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by Anon student
Apr 5, 2010
Have you ever heard of a student not getting advanced to candidacy because they are not a member of a professional organization and it's not on their resume? This is an Ed. Leadership program. The state doesn't require this...it's a university thing. Any way to fight it? Worth it?
by bernoulli
Apr 12, 2010
I started this thread to exchange thoughts and ideas related to textbooks. Please feel free to add your input and experiences.
There is a movement on my campus to reduce the cost of textbooks various ways. It is receiving lip-service from the Provost in the form of email messages asking faculty to consider less expensive options.
...See MoreI started this thread to exchange thoughts and ideas related to textbooks. Please feel free to add your input and experiences.
There is a movement on my campus to reduce the cost of textbooks various ways. It is receiving lip-service from the Provost in the form of email messages asking faculty to consider less expensive options.
I do agree that faculty should take extra care to: 1. Choose textbooks that are well-written, helpful, and relevent. 2. Use the textbook enough to justify the expense. 3. Avoid using ancillary items or bundles unless they are essential (some statistics books bundle software that is not useful and it takes students out of the used book market). 4. When more than one book will do, choose the less expensive option. 5. If one textbook can be found that can be used for two or more courses in a sequence then go with that. My department teaches a two course statistics sequence that used one textbook. We also use one writing guide in all our classes that require reports--starting with our First-Year Experience (FYE) course.
However, have some concerns about other issues. My overarching concerns are that: (1) These suggestions about lowering book costs are promoting "surface learning" in place of "deep learning", and (2) students don't want to read and we don't want to make them do anything uncomfortable.
Here are some the issues from our Provost and others:
1. Selling books - I believe strongly in keeping most of your textbooks as resources, references, or tools of your profession. I kept most of my books from college and regret the ones I sold. A mechanic uses wrenches, a doctor uses a stethoscope, and so my engineering students should consider their books as their tools of the profession along with calculators, software and computers.
2. A push to use on-line texts is another promotion of surface learning. You can't write in a computer book, carry it around, keep it, etc.
3. Eliminating textbooks - Another surface learning promotion..."Just tell me what you want me to know and I will cram it in for the test"....(to be forgotten in a week). In my 20+ years of teaching I tried a few classes without a textbook and the students suffered. Another version of this idea is using PowerPoint notes pages in lieu of a textbook. I use PowerPoint notes in several classes I teach, but not instead of a textbook.
4. Book Rental - See my comments about selling books...same thing.
5. Use the internet - IMHO, that is part of the problem. A student told me once he couldn't do an assignment because he "Googled it and nothing come up." I about flipped out.
I will admit that I resent the frequency at which some publishers come out with new editions. However, I think textbooks are one of the best teaching tools we have if we use them wisely. I sometimes post reading notes telling the students which sections are well written and supplementing poorly written points. Some students benefit from illustrations, some from examples, some from explanations, some from the ability to review.
I had an interesting thing happen this week. Some of my students ordered bootlegged versions of the textbook from overseas. A lot of these copyright violators are from China and Singapore. Anyway, the homework problems are all out of order or missing so the students are contacting me about what to do!!! They seem to think that if they buy a bootlegged book with the wrong problems I should help them sort it out!!
Lately on the first day of class I give the reasoning behind the book selected for the class and the benefits for keeping it in their library. Also, I have the ability to email the class about 3 weeks before the first class meeting so I send them a message announcing what the texts are so they can shop around. Students can usually get good used textbooks at reasonable prices.
Here is another thing I just remembered: In my doctoral program the two best classes I had were the ones where the instructor had us buy the most books and do the most reading. She also started each class with student-led discussions over the material.
OK. I feel better now.
by Russell Eisenman
Apr 14, 2010
COLLEGE TEACHING: SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES By Russell Eisenman, Ph.D. University of Texas-Pan American
I wish to discuss some things I have thought about while being a college teacher. Some may disagree and I would be happy to see different viewpoints. And, I make no claim to have covered all the important areas. I just try to cover some that...See MoreCOLLEGE TEACHING: SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES By Russell Eisenman, Ph.D. University of Texas-Pan American
I wish to discuss some things I have thought about while being a college teacher. Some may disagree and I would be happy to see different viewpoints. And, I make no claim to have covered all the important areas. I just try to cover some that seem important to me, that are on my mind now.
My philosophy of teaching includes communicating effectively the course material, but using humor, student discussion, and such, and encouraging critical thinking, not just memorization of the material. Some memorization is needed. We are not pure entertainers. But, we need to do more. Otherwise, most of the material will soon be forgotten and the course will have little or no effect on the student. Actually, how much will students recall years later? Probably, not much. So, it is important that they learn critical thinking and have a sense of what scientific research is (I explain the scientific method: theory, hypotheses, experimental vs. control groups, etc.) and how that method differs from non-research approaches, such as general everyday anecdotal thinking.
For my teaching here at University of Texas-Pan American, a Hispanic serving school, I have learned how to teach Hispanic students who, typically, are the first in the family to attend college. At first, students did horrible on my tests, making me think they had not learned much. I decided I had to teach them how to be college students.
1. I figured out the importance of teaching them how to study, how to review the chapters, how to read the chapters by first skimming them, etc.
2. I have also learned the importance of telling the students of my confidence in their ability to do well. Many probably have little confidence in their academic ability.
With these approaches, I have improved the grades that students make in my class, by getting them to study more and more effectively, to put more time into studying, and to care about their grades.
I used a slightly different approach in other kinds of schools I have taught at: regional state universities or the University of California-Santa Cruz where I had my sabbatical in 1972-73, or a small, private liberal arts college. In those places there was not as much necessity to teach people how to study, although there was for some at the regional universities, especially at the one that was open admissions. In every place, you have to take into account the culture of the institution and of the students.
My philosophy of teaching—which has previously led to two awards for outstanding teaching--includes combining humor with specific information and with ways of looking at things. Thus, I include much information about psychology research and theories, along with class discussion to help students see the relevance to their own lives. I am good at getting discussion, but also good at stopping it if it goes too far. I like to have the students involved in the class and see it as something that gives them needed learning, as opposed to just something they have to do. I encourage critical thinking, so that they can use it all their life, long after they have long left my class. One way I stress critical thinking is to get them to see different sides of an issue, not just telling them "this is the truth."
However, there is no one right way to teach. Others may be relatively humorless in their class, and while their use of humor might improve things, this may just not be their style. But, they may offer a good class by being organized, intelligent, and providing up to date information in the field they are teaching. Also, course content makes a difference. It may not be so useful to be humorous or to ask for student opinions in a field like physics or biology as much as in more vague fields like psychology or the other social sciences.
Evaluations have typically been very good, and support my belief that I am doing a good job in teaching. I love teaching and research, and it shows.
There are many different ways to learn. Some of it is practical. I tell my students the first day that I learned well in college by coming to every class, taking good notes, and sitting on the front row. In addition, students need to try to see how the material relates to their own life, which makes it much more meaningful, and thus easier to recall for a test, but also more readily used in everyday life then and later on, after they have left the class.
Having worked with learning disabled students, I know that there are many ways to learn, and some ways are better for one student than for another. However, there is great value in hard work, such as putting in many hours reading the material, going over it, etc. But, some students have styles which mean that, for example, hearing material is superior to reading it for retention, or vice versa. Others will have yet a different preferential style for learning.
We need to take account of the research, our own experiences, and what others have to say about the best ways to learn. We need to keep an open mind about teaching and learning. Motivation is very important, too. The teacher who cares about teaching will usually do a better job than the teacher who does not care so much. The student who wants to learn will typically learn more than the student who is just doing it for the grade or to get a better job when he/she graduates.
The culture is important too. This includes: the culture of the school as an organization, the culture of the students, their parents, and of the teachers and school administrators. All these cultural issues contribute to whether or not students will learn. We need to keep all this in mind when considering teaching and learning.
by Raftery(retired teacher passes on teaching tools free)
Apr 15, 2010
VINCENT PRICE Reads The Landing Of The Pilgrim Fathers, Thanksgiving Day, Paul Revere's Ride, The Village Blacksmith,The New Colossus,The Star-Spangled Banner. The House By The Side Of The Road, Trees, The Barefoot Boy, A Visit From St. Nicholas, America For Me, Jesse James,Casey At The Bat, Casey Jones, Chicago, In Flanders Fields, America The Bea...See MoreVINCENT PRICE Reads The Landing Of The Pilgrim Fathers, Thanksgiving Day, Paul Revere's Ride, The Village Blacksmith,The New Colossus,The Star-Spangled Banner. The House By The Side Of The Road, Trees, The Barefoot Boy, A Visit From St. Nicholas, America For Me, Jesse James,Casey At The Bat, Casey Jones, Chicago, In Flanders Fields, America The Beautiful, plus Alexander Scourby reading The Highwayman, Gunga Din, If, Annabel Lee, Paul Revere's Ride and many more plus Boris Karloff reading from Kipling's Jungle Book plus Agnes Moorehead reading Nancy Hanks and Orsen Wells reading The Gettysburg Address plus Whorf reading See in Things At Night and Little Orphant Annie plus a cd of Kipling poetry and a cd or Robert Service poetry (poet of 1897 Yukon gold rush) ALL FREE I will need a school or home address to mail the cds to and you will need a cd player. [email removed]
by Professor Hardy Parkerson, B.A., J.D.
Apr 16, 2010
For Those Who Ride the Dog Ain't doin' no good. Wife's on my back. Wants me to work in the yard, And that's a fact.
I just gotta do it! I can't quit! Just gotta do it! I gotta make it! I gotta do better, it's plan to see; Gotta read Boone Pickens' biography.
Don't know how long my kite's gonna fly; I'm sure I'll make it bye and by...See MoreFor Those Who Ride the Dog Ain't doin' no good. Wife's on my back. Wants me to work in the yard, And that's a fact.
I just gotta do it! I can't quit! Just gotta do it! I gotta make it! I gotta do better, it's plan to see; Gotta read Boone Pickens' biography.
Don't know how long my kite's gonna fly; I'm sure I'll make it bye and bye. Sometimes I write poems on a whim. And spend my time recitin' them.
I read "All About Music" from BLUE MOON CAFE: Best thing I've read in many a day. "All About Music" gave me the cries; Made big old tears come to my eyes.
I'd never heard of Grayson Capps, Nor any of those other Orleans chaps; But Capps' story makes me cry. He's quite a writer, and that's no lie!
They say that Capps went to Tulane. When I was there, some called it "Jewlane". "Jewlane" and "Jewcomb" there on Broadway, Where all are welcome: Jew, Gentile, Lesbian, Gay.
At night I walked down Natchez Alley With a sexy beauty whose name was Sally. She was a red-head from Fairhope, AL: Just a typical beautiful Newcomb gal.
I rode the dog to get to school. My mother said, "That Hardy's no fool! Though we're not rich, he'll make it yet. Of that I'm sure; I'm willin' to bet."
On the dog from Tulsa with a girl named Alice, We both got off of the dog in Dallas And went Downtown and shook the hand Of Roger Craig, the "Rambler Man",
Who said he saw the man shoot John, And L.H.O. was not the one. He'd told Earl Warren what he'd seen, he said. And 'twasn't long 'fore he was dead.
But what he said I've in my log Entitled "For Those Who Ride the Dog."
Poetry is strange, funny. Sometimes when I write a poem that I do not think is good, I find later that the more I read it sometimes the better I like it. Of course, we poets know the stories behind our poems, and that gives them an extra dimension, a special meaning. Of course, I have learned that most poets like their own poems, for they are a reflection of how they think. As a man thinketh in his heart, so are his poems! That is, if he will write some. I can't imagine not writing some poems. Sometimes I just have to do it. It just comes time sometimes to sit down and write a poem, good or bad; for better or worse. Of course, we poets are a strange breed. I'll have to admit this one above was thrown together pretty fast, but it came after an evening of sitting in Books-A-Million drinking their coffee and reading their books for free. I had just read a couple of short stories out of a book edited by a writer from Fairhope, AL, named Sonny Brewer. I am sure I had taken some notes while reading these two short stories, and my poem above came out of these notes and what I had remembered about reading from the book entitled BLUE MOON CAFE III. I went back to Books-a-Million to buy it, but all of the copies of it had been sold out. I guess I'll have to go there and order it. But, my! aren't those books expensive at BAM! Even a small paper-back will cost $12.00 to $15.00, and such. Oh, well! Thank the Lord for libraries, but there's nothing like owning your own copy of a book. At least you can read and learn by osmosis when you've got the book. People who get their Ph.D.s in Library Science often write their dissertations on the great bibliomaniacs of history, guys who collected and hoarded thousands and thousands of volumes, some of which they even read. Well, I am one of those bibliomaniacs and at one time had upwards of 50,000 hard-bound volumes that I eventually had to dispossess myself of. Well, let me tell you! It's almost impossible to dispossess onself of 50,000 hard-bound volumes, and I ended up having to pay the owner of the property where I had set up my library a thousand dollars just so he could hire dumpsters and men to throw those 50,000 volumes away. What a broken heart I had to have to do this, but my friend who had let me use his upstairs library space had sold the building, and I just could not have left him with all these books in his buildiing when he turned the property over to the new owner. I had to act fast, and I did. Of course, there is more to the story than I am telling here, but this is somethin to think about. I wish I were a writer, but I am not; but I do really like to write. Even if nobody else likes to read what I write, I like to go back later, sometimes years later, and read what I have written. It seems to get better with years, like old wine, or even good whiskey, Of course, I wouldn't know about whisley. (If you believe that....) Thanks for taking the time to read this! Keep up your own good work of writing! As my friend says, "Keep a-truckin'!" I say to you, "Keep a-writin'!"
Sincerely,
Hardy Parkerson, Atty. Lake Charles, LA
by anon. adjunct
May 11, 2010
I am taking a college course taught by an adjunct and I teach a course as an adjunct at a different college. I was wondering what thoughts you all have about those end-of- semester course evaluation forms that are filled out anonymously and the instructor gets the forms months later after they have been compiled by department heads. As a teacher my...See MoreI am taking a college course taught by an adjunct and I teach a course as an adjunct at a different college. I was wondering what thoughts you all have about those end-of- semester course evaluation forms that are filled out anonymously and the instructor gets the forms months later after they have been compiled by department heads. As a teacher myself, I woudl much prefer that students tell me personally, in a timely manner, if they want something from the course that they are not getting, rather than write something critical at the end of the course when it is too late form me to address the concerns. The exception would be if the instructor is a jerk or was obviously sluffing off, but if the teacher is neither of those, why not talk to the teacher directly, man to man, or whatever the case may be. Your thoughts, please.
by Food for thought
May 12, 2010
The list below is from a discussion on the Administrator chatboard about the unacceptable behaviors that constitute teacher bullying of students.
I replied with a little food for thought, but it was removed. They apparently didn't like the parallel between teacher bullying and administrator bullying. I think it is very telling, and a very ...See MoreThe list below is from a discussion on the Administrator chatboard about the unacceptable behaviors that constitute teacher bullying of students.
I replied with a little food for thought, but it was removed. They apparently didn't like the parallel between teacher bullying and administrator bullying. I think it is very telling, and a very important point.
"It sounds like the same techniques that administrators use on teachers. Is it any surprise when teachers use these same techniques on their students? Food for thought..."
The list of unacceptable behaviors: (how many of these have teachers experienced from administrators?)
Giving punitive or mean-spirited responses Withholding approval Using embarrassment Making kids keep secrets from other staff and parents Teasing to torment Public ridicule Making them feel that some retribution awaits them in the future Taking out worries/frustrations from home on students Terrorizing (creating fear to torment or manipulate) Publicly or privately humiliating Purposefully attempt to attack/hurt/take away their pride, dignity, or self-respect Public degradation Manipulating the social order to foster rejection Threatening exclusion or revelation of personal information Starting malicious rumors or gossip Repeatedly punishing a child when other children get away with the same behavior Humiliating students to stop disruption Spiteful to students Deliberately or knowingly hurting students' feelings Putting students down to punish them Setting up students to be bullied Isolating to set or keep apart; divide or separate Excluding children from a group
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