National Day of Listening, Pedagogy of Powerpoint,and Holiday Wishes.

NPR is promoting the National day of Listening the day after Thanksgiving -

NEW YORK – StoryCorps, the most ambitious oral history project ever undertaken, will launch the first annual National Day of Listening on November 28, 2008. On Thanksgiving, Americans and loved ones gather to share a meal, express their gratitude and reminisce. StoryCorps is asking Americans to linger a little longer in the Thanksgiving spirit and honor a loved one by conducting an interview about his or her life.

This site provides more detail and audio as well as links to a guide to helping you through the interview as well as how to archive and/or share it. In addition to being a great idea for family and personal reasons, it could be a foray into podcasting. If your audio is 8 minutes or less and relates to content taught here at the school, or pedagogy/andragogy, we'd post it on our podcast. You will greatly appreciate the time you spend doing this - regardless of when or if you post it.

Also this week, we have a new resource on the pedagogy of powerpoint - focusing on when, where and why. There's a pretty funny and apt teachertube video on the subject - regrettably the resolution could be better.

Need something more to be thankful for? Free downloads of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash performing together in 1969. Via openculture

BTW: the turkey is oragami/ papercraft. Taken originally from a Japanese website - find English directions and info here.

Grants and resources for instruction in the arts

Recently in discussion of grants and funding available on campus, someone said, "Why isn't there any money for the arts?" Well, there is, for example the National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Wallace Foundation. Edutopia (a George Lucas educational foundation) has a post on the best places for grant information.

Susan Turner, who writes grants for the college, advises to start early and not underestimate the time needed. She notes that potential grant requests relate to a project—usually within a program area—that can be described and budgeted. All potential requests for funding will be prioritized by the Provost.

Grant requests are based on a problem or need that can be clearly stated. So the first step in submitting a request for funding is to complete the summary section of the approval form The next step will be to discuss the concept with the appropriate dean(s) and secure initial approval. Then submit it to Dr. Sangki Min and he will review all requests with the Provost. Susan will contact the successful requesters to discuss the request and design a realistic work-flow schedule for getting a proposal out the door! Her first concern is developing that work-flow schedule (back dated from the submission date) so that there will be adequate time spent on the research and writing and reviewing stages.

All grant requests should include a timeline of who is responsible for what stage as the project is implemented.

TechTALK wrap up

This post will be a place to respond to ideas from those who attended our session.

Thanks to Herschel Martin who suggested the following cartoon from Real Life adventures.

Let us know what you'd like to know about, or what applications might work best for your class. Post to the comments here and let's extend the conversation.

Web 2.0 - controlling the message

Susan from Online Ed. facilitated with me, Greg, from T3 on a category of Web 2.0 applications.

For a condensed audio podcast on Web 2.0 - check out what I presented at the international NCSPOD conference. An earlier post described the format and process of the GIFT presentation. I intended to present identical 8 minute teacher-fronted informative mini-lectures, but interesting things happened (Click on links to hear it). In the first session a mad torrent of information comes out. Pace and frequent mammoth embedded relative clauses obscure organization. In the second session the audience takes part guiding discussion, wikis get attention and themes such as the Guttenberg project and ESL or international students get treatment. In the final session, a great idea from another presenter (on recognizing faculty and sharing info) is mentioned and the focus is more on the philosophy of Web 2.0. Reviewing the audio has lead to some productive self-assessment.

• KCKCC videos on YouTube ,
  
• Greg's YouTube recommendations
  
• Handouts (HOs) from TechTALK: RSS feedreaders, social bookmarking, finding blogs - Source of my HO (I remixed Tim Davies' work - he's since posted new remixes by others - he does great 1-page HO's)
  
• blogging posts, our feedreader (aggregator)
  
• top 10 objections to using social media - and responses
  

Isn't the headgear a nice touch?

What do you want to know more about? Post suggestions to the comments.

Why should a teacher blog

This week a series on web 2.0 applications that will lead us to the TechTALK workshop facilitated by Susan Stuart and myself (Wed. noon in 3207 - RSVP to B.Hayes).

An excellent job making the case for blogging in education (How/Why/etc. mainly through loads of links) has been done by another blogger - and I've done it through anecdote at my first educational blog, but here I'll throw some recent hard research at you.

A blogging case study (Armstrong and Retterer, 2008) from the AACE Journal, affirmed that computer mediated communication makes writing more fun for students and there's indication that students wrote more, felt more confident and more accurately assimilated second language linguistic features (without overt instruction in grammar).

A phenomenological qualitative study (Felix, 2007) found first through a meta-anaylsis that

differentiated instruction, using multiple modes of presentation, will positively increase a student’s opportunity for learning. Communicating efficiently, using various communication methods, will enhance a teacher’s instructional effectiveness and a student’s ability to understand. Blogging appears to offer multiple opportunities [for this]...

No big surprise. But then the study itself

1. highlights the importance of writing in education,
2. finds that blogging teachers changed instruction to more actively engage students
3. indicates that blogging leads to greater collaboration, connected learning, cognitive complexity, student/ teacher dialogue
   

In E-mail in Academia, a refereed journal article from EDUCAUSE, faculty noted that they liked using email for communication, but didn't like answering substantive questions thru email. Students still feel more comfortable (due to shyness, or because written questions can be better composed) asking these questions thru email. If it's a personal issue or grades - office hours are the way to go, but if it's something the whole class could benefit from - blog it! That way you can share the info with everyone, and archive it indefinitely to pre-emptively address future classes - without necessarily identifying the source of the question.

For an example (case study(?)) using blogging in a class click here.

Writing comics and irritating usage

How many decent regularly produced comics do you know about writing and/or grammar? Here's one to check out from Karen Riddick, who does an electronic magazine (an e-zine) on writing and usage (and who just published a book). Click on the image to see a complete, full-size comic (shrinking it to fit the blog compromised legibility). This is a great source for images to embed in lessons (a la wikis, email, blogs etc.) to punch up interest and spark discussion.

The example above links mechanics and linguistic meta-language with the current election. Connecting learning to our students' lives makes it click. Also on the issue of the topic of the above comic, Oxford researchers have released a list of the top 10 most irritating words or phrases in English. Not all of them are cliches, but...

And what is the difference between a cliche and a colloquialism?

Title 3's Denver Conference: casa bonita

Of course it was business during conference hours, and handouts and powerpoints from the conference are available now online.

But the real story may have been the dining tip Media Guru J. H. gave the T3 team. "An experience you won't forget - Cliff Divers in a Mexican restaurant - Casa Bonita" Turns out South Park has done a sanitized and idolized treatment of the place. That episode (see complete show here ) is one of the creators' top 10 favorite episodes.

Think an aging theme park crossed with the dinosaur restaurant. Think theater production values approaching a small town renaissance festival in a down year: high school students shouting into a squawking P.A. system that rendered them absolutely incomprehensible. Kitsch on an absurd scale.

I had a great time and we all have a story. Did you know of said Media Guru's reputation as a practical joker? In his defense he claims to have not been there for 20 years, but you have to suspect him. Someone should've tried the margaritas.

The food aspired to concession stand standards, but the wait staff were warm, friendly and harried. The mariachi's (seen here singing me happy birthday) rocked.

Preparing to teach: tips and ideas for the first day

Tomorrow (Nov. 13, 2008 at 12:30 in PDR) Cindy Otts will be facilitating a Dine & Design workshop on "Tips and ideas for the first day." Please RSVP to Ben Hayes if you plan to attend.

This dovetails nicely with Janet Velazquez' Academic Symposium yesterday on What the Best Teachers Do. A big part of Janet's presentation talked about preparation and touched on ideas such as:

• making promises rather than expectations,
• framing the big provocative question that guides the inquiry of the class
• figuring out what students know and understand, and
• creating an environment conducive to learning

This also connects to Tips Ben has circulated re participatory lectures (particularly the idea of framing the big question). Ben has also shared the Hawaii Community College system links which have loads of Tips on many teaching concerns including the first day.

Cindy's workshop will be collaborative. Consider checking out the first KCKCC wiki, where we collected icebreakers from our faculty - to build community, establish trust and start class off. But NOTE: Icebreakers and community building isn't just for the first week or two; like all relationships, classroom dynamics require maintenance.

Sustainability and Green Issues

From the Keynote speaker at the 2008 NCSPOD , to the theme of the upcoming KCPDC Professional Development Conference in March (not to mention the election), environmental concerns are getting more attention.

Here's some links I've collected:

Thomas Friedman has written a book, Hot, Wet and Crowded. It's about the green revolution; here's the Daily Show interview. There's a quick video on electric cars and mileage that could be great for teaching math skills and applying it to students' lives - deep learning. The effect of climate change and the lack of sustainability -one in four mammals facing extinction - interest to biology teachers. How to do more with less: packaging idea to reduce waste. A how-to describing a process to convert an old pizza oven, an ink jet printer and nail polish remover into a Solar Cell (from NPR),

A Call for Input

Who would you recommend to deliver a keynote on the environment (going green or doing more with less)? We want someone engaging who can address green issues - or doing more with less. Johannes Feddema, a KU professor and climatologist, has been recommended by a colleague, and I just heard an interview with him on NPR (11-12-8 at 7am). Post suggestions to the comments.

Writing Instructional Materials

Found an online punctuation game from the creators of the book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves. It's fun - and I didn't ace it. While this book, and the assorted support material, promotes a conservative view of grammar, for students who haven't been exposed to the rules, it's a legitimate resource. I'm of the "descriptive" rather than "prescriptive" school, but appreciate both perspectives.

This as well as a vocabulary test, were found at Daily Writing Tips - an RSS feed/ blog that has some great stuff. It's not all grammar - it also lists places to get ideas for writing, advice for the divergent as well as the convergent aspects of the craft, and tips and tools for online writing. It's one of the best writing resources I've found, though for audio check out Grammar Girl.

I enjoyed the "Black board moments" post - though I disagreed with many of their alleged offenses against English. ("Blackboard moments" means occasions of usage that evoke a response akin to fingernails on a chalk board). What I find useful is the need for all teachers to acknowledge their own grammatical fetishes and share them with student writers.

The vocabulary test may never replace www.FreeRice. com for a fun way to learn vocabulary, (and it doesn't feed the poor) but it's another tool for androgogical kit. See also Chomp chomp grammar - an online grammar learning game.

If you have sites you like - share them in the comments.

Intercultural Book Club: _After Dark_ by Murakami

The physical descriptions of characters intrigues me - men seem to be described initially, but the initial lack of description of the female characters might mean something. Halfway through it I've finally gotten a description of Mari, but not really of her sister. Eri, the model, maybe needs no description because Japanese and Chinese models fit a type: tall and willowy of stature, with higher-bridged and more angular noses, and lacking the epicanthic fold. The mind wandered to how class and status define "beauty" and how the genders see differently. Ethnic groups see differently too. Japanese readers see something exotic in Denny's, the way someone from Kansas might find a Teppanyaki house.

Doesn't the ICC have Roger Shimomura prints in storage? (art seen here is his). Though I recall the prints the school owns are earlier and more conservative works, but a lot of his later work - or what you find in the Nelson or at KU's Spencer museum - show that split world / past-modern/ Pop-schizo thing that I kinda see emerging from this book.

Resources for study.

• Quick and dirty plot summary and cursory analysis
• Washington Post review
  

Special thanks to E.K. for finding the book on CD and reminding me to get on my homework.

Title 3 Conference in Denver

People keep saying you TItle III can be a catylist for changing campus culture toward more student centered practices, and a way for faculty to explore new ways to teach.

Carteret Community College, see their blog, have used T3 funding to rethink approaches to advising, assessment and distance learning to improve retention rates. Distance learning (aka Online ed.) thrust their program into a leadership role thru/due to aggressive professional development opportunities.

They used Skype to live webconference in the presentation. They also reccommended http://www.dimdim.com/ as a tool to web-conference. It's free and they said it's excellent software. They've also used all these tools and IM (Instant Messaging) to provide tutoring/ support to students.

Donald Staub, their director noted that administrators and facuty don't know what Title III is and we need to communicate with them better. One thing he does is to pay for adjuncts to cover faculty classes so that key faculty can attend professional development. He also reccomended

• we find out the attrition rate for online classes, as well as web-enhanced classes
• we establish a common language (specifically lexical) for our discussions
• we ask deans, "how would you like to see teaching change on campus"

Ben's Active Learning Resources

Ben Hayes collected the following resources as part of a Dine & Design workshop.

• Definitions of Active Learning (with brief examples, and a list of online resources from the University of California at Davis).
• The Active Learning Site, Charles Bonwell. Bibliographies of active learning articles in disciplinary areas, for large classes, and to promote critical thinking; research summaries and Internet links.
• "Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom," Charles C. Bonwell & James A. Eison. Discusses the value of active learning and ways it can be incorporated into the classroom.
• Active and Cooperative Learning, R.M. Felder. Links to active/cooperative learning journal articles and websites.
• Active Learning for the College Classroom, Donald R. Paulson & Jennifer L. Faust: Describes 29 active learning techniques.
• Active Teaching and Learning Rationale and strategies for active learning in the college classroom, including teaching and learning in the lab. (Module 3 of Getting Results, an online course for instructors on course development, funded by the National Science Foundation, produced by WGBH in Boston and The League for Innovation).
• Scenes from a Classroom: Making Active Learning Work (University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning Services). A tutorial with guidelines and keys to success for planning active learning activities. Includes scenarios depicting typical problems and their solutions.
• Active Learning in Large Classes: Video Resource (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Center for Instructional and Professional Development). This site provides an interactive tutorial. Seven video clips, each accompanied by a Word document, demonstrate: clickers, learning teams, discussions, and other in-class activities
• Active Learning with PowerPoint University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning Services). A tutorial on ways to use active learning strategies with PowerPoint presentations; includes 12 active learning strategies.
• "Active Learning on the Web," Bernie Dodge (San Diego State University). Ways to use the Internet for active learning.
• "Student Diversity Requires Different Approaches to College Teaching, Even in Math and Science," Craig Nelson, Indiana University (In American Behavioral Scientist, V. 40, No. 2, 1996, 165-175). Research by Triesman and others demonstrates the positive effect of using collaborative small groups with students from non-traditional backgrounds, (ie Blacks, Hispanics, and rural whites), who struggle with college coursework. Argues that traditional approaches are biased, while active learning strategies can lead to “massive differences in overall student achievement.”