Compare: (these are all taken from the Environment Canada Weather Site)
The day before there had been a severe winter storm warning. Nothing happened. Continue reading
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Intellagirl posted a note about this article today and I was curious, so I read it too…
She suggested that the article had entirely missed the point, and she is absolutely right!
The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 16, 2009
Students Stop Surfing After Being Shown How In-Class Laptop Use Lowers Test Scores
The article seems to be reporting on a victory in the reduction of laptop use in the classroom. Yup, you heard right, they are actually HAPPY that their students are no longer using modern technology in the classroom. The belief seems to be that using the laptop causes the students to do less well on tests.
Now, to be fair, they do admit that those students who had lower scores were in fact using their computers to check out their FB pages, ‘surf’ (apparently we *still* have a problem with surfers), watch YouTube, etc.
Churchill’s Commentary on Man:
Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on.
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We are getting a new puppy this week.
Arrow & the Turkeys
In the spring of 1997 we got our first Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD). A Great Pyrenees. Scanner. She changed my life. My birds were safe from local predators – all day long AND all night. You see, LGDs work 24/7. They like it. It’s what they do.
They protect the critters in their territory in whatever way is necessary. Now, before you go thinking that this is some sort of macho, kill the nasty coyotes deal, understand that LGDs are among the most natural canines there are. They are VERY intelligent, but they are also VERY independent. They have been selected and bred, for centuries (at least), to live with and protect the flocks and possessions of the human shepherds who depend on them. This means a number of things:
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- for a computer scientist, everything is an algorithm.
- to a musician, everything is a song.
- to a writer, everything is a story.
- to thespians, everything is a play.
- to a film-maker, everything is a movie.
- to an educator, everything is a lesson.
- to a set designer, everything is a set.
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OR: Growing Pains: How to Evolve from a College into a University
And, in particular, how to become a university of which everyone can be proud.
I’ve been pondering this question as I am now at an institution (which I believe has great promise) that is poised to change from being a college with a very good reputation for student satisfaction, to being a undergraduate university with a reputation it must build.
Then there are many faculty who have been at the college a long time. Many of those have chosen to stay at the college because it is what it is. What will it mean to become a university?
There are (primarily) new faculty who have come to the college expressly because it is going to become a university. They have personal research agendas. If they are not given the time, space, and access to the necessary infrastructure to actually do their research, they will not stay. This means that the only people who will stay, are those not interested in doing real research. No amount of branding will be able to change the fact that the institution will retain the culture of a college.
I am one of the new guys on the block, but one who has literally grown up in a university environment (a university that has gone from first-rate, one-to-be-proud-of to third-rate, and one that brings shame to anyone left who still has integrity). This gives me a perspective that may be unique.
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Warning: what follows is another rant.
So here I am working at a new job.
I really like the institution (for the most part).
I really like the faculty (for the most part).
I really like the job (for the most part).
BUT (there’s always one of those when a post starts off like this)….
I have been at it for 2 months now and I am becoming more and more (and MORE) frustrated. Wanna know why? If you do, keep reading. Continue reading
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Once again, there is an article where some professor (or group of professors) laments that people won’t come to his(her) class if they have prior access to their notes.
Students profit from diligent note-taking Knetwit.com offers cash, gifts for students who submit lecture notes online, but some faculty members fume
If your concern that students won’t come if they already have notes is legitimate, IT MEANS YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. Students SHOULD have access to your notes, slides, and any other resources you use. They should be coming to class because you ADD something. If you can’t add anything, then maybe you don’t deserve to be in the classroom.
Do you read your notes? Do you read your slides? I hereby invite you into the 21st century.
Do you really believe that the path to knowledge should go only through you? How arrogant is that?
Coming to class is typically (even with a merely average teacher) the most efficient way to get the information one needs for that course. Trying to make up the difference by NOT coming to class and then “studying” on one’s own takes at least three times as long. Class = 1 hr VS self-study = >= 3hr. If, on the other hand, as an instructor, all you do is read your notes, shame on you.
The scary part is that HALF of everything is below average – including teachers and professors.
Maybe there should be student tuition options….. – Pay 25% more tuition to get the Premium Education – get taught only by our GOOD instructors! (not those economy instructors)