tr>
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If this is how someone wants to spend their college years, I think that's their choice. A poor choice and a wasted opportunity, but a choice. <div>
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But what I've been wondering lately is whether I should be less accepting of this attitude. What if students "skateboard" because they feel their success doesn't matter to anyone, and I could be the person it matters to? What if they just need some encouragement?<br /><br /></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-45500320260126771682016-01-23T21:28:00.002-05:002016-01-23T21:28:32.380-05:00Flipping the Library<div>
It isn't uncommon to change a course schedule to adapt to student needs. But sometimes it leads to surprising results.</div>
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Composition II at my institution focuses on research skills. When I'm teaching the unit on secondary sources, I usually don't take time to introduce the library--the library is supposed to be covered in Composition I. The preparation level of our students has changed in recent years, however, leading to more first-semester students who already have credit for Composition I from elsewhere and hence have no library experience. I realized on the first day of the unit, as I was demonstrating the library databases, that they needed help finding books and navigating the library. So, I added a library day. <div>
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Students began by completing a "pre-search" worksheet asking for basic information about their proposed topic for the research paper, some contextual information, keywords that could be used in a search, and the call number and title of a possible source. All the students had to do for that Wednesday was find me on the library's first floor, show me the completed worksheet, find the book, and then show me the book. </div>
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Somehow I expected I would have a lot of time to myself, that
they would find the book and be done with it, and that the day was really about them having more time to gather research. It turned out differently. I only
had brief periods to myself. Some students needed help understanding the overall paper assignment. Some didn't have their worksheet completed. Others were prepared but needed help understanding call numbers, figuring out
where the books were shelved, or locating the circulation desk. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Simple as it was, the day was
very useful and revealed areas where students had misunderstandings. In retrospect, I realize that this was a flipped class. Walking through the library and finding books are usually out-of-class tasks. Having them complete the activity during class time ensured, first, that they did it and, second, provided them with valuable guidance. </div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-27154986271392314252015-06-29T20:22:00.002-04:002015-06-29T22:54:33.435-04:00Information Design in the Course SyllabusInformation design refers to visual and organizational aspects of a document that facilitate communication. It includes font face and size, colors, layout, headers, and images. Information design is most effective when it conforms to the needs of a specific audience. It helps them break information into chunks and see the relation among ideas. Attention to information design also builds credibility by demonstrating a concern for audience needs.<br />
<br />
On the course syllabus, appropriate information design can convey that the course is strategically organized. It also enables readers to locate information quickly. “Headers, graphics, and layout strategies can make syllabi more attractive and user-friendly.”<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1]</span> On the practical side, more information will fit on the page if formatted well. Columns, for instance, permit smaller font sizes because each line is shorter. Compare:<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet velit vitae massa. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur<br />
adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet velit vitae massa. </span></li>
</ul>
The second example would be easier to read, though the text is otherwise the same.<br />
<br />
Information design is especially important in lower-level classes where students may easily become overwhelmed. Imagine a first-year student faced with this dense sheet of information (please don't try to read it--the words don't matter):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_g4VzpVW_2o/VZHhH5HA_7I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/GSJ9Bv85lew/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-29%2Bat%2B8.21.13%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_g4VzpVW_2o/VZHhH5HA_7I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/GSJ9Bv85lew/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-29%2Bat%2B8.21.13%2BPM.png" width="264" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If this page had been broken into two columns and given larger subheadings, the sections would be easier to parse. I sometimes use a newsletter template from MS Word to create columns and sections, but you don't have to go that fancy, as the next example illustrates:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0R3lj4GIW4c/VZIE3z6iwBI/AAAAAAAAAik/2at9aD0jWAw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-29%2Bat%2B10.53.46%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0R3lj4GIW4c/VZIE3z6iwBI/AAAAAAAAAik/2at9aD0jWAw/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-29%2Bat%2B10.53.46%2BPM.png" width="224" /></a></div>
<br />
The comparison is a little unfair because the first example was the syllabus's first page and this one is the second. Nevertheless, it shows how white space and underlining can assist in organizing information.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] Slattery, J.M., and J.F. Carlson. (2005). Preparing an effective syllabus: Current best practices. <i>College Teaching 53,</i>4, 159-164. p. 163. DOI: 10.3200/CTCH.53.4.159-164.
</span>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-50982701095651624632015-05-25T00:31:00.003-04:002015-05-25T00:31:56.137-04:00The Importance of Tone in the Course SyllabusThe course syllabus has been receiving greater scrutiny in recent years. For administration, the syllabus is considered to have legal weight, a contract between instructor and student. For external reviewers, it provides criteria to judge the education students receive. For instructors and students, it structures the course. Among some of the things the document is supposed to contain are:
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Complete course information and description</li>
<li>Information about the instructor and any assistants </li>
<li>A list of reading and any other required materials </li>
<li>Student learning outcomes (reviewers are big on these)</li>
<li>All graded course requirements and a breakdown of grading scale </li>
<li>Criteria for evaluation of assignments (this is never on my syllabus.)</li>
<li>Policy on late work and extra credit. </li>
<li>Other, non-graded course expectations </li>
<li>Attendance and tardiness </li>
<li>Late or missed papers and exams </li>
<li>Policy on academic dishonesty </li>
<li>ADA statement </li>
<li>Classroom decorum and academic discourse </li>
<li>Campus support services (what a long list!)</li>
<li>Study or assignment aids </li>
<li>Schedule </li>
<li>Legal disclaimer that policies and schedule are subject to change “by mutual agreement and/or to ensure better student learning” [1] </li>
</ul>
With all these demands placed on it, instructors may forget that this document also helps create our first impression. The syllabus establishes the attitude of the instructor and provides a sense of how the course will be run. What kind of impression do you want to make?<br />
<div>
<br />
Previously, I had been advised to make my language as impersonal as possible and to remove "you" from the document so that it sounds less domineering. "You will complete three papers. You will take two tests. You will bow to my every command." Okay, not that last, but you get the idea. </div>
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Here is an example of the type of change I made. My former late-work policy read, "Unless I have authorized an extension at least 36 hours before the due date, I will not accept late work except for verifiably excellent reasons such as hospital stays or accidents." The new policy was phrased in a way to motivate students while being less domineering: "Because timely progress is essential in this course, work is due at the time specified and no later. Unless the instructor has authorized an extension at least 36 hours before the deadline, late work will receive a grade of zero." </div>
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According to D.L. Baecker, however, such language is morally suspect because it masks the power dynamics of the classroom. It sidesteps responsibility, "the instructor" instead of "I." Rhetorical distancing is something many instructors do by instinct, especially since students have become more aggressive about grades: if we can turn to the course or department policy, we can pretend we don't have a choice. Baecker's argument certainly gives food for thought. I've started including "I" and "me" in some documents, and it feels much less stilted, which is an advantage.
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<br />
The language I added about the cause for the policy, though, I feel was a good move and fits with research about best practices in syllabus construction. Research has shown that a <b>warm tone</b> increases retention of syllabus content, and that teachers and lecturers are perceived as more effective when described as “warm.” [2]<br />
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This was hard for me to hear. I'm not a particularly "warm" person toward strangers. I'm an introvert, and I like to keep people at a distance. I confess, though, that it matches my experience and it makes sense. Students like and appreciate me, but it's rare that students love me. If I could be more warm towards them, perhaps that would change. More importantly, a welcoming and encouraging tone can motivate students by fostering their confidence. [3] And creating a successful learning environment is really what it's all about.<br />
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In my next post, I'll address the importance of information design to establishing a welcoming tone for the course.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9iZruaG02A/VWKlgoe1ZoI/AAAAAAAAAhc/2WOgECJU3uc/s1600/Hedgehog-in-a-Cup-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9iZruaG02A/VWKlgoe1ZoI/AAAAAAAAAhc/2WOgECJU3uc/s200/Hedgehog-in-a-Cup-l.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm prickly but cute.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] Nilson, Linda Burzotta. <i>Teaching at Its Best: A Research-based Resource for College Instructors</i>. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. 35-37. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[2] Slattery, Jeanne M., and Janet F. Carlson. “Preparing An Effective Syllabus: Current Best Practices.” <i>College Teaching</i> 53:4 (2005): 159-164. DOI: 10.3200/CTCH.53.4. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Harnish, Richard J., and K. Robert Bridges. “Effect of syllabus tone: students’ perceptions of instructor and course.” <i>Social Psychology of Education</i> (2011) 14:319–330. DOI 10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[3] Thompson, Blair. “The Syllabus as a Communication Document: Constructing and Presenting the Syllabus.” <i>Communication Education</i> 56.1 (2007): 54-71. p. 59. DOI: 10.1080/03634520601011575</span><br />
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-38272471281735089812015-05-07T08:08:00.002-04:002015-05-07T08:08:38.981-04:00Grading RitualsWhere do you grade? Do you have grading "rituals"?<br />
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The effect of environmental factors was the focus of a recent study conducted by UT graduate students Stephanie Derochers and Stacy Sivinski. They wondered, "Are there any potential correlations between the environmental and emotional conditions in which teachers decide to grade and specific grading practices? I participated in the research by completing a 22-question anonymous survey, so I was especially curious about the results. Stephanie and Stacy also conducted six interviews.<br />
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Some of their findings were that coffee-shop graders were less likely to feel rushed and tended to leave fewer marginal comments. The former is true for me, while the latter isn't. Of course, I grade <i>everywhere</i>. Yesterday, I marked papers at the public library, Starbucks, and my recliner in the morning, afternoon, and evening. True, this is unusual for me and is only possible because classes are over, but the truth is I don't have one set practice. I'm wondering if I should.<br />
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The researchers found that "Those with the most set & detailed grading rituals ALWAYS reported being 'Calm' or 'Amused' while grading whereas participants who reported having no grading rituals ALWAYS stated that they felt 'Rushed' or 'Stressed' during this process."<br />
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I must have stated that I have a limited ritual (usually checking Facebook and email first), because my state is variable, from calm to amused to frustrated, depending on the paper. The closest I have is my Starbucks 'ritual'--I'm there three to four evenings a week, and during the semester it's always to grade. If I had a more defined practice, would the process go more smoothly? Would my comments be more thoughtful? Would I be a better teacher?<br />
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I have so very many papers to mark that it's hard to imagine having just one regular practice. I wish the researchers had taken that variable into account, since most of their respondents were probably graduate students teaching two sections a term. I am, however, tempted by the idea of having a regular grading schedule, for instance being at the public library every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon for 2 hours. It's something I'm willing to try this fall, when I'll be teaching lots of new material.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbij6QQn3tc/VUtVEseZiwI/AAAAAAAAAg0/qsPcE7i3swo/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbij6QQn3tc/VUtVEseZiwI/AAAAAAAAAg0/qsPcE7i3swo/s320/IMG_0791.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grading and lunch while at a conference in Toronto</td></tr>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-71338018314597826202014-12-30T23:39:00.001-05:002014-12-30T23:39:50.546-05:00To Ban or Not To Ban (Laptops)?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_LL11GWTLc/VKN9f9anNDI/AAAAAAAAAes/kdaiv-qgSMI/s1600/distraction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_LL11GWTLc/VKN9f9anNDI/AAAAAAAAAes/kdaiv-qgSMI/s1600/distraction.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://timgombis.com/2012/05/21/laptops-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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Earlier this year, Anne Curzan wrote <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2014/08/25/why-im-asking-you-not-to-use-laptops/" target="_blank">an article</a> for <i>The Chronicle of Higher Education</i> that shared the speech she gives students each semester about why she prohibits laptop use in her classes. She made several excellent points, which I have anecdotally found to be true:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>It's difficult to resist the lure of the internet.</li>
<li>The internet will draw you away from the classroom experience. </li>
<li>No one actually multi-tasks well. </li>
<li>Looking at a computer screen means you aren't making eye contact, so discussion becomes discouraged</li>
<li>Other students are distracted by one person's computer use, especially if the screen is visible to them.</li>
<li>It's distracting for the instructor, who is forced into awareness that a student is Not Paying Attention.</li>
<li>Taking notes by hand is more effective than taking notes on a computer. </li>
</ul>
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This last point I find especially intriguing. When I first heard it two years ago, it was credited to the physical act of handwriting. A study had shown that muscle memory helps mental memory. Curzan claims it's because students are forced to condense the lecture and decide the important points. They're actively processing the material instead of passively recording.<br />
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I found Curzan's argument to be persuasive enough that I started writing a laptop policy for my classroom. And then I stopped. Why? Because I love those moments when someone asks a question I don't know the answer to and someone looks it up. What's a word mean? Look it up. What year was the Charge of the Light Brigade? Look it up. How many siblings did Florence Nightingale have? Look it up. I especially enjoy it when students looks up information on their own.<br />
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It's true, I also use laptops for in-class activities. They're useful tools, especially in a writing classroom. But that moment of mystery and discovery is what I really value. So I was glad to read alternate points of view <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2014/09/23/dont-ban-laptops-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">like this one</a> from The Chronicle in September. Nicole Short's argument is that students must learn to discipline themselves, to do what's best because it's best and not because it's what they've been told.<br />
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What I've decided to do in my literature class is to assign a Note Book, a journal with notes from class and the reading which will be picked up and checked at different points in the semester. And it has to be hand-written. Students can still use their laptops in class if they like, but they'll have to write out their notes long-hand afterwards. That way I can make sure (1) they're taking some notes and (2) they're taking <i>good</i> notes.<br />
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N.B. I can only do this because I have just one lit class in the spring with a cap of 25 students. If I had more, I would probably just check off the notes or not require it at all. So often pedagogy suffers because of too heavy a load …<br />
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What's your view on the debate? If you allow laptops and tablets, what's your policy on their use?Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-24240177036213292452014-12-05T13:13:00.001-05:002014-12-05T13:13:09.423-05:00The Remembrance of Pedagogies Past<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OyhlxUjdwPk/VIHyWTHcB-I/AAAAAAAAAeY/oOW1fOS7ELE/s1600/201301-omag-oz-guide-brain-fog-284x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OyhlxUjdwPk/VIHyWTHcB-I/AAAAAAAAAeY/oOW1fOS7ELE/s1600/201301-omag-oz-guide-brain-fog-284x426.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: http://www.oprah.com/health/Health-<br />and-Wellness-Tips-for-Your-40s-Mehmet-Oz</span></td></tr>
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So many great teaching ideas, so little time. Because I don't teach the same courses every semester, I tend to forget strategies I use for particular texts, assignments, and goals. I get a brain fog.<br />
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Last week I remembered that after the midterm exam I had meant to hand out a reflection sheet, which I would then return right before the final exam. Its purpose is meta-cognitive, to help students identify studying patterns that do and don't work. But I forgot until far too late.<br />
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I know there were other things I forgot, usually in-class activities that I do with a text, or in-class writing to prepare for papers. But I've forgotten those, too. I just have that foggy sense of missed opportunities.<br />
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To combat this, I'm going to place a hand-written note on my cubicle wall that lists assignments or activities. So far, here are some that I have collected:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Debates, fishbowl discussion, mind maps, singing (for teaching meter), exit papers with muddiest/clearest points, having students bring questions more often, having students write questions as part of their exam, dioramas, paragraph puzzle, logical fallacies game, Jeopardy, jigsaw, peer teaching, demonstrating in class how to read and take notes, having students volunteer their notes to share, Wiki review, online workshops, the dating game, creative monologues, annotating a scene, drawing a set design, creating hyperlinks for a text, ...</blockquote>
What are some creative activities you like to do? Which of them lead to more sophisticated thinking?<br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-28640621339797007232014-08-02T16:10:00.000-04:002014-08-02T16:10:41.766-04:00Planning a CompositionI just attended the exhibit, "Marian Greenwood in Tennessee" at the UT Downtown Gallery. The centerpiece is the mural, "History of Tennessee" (1955).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5xIG_wEU0r4/U91Dm_-b3RI/AAAAAAAAAcg/BmxKLTujwRU/s1600/web_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5xIG_wEU0r4/U91Dm_-b3RI/AAAAAAAAAcg/BmxKLTujwRU/s1600/web_07.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The History of Tennessee," hanging at the UT Downtown Gallery<br />Aren't these colors fabulous? Oil on linen. </td></tr>
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The mural itself is an impressive achievement. What really fascinated me, though, was the amount of planning Greenwood put into the painting. The exhibit displayed many of her sketches, some in charcoal, some pencil, some colored, etc. She re-worked the composition and the colors. Some things she knew from the start, like that in the center would be a couple square dancing. At one point she considered having Native Americans at each side (there aren't any in the final version). The center woman's dress might have ended up being much duller, according to one drawing.<br />
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I wish this exhibit would stay open during the semester so that writing students could attend and think about the importance of planning and why one might not choose to run with the first idea one has. With painting, little revision is possible and so planning becomes all the more important. But even in writing, the more work we spend planning, the less we have to revise.<br />
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Here are some of Greenwood's sketches:<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; line-height: 0; min-height: 20px; min-width: 40px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 865px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; line-height: 0; min-height: 20px; min-width: 40px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 865px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-13401448454380476812014-07-23T13:28:00.000-04:002014-07-23T13:28:06.681-04:00"Why can't students today write?"This is a question I'm often asked when people find out I teach Composition (right after 'oops, I'd better be careful what I say!'). What's wrong with our students today, they wonder. Why can't they learn basic spelling and grammar? Why can't they write?<br />
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I'm not sure exactly what measure people use to judge students' writing. Perhaps they're listening to the news and all the test results. I'm pretty sure they aren't looking at the writing.<br />
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From what I've seen, students' grammar is no worse than the average. The same person who asks me 'why can't students write?' has probably misplaced an apostrophe and used quotation marks for "emphasis." There are errors, but most of my students at a large state school can identify them once they're pointed out. Their proofreading skills aren't well-developed, and it's possible that composing ephemeral messages on a computer screen has contributed to that lack. Proofreading is largely a question of paying attention to detail, which requires caring. If writing comes and goes, why proofread?<br />
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But writing is more than grammar. It's an ability to express ideas in such a way that others can grasp them. First-year college students struggle with this--all of them. That's because their ideas are becoming more sophisticated and they don't yet have the tools to express them. As they try to build more complex sentences and deploy new vocabulary, it's natural that they will fail sometimes. This is utterly normal.
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For evidence, I share with you an article by Rebecca Osborn published in <i>College English</i>. She writes of faculty who wish there weren't any freshmen and sympathetically states, "There is often reason enough for the protest that freshmen are immature, confused, and occasionally downright stupid." She adds, "If our students are not supremely gifted, if their educational background is faulty, if they are not widely read, they are, nevertheless, alert young people who have, for the most part, absorbed as much as they were given to absorb." The year? <b>1949</b>. Folks, in <b>1949</b> teachers thought college freshmen could be immature, confused, stupid, and unprepared.<br />
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I'm reminded of an apocryphal quote attributed to Socrates on "the youth of today." There's also this quote:
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<blockquote>
"The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of
today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for
parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as
if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is
foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest
and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress."</blockquote>
That's from a <a href="http://www.efree.org/sermons/commandments/failing_to_honor_our_parents.htm">sermon supposedly preached by Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274</a>.
What I am suggesting is that all this talk of students not being able to write is cranky-old-teacher thinking. Let's focus instead on what our students need to take them to the next level.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quintessentially Cranky.</td></tr>
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-68092480973216839802014-06-02T15:03:00.000-04:002015-05-25T11:23:06.656-04:00Learning to Ask Deep Questions<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XdfVenpUzCI/U4zJPGg7TPI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/4U4uKRQeS8Y/s1600/c735d118100ae4793b82ca15ae332529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XdfVenpUzCI/U4zJPGg7TPI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/4U4uKRQeS8Y/s1600/c735d118100ae4793b82ca15ae332529.png" width="175" /></a>It's hard to exaggerate the importance to education of asking good questions. To interrogate an idea, a dataset, or the basis of theorems, is to become intellectually active.<br />
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In the past, I have required students to bring one discussion question on a pre-assigned day. I've also required all students in a course to bring a question on the same day. I've met with limited success. Often the questions they bring are comprehension questions rather than discussion questions. I explain that a discussion question is one without one obviously correct answer, one we can debate. I even give an example of both types of questions. Yet, they don't ask the questions I want, the deep questions.<br />
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I read <a href="http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-role-of-questions-in-teaching-thinking-and-learning/524" target="_blank">an article</a> last fall that suggested having students ask a question on the exam and explain why that was a good question. I tried it in my British literature class, but the results weren't great. I hadn't prepared them enough, given them enough practice with asking questions.<br />
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One thing I must do is to teach students about <a href="http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/questioning.htm" target="_blank">different kinds of questions</a>. I especially want students to learn to ask questions <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">of interpretation, of assumption, of
implication, of point of view, of relevance, of accuracy, of precision, of
consistency, and of logic. I want them to use questions to probe and explore. I can do this by having students formulate questions in small groups during class or by preparing them in advance. But probably the most important way to teach asking questions is to model them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Modeling is the recommendation of <a href="http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/art-asking-questions/" target="_blank">Faculty Focus's "The Art of Asking Questions,"</a> by Maryellen Weimar. Specifically, she recommends:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Prepare questions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Play with the questions. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Preserve good questions. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Ask questions that you don't know the answer to.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Ask questions you can't answer. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Don't ask open-ended questions when you know the answer you're looking for. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I do prepare questions in advance, but most of them are comprehension. I often ask open-ended questions when I know the answer I'm looking for. It's hard when it's a question without one answer, but I can predict their arguments from years of experience. I preserve questions in my lesson plans, and I often ask questions I don't know the answer to or that I can't answer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The area I plan to immediately address is playing </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">with</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> the questions. Too often, when a question is asked, someone will give a pat answer, the quick answer, without exploring it (always an extravert). To include more members of the class and to encourage thoughtful answers, I can put the questions on the board or PowerPoint and ask them to write them in their notes. It can be a question addressed at the end of the class session or asked over several sessions until the best answer is found. This will also create unity in the course.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">What techniques do you use to get students asking meaningful questions? </span><br />
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<!--StartFragment-->Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-50170783248484007952014-02-26T21:30:00.000-05:002014-02-26T21:30:14.306-05:00Pro-religion or Anti-gay? Rhetorical differences in reporting.Fellow blogger <a href="http://bellatricksy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bellatricksy</a> alerted me to this, and I'm saving it for the next time I teach rhetoric. I captured these images within minutes of each other (26 Feb 2014) and both are reporting on the same veto of the same Arizona bill.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ukF_skAKflo/Uw6iFjb60XI/AAAAAAAAAYM/1E9xK9L_VmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-26+at+9.20.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ukF_skAKflo/Uw6iFjb60XI/AAAAAAAAAYM/1E9xK9L_VmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-26+at+9.20.11+PM.png" height="335" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Arizona Religious Bill Is Vetoed," The Wall Street Journal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Cuajqsn-1Y/Uw6i0XZTs6I/AAAAAAAAAYU/qGHd7C3H2nw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-26+at+9.27.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Cuajqsn-1Y/Uw6i0XZTs6I/AAAAAAAAAYU/qGHd7C3H2nw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-26+at+9.27.48+PM.png" height="217" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Brewer vetoes bill denying service to gays," The Washington Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
How can we ever agree in this country if we aren't even arguing about the same things?<br />
<br />
<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-71746806370954158572014-02-10T00:06:00.000-05:002014-02-10T00:06:27.789-05:00Lecturing as a Rich Medium<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8cbyECpEGE/UvhcDr923hI/AAAAAAAAAXg/kHSSJfjaooQ/s1600/A-business-lecture-at-the-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8cbyECpEGE/UvhcDr923hI/AAAAAAAAAXg/kHSSJfjaooQ/s1600/A-business-lecture-at-the-007.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/dec/10/in-praise-of-academic-lecture" target="_blank">"</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 1.154; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/dec/10/in-praise-of-academic-lecture" target="_blank">In praise of the university lecture and its place in academic scholarship"</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the first unit of my Business Writing class, we discuss the advantages of different communication media, classifying them as lean or rich. A lean medium communicates in one direction, in the simplest way, and is impersonal. A rich medium allows for audience feedback, uses multiple informational cues (such as body language, tone of voice, charts, etc), and is more personal. Face-to-face is the richest medium for communication.<br />
<br />
My pedagogy discussion group has been discussing the pros and cons of lecturing. Some people claim it's outdated and boring, that students can get the same information from the web. It's true that some days, it seems like I might as well record what I'm doing. By the third time I give a lecture in a day, I've started running on auto-pilot. Those are the days that I wonder about the usefulness of lecturing.<br />
<br />
Then I remember that I'm not being fair to myself. Although I'm performing the same lecture, the audience feedback is slightly different every time. Even if it isn't different, the idea that I could possibly respond to student feedback changes the dynamic.<br />
<br />
I just recorded a lecture for tomorrow's class (I'm sick and staying home). I managed to trim a 20-minute explanation of blogging down to 12 minutes by cutting the time for pages to load and some extraneous comments. Watching this lesson, it occurs to me that some students will need to watch it twice. And then they may still be confused. This isn't because of a problem with the lesson, but rather that I'm not there to respond to their questions as they occur.<br />
<br />
During my lectures, I watch my students carefully. I watch their body language. How much are they understanding? Where is there a problem? When I see consternation wrinkling someone's brow, I find another way to restate my message. When I see hesitation, I'll ask if an idea is clear and perhaps give a sample application.<br />
<br />
This richness is difficult to replicate in an online learning environment. My lectures usually include active learning moments, such as pair-and-share or applications of an idea, but they also involve frequent moments where I check in with my students. Perhaps, then, the lecture isn't on its way out. We're just changing our understanding of it.<br />
<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-4218326908088276982013-10-25T19:42:00.001-04:002013-10-26T10:45:26.220-04:00Does hand-writing their notes help students learn better? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tom4BN6cf0E/Umr9O0xhEJI/AAAAAAAAAWE/KkRMnNrH0-Y/s1600/handwriting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Handwritten excerpt from Tennyson's "Mariana"" border="0" height="177" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tom4BN6cf0E/Umr9O0xhEJI/AAAAAAAAAWE/KkRMnNrH0-Y/s200/handwriting.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a></div>
At today's Pedagogy Discussion Group (hosted by the <a href="http://tenntlc.utk.edu/" target="_blank">TennTLC</a>), amid the discussion of testing as a learning activity, someone brought up the claim that hand-writing one's notes aids in memory retention. I have found this personally to be true. When I studied for tests, I hand-wrote my notes. I made copies of notes by hand. I created a huge chalkboard in my head and imagined myself carving formulae into it with a glowing gold pen. When it came time to take the test, I knew where on the board to "look." I could remember writing out the poems and definitions. I could mentally envision my writing and the papers. I always thought that the benefit was primarily spatial or visual. But the very act of hand-writing may be responsible.<br />
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A study by Jean-Luc Velay at the University of Versailles found "that different parts of the brain are activated when we read letters we have learned by handwriting" (<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119095458.htm" target="_blank">Science Daily</a>). In an article co-written with Velay (discussed in the same Science Daily article), the University of Stavenger's Anne Mangen suggests that something is lost when students type instead of hand-write. However, the full connections between sensory motor skills and cognition are not yet understood.<br />
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Many of my students type their notes during class. There's good reason: typing is faster, and many of them can't write legibly in cursive. The notes can be saved to the cloud and opened on a variety of devices, making studying much more convenient. I've been encouraging this practice because of the convenience and the environmental benefits of the "paperless classroom." But have I been doing them a disservice?<br />
<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-81607403105754248662013-10-18T19:08:00.001-04:002013-10-18T19:08:30.694-04:00Instructions Activity for Technical Writing Class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9K-yzz572SM/UmG-AZEqBHI/AAAAAAAAAVk/nYS01AVM8Do/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9K-yzz572SM/UmG-AZEqBHI/AAAAAAAAAVk/nYS01AVM8Do/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" title="Mega Blox creation" /></a></div>
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The “you” attitude is an essential element in writing
definitions, descriptions, and instructions. The writer must guess what
information the audience already has and balance that against what is needed to
accomplish the document’s purpose. Although writing instructions is the most
advanced of these tasks, there is a secret weapon: usability testing. In this
exercise, students write a set of instructions then exchange them with another
group for testing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Examine the contents
of the bag given to you. Spend approximately 10 minutes designing a
structure of 20-40 pieces. Give this structure a name and take a picture
of it.</li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Write verbal
instructions so that someone else can copy your design. Use words only, <b>no graphics</b>.</li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Review your
instructions according to the checklist in Markel, pp. 388-89.</li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Dismantle your
creation. Trade instructions and materials with another group.</li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Each group
recreates the original structure. Compare the finished project to the
picture.</li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Compare notes
with the other group. Where were you confused? Was any information
extraneous?</li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Revise your
instructions, then post them to the Discussion Board along with the
picture, if possible.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tpDxDEYDBHQ/UmG-0Qy1I0I/AAAAAAAAAVs/pYnVCtKfz7k/s1600/IMG_0202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tpDxDEYDBHQ/UmG-0Qy1I0I/AAAAAAAAAVs/pYnVCtKfz7k/s200/IMG_0202.jpg" title="Another Mega Blox creation" width="148" /></a></div>
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From this activity, students said they learned that what's clear to one person is confusing to another; to watch for ambiguity; and to take nothing for granted.</div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-51948174512660235092013-09-27T09:29:00.000-04:002013-10-26T10:46:27.747-04:00Student Construction of Private Spaces in the ClassroomThe topical focus of my Composition I course is currently privacy. Inspired by Edward Snowden, we've been discussing the right to privacy and the relationship between the individual and the government. In the second unit, we have shifted to teen privacy, primarily on the internet.<br />
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Yesterday's reading was “<a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/2011/SocialPrivacyPLSC-Draft.pdf" target="_blank">Social Privacy in Networked Publics: </a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/2011/SocialPrivacyPLSC-Draft.pdf" target="_blank">Teens’ Attitudes, Practices, and Strategies</a>" by danah boyd and Alice Marwick. The authors' project was to determine from interviews with teens how they establish and maintain privacy both irl and online. The teens often didn't feel they had privacy at home because of their parents, but they could construct privacy at places like Panera through a process Erving Goffman calls "civil inattention." This is something you have probably experienced yourself at your local coffee shop, where you ignore the presence of others and expect them to ignore you. It's a quiet sort of privacy, and it's part of the way that everyone, teen and adult, constructs boundaries between the public and private.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAoS9ONyb7Y/UkWHWSq-VWI/AAAAAAAAAU8/kGd1LRWPJWg/s1600/ID-10047924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAoS9ONyb7Y/UkWHWSq-VWI/AAAAAAAAAU8/kGd1LRWPJWg/s200/ID-10047924.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid,<br />FreeDigitalPhotos.net</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">In class yesterday, I had to reprimand a student who was assiduously applying lip gloss. This is the sort of behavior that has always been a mystery to me. Students will try to read for other classes, check their phones, check their wallets, check their reflections in their phones, etc. I often ask myself and other teachers, "don't they know I can see them?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Last night it occurred to me that they are establishing a private space in the classroom. To them, the norms of civil inattention require that I <i>not</i> see them. They have mistaken the nature and function of the classroom. Instead of a work-focused, active public space, they confuse it with a public in which they can retreat and establish privacy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I remember I used to engage in private behavior in class, too. How did I grow out of it? </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Do you have students who similarly establish private spaces?</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> Have you found ways to enlighten students aside from reprimanding them in class?</span>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-12598859386289716162013-09-27T08:38:00.000-04:002013-09-27T08:38:46.714-04:00Piloting Changes in English Composition IMy institution is making some much-needed curricular changes to English 101, and I am participating in the pilot program. I use handouts and activities that the program has designed and choose my own thematic readings on the subject of privacy to accompany them. The schedule includes much less reading than I am used to, but I am finding that it is quite a relief. We can take our time with shorter articles and really work with them.<br />
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Something I liked most in the first unit was the Rhetorical Analysis Worksheet. I checked these online and was able to catch misreadings or superficial approaches before they write their actual analysis papers. On the other hand, this handout made me struggle with terms that I don't normally incorporate. I had to figure out the difference between a discourse community and an audience. I still think this distinction is too subtle for first-year composition. Questions about genre were also difficult for the students to answer because they are reading in genres (blog posts and political columns) that they are unaccustomed to.<br />
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The second unit will be more of a test, since it includes a new assignment: the literature review.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-9682138834626889752013-07-15T16:08:00.001-04:002013-09-20T22:13:47.442-04:00The Fishbowl, an Active Learning Technique<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The “fishbowl” is an active
learning technique appropriate for any class with a discussion or critical-thinking
component. In this activity, an inner ring of students form the fishbowl, with
an outer ring observing them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ri9ewLJQs7g/UeRWnbMNM-I/AAAAAAAAAUE/AdA2ALl9I_E/s1600/Presentation3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ri9ewLJQs7g/UeRWnbMNM-I/AAAAAAAAAUE/AdA2ALl9I_E/s320/Presentation3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The inner ring’s discussion
might revolve around problem-solving—such as choosing the best contractor to
dispose of waste or the best way to organize a paragraph— or around a debate,
such as whether Victor Frankenstein has treated his creation fairly or whether
airport scanners are an invasion of privacy. Any discussion topic that might be
assigned to multiple small groups in a class can be used here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The outer ring of spectators
evaluate the inner ring’s performance. This works best if students are given
particular roles, such as reporters, silent contributors (who will report on
what they might have said), and shadowers who are assigned to a specific
contributor. Students might consider questions such as: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Did the discussants use the text to support their arguments?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Did they use analytical language?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Did they use reasons and evidence?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Did they make connections to what someone else was saying?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Did they agree or disagree with someone else?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Other options include
tap-ins, in which someone in the outer ring takes the place of a discussant,
and reversals in which the outer ring has to continue the conversation of the
inner ring. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This activity emphasizes
self-reflection, which has been shown to be vital for critical thinking and
transfer across courses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">For more on the fishbowl:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <a href="http://youtu.be/PtYABBs6LLc">How KIPP Teachers
Learn to Teach Critical Thinking</a> (YouTube)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Fishbowl” on <a href="http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/strategies/fishbowl">Facing
History and Ourselves</a></span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982464147395453833.post-39026148671763722082013-06-12T18:06:00.001-04:002013-10-18T19:09:35.450-04:00Ruskin on Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--T25VuZDzqU/UbjwiIukTSI/AAAAAAAAAQA/tKg_EX17CtU/s1600/220px-John_Ruskin_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_13103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--T25VuZDzqU/UbjwiIukTSI/AAAAAAAAAQA/tKg_EX17CtU/s200/220px-John_Ruskin_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_13103.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;">And this is what we have to do with all our laborers; to look for the </span><i style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;">thoughtful</i><span style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> part of them, and get that out of them, whatever we lose for it, whatever faults and errors we are obliged to take with it. For the best that is in them cannot manifest itself, but in company with much error. Understand this clearly: You can teach a man to draw a straight line, and to cut one; to strike a curved line, and to carve it; and to copy and carve any number of given lines or forms, with admirable speed and perfect precision; and you find his work perfect of its kind: but if you ask him to think about any of those forms, to consider if he cannot find any better in his own head, he stops; his execution becomes hesitating; he thinks, and ten to one he thinks wrong; ten to one he makes a mistake in the first touch he gives to his work as a thinking being. But you have made a man of him for all that. He was only a machine before, an animated tool. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;">And observe, you are put to stern choice in this matter. You must either made a tool of the creature, or a man of him. You cannot make both.</span><span style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;">--John Ruskin, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30755/30755-h/30755-h.htm#page151" target="_blank">The Stones of Venice</a></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.390625px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;">I came across this passage from Ruskin yesterday and it immediately reminded me of teaching general education courses. From both the students and the administrators there is pressure to create perfection, skill, to form animated tools. Administrators want something measurable, which by definition is the same for every student. The students just seem to want to know the "right" answer. "What do you want me to write?" "How can I get an A?" When the students take their first steps toward more complex thinking, the result is often a mess. Then, they're frustrated. But this is a necessary step in the creative process. To make "men" (which I interpret as 'citizens') of students, some imperfection must be accepted as part of the process of discovery. </span></span>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743314801886209001noreply@blogger.com0