Here is an article by author and blogger Sophie Cunningham called "Caught in the Blogjam". She talks about a lot of writers you might have heard of (Michael Chabon, William Gibson, Poppy Z Brite, Barbara Ehrenreich and on and on) who manage to teeter on the edge between blogging and writing. Does engaging in blogging help or hurt our main efforts?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/caught-in-the-blogjam/2007/07/19/1184559950812.html
I expect many of the arguments and commentary in the article apply much the same to Illinois Wesleyan faculty as they do to full time writers of fiction and non-fiction.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Good stuff
When I was at the University of Wisconsin - Baraboo, the dean always said "Good stuff" when he liked an idea. So I say, "Good stuff." I'm really looking forward to hearing about the results of each of your projects.
I've been working with Joel Haefner on a collaborative library - writing center project. We are experimenting with training a select few writing tutors to provide a combination of writing and research assistance to students in specific classes. Communication among all parties -- tutors, students, teacher, Joel, and me -- will be important, so I'm going to either set up a group in Luminus or create a blog for one of the fall semester classes that utilizes a designated writing tutor/research assistant. Details later...
Marcia
I've been working with Joel Haefner on a collaborative library - writing center project. We are experimenting with training a select few writing tutors to provide a combination of writing and research assistance to students in specific classes. Communication among all parties -- tutors, students, teacher, Joel, and me -- will be important, so I'm going to either set up a group in Luminus or create a blog for one of the fall semester classes that utilizes a designated writing tutor/research assistant. Details later...
Marcia
Monday, July 16, 2007
Economics Senior Seminar
The Economics Senior Seminar is the capstone course in economics and is taught every fall. Students are given various assignments throughout the semester (topic proposal, outline, annotated bibliography, presentations) as steps toward their final assignment, an original research paper.
As liaison to the Economics Department, I work closely with the class (taught by Mike Seeborg). At the beginning of the semester I meet with the class and talk about what resources they are likely to find the most helpful and some of the challenges and issues they may face in conducting their research. The final paper requires a significant literature search and the use of datasets, which can be difficult to locate, access, and download. I encourage students to meet with me individually to talk about their projects and I work with them to locate needed resources and to troubleshoot problems in locating and accessing data. Often there is overlap among different students regarding resources they might find useful and/or problems they encounter and ways to solve these problems (especially with accessing datasets).
Digitizing Documents in Order to Facilitate Access
As a result of the June technology workshop, and after talking it over with my Department’s chair, I propose to: (a) create a searchable digital collection of all the research honors papers written by our majors and (b) conduct a web-based digital job search for two tenure-track positions.
This course is taught every Fall. Early on in the semester students are asked to research the existing collection of Research Honors papers for potential topics and examples of empirical methodologies. Currently we use a folder listing the author, adviser and title of each of the 91 articles, spanning 27 years, comprising the collection. Creating a CARLI Digital Collection we will digitize the papers, and most importantly, tag the documents so that they can be searched for keywords. The pedagogical goal is to facilitate a more comprehensive and practical access to the collection, enriching new projects.
(b) Digital Job Search
During the 2007-2008 academic year the Economics Department will be conducting two simultaneous job searches. Past experience has showed us that requesting a cover letter, a writing sample, academic transcripts, letters of reference, teaching evaluations and so on, multiplied times a number of applicants well into triple digits, generates a massive volume of paper. This time around we expect to receive twice as much. Since only full applications are considered, yet only less than one hundred make the first cut, a vast amount of documentation is effectively discarded. By requesting job applicants to submit their materials on-line and by using the Luminis platform we will expedite the sorting-out of applications by our office manager, allow off-campus work by the search committee, and reduce the amount of paper involved in these searches.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Fall 2007 Gateway
It has taken me some time to post my ideas, since I've been considering all the options regarding technology and the delivery of the various courses I teach. For this fall, I've decided to focus on the use of a blog for my Gateway class, “London seen through the Eyes of the Other.” I will continue to use my Luminis course webpage to manage other aspects of course delivery, including files and links.
As I thought about my greatest challenges in offering Gateway, I recognize the tension I feel in adapting my course to both the “skills” (e.g., teaching writing) and the “content” (e.g., the theme of the course, as it relates to critical thinking, etc.). In class I often run out of time, due to the fact that I cannot devote enough class time to discussion of the different texts we deal with (three complex novels) while giving the students enough feedback and guidance in the remedial ways that are sometimes necessary in Gateway courses.
Since I do not like the idea of incorporating the use of technology simply for technology’s sake, I have decided to attempt to address this specific problem: How can the use of a blog help me to teach my Gateway? The answer seems simple (at least for now—ask me again in October): I will ask students to use blogs to discuss in preliminary ways the course readings. It’s an obvious way to verify that students have done the reading and have grasped the essential concepts, thereby saving class time for more in depth conversations and issues related to writing. I realize that this may seem simple to an experienced educator, but it will be a challenge for me, for two reasons: 1) I have never used a blog in my teaching before, and negotiating the productive use of a blog in class will mean planning; and 2) teaching Gateway is typically a stressful experience for me (as it is for others as well), and including a blog may add to that stress, at least initially.
I hope to find that the use of the blog will help eliminate the stress of covering what I aim to cover in class. I expect to experiment also with other uses for the blog, including asking students to pose their own discussion questions, having students post journal-type entries regarding their difficulties in writing and the writing process, and making essays for peer review (or even possibly the peer reviews themselves) available on the blog. These are all issues I need to sort out more before August. I’m hopeful, however, that a blog will allow me to teach better, and in turn create an environment that extends the walls of the classroom and allows students to engage more fully with the issues and material, as well as to collaborate more easily with peers—in short, to learn better, and to come away from the experience with a more positive impression.
As I thought about my greatest challenges in offering Gateway, I recognize the tension I feel in adapting my course to both the “skills” (e.g., teaching writing) and the “content” (e.g., the theme of the course, as it relates to critical thinking, etc.). In class I often run out of time, due to the fact that I cannot devote enough class time to discussion of the different texts we deal with (three complex novels) while giving the students enough feedback and guidance in the remedial ways that are sometimes necessary in Gateway courses.
Since I do not like the idea of incorporating the use of technology simply for technology’s sake, I have decided to attempt to address this specific problem: How can the use of a blog help me to teach my Gateway? The answer seems simple (at least for now—ask me again in October): I will ask students to use blogs to discuss in preliminary ways the course readings. It’s an obvious way to verify that students have done the reading and have grasped the essential concepts, thereby saving class time for more in depth conversations and issues related to writing. I realize that this may seem simple to an experienced educator, but it will be a challenge for me, for two reasons: 1) I have never used a blog in my teaching before, and negotiating the productive use of a blog in class will mean planning; and 2) teaching Gateway is typically a stressful experience for me (as it is for others as well), and including a blog may add to that stress, at least initially.
I hope to find that the use of the blog will help eliminate the stress of covering what I aim to cover in class. I expect to experiment also with other uses for the blog, including asking students to pose their own discussion questions, having students post journal-type entries regarding their difficulties in writing and the writing process, and making essays for peer review (or even possibly the peer reviews themselves) available on the blog. These are all issues I need to sort out more before August. I’m hopeful, however, that a blog will allow me to teach better, and in turn create an environment that extends the walls of the classroom and allows students to engage more fully with the issues and material, as well as to collaborate more easily with peers—in short, to learn better, and to come away from the experience with a more positive impression.
American National Government, PS 101 – Greg Shaw
My introductory American government class has involved a series of small group projects presented by students in class. The oral presentations tend to prompt a good deal of conversation, but the presentations themselves often lack polish. I believe the presenters would take more care with their ideas and their words if their work were on public display. Such an on-line posting of the groups’ work would also allow the class to focus on its responses to the written work rather than using scarce class time to sit through sometimes inefficient presentations.
As an example, I ask students to consider a case that is headed for or was recently heard by a federal court. The assignment invites students to combine their readings with our class discussions of the issue and to bring to bear the analytic tools from both on the case in question. My idea is to ask the small groups – each consisting of perhaps 4-6 students – to develop a mock ruling based on the facts of the case, their own reasoning, and the relevant precedents embodied in related cases from the past. Students could collaborate face to face or electronically to create their group’s written opinion, and those opinions would be available on the course wiki for all to review before coming to class to discuss. Not only would the broad arguments be open to debate, but also their (hopefully) close reasoning. This approach could also work for our discussion of proposals for further campaign finance reform and our re-write of the US Constitution.
Barbara Ganley’s insight that when students’ work is open to the world, or at least to the class to review, students produce better quality work is certainly intriguing, though I guess I’ll fully believe it when I see it. However, taking this on faith, I hope that peer-to-peer and group-to-group comparisons online will lead students to raise the bar of expectations. Presuming that no group wants to be labeled the slacker group, good quality work should result.
I’ll give this idea a whirl in the fall and will post a follow-up about how it turned out. I’m certainly open to suggestions, so bring on the collective brain power. Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.
Greg
As an example, I ask students to consider a case that is headed for or was recently heard by a federal court. The assignment invites students to combine their readings with our class discussions of the issue and to bring to bear the analytic tools from both on the case in question. My idea is to ask the small groups – each consisting of perhaps 4-6 students – to develop a mock ruling based on the facts of the case, their own reasoning, and the relevant precedents embodied in related cases from the past. Students could collaborate face to face or electronically to create their group’s written opinion, and those opinions would be available on the course wiki for all to review before coming to class to discuss. Not only would the broad arguments be open to debate, but also their (hopefully) close reasoning. This approach could also work for our discussion of proposals for further campaign finance reform and our re-write of the US Constitution.
Barbara Ganley’s insight that when students’ work is open to the world, or at least to the class to review, students produce better quality work is certainly intriguing, though I guess I’ll fully believe it when I see it. However, taking this on faith, I hope that peer-to-peer and group-to-group comparisons online will lead students to raise the bar of expectations. Presuming that no group wants to be labeled the slacker group, good quality work should result.
I’ll give this idea a whirl in the fall and will post a follow-up about how it turned out. I’m certainly open to suggestions, so bring on the collective brain power. Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.
Greg
Monday, July 2, 2007
Advanced Social Psychology--Natalie Smoak
I teach advanced social psychology every fall. It is a discussion-based course where we cover one broad topic (e.g., prejudice, relationships, consumer behavior, etc.) during each third of the semester. Under the umbrella of each broad topic, we have time to discuss 4-5 more fine-grained topics, usually averaging about one per week. During class, students lead the discussion of the articles and topics based upon readings I assign. As an aid to the discussion leaders, I have students submit 2-3 discussion questions 24 hours in advance of the class discussion to the discussion leaders and me. The discussion leaders then organize and group the questions and guide the conversation the group has in class the next day. I also facilitate and make sure the discussion is on topic and relevant. I like the students to own the class this way, and I also enjoy musing over what they want to talk about, and not just what I think is interesting. Submitting the discussion questions each week is worth a nominal amount of points, but overall, they add up to a substantial portion of the grade.
The course averages 16-20 students per semester, and getting an email containing discussion questions from each of them at least once a week causes some problems at times. I try to capture these emails and put them into a class email folder, but then I always wonder, “Do I print them all out, assign points, and hand them back?” This seems like a waste of paper. Occasionally, an email doesn’t come through though the student sends it (and they don’t realize it, of course), or I don’t get an email into the proper folder and it seems “lost.” Argh. J
I thought it might be interesting to try creating a course wiki this fall, with a page for each weekly topic. I would like students to submit their discussion questions to the wiki, which is not particularly innovative. But, as the questions are submitted, I will encourage students to read others’ questions, provide links to material on the web that is relevant to someone else’s post as part of their participation credit (the questions lend themselves to this type of thing sometimes), and maybe even submit their question(s) as a follow up to someone else’s. The questions are often related or they (heretofore, unintentionally) take an “as a follow up to what he asked” approach, but with the current submission method, the students never see this and they aren't learning from each other as much as they could be. I will encourage the students to partially organize the discussion into themes for the discussion leader by where on the page they submit the questions. I will also encourage students to respond to discussion questions from other students (briefly, as we want to use class time for this) or point other students to places in the readings or to additional readings. Lastly, as the wiki serves as a record of what we are talking about in the class, we can link to the previous weeks’ discussions and see how our learning process is evolving. When we get into class, I will pull the wiki up on the screen so we can refer to it and edit it as our discussion progresses.
One thing I would like feedback on in particular, though I am open to all comments and suggestions, is whether you think students will edit one another’s discussion questions. I will obviously tell them not to, but do you think that will be a problem? I know I will be able to see who is editing and when, but I don't want to police this continually. Do I need to have the students still submit the questions via email?
Natalie Smoak
The course averages 16-20 students per semester, and getting an email containing discussion questions from each of them at least once a week causes some problems at times. I try to capture these emails and put them into a class email folder, but then I always wonder, “Do I print them all out, assign points, and hand them back?” This seems like a waste of paper. Occasionally, an email doesn’t come through though the student sends it (and they don’t realize it, of course), or I don’t get an email into the proper folder and it seems “lost.” Argh. J
I thought it might be interesting to try creating a course wiki this fall, with a page for each weekly topic. I would like students to submit their discussion questions to the wiki, which is not particularly innovative. But, as the questions are submitted, I will encourage students to read others’ questions, provide links to material on the web that is relevant to someone else’s post as part of their participation credit (the questions lend themselves to this type of thing sometimes), and maybe even submit their question(s) as a follow up to someone else’s. The questions are often related or they (heretofore, unintentionally) take an “as a follow up to what he asked” approach, but with the current submission method, the students never see this and they aren't learning from each other as much as they could be. I will encourage the students to partially organize the discussion into themes for the discussion leader by where on the page they submit the questions. I will also encourage students to respond to discussion questions from other students (briefly, as we want to use class time for this) or point other students to places in the readings or to additional readings. Lastly, as the wiki serves as a record of what we are talking about in the class, we can link to the previous weeks’ discussions and see how our learning process is evolving. When we get into class, I will pull the wiki up on the screen so we can refer to it and edit it as our discussion progresses.
One thing I would like feedback on in particular, though I am open to all comments and suggestions, is whether you think students will edit one another’s discussion questions. I will obviously tell them not to, but do you think that will be a problem? I know I will be able to see who is editing and when, but I don't want to police this continually. Do I need to have the students still submit the questions via email?
Natalie Smoak
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