proftitutes

The Misguided Blogist and Observations from the Floor

2007-06-05T02:17:00.000-04:00

So....it has been TOOOO long since I have posted here, and, to my surprise, I found a whole BUTT load of comments that I did not moderate! Well, holy hells bells, they are moderated.

The MLA Conference Wrap Up Show

2006-12-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

Sooo...I have been at the MLA conference this week. My favorite new word is "Jewtastic!" That was a brilliant grouping. I enjoyed several presentations; I can't wait to read them all!

Overall, I am impressed by the quality of the MLA conference. It is diverse, and there are TONS of things to do. Good show.

BUT (there is always a but(t))....

I have encountered some of the most ARROGANT people I have ever met in my life. Now, certainly, these people do not represent the entire membership, so don't get your panties in a wad. BUT, I just have to comment (ever so briefly) about arrogance.

Example One: I was talking to a professor of gender studies at BIG ASS U about my summer learning community using the theme of "women and war." She liked the concept until she discovered that I was partnered with a military history class. Why? Well, duh, "WON'T THAT CLASS BE MOSTLY MEN?" Well, I have no idea who will be in that class, but, really, isn't celebrating gender a joint mission? All of the women of the world can celebrate being women, but it would be nice if the other half of the population (the one still making all the rules) would recognize and celebrate our brilliance, too.

Example Two: This professor of SOMETHNG IMPORTANT at REALLY IMPORANT U and I were talking about technology. In her opinion, it is damaging the academy, and it is CRUCIAL that we put an end to all this techno-speak. So, image her distress when my biscotti chomping paused (um, the biscotti was like a brick, I might add - it is any wonder I still have teeth), and I said, "Oh, I disagree. I am looking forward to opening the lines of academics through open access academia." WELL!!!! Needless to say, she was not impressed with little Community College Cookie telling her, BIG STARNESS, that technology is an important tool in both composition AND literature (say, liter-AH-Chur). I thought she was going to whip out a banner and sing a song or something; she looked distraught and exclaimed, "No! We must save the academy!" She pounded her breast, and I offered her a bite of my biscotti. She swore to make bumper stickers that say, "SAVE THE SCHOLARS!" But, I was too far gone thinking about my latest book purchase....a WHOLE ditty about keeping the internet free and uncensored.

Example Three: Evidently, people like four-year faculty and hate two-year faculty. Yeah well. I saw a colleague I had met at a conference a while back, and she said, "Oh, I guess you havn't found another position? Are you interviewing here?" Um....I wasn't LOOKING for another position. I happen to ADORE community college teaching; I happen to LOVE community college students. She was being kind, but the looks I got from others were, well, um, condescending. Oooooohhhhh, you are at a community college....ahhhh, I see. Um...you see what? You see what you want to see, fella. Some of the most brilliant people I know teach community college English at my wee little community college. So, there. Stick this biscotti....

Finding Stingy Proftitutes

2006-12-17T17:32:00.000-05:00

The great Wynn over at Stingy Scholar has offered me a great opportunity to post on his Stingy Scholar blog. I will be exploring educational materials created by professors. Woo Hoo!! Fun stuff. Go take a look at my criteria...and start sending me some juicy URL addresses!

Anyone on My Space?

2006-12-02T20:29:00.000-05:00

Yeah. So. Now I have a My Space account. If you want to see pics of my really cure kids, go on over.

Selling out in My Space?

2006-12-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

Ok.

My sister-in-law, Kerri, has been pestering me for months to get a My Space account. I resisted. I said, "look, my students go on there, and I wanna respect their space." She was not impressed by my dedication to student privacy.

In her master trickery, she got me to go on her space. I wanted to make a comment. So, then I had to join, and, well, now I have a My Space account. So. I am a big sell out.

I decided that my Blogger space will remain my schoolish place of worship, and the My Space will be a place for me to chat with Kerri and my brother, Paul. It will be the place for me to chat about family life and chaos. If you wanna take a trip over there to see pictures of my really cute kids, go right ahead.

The World of Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts in Education

2006-12-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

I have been out for a bit, and so I am catching up on my Bloglines (whew...I am very far behind....). I decided to try to post by category, and I am starting with educational technology first.

Here is a list of the best of the best:

1. At 21st Century Collaborative, there is an excellent post on working with the homeless. As this is an interest of mine, as well, I enjoyed her podcast. Please check it out.

2. The K-12 Online Conference happened whilst I was out, but I have been exploring their wiki and site. There are some really nice podcasts on the site, so check it out (even if you teach at the college level; a lot is about teaching with technology and is, certainly, applicable to those of us in the 13+ system).

3. Over at 21st Century Educator, there is a post that mentions a free PDF booklet titled "Coming of Age: An Introduction to the NEW world wide web." It is a really nice booklet; I will be passing out copies at our adjunct convocation in January. Well done!

4. Over at Around the Corner, Miguel has a whole host of really good posts. I just love his blog. I picked two favorites to post about. The first favorite talks about grading writing and links over to the NCTE's standards. The second post talks about a very cool "Open Source Gift Guide."

5. My buddy, Jean-Claude Bradley, has a really nice post about open resources for teaching chemistry (Co-Op). I would like to see this in all academic disciplines. He also has a post about a wiki talk delivered by Stewart Mader at Drexel.

That is all I can get through tonight. Tomorrow is another day :-)

6.

Communication Strategies of Traditional and Open Chemists

2006-11-28T20:17:00.000-05:00

This is my class presentation on the communication strategies of open and traditional chemists. I argue that traditional chemists follow Habermas's "System" model of Instrumental Rationality. Open chemists follow the "lifeworld" model of communicative rationalists. In order for the open chemists to receive legitimization by grant funders, they will need to rely on IR terminolofy to express the foundation of their movement.

Screencast Presentation

Give Thanks

2006-11-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah. It has been a LONG time since I wrote here. Life caught up with me. But, I am back.

I just read an article at http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=34546&format=html that reminds me of my son. My son also has hemiplegia cerebral palsy. He looks normal - and you don't know there is a problem until you see him walk or talk. He, too, had a stroke in-utero.

We are thankful for his big miracle. Not many babies have had the same miracle and many die. Julian was an exception.

As we embrace this season of giving thanks, let us all remember the daily miracles that plant themselves around us. And please pray that miracles will continue to reach the corners of the earth in places like Kabala, Sierra Leone.

Gulf War Syndrome Podcast

2006-10-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

Melody Wainscott and I are students in Dr. Amy Koerber's online graduate class Written Discourse and Social Issues at Texas Tech University. We were assigned to do a group presentation on the one night I won't be in class (I will be presenting a talk at the Lehigh County Historical Society on primary documents of women living during the American Civil War).

Anyway, we decided to podcast our talk, and here it is (complete with song). It is based on the following article:

mp3

Zavestoski, Stephen, Phil Brown, Meadow Linder, Sabrina McCormick, and Brian Mayer. “Science, Policy, Activism, and War: Defining the Health of Gulf War Veterans.” Science, Technology, & Human Values 27.2 (2002): 171-205.

Rev. Thom and Vickie Hicks

2006-09-29T14:09:00.000-04:00

In Honors English 105, we hosted two humanitarian workers, Thom and Vickie Hicks of Lousiville, KY. Their talk was absolutely inspirational.

This whole project started as a result of meeting Jean-Claude Bradley at a WebCT conference at Drexel. He helped me generate some games in English using the EduFrag project. In talking to him about chemistry, something I know nothing about, I was impressed with his passion and dedication for "open source chemistry." I knew that partnering my students with his would be a tremendous learning experience for everyone.

Because of the partnership between UsefulChem and my writing students in English 105 and English 107, the Community College without Borders Project began. As I looked for away to apply the terms of malaria to "real people" I remembered my dear friends, Thom and Vickie Hicks. I searched the web for their contact info, and, well, the rest is history.

The most striking thing about this group is that they are small. They do not want to get big because they are able to serve the people who live in the cracks of Sierra Leone - the ones untouched by other humanitarian efforts. They serve these people in absolute humility, as well. And, most importantly, they serve everyone regardless of religion. In many ways, they operate like UsefulChem - they realize that the issue - poverty - is everywhere and that this community is just one of the many "targets" they could work on. They work with very little funding, and they don't work in opposition to other groups - they just do their thing and know it is the best thing for them to do to live out their mission.

Thom's talk captivated the students. He spoke a lot about the American desire to "fix" the world, but that we have to realize that the problems in Sierra Leone, or anywhere else, can't be fixed. We can only work to "bear witness" and hope that by doing so, we can help the actual people in need. This was hard for my students to accept - an idea that we can't just fix it - even if we had all the resources in the world. But, the message was clear, we must focus on actual people and not on policy.

Our goal now is to raise money to purachase a generator for Nazareth House in Sierra Leone. Right now, they pay for electricty, but only get it for a few minutes a day. Since most medicine is provided in powder form, a lot of it goes to waste since it has to be kept cold after mixing.

We need to raise 3000 dollars to purchase a good generator. Hopefully, we can raise this money for them. If anyone wishes to donate, please email me and I will get you connected. All donations are tax deductible.

I am thankful for having met Jean-Claude, as his work has inspired me toward the work in Sierra Leone.

College English Students Are Amazing

2006-09-27T00:38:00.000-04:00

Today was a really productive day. The students in my Honors College English 1 class exploded mentos and diet coke to demonstrate the writing process. We were going for distance. Our chem professor donated goggles. It was a lot of fun.

We then went to CVS to buy supplies for our Sierra Leoneon misionaries, Tom and Vicki Hicks. They are coming to class on Thursday all the way from Kentucky to teach my students about the realities of malaria in Sierra Leone. They are collecting Tylenol, Motrin, Cold and Flu Meds, Immodium, Sanitary pads, and children's medicines.

These students amaze me with what they decided to buy. One group bought Pedialite; another group bought vitamins.

So, what does this all have to do with learning to write? The best writers are the ones who care about the world they write in :-)

A Passion for Teaching

2006-09-24T23:14:00.000-04:00

One of the assignments for my College Experience Students is to interview a professor about his or her philosophy of teaching. Some of my students have interviewed me, and I thought this one was particularly interesting, so I am posting my responses here to share.

1. Why did you decide to teach? Did you want to do something else?

I always wanted to be an actress, and my first major was theater. But, then I realized I would be a terrible waitress, so I decided that I wanted to be a speech writer and coach like Peggy Noonan. So, I interned with a Congressman and a Senator and worked in Washington before I decided that I hated politics. Teaching is a little big like theater and a lot about politics, but I didn't realize I was passionate about it until I accepted a teaching position at a county prison. It was there that I realized that this was what I wanted to do for life. However, I recognized that my unconventional teaching style was held at bay in a place like a prison. I decided that public school would present the same problem.

2. If you could do anything else, what would you do?

I love my job, so I am not in the market for a change. But, if I were in the position to pick another job, I would join the peace corps and work with children in developing nations.

3. What is your favorite kind of student?

I generally love all of my students, but the ones I love the most are the ones with a passion for learning. I can help any student learn grammar and mechanics, but the ones with passion want to learn more than what is written on a page. Those students stop by my office to talk about what they are learning in my class and other classes. Their excitement about learning is infectious.

3. What is you least favorite student like?

I don't like when students make excuses for why they can't do classwork. My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was in college, and so I had to work a few jobs. Since I had been pretty naughty in high school, I had to play a lot of catch up in college, so I had to study twice as hard to learn material. It was worth it to me. I also don't like when students feel that they have nothing to learn. We all have something to learn.

4. If you could work at a 4 year school would you [sic]?

I did teach at a 4 year school (Penn State), and I liked it. But, I love community college students because my focus here is on teaching and not research. There may be a time in my life when I want to do more research and less teaching, and then I might consider a switch, but, at this point, I can't say that it will happen. We can't predict the future, but we all grow and change, so I won't rule out the potential.

5. Is it hard to be a working mother?

Well, I believe all mothers work - even if their primary job is being at home with children. That is a lot of work. I have the ideal job for an out-of-home working mother. Sometimes it is stressful because I still have to maintain my household (the kids, the cats, the boss, the finances, the wash, the cleaning, the bathroom, the bedrooms, the cooking). An added stress is that my one son is disabled and has an intense therapy schedule. So, in addition to everything else that goes with motherhood, I have to be an advocate for his treatment. However, I wouldn't exchange any one part for another.

6. What do you do to relax? What are your hobbies?

In some ways, I feel that I exchanged many of my hobbies and interests for the gauntlet of wifedom and motherhood. Before marriage, I was an avid swimmer, hiker, camper, and bagpiper. I did a lot of volunteer work, and a lot of work with Civil War reenacting. My husband and I don't share any of these interests, so, after we got married, I let a lot of them slip away. Once we had children, I didn't have the time or the money to devote to the more expensive hobbies, and, they too, slipped away. The past year has really forced me to evaluate my passions, so I have focused on my love of music (all kinds - from classical to heavy metal), photography (black/white and digital), and nature. To relax, I generally play video games (um, the nerdy word ones) or write. I also have some friends in far away places that I visit when I need an escape.

7. Where will you be in ten years?

We can't predict the future, so I have no idea :-)

8. What advice can you give a freshman like me?

Enjoy this time in your life. I enjoyed college and graduate school, and I am glad I took the time to learn everything I could AND had a great time doing it. Once you graduate, life changes and you will never have the opportunity to revisit those years. Do your work, make some friends, take some time to make special memories, and march into the horizon :-)

Useful Classroom Teaching with Technology Tools and Such

2006-09-23T00:12:00.000-04:00

Yet again....a confession...I am behind on blog reading. Ye gads. I avoid Bloglines like the plague because I know, JUST KNOW, too much good stuff will be in there and I have other stuff to do.

Anywho. It is a Friday night, and I am a nerd. So, what does a nerd and her little band of misfits do on a Friday night? Well, first, we took a trip to the Hard Wok Buffet and feasted upon things I can neither pronounce nor cook myself. The we went to Hollywood video and bought Police Academy 1, 2, and 3 on VHS (they are getting rid of VHS stock...hurry now...the good titles are obviously gone). So, then I came home and read an interview of Michel Foucault right before he died and well, now, I am reading my bloglines.

Whew. Confessionals are annoying.

So, I have found this OUTSTANDING post by Miguel Guhlin all about groovy and free technology. But, then I read another one of his super tremendous posts about more cool free stuff. These two posts break down a lot of cool software to do innovative stuff in the classroom. I have a similar site, as well, but that only includes the programs I have tested. I am going to check out these new tools! Thanks, Miguel!

Just a reminder that the k12 Online Conference is soliciting proposals. Thanks to Darren for the post!

Over on Academic Aesthetic, I am a bit behind, but the Art Guy celebrated his 100th podcast a few podcasts ago. If you listen, you can verify that he didn't actually take my parking spot during his visit to Musikfest (well, now, SOMEONE did...heehee).

My Drexel buddy, Jean-Claude Bradley, posted his talk from the ACS. It is a great outline of his Open Source Science work at Drexel. I am amazed by his dedication to this project.

Congratulations go out to Technosophist for the acceptance of her collaborative 4cs presentation. I look forward to the presentation! She includes a link to her presentation wiki - very cool, ideed.

I am very happy that Motherhood Uncensored has moved to the great state of Pennsylvania! Welcome to the National State of Potholes, honey!!!

Some Personal Notes:

My heart and prayers go out to Vicki Davis and her family as they deal with the health of her father-in-law. Vicki has been a leader in teaching so many of us the tools of the trade, and we should offer her our never ending love and support as she and her family navigate this painful time.

On that note, my prayers go out to my husband's aunt, uncle, and cousins. Earlier this week, they lost 23 year old Tommy. He suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Just a few years ago, he was "well." He was a typical high school kid and then suffered late-set symptoms. There was no warning; one day he was "well" and the next he was "afflicted." No one understood what was happening; no one knew what to do. The last few years have been hard on him and his family as the voice inside grew stronger and more dangerous. Now his suffering and pain have ended. It is a tragic story, but it is a reminder that there is a bigger plan, a better plan, than we can ever understand on our own.

May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory, and may light perpetual shine upon them now and forever. Amen.

A Sad Farewell: The Last Days of Tenderbutton

2006-09-18T22:58:00.000-04:00

When I find a good blog, I subscribe to it. One of the first blogs I subscribed to was the Tenderbutton blog written by Dylan Stiles. Even though it was about chemistry (and I know nothing about chemistry), he hosted great commentary about the practice of chemistry. He also hosted some fun content (old ads, for example). My favorite post was about his lab coat.

Dylan is gearing up to finish his PhD, so he is calling it quits. This is sad news, indeed.

I wish Dylan all the best, the blogosphere will be empty without him.

Open Data, Open Source, Open Access Chemistry

2006-09-15T20:07:00.000-04:00

I wish I would have payed more attention in high school chemistry class. I wish I would have taken chemistry instead of hiking 101 (oops, I mean Field Ecology) in college. English majors never had to take hard science; we were pent up in the library reading Clarissa.

Anyway.

In my most recent conversion, I am totally captivated by the concept of Open Data (called Open Source Science by Jean-Claude). To me, the rhetoric of this emerging community is down right fascinating. I can only offer this example:

My friend from Africa once came to our house and saw a dishwasher for the very first time. She was so excited because it was sooooo easy to use. She waited until it was done and jumped for joy that the dishes were just as clean as if she had scrubbed them herself. It was a new way to do dishes.

Now, my mother, the queen of Republicans, was no dummy. She got one of them dishwashers right when they came out on the market, and, thus, I never washed a dish in my life. So I couldn't appreciate, like our friend, the marvel of this machine.

Fast forward 20 years.

Open Data/OSS is just like that dishwasher. It does the same thing, but FASTER and more efficently. Dishwashers eliminate germs because they can pump hotter water than we could tolerate by hand...and, likewise, open data is efficient because it is immediately shared and scrutinized.

Like I said, I am not a chemist by trade, but I support this movement. I enjoy talking to those involved in this movement because I believe they are trailblazing in the chemistry community. They are up against resistance, but, like the dishwasher, they will convert many in the end. It is exciting to watch them communicate about this new way to do science.

Catching Up and the Rhetoric of Feminist Science

2006-09-15T15:34:00.000-04:00

So, I am REALLY behind on my blog reading. This is due, in part, to two simultaneous events. First, I had this stupid ear thing going on, and it doesn't seem like it wants to go away. So, I can't even listen to my iPod, and, as a result, I am cranky. The half of me that can hear is irritated by the half that can't hear.

On the flip side, since I can't really hear anything, I have been reading. Today I read two chapters from a book by Helen E. Longino called Science as Social Knowledge: Values and Objectivity in Scientific Inquiry (Princeton UP, 1990). While it is a little dated, I thought it raised some interesting points about feminist science (not to be confused with feminine science). Essentially, she calls for a new kind of science - one more collaborative - than is practiced "today" (that being 16 years ago). Open Source Science, or Open Data, really matches the criteria she expresses, although I wouldn't argue that any of the chemists I have met are "feminist scientists." I would argue that they are promoting a new kind of science...one that is collaborative and focused on global benefits.

Anyway, I will catch up on some blog reading and post some favorites :-)

Sean B. Fegan and Gyehyong Park

2006-09-11T09:56:00.000-04:00

September 11, 2006

Please join us today, as over 3000 people have volunteerd to blog in memory to victims of 9/11 as part of the 2,996 Project.

Sean B. Fegan is remembered on this blog here and here.

Gyehyong Park is being remembered byAllison Jameson.

What they had in common:

They were both young. They were much too young to die.

Please take a moment today to remember the suffering of the surviving families.

"May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in Peace and Rise in Glory, and may light perpetual shine upon them now and forever, Amen."

Sean B. Fegan Memorial

2006-09-10T19:52:00.000-04:00

As part of the 2,996 project, I am blogging about a victim of 9-11

We can never forget, even for a day, that people died on 9-11 as a result of hatred. People die every day as a result of hatred. But, if we, as a society, become complacent or apathetic, the deaths of all of these people are in vain.

For all the words I know, I know none that can express my enduring sadness for the loss of lives on 9-11. I know of no good words of comfort to give his family, friends, or co-workers. I know of no appropriate sentiment. I am sorry does not seem to be enough.

As a mother, my heart goes out to his mother, Colette. If I could call her or write to her, I would just sit with her and cry. There is nothing in this world worse than losing a child. Nothing. I am sure she is a strong woman because she was mother to such a successful young man. But, all the strength in this world does not hold a candle to losing your son.

I would not know what to say to his father, Peter. I can't imagine losing a son as a mother, but I am sure it is equally painful for a father.

As a sister, I can understand the pain of losing a sibling, as, I too, have lost one. The memories of the little fights, the stupid fights, dribble through those moments of great fun and escapades. The memories of Christmas, halloweens, and picnics surface and take root in a pain so unlike any other. My heart extends to Peter, Anne Marie, and Catherine.

My heart finally stops at Jenny - his girlfriend. Maybe he was "the one." I am sure she thinks about what could have been...

I don't know much about Sean B. Fegan, but, from what I have read about him, I can tell that he loved life. I can tell that he put his all into everything. I can tell that he loved his family. I can tell that he was successful, promising, and fun. I can tell that he never planned to lose his life in the World Trade Center. So, all I can do is sum up the facts as I have found them on the web and hope that, through the 2,996 project, that Sean's memory stays alive. Here is what we know:

He loved being Irish.

He called his Mom, Colette, often because he loved her.

He loved his father, Peter.

He had 2 sisters, Anne Marie and Catherine, and a brother, Peter.

He liked to work out and look good.

Me met the Yankees.

He was a young man working his way through this world. He was much too young to die.

I am reminded of a poem by the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. He was in his 30s when he wrote "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven"

HAD I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:	5
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Nerd Chics Rule

2006-09-08T19:58:00.000-04:00

Yet again, I am backed up on blog reading.

Over at Adventures in Science and Ethics, the Goddess Dr. Free-Ride has posted some excellent posts as of late. My favorite post is all about Girl Geeks. Dr. Free-Ride hosted a nerd-off over at Science Blogs; I am so jealous of such a wickedly cool idea. She is looking for the Nerdiest Nerd. Brilliant idea, Dr. Free-Ride. Insanely and wonderfully brilliant. Her commentary, too, is simply delicious. Here is an excerpt about why more women aren't scientists:

Which makes it easier to discount the possibility that seriously hostile workplaces, or scientific cultures where women are expected to just deal with being treated like outsiders, or lower wages due to actual discrimination might be playing any kind of role in keeping anyone out of the sciences.

It's gotta be that girls just don't care for science, right? 'Cause if they loved it enough, they'd put up with all sorts of other crap -- some of it directed at them simply because they're female -- to keep doing science.

Excellent links. The first one discusses why there are no women in science from a sexual harrassment perspective. The third link talks about the pay inequality for female scientists.

Not being a scientist, I had no idea.

On another post, she talks about Geek Chics at parties.

I can say that this is, indeed, true. When I taught at Penn State, I went to a dinner party at the Dean's house where we spent a good part of an hour talking about the chemical make up of PVC piping. The Englishy nerds thought we had won ourselves a special place in Dante's inferno (so much so that we threatened pasting a sign to the front door saying "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

Englishy nerds talk about books and poetry. Sciencey nerds talk about science. It would fry my brain to connect the groups too often!!!

Student Interviews

2006-09-07T23:29:00.000-04:00

Today, my students had the wonderful opportunity to interview Dr. Jean-Claude Bradley about his Useful Chem Project at Drexel University.

I was impressed by their questions, and they really seemed to like the technology.

This was the first time I used Skype and Audacity to record an interview, and it really worked out well (with only a few minor glitches).

It was interesting to watch the students as they prepared their questions ahead of time on the board and decided what order to ask the questions. They were very concerned that everyone would have a chance to ask Jean-Claude at least one question, and they were all concerned about getting due credit for their individual questions.

They were almost saint-like as they approached the laptop to ask questions. One of them said, "It is just wierd to have a computer talk to you, but it is so cool." They wanted to talk more, I think, but were nervous and scared that someone as smart as Jean-Claude would spend his time talking to them. Even after I assured them that they didn't need to know anything about organic chemistry, I think they were afraid he wouldn't think they were bright enough.

Jean-Claude was a good sport since the "ice breaker" was to have one of my ESL students talk to him in French. The student said that was kind of hard because French is his second language and English is his 5th or or so. He said it was hard to think in French because he is usually focused on thinking in English. Both he and my Korean student said they count in their native languages. That is interesting because I know other ESL speakers who report the same thing.

After our little ice breaker, the students asked their questions and respected the order they created. That was very interesting. They didn't want to take too much time because they were cautious of not taking the next person's time.

After we were done recording, a few students commented that they never had the opportunity to interview anyone before and were amazed that Dr. Bradley was so kind to them.

That was an interesting thought.

On their chat board (that they created...woo hoo...independent thinkers), one student said that this interview gave him a different perspective of adults. I thought that was insanely interesting.

I never look down on my students, and I suspect that others like Jean-Claude don't either. Every student that walks into my classroom is my equal, albeit (s)he is at the beginning of the academic journey. Evidently, these kids come in trained with the "us" and "them" approach to learning, and, wow, I am going to have to put a stop to that. Learning is a global endeavor. I learn much from my students (where else would I have learned the proper way to use the phrase, "holla back"). I think education, at least at the college level, is a joint adventure.

Anyway, it was interesting to watch these students work with the technology to meet Jean-Claude. I am reminded of the novel, "A Separate Peace." I am reminded of their blind innocence and acceptance that we know more than they do. I can assure them; I know much less about math than they do.

I appreciate Jean-Claude's time and energy today. He is a pretty busy guy, and I am glad he took time to meet the students. I think they (and I) learned a little more than just the concept of Open Source Science.

Blogging for Sean B. Fegan

2006-09-07T01:41:00.000-04:00

On September 11th, I will be blogging in tribute to a casualty (Sean B. Fegan, age 34) of the Twin Towers disaster as part of the 2,996 Project.

I will be blogging about a man I don't know.

I will be blogging about an issue I don't understand.

I will be blogging about lives that were shattered.

I will be blogging about a life stolen.

Thousands of people will blog that day to remember these men and women whose time was cut short by hatred. Please do all you can to support this e-memorial. Go to the website; click on some names. Send out some comments.

Sean was just one year older than I am now. He was making his way in the world. Perhaps he was a new father. Perhaps we was an adoring son. Perhaps he had a new relationship. Perhaps he had tickets to see the Yankees. Perhaps he was going on a date with his girlfriend, Jenny. He loved being Irish; this I know because of the Memorial E-Quilt block in his honor.

I don't know much about Sean Fegan, but I know that he could have been any man, or every man, that I love. He could have been my brother, my father, my husband, or my son. He could have been my neighbor, my coach, or my friend.

I can't imagine what it is like to be any of the people he loved. My heart cries out to his mother, Colette. As a mother, I just can't imagine that kind of loss. My heart reaches further to his father, Peter. Hy heart extends further to his sisters, Anne Marie and Catherine, and his brother, Peter. And my heart bursts for his girlfriend, Jenny.

I can only hope that his suffering was not in vain.

The Ultimate Stingy Scholar - FREE tools for classroom use

2006-09-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

My e-friend, Stingy Scholar, has put together a wicked new site called Stingy Scholar.

Anyone can go there and find a list of FREE courses available, FREE texts, etc. It is an awesome project!!!

Those who work with me know my feelings about college bookstore prices. Stingy Scholar makes great use of public space to show us how to get stuff for FREE FREE FREE!!!

Thanks, Stingy!

The New York Post and Community Colleges

2006-09-03T19:19:00.000-04:00

Over at Community College English, my pals are discussing this article from the New York Times. The article basically slams community college students, but, really, I think it slams our K-12 system more. Students aren't prepared for college. Many are remediated in basic English and math. Some aren't prepared for the work of college and spend more time and energy negotiating grades than doing actual work. Some highlights:

"As the new school year begins, the nation’s 1,200 community colleges are being deluged with hundreds of thousands of students unprepared for college-level work."

This is actually a good point. At my school, we will see a whole host of students that placed into our remedial program but were members of the National Honors Society in HS. Of course, we keep seeing funding cuts...so, by gosh, how will we ever manage to teach these kids what they suposedly learned in HS???

"Though higher education is now a near-universal aspiration, researchers suggest that close to half the students who enter college need remedial courses."

Clearly, this person must also need remedial instruction since she doesn't actually cite her statistics. Which researchers? I actually believe this statement is true, but if it came to me in a paper, I would write "sources?" in the margin.

"The efforts, educators say, have not cut back on the thousands of students who lack basic skills. Instead, the colleges have clustered those students in community colleges, where their chances of succeeding are low and where taxpayers pay a second time to bring them up to college level."

4 year colleges are tired of providing remediation. I don't blame them. Students not prepared for college level work shouldn't be at a 4-year school; it is a recipe for disaster. Community Colleges are great places to send these students. Yet, the Times is wrong in saying that tax-payers pay twice. Not all CC are funded the same way, and I can assure you that we do not see much tax payer money.

"The unyielding statistics showcase a deep disconnection between what high school teachers think that their students need to know and what professors, even at two-year colleges, expect them to know."

Yes, there is a great adjustment period for students at both types of colleges.

“That’s why we’re trying to use pop culture in the classroom, to get their attention,’’ said Betsy Gooden, an English teacher who, in a remedial reading class one day last spring, tried to coax students to discuss a television documentary."

I would teach the same way at Princeton. I don't dumb down my classes; I raise the bar and students make it.

Blog Jewels

2006-09-01T21:52:00.000-04:00

So, I have slacked off on reading my blogs during the first week of class (all those WebCT headaches to handle).

Here is a list of the best of the best:

1. There is a wicked cool K-12 conference going on online, and they are looking for presentations. This is a great resource for HS teachers (and community college professors, too). SOOO, tarry not; make haste.

2. Over at Miguel Guhlin's site, he posted an awesome blog about using Wired News for a class editing assignment. I love Miguel's site, and you should, too. I plan to use this site in class when I go over revising documents.

3. At Jean-Claude's Blog, he reviews a new OSS model. It is a great concept, but not if authors have to pay to publish.

Land of the Lost meets Whisper Down the E-Alley

2006-09-01T13:14:00.000-04:00

I am working on a paper for my graduate class about Open Source Science within the realm of Open Access Scholarship. I decided to do this in an Open Access format. Ye gads; what was I thinking?!?!

I feel a little bit like I am on Land of the Lost. I keep finding the right jewel to put into the TV table tray thingy before the Sleestaks attack. But, here is the problem with the "New Web" - LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of jewels fit!

In the olden days of academic research, Englishy chics like me would examine the limited number of journals available and hope and pray there was something worthwhile to use for the paper due tomorow. With the sharing of information via wiki and blogs, there is SOOOOOO much good information out there. I am overwhelmed. Jean-Claude Bradley's UsefulChem Blog is a great starting point for material on Open Source Science, but his blog takes me to David Bradley's blog (no relation...just cyber brothers, I guess). David's blog take complicated sciencey stuff and translates it into the words even an English major can comprehend. His blog takes me to other blogs and articles, and so on and so forth....

It causes great anxiety for a perfectionist like me.

There is no way to know everything that is out there. There is also no way to prioritize the information, either. I talk about this on my research journal.

This is so like whisper down the alley.

In trying to be ethical about Open Source/Open Access research, I am trying to make sure I document all links back to where I found them. That is hard to do when it has gone through 7 blogs before it got to me. Unlike the real whisper game, the information is always accurate because eventually, I get to the root post or article. But, the travel through the alley is scary because, inevitably, I find MORE JEWELS!!!

So, I need Sleestak spray. Any chance I can get that on ebay?

Online Office Hours using SKYPE, AIM, GC, Yahoo, and Vyew

2006-08-31T23:18:00.000-04:00

Wow. I had my first official online office hours using SKYPE, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and Google Chat. Everyone must have been waiting up :-)

It was a little rough in the beginning since everyone came at the same time. Only one student opeted to use voice SKYPE, and, unfortunately, my kids would not cooperate and the husband couldn't be torn away from baseball. Most weeks I will have a sitter here, but the sitter doesn't come when Dave is off. Grrrr.

I will need to prioritize and work with each one as they come in. I think it is hard to juggle all of the services, too, so I may cut out AIM and Google Chat.

Does anyone else use all of these tools simultaneously?

College Life 101

2006-08-28T21:37:00.000-04:00

We were back in the saddle today. Yikes. I think "The Comedy of Errors" was inspired by life in college.

My first great mishap was parking. There was none. In the past, I have done generated some, um, creative parking solutions, but, I was actually able to get a spot.

The second challenge was figuring out my phone. Rumor has it that all of our phones were down today, and so I missed at least 43 important calls (one from my really good friend - please call back).

The third challenge was finding phantom students, a lost professor, and entertaining stoney eyed creatures with a rousing rendition of "In a Big Country" by Big Country.

Then I met with students who aren't mine, but think they are mine because my name appears in the WebCT course. Hmmm. I don't even understand how that happens.

Anyway, some perks.

Four former students were waiting at my office door to see me - just to say hi. They make all the struggles worthwhile.

Alla Karpova Revisited Again

2006-08-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

I fell into an older post over at Engineering/Science/Gender Equity about Alla Karpova and that arrogant **cough** professional at MIT. It is worth the read. Go now. Tarry not.

Research in the Buff

2006-08-26T09:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks, Sarah, for blogging about my research project. She poses an interesting question: "what is the potential that this kind of collaboration will lead to unethical use of another's ideas?"

I have thought about this, and I decided that research, of any kind, is subject to crooks. Unethical behavior has happened for years without technology, and, certainly, technology makes it easier. So, really, all I can do is demonstrate ethical research and hope that true academics will behave ethically.

Do I worry that my work will be stolen? No.

Will it be stolen? It might be.

What will I do when it is stolen? I will demonstrate (through the wikispaces history tab) that I have been working like this, and I use a Creative Commons non-com license.

Will I be mad? Well, I will be irritated that someone was a crook, but no more mad than usual.

It is a great question, Sarah, and I am glad you asked. It is important. I guess I don't really have a good answer. I intend to be ethical in my research, and, I hope, others will be ethical in their research.

On a side note, we have organized our very first Semi-Annual Chic-Professors-at-the-Spa Day. Basically, a small group of my colleagues are venturing out of the dusty halls (we are under construction, always, at school) and going out for a day at the Spa. I am very excited!!!!

Frappr

2006-08-24T02:20:00.000-04:00

Pageflakes, Mother Theresa, and Nelson Mandella

2006-08-24T00:52:00.000-04:00

So, I found this cool Pageflakes thing. I get a new quotation every day, and, I must say, some are pretty good. Four recent favorites:

1. "I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Author: Voltaire
I like this quotation because I believe in free speech. I believe that we can agree to disagree and that there are many ways to solve a problem. The beauty of Satellite radio is the ability to have access to free speech. I've blogged before about listening to the Howard Stern show, and I must admit that I don't like everything on it (I could do without the porn stars). But, he certainly has the right to free speech, and I have the right to change the channel.

2. "No one can be free who does not work for the freedom of others."
Author: Anonymous
I believe this concept in the core of my heart. I can't buy diamonds anymore because now I know the real price of them. The hands of babies and children are not a price I am willing to pay.

3. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Author: Nelson Mandela
This is another concept I fully believe in. As an educator, I believe we have a moral obligation to give our students the tools necessary to change the world.

4. "The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."
Author: Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa is one of the women I most admire. She proved that humility and grace, spirit and wisdom, and, most importantly, faith, can change a world filled with poverty and pain. She didn't needto burn her bra to prove that equality begins with humanity.

Innovation and her Ugly Step Sister, Jealousy

2006-08-23T01:29:00.000-04:00

If I could pick a name, I would love to have the name Desideria. In Latin, it means passion. I am, by nature, a passionate woman. Sadly, I look like a Beth and not at all like a Desideria.

I have found that creative people are largely misunderstood, but, in academia, they are even more so misunderstood. To be creative means you have to sacrifice a bit of your sanity for the sake of the cause.

So, I am blogging out my personal self-help credo.

1. I am not validated by those who have never seen me teach. Hearsay is not, at least as far as I know, considered a valid assessment of one's ability to do anything. Likewise, I do not judge my colleagues (or students) based on the comments of others. I agree with Martin Luther King; people should be "judged by the content of their character."

2. I am not intimidated or jealous of the brilliance of others. In fact, I prefer to be surrounded by wonderfully brilliant people. I also love insanely creative people. I am bored by dull people.

3. I believe in open sharing of educational material. Open Access Scholarship and Open Access Education are fabulous concepts. In the sharing, we make our work strong. Intellectual property allows people to share. I can not help that people confuse sharing with showing off. I do not believe that I show off at any level because I believe humility is one of the most important character traits a human can possess.

4. I believe in celebrating the achievements of others and giving credit where it is due. I am not the first person on my campus to do many of the things I do, so I always try to mention the people who have done it before me, as they were the real trail blazers. One woman, in particular, has been doing amazing PPTs with music, service learning, and whatnot for years. I am not jealous of her abilities, I am in awe of her.

5. I believe we have an obligation to help others shine. I know brilliance when I see it, and it doesn't matter is I like a person or not, I am still woman enough to recognize and proclaim the brilliance of others. In my (relatively short) career, I have come by many cranky brilliant people. My liking them or not does not alter their brilliance.

6, I believe, in the very core of my heart, that students are the number one priority. Their needs come before mine.

Honoring 911 Victims

2006-08-22T01:45:00.000-04:00

Please sign up for the Tribute Project (thanks to Huff English for the site). I can't imagine the pain faced, daily, by the families of the 911 victims.

Sean B. Fegan, age 34.

Place killed: World Trade Center. Resident of New York, N.Y. (USA).

Sean B. Fegan will be honored by Beth Ritter-Guth at the blog Proftitutes. This was the 2221^th blogger to sign up for the 2,996 Tribute project.

Open Access and Open Research

2006-08-21T00:04:00.000-04:00

As I teeter on the dawn of a week full of meetings, I have to say that I am really excited about researching and writing about Open Access scholarship. While I am certainly eager to teach the comma rules AGAIN this semester, there is something refreshing in learning something new.

My introduction to Open Access and Open Source Science is credited entirely to Jean-Claude Bradley at Drexel. Sadly, I had no idea what was going on in the wide world of scholarship...I was stuck in grammarville teaching FANBOYS. I liked Jean-Claude's ideas because they seemed so revolutionary to me (still do, actually). When I taught at Penn State (non tenure track), I watched, doey eyed, as tenure folks beat each other up (intellectually, obviously) for a piece of the tenure pie. Publishing all experimental data - raw - uncooked - not polished or gussied up - seemed incredibly risky to me. But, the people who need that data...the thousands of children dying each year of malaria...really do not care much about tenure. The kids in Sierra Leone just want Tylenol, Immodium, and Flip Flops. And, yes, I am still collecting all three (my office mail box is filling up...but, don't worry, the mailroom lady will soon assign me a box).

Open Access Scholarship is probably one of the most humanitarian efforts I have ever experienced. It is the sharing, the working together for the common good, the building together (as opposed to ripping apart) that makes it all the more worthwhile. There are no strings attached, either. In the academic world, the little of it I saw at Penn State, this sharing seems revolutionary.

The loveliest part of OAS is that the scholars are NICE PEOPLE. Really. Truly. Peter Suber (the Godfather of OA, as I like to call him) is not only brilliant but supportive, as well. Heather Morrison (the Godmother?) is brilliant and resourceful (those librarians are like that). I can't even imagine what I would do in a room filled with Jean-Claude, Peter, and Heather and there are more, I just know it...(nice smart people wanting to share brilliance for the benefit of all). The only thing that could possibly make that better would be if Thoreau or Emerson were resurrected to join us.

Crazy Nerd

2006-08-19T23:52:00.000-04:00

So. I am really a nerd. In addition to teaching this semester, I have dreamed up the crazy idea of taking a class at Texas Tech University. I also formally applied to their PhD program, but it is pretty competitive, so we'll see if that works out. Here is the thing about me...it is all cool. I know a lot of really brilliant PhDs, and I know a lot of really not-even-as-bright-as-lightbulb PhDs. I don't think any degree validates brilliance. In English, for example, how many Pulitzer Prize novelists have PhDs? Nuff said.

But, I was out hunting for information about chics in cyberspace and stumpled upon Dr. Amy Koerber's work. She teaches at TTU, and, well, that is how I found their PhD program in Technical Communication and Rhetoric. I would like to work with her, so I am taking her class English 5386: Written Discourse & Social Issues.

Since I am doing my semester project on the rhetoric of Open Access and Open Source Scholarship, I decided to work completely in the open on a wiki. In a sense, this is like taking a shower in public. All of my everything is out there. This is a completely new way to do research for me (a HUGE fan of colored notecards, snappy highlighters, and gaggles of paper products). So, I decided to blog about it, also. But, I went with a blog over at Easy Journal. I want to compare them to Blogger.

So, I am preparing for another academic year of hypenations - professor and student, mother and daughter, wife and friend...

Anyone want to lend me some Xanax?

On the Edge of the Semester

2006-08-18T01:37:00.000-04:00

Nowadays, when I go to work, I try to hide. I park in the little wee hidden parking lot, sneak in the back door of the library, and hide in my office. It never works. People know I am there.

Today, I was in my office listening to Penn and Teller. I was thinking it would make a great assignment for my students. They could use fact checker to explore the facts and decide how they feel about the message. But, I couldn't get past all the cursing. It would be a great assignment if the potty mouth business wasn't an issue.

So, as I was driving home (it is a good drive), I was thinking about how we create and adapt assignments. I like to use current stuff, and my kids like to talk about legalizing marijuana. But, the assignment means nothing if they can't get beyond the entertainment value.

The whole point of cool assignments is that students need to learn something at the end. It isn't good enough to just do an assignment for the sake of being cool or wanting to spread coolness. If they don't learn something, well, then, the assignment is a failure.

Penn & Teller

2006-08-17T12:57:00.000-04:00

Soo...your thoughts?

I think they make a lot of valid points; however, I think they could do it with a lot less cursing.

Penn and Teller: Bullshit! War on Drugs

2006-08-17T12:47:00.000-04:00

Penn and Teller make the argument that the war on drugs is plain and simple worthless bullshit.

WARNING!!! This movie contains adult language and is not appropriate for children.

Teaching in the World of Technology.

2006-08-16T21:04:00.000-04:00

I finished reading Will Richardson's book today, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. whilst my son was at aqua therapy. It is a GREAT READ! You should go and buy it. Seriously.

Furling was, by far, my favorite new tool of the week. I still think it sounds too much like hurling. But, I have been having a blast with it. I have also been using a tool that by lovely colleague at LCCC (the illustrious Beverly Benfer) suggested - Stumbling (it is a Firefox add on). It is boat loads of fun. However, even though I signed up for it, I still don't understand what del.icio.us DOES exactly. How will I use it in class???

So here are my thoughts about the stuff in Will's book:

One of the big ole challenges we face in English is how to teach documentation. In a world where one or two authors work together, documentation is no big deal. But, open source? Wikis? Holy hannah. Where does one begin checking reliability and credibility??? Certainly, at the college level, no one should be using encyclopedia references to document research. So, really, it is a non-issue. But, I have learned a lot from wikipedia, and, quite frankly, I have found information equal to any "standard" encyclopedia. Will puts it best by saying that "we've entered an age in which there are no longer many free passes when it comes to assuming the reliability of a source" (38-9). Even real live research giants have been accused of making stuff up, and those sources have gone through the peer review ritual. So, now what?

We either have to think about life in terms of the new way information is shared, or we have to try to adapt our old way of thinking. As peer reviewed journals get more competitive, the research becomes harder for undergrads to grasp. The accessible information is the stuff that scholars can't put out there because it is too simple. As Richardson points out, "the information students can access is more current...rendering many textbooks [and peer reviewed journals] passe" (127). Further, "it's not as essential to know what the answer is as it is to know where to find it" (129).

So.

As I prepare for this semester, I am going to keep this idea in mind...

"Teaching is a conversation, not [a] lecture" (129).

Thanks, Will, for a great get-ready-for-school read!!!

My Inspiration is Retiring

2006-08-15T22:41:00.000-04:00

Classes start is a few short weeks. As I am preparing for the semester, I realize that I have many, many people to thank for the way I teach. On the way home today, I thought that there should be a place to publically thank people. So, I created a Thank You Wiki. Anyone can go there and thank someone for something. You will have to go there and check it out.

I heard a rumor that my much loved High School English teacher, Len Perrett, is retiring. Now, I know we all have war stories from High School, and, lordie knows, I don't even remember HS all that well (ummm....hmmm...well, that is for another blog). I was really bright, but not at all engaged, and, as it usually goes, I was a little naughty.

Anyway.

In my senior year, I had no idea what I was going to do with my life in a defunct steel town with little to offer young women. I was heading for a career at 7-11. Since none of the women in my family had even graduated HS, it was just good enough for me to walk that gang plank.

When I walked into his class 10 minutes late from smoking in the bathroom (yeah, it was the 80s...you could do that without a felony charge), he came up and demanded to know why I was late. I had remembered that, during my freshman year, he yelled at me for jumping over a row of chairs in the theater. When I said I was sorry back then, he said "sorry is for dead people." So, I remembered this and just said I wouldn't be late again. He was really irritated and asked, "That's it? No excuse?" I said, "No. Sorry is for dead people, right?"

I loved him from that moment on. Instead of sending me to the office, he just laughed and walked away. I was never late again.

He had this great way of teaching. He would get us all fired up about stuff like Grendel's mother and, before we knew it, we were reading (and liking) Beowulf. In fact, I use a modification of his assignment to teach the text now.

He required that we memorize middle English and recite it in front of class. I refused to do this assignment, and he really tried to encourage me to do it. But, he just didn't get how much of a perfectionist I was, and how difficult it was for me to speak English (let alone old or middle). I had speech therapy until the 5th grade. My mind works too fast for my mouth. Writing has always been a better outlet.

Good giref. He was just a really cool guy. He was fair, but he was really tough. He was creative, but every single assignment taught an essential skill. He was like the dude from Dead Poets.

He really is the inspiration for how I teach today.

Of course, I didn't want to be all nerdy and thank him. Lord knows, I could never figure out what to say (the whole speech thing), and, I must admit, I was scared to death of him (all that brilliance, creativity, and coolness). He is the reason I majored in English; he is the reason I teach English.

It's funny how things go full circle. Today, I was at WaWa and a former DeSales Student spotted me. She ran to her car and got out HER WHOLE FAMILY (the hubby, the kids, the dog). She went on and on about the American Romantics class she had with me 4 years ago. She said that the class inspired her to change her major from Economics (ye gads) to English, and she graduated last year. She told me that I was the most intimidating and inspirational teacher she met. She said that I was tough but fair and little bit crazy.

But, really, I can't even hold a candle to Mr. Perrett. I wish I could take credit for that energy, but really and truly, Len is the archetype.

I wish him the very best in his last year teaching. He has inspired millions of kids, and he will be greatly missed.

Teaching with Technology

2006-08-14T22:26:00.000-04:00

Yikes. I looked at the calendar. Um. Two weeks until classes start. Where was I all summer???

I have been reading Will Richardson's book, and lemme tell ya, it is worth every penny. You should go buy it right now. This second. Now.

Last night, I learned all about Furling. I had no idea what Furling was...it seemed a bit like the caber toss or what would happen to kids who drank too much in college. But, Richardson's book, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, explains it all.

Furling is like my favorite tool ever...Bloglines. What on earth did I ever do without Bloglines??? Richardson is a Bloglines lover, too. This earned him mega brownie points with me. But, then he taught me all about FURLING!!! Furling creates your bookmarks so that you can get them anywhere...everywhere...on any computer. Like Bloglines, there is no software to dowload. And, more lovely than that simply amazing trick, is the beauty of "snapshots." Furl snaps a pic of the page. Amazing. Brilliant. But, you scratch your noggin and ask, "why are you drooling???"

Well, this is an excellent case in point. I am a huge (HUGE) fan of Alan November. His materials on "Teaching Zack to Think" are amazing (go now, really). In there, he talks about this professor wrote a book about how the holocaust (you know, the one where all the innocent people were maimed, tortured, beaten, and murdered for no reason other than pure evil) never happened. But, because it was posted on an EDU site, the kid, Zack, thought it was legit. You will have to check out Alan's site to get more details about it, but, I use this example all of the time (plus his example about MLK...go to Alan's site...you will be humbled by all he knows and shares).

Anyway.

I used the Holocaust example this summer, and the link worked. I went there yesterday, and, guess what?, yupppppers....the site is gone. The guy must have retired or something (or, maybe he realized that he was a jerk for thinking the holocaust was just a big case of diarhea...jerk). If I would have had FURL...I would STILL HAVE THAT SITE!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr! The snapshot business is awesome for that reason, alone. You never lose your stuff.

So, I am fixing to get ready for the semester. I am all a twitter with excitement. I love teaching. Some people are passionate about gardening; others love running (who knows why). Me? I still love my job. Every day. Without question (I am practicing my ability to write fragments, BTW). I can't wait to meet the students.

Here is a Teaching with Technology Toolkit I put together for my colleagues. I hope it is useful as you get ready for the semester. If you want to see what my students learn, click here.

Okay...leave this blog and go visit Will and Alan's stuff. FURL IT, baby!

Will Richardson and Weblogg-ed Part One

2006-08-12T01:33:00.000-04:00

I put aside my social reading to embrace Will Richardson's new book, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.

Wow.

So, I decided to take some advice from the Cool Cat Teacher, Vicki Davis, and write a post worthy of response. I am also interested in trying my hand at blogging while reading. I ask my students to do this, but I don't do it (um....techno lame, I know...but I admit that I still hand write outlines and notes....it is just a throw back to my 70s and 80s roots...thank goodness for the Tablet PC).

----------

Blogging while reading is a little hard. I have to pick the book up, read, put it down, write my notes, and then type. It is a little time consuming. Perhaps students skip the note writing part. I also find it hard to type and read at the same time; I simply don't have enough hands or space to do everything I am trying to do here...this is a bit frustrating. I don't want to crack the spine, as this is our Teaching Learning Center's copy (it is important to use their materials so they don't lose funding).

To read the book, I started off with the Preface and read through the introductory portions. They were great, but clearly written for people with no experience with any of these tools. This is an interesting challenge for Richardson, I think. He has to make his book appealing and useful to newbies and veterans...but he seems to handle it pretty well.

The juicy parts (for me) start on page 6 with the "Digital Natives" section. While this information is commonly known, Richardson makes some great points and backs them up with pretty solid statistics. For example, the section begins with the idea that "today's schools are faced with a difficult dilemma that pits a student body that has grown up immersed in technology against a teaching faculty that is less facile with the tools of the trade" (6). Certainly, I knew this. But, I re-read that statement a few times before I really let in sink into this brain. The words that most engage me are "difficult dilemma." Wow. It sure is a difficult dilemma when 81% of students (grades 7-12) have email, 75% have IM screen names, and 97% (!!!) believe educational technology is crucial (Qtd. in Richardson 6). I love that Richardson has done his homework here. The numbers demonstrate the dilemma and the idea that kids entering college "are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy" (Qtd. in Richardson 6).

So, what does all of that mean? Who cares? Well, I care. Often, I feel a little behind the times (is there a chiclet missing? Do I have enough blog jewelry?) because everything is such a catch up for me. Back in the day, we used note cards (colored ones - organized by topics), outlines, and napkins to jot down ideas. Some people (cough cough) use paper to compose ideas because the feel of paper and pen is magical and intimate...sorry...the keyboard doesn't generate the same response. We think in structured ways, but our kids think of the world as a hypertext jungle -clicking and jumping and scattered (Richardson also talks about this on page 7). So, are they wrong for doing it a new way? Are we responsible to learn their way? Holy cow, this IS a dilemma!

It is hard to change the way people learn and experience the world. The students can't really change my style of learning, and, really, I can't change their style, either. So the dilemma happens when we decide how to address the problem.

Do we force the students to do it the old way? That seems absurd. Certainly, washing clothes in a creek was necessary at one time, but I will use the Maytag, thank you very much. Of course, the flip side is that stove top popcorn always tastes better than microwave popcorn.

At the community college level, we see a diverse set of students. The age differences, alone, are a struggle. How does an effective teacher engage two generations with ease, style, and positive results? Maybe the answer is simply recognizing that there are several ways to accomplish a task. My GPS has demonstrated (over and over) that wrong turns can always be made right again...there are a few different ways to get to any location...and, eventually, we all end up where we are supposed to land. Does it REALLY matter if a student memorizes the MLA handbook? Or, is it more productive to teach a student how to use www.easybib.com? Fair arguments can be made on either side, I guess, but the savvy students will find the easybib on their own. Should we guide them to that lake for a drink? Or do we expect that they should know how to drill for water? But, if we don't teach them to drill for water, will they be able to survive in new land where the lake isn't accessible? It is the whole calculator debate from the 80s.

In the end, it just boils down to preference. Amen for academic freedom. It isn't important to me that students memorize MLA formatting styles. It is important that they know how to get a hold of the most current format. Easybib isn't all that easy, so it is important that they know how to effectively use the site. In the end, I end up teaching the book and the site, and all of the needs are addressed.

The "difficult dilemma" we face is one of pride and ownership. We want to say that our way, the way we know, the way we have used successfully, is the right way. And, what happens if we find out that our way isn't the best way? What if we discover that it is just one of the many successful ways to get to the end? Does the end justify the means???

This new age of teaching and learning will ask each of us to stand firm about our beliefs. We will need to defend our choices and support them with data. That begins with an assessment of our own philosophy about teaching.

Sierra Leone Needs Our Help

2006-08-10T15:04:00.000-04:00

As I was listening to the news this morning, I couldn't help but feel the fear that everyone now feels about travel and flying. Since 911, I am paranoid about flying, and my sorrow builds for the families impacted by such evil. I can't imagine what their lives are like; I can't imagine what thoughts creep into their heads as they put head to pillow. A sadness that deep does not go away in one year or ten.

As I was thinking about my next trip (that involves flying), I started to get a wee bit scared. But, then, my thoughts turned to Thom and Vicki Hicks. They are leaving in October for work in Sierra Leone. Generally, they pack one bag for themselves and the rest of their luggage is devoted to taking supplies to some of the neediest people on this planet. Now, because of these terrorists in London, Vicki and Thom will not be able to take their usual list of supplies and will, instead, have to buy all of these things there (in stores or on the black market).

I have never been good at fundraising. As a kid, my Mom would buy all the hoagies I needed for band, and I would sell them after we got them. People don't like to just put money out there with no promises of the return. People are also skeptical (and for good reason) for giving money to "missionaries." But, I can tell you, for what it is worth, that these folks use every penny of their own and every penny of donations for the people in Sierra Leone.

If you are able to donate, please send your donation via PayPal to frseraphim@aol.com or through the US mail to Mrs. Vicki Hicks, Grace Missions, 2216 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, KY 40218 All donations are tax deductible.

Victorian Prostitution

2006-08-10T00:32:00.000-04:00

I found the greatest blog about the Victorian Period. I have been hopping through the site all night, and I just love it. Thanks to The Little Professor for her wonderfully crafted site!

One of the posts deals with Victorian Prostitution. The Little Professor does a nice job of outlining prostitution as it applied to Victorian life, and, holy Hannah, I learned a lot. I can’t say that I am up on prostitution in any era, but her post was educational and fun to read. I am adding it to the reading list for class because it is always helpful to know how all people live and survive in a world where manners stifle and repress. Let’s think about the choices women had for making good money. They were slim to none. Even now, prostitution is a quick and easy way to make a buck if you aren’t a hag. Methinks most women charge too little, but I don’t know what the going rates are… The simple fact remains…there is a demand for the profession, and, therefore, women (and men) fill that demand. Is it moral? Well, duh. Should it be legal? Hmmm. The jury is out on that one. The discussion about prostitution always seems to center on the morality and legality of it all…but, really, the questions should be why there is such a supply and demand. Morality and Legality aside, it happens, and it has happened for a VERY long time. Why?

People say they aren’t interested in antique prostitution, but, really, think about all those creative anachronists who portray medieval wenches and the Civil War folks that play “camp followers” for Hooker. So. People are interested in antique prostitution.

I was especially interested in this discussion because I teach British Literature, and students love to read about naughty women (and men). It seems to help them enjoy "Moll Flanders" a bit better. From my perspective, it is important for students to see all parts of a culture as they read literature. Neglecting a blemish can cause cancer.

On a similar note (??), a friend told me that I should change the name of th is blog (too risky).

The name for this blog came from a former administrator. She had a great sense of humor and often had funny little words and phrases. This was one of them. She used it in reference to overworked and underpaid professors (um, that would be me). It was catchy.

But, no, this blog has nothing to do with prostitution. Well, other than to discuss the Victorian treatment of it on Little Professor’s Blog.

Another List on Great Books

2006-08-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

The lovely Geeky Mom posted one of these lists, as well. Since this was the billionth time I saw this list, as well, I thought I would post my responses, as well. I don't plan to do this for every one of these I come by, but it is interesting how these things gets tossed about the blogosphere.

1. A book that changed my life.

The Judeo-Christian Bible (King's James Version). I can't point to any novels or texts that have the same impact as the Bible. Either you accept what is written in the Bible as truth (or not), but I happen to believe it is true.

2. One book I've read more than once.

I have read Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor about 300 times. It is a brilliant novel; it is layered like Dante's Inferno.

3. One book I'd want on a desert island.

Again, I would go with the Bible here. Everything you need to learn is there.

4. One book that made you laugh.

Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Gilman is a hoot.

5. One book that made you cry.

I don't think any books made me cry. I am touched by most of what I read. I guess the closest to crying would be the part of Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, where Ofred thinks about her daughter.

6. One book you wish had been written.

Laura Ingalls should have written more about her adult life. Better yet, her mom should have written a book.

7. One book you wish had never been written.

I don't think there is any book that shouldn't have been written; there are plenty I wish I hadn't read. Since they stank, I forgot their names.

8. One book you're currently reading.

I'm reading three books right now. But, one book that I am enjoying is Robin Quivers' autobiography.

9. One book you've been meaning to read.

The list is too long.

How do Blogs Get Around?

2006-08-09T03:04:00.000-04:00

This post has gone all over the place. I got it at the Teaching in the 21st Century Blog. I am fascinated by how many folks have posted their opinions, and, I must say, I enjoy reading the responses! Here are my responses.

4 jobs you’ve had:
1. Girl Scout Camp Counselor
2. Lifeguard
3. Moravian Tour Guide (costume and all)
4. Teacher in a prison

4 movies you could watch over & over:
1. Pump up the Volume
2. Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood
3. Twister
4. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion

4 places you’ve lived:
1. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
2. Center Valley, Pennsylvania
3. Vienna, Virginia
4. Kutztown, Pennsylvania

4 TV shows you love to watch OR (if you’re a non-TV-watcher like me) 4 books you love to read:
1. MASH (TV)
2. Gloria Naylor's Linden Hills (book)
3. Gloria Naylor's Mama Day (book)
4. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (book)

4 places you’ve been on holiday:
1. London
2. Austin, TX
3. Orlando, FL
4. Gatlinburg, TN

4 Web sites you visit daily:
1. Bloglines
2. College English
3. WebCT
4. LCCC's homepage
4 of your favorite foods:
1. Popcorn
2. Pretzels
3. Apples
4. Mr. Goodbar

Teach Meet 2006

2006-08-09T02:04:00.000-04:00

I stumbled by this great post at A New Adventure about the 2006 Teach Meet Conference in Scotland. The beauty is that we can virtually attend via SKYPE. Woo Hoo! Please check it out!! You'll notice that I will be doing a little ditty about virtual service learning :-)

Can We Change the World?

2006-08-09T01:34:00.000-04:00

OK - I am recovering from the hot tub and jacuzzis.

I am catching up on my billion blog subscriptions. So, I thought I would share with you some of the top posts that I have read since my return from jacuzzi-land. Also, I posted the screencast from the academic gaming presentation I gave last week at the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent College's Summer Teaching with Technology Symposium held at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA.

1. On the 21st Century Collaborative blog, there is a discussion about the Paper Clips Project. What is most amazing about this project is that it has been sustained since its creation in 1998. These 8th grade students have worked to change the world...with paper clips. I think it is a pretty cool concept. Thanks, snbeach, for the post!

2. I stumbled by this great post at A New Adventure about the 2006 Teach Meet Conference in Scotland. The beauty is that we can virtually attend via SKYPE. Woo Hoo! Please check it out!! You'll notice that I will be doing a little ditty about virtual service learning :-)

3. At Academic Aesthetic, the author mentions that he will be visiting my home town for Musikfest. PLEASE don't park in my parking spot! They are putting together the 100th podcast, so please take a look-see at the amazing resources available on that site!

4. Vicki Davis has some great resources (again) over at the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. She writes about a thingy called CoComment. This is a pretty sweet tool! Also, she talks more about that awful DOPA business (please check out the link at the bottom of this page). Thanks, Vicki!

5. On Creating Passionate Users, Kathy Sierra writes up an interesting spin on the BlogHer revolution. I must say, feminist as I am, that I agree with her perspective. In reality, I don't know any opressed female bloggers. Further, I think people would flip wild turkeys if men got together and had a BlogHim conference. I support BlogHer (and I am a member), but I think it is fair to note that the organization brings together women for the purposes of supporting other women. I read blogs by men and women, and, really, I enjoy them equally but for different reasons. Thanks, Kathy, for spinning a new view.

6. At Teaching in the 21st Century, there is a post that links to another post and that one goes to another post....and so on and so on...It is actually quite a cool concept, and I am amazed at how many times I have found this is my blogs. So, my next post will be my responses to the questions.

I will have to catch up more of my reading tomorrow. Blogging really is changing the world I live in; I now have engaging reading material every second of the day :-)

Last Day in Dixie

2006-08-05T22:21:00.000-04:00

Today is our last day in Dixie before heading to Kentucky tomorrow to see our dear friends, Vicki and Fr. Thom.

We had the pleasure of experiencing a fanstastic thunderstorm from our chalet today. It was intense and scary but also powerfully beautiful. The echo off the mountains was bone chilling.

Overall, our vacation was relaxing and fun. I made good use of all the jacuzzis and the hot tub. I definitely suck at foosball and bumper pool, but I can still play mean poker.

Pit BBQ and Greenbriar State Park

2006-08-05T01:01:00.000-04:00

I have to apologize in advance...my caps button isn't working, and I have to do keyboard olympics to get caps. So, I may miss some here and there.

This was our first full day in Gatlinburg, and we are having a blast. We went to a small local pancake house at the foothills for brekkie. The pankcakes (flapjacks) were great, and the sweet tea even better. Since I can't get sweet tea at home, I am drinking boat loads of it here.

The aquarium was really cool; there is a conveyor belt thing that takes you through a tube surrounded by tanks. Dave is really into fish and aquatics, so we have spent considerable time at various aquariums. This was the first time we were able to see night fish. We also got a great picture of a sawfish that looks a bit like my mother in law. There were a lot of kid displays and crawly spaces for us to go in, and the boys loved it. But, when we went to change Jude, we discovered that we had left the diapers in the van (parked at least 100 miles way), and they wouldn't give us a stamp to come back in. That was irritating.

After we left there, we decided to take a road trip adventure and find where the real people live. We drove down the highway to Cobblers Nob and other greatly named towns. We hoped to find a true pit bbq place (not a commercial one). On our quest, we found the entrance of greenbriar State Park and decided to take a ride through. Words can not even remotely do justice to that kind of beauty. I wished for some of my others cameras, but all I had with me was a digital. i got some nice shots, but the fuji would have been better, I think. In any case, we drove through until we couldn't go any further, and it started to thunder. Thunder storms are gorgeous here. We felt a little bit like we were on the set of Twister as we drove out of the park, but it was simply breathtaking. Once we got back to the highway, the storm got stronger, and, lo!, there was a wee little pit BBQ place on the side of the road. We pulled in, ordered up from a surly woman, and ate in the dilapidated little shack outdoors while watching the storm pass through the mountains. It was very cool.

On the way back to Gatliburg, we found a terrific little used bookstore. I bought a bunch of cool odd books, inlcuding one about Hawk Mountain. I also bought copies of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring. After we got back to the cabin, the boys spent the afternoon in the jacuzzi playing car wash, and I read an entire memoir written by a local man named Otis. It was a tribute to his Dad, and it was touching.

We headed back down the mountain for dinner at Duff's and drove around Pigeon Forge. It is like a giant boardwalk at Atlantic City. There are cheesy shops everywhere, kitchy stuff, neon signs, and TRAFFIC! Yikes, it took us an hour to go 2 miles. Dave loves that glitzy crap, but I was wishing for Greenbriar.

Overall, it was a great day. Here are some things I learned:

There seems to be no consensus on how to spell Smoky Mountains (Smokey, Smokies).

Dolly Parton only owns 40% of Dollywood.

Locals hate the way tourists drive.

You can buy beer everywhere....including Labatts...which is a very good thing.

If you shoot a dart over the side of the deck, Mommy can use her magical snake charming powers to retrieve it.

Dolly Parton, Potato Chips, and Hot Tubs

2006-08-04T10:41:00.000-04:00

I am on vacation in Gatlinburg, TN. I must admit that the whole reason we came here was to satisfy my four year old's obsession with the Dukes of Hazzard. Gatlinberg is home to Cooter's Garage. To date, he has had his picture take in two orange 'General Lee' 69 Dodge Charger R-T cars. We had to pay a butt load to use our own camera, but the look on his face was priceless.

Our agenda today involves going to one of the many pancake houses (so far, the count is at 43), going to the Ripley Aquarium, and having dinner at Dolly Parton's Stampede. I must admit that we aren't big country fans, but I have infinite respect for Dolly Parton. From what I understand, her work in this community has really helped it to thrive and survive. I am impressed with her contrbutions, and realize that she isn't just another pretty face in entertainment.

ANYWAY.

Here are some initial thoughts about our adventure so far.

During our 13 hour drive, we stopped quite a few times. Truck stops are my favorite, but we also stopped at regular gas stations.

I have learned something about potato chips. Back in the day, there were two kinds...ruffled (YUM) and flat (boring). I don't eat them that often, but I like them from time to time. At 3:30, somewhere in Virginia, we stopped at a Sheets because I had a hankering for crispy greasy chips...

Did you know HOW MANY different kinds of chips now exists? I was overwhelmed by the choices. I couldn't believe the varieties, and I couldn't find plain ones. I was pretty tired, so maybe i just missed the regular chip display, but there were two aisles devoted to chips. Overcome by the choices, I settled on crab dip chips. I had never heard of such a thing, but, I must admit, they were pretty dang good. Maybe it was sleep deprivation talking.

We rented a cabin through Alpine Rentals. Since we booked at the very last minute, we didn't have much of a choice concerning cabins. I was a little worried; why didn't anyone want this one? As it turns out, it was just a fluke that this one was available; it is AWESOME. There are two jacuzzis (one shaped like a heart), a hot tub, bumper pool, wireless hookup, and foosball. I spend a lot of time in the heart shaped jacuzzi and hot tub, and it is going to be really hard to turn these keys in at the end of the week.

Our West End Neighborhood ! Our West End Neighborhood ! Our West End Neighborhood

2006-08-04T09:57:00.000-04:00

This is a great article and petition about arts in West End Allentown.

All Karpova Revisted and Updated

2006-07-30T12:47:00.000-04:00

I am sorry, Dr. Karpova. I know you want us to stop blabbering about this topic because you (rightly) want to be known as a brilliant scientist (which you are) and not as the Girl-that-MIT-Screwed. But, I am getting a lot of hits because of this topic, so I want to provide good information.

Some Finer Points:

1. This Hub-Bub is NOT generated by Alla Karpova. She has declined to comment about this situation. We must all pinky swear that we will not hold HER accountable for this discussion. She has expressed sincere interest in telling us all to let it go. Unfortunately, she has become the poster girl for a bigger problem in science (and the academy), and we are all itching to talk about it. But, we should all take great strides to protect Alla from being bombarded with bad press. This isn't her crusade; it is ours.

2. Originally, I thought Susan Hockfield was the whistle blower here, but she is not. She is the President of MIT. She is the one defending him, so please disregard all previous statements about her. I still want to hug the women whistle blowers - whomever they are :-)

3. Lots of people are writing great stuff about this issue. Dr. Shellie offers are a great perspective on her blog; she rips apart the statements of the school. Over at Three Bulls, there is an interesting analysis of the known facts. Over at Adventures in Ethics and Science, the comments are well worth reading. Thanks to Pinko Punko for the post from The Globe.

4. If you are really interested in reading about the newest news, check out the article in The Globe; they have all the emails (in a DOC file).

5. After reading a bunch of comments from former students and colleagues, I am assuming that this guy is just a jerk all around - he would have been a jerk had she been male - but he prefers blonds to brunettes. However, according to the Globe, he "brings in tens of millions of dollars of research funding." So, I think MIT is going to play dumb, hope this blows over because we all know that money is more important than ethics.

You might as well face it...

2006-07-30T12:35:00.000-04:00

You might as well face it...you're addicted to blogs.

Okay, so I am a music maniac, and we all know the real words to that song, but, holy hannah, I think I need a therapy group or some kind of anti-blogatory pill. In a sense, I am floating around the blogoshpere like purgatory, so I am campaigning "blogatory" as the new term, though someone else must have thought of it already.

I enjoy reading blogs like I love to read diaries. I like the feel of being "let in" to the secret circle. A few weeks ago I listed my top ten, and they are still great favorites, but I am falling in love with others, and I am convinced that I can't even try to pick favorites any more.

I found more great blogs to read by scanning blog rolls, so I am now a fan of including them on a blog. I don't think I will do so on my academic blogs, but I will on this one. Go check out some of the great finds. In no time, you will sport red lipstick, a Fender guitar, and a black mini dress.

Women in Science Research Project

2006-07-29T16:09:00.000-04:00

A buddy over at the BlogHer conference mentioned this research project on women in science, engineering, technology, etc. If you are interested, please consider being an interviewee or passing the link on to others.

America's Women

2006-07-28T23:05:00.000-04:00

I am re-reading America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins. Let me preface this post by saying that I do not work for Collins or the NYT, and that this review will come in spurts and gasps. I am just amazed by the research and the generous and flavorful writing style.

This book is exceptional. If you are interested in women's studies, you should go onto ebay or Amazon and get yourself a copy. Collins has a great writing style; it feels as if you are reading the tabloids and not a well documented history book. You feel like you are getting all the lastest gossip, even though the first chapter deals with the 1500s.

I have read this book before, but my son ripped out a bunch of pages and used Sharpie on the rest. So, I decided to read it again, as I plan to use it for my Women's Studies class. Here are some of the great finds that Collins digs up and some of my thoughts (in italics). I have not blogged about all the great finds, just some ones that stand out. You should really buy her book and read it for yourself to get the full impact.

Eleanor Dare is one of the first known woman to arrive in Roanoke; she was pregnant. Her baby, Viriginia (named for the Queen) is the first known birth. But, she and her mother disappeared in the second wave of Roanoke disappearances (Collins 1-3).

I am fascintated by the Roanoke vanishings. Likely, they were killed or assumed by natives. But, we will never really know. The interesting part, to me, is imagining what is was like to give birth to the first child. What was it like to be the first mother? Clearly, there was no one there to help her, no midwife, no speedy OBGYN, no cameras, no cute litte baby book to fill. Did she realize that she was the first woman, first mother - the Eve of America? And, isn't it just fabulous that the first "American" (but, not really) was a woman? The saddest part, though, is that, without this book, I wouldn't have known to care about Eleanor Dare. In fact, we tend to believe that the northern colonies had the corner market on settlement, and forget the TWO Roanoke vanishings.

The first known woman to arrive at Jamestown (1608) was Mrs. Forrest and her maid (Anne Burras). There is no record of Mrs. Forrest's first name, and you will have to buy the book to find out her husband's name. Basically, they were the only women in a society full of about 200 men. No one knows what happened to Mrs. Forrest, but the maid was the first woman to get married in the new land (Collins 3-4). That must have been some wedding.

I think it stinks that we don't know Mrs. Forrest's name. I am tempted to make one up for her (Lillith seems somewhat appropriate, eh?). But, women were generally identified by the men they married, so it isn't too surprising that we neither know her name nor know what happened to her. But, here is what is most interesting to me. Can you EVEN imagine how jealous the other 198 men were in that community? Good Mr. Forrest and Anne's husband were "gittin' some" (as my articulate students would say), and the other 198 were left in the lurch to just hope that women would float over the Atlantic. And, by gosh, I hope Anne picked the best one out of the 199. Can you imagine if she picked the town moron? What would any woman do with 199 choices????

Collins talks about the myth of Pocahontas. She tells the story as it was, and removes all the fluffy Disney crap. Let's face it, this was a marriage of politics; it was not the love story we are led to believe (Collins 5-6). You should read this book just to find out the real deal.

I despise the trumped up version of Pocahontas. It makes me crazy. This is such a brilliant sotry on its own, as Collins captures it, that it needs no trumping. Imagine...Pocahontas is the daughter of a powerful man...this powerful man can make the lives of these struggling colonists miserable...Johnny Rofle was a powerful man that could pursuade the masses. Their marriage saved a lot of bloodshed. It was a political arrangement and ended, sadly, with the death of Pocahontas at the age of 20 (when she was in England, playing dress up for the Queen). It was a brilliant move, all around, but we should not be fooling ourselves that it was drawn out of insatiable love, lust, or passion.

I had never heard of the "tabacco wives" until I read this book. You need to read the book to get the whole incredible story, but it all boils down to one thing. There were no women in the colonies, and the men were getting desperate (for companionship...yeah right). All kinds of tactics take place to lure or force women to the colonies. Among them, there were kidnappings and sending over female convicts. She also talks about the indentured service business and some colorful people on both sides of the coin (Collins 6-11).

I never knew this stuff! Tobacco brides?? Honestly, stealing women/ Kidnapping them and tossing them on a boat? Holy Hannah; it sounds just like the slave trade...oh wait...it WAS a slave trade. What if the woman was already married? What if she were a lesbian? As Collins points out, the law really didn't do a whole lot to stop the women-napping. What is more brilliant is the sending of female convicts by France. WOW! Our country was generated by a bunch of naughty women...THAT is either an incredible sign of greatness or a wretched curse. There are some great examples, but, I want you to read this book, so I won't share them. This segment is probably one of the most powerful in the book.

The legal rights for women not so different in the new colonies. However, early settler women faced more equality because necessity determined it. Women, if only temporarily, had a little more say in the cultivation of politics and culture (Collins 11-14).

In a sense, the American Adam by RWB Lewis describes the westward expansion of men as their chance to recover from the image of Adam's fall. He doesn't really treat women in any literary way, but, certainly, based on the research by Collins, a strong argument can be made that women, the early settler women, had a brief chance to shed the image of Eve (until the civilization was restored to deny them more rights). I will argue that women are given another chance in westward expansion, as well.

So, these are my thoughts as I re-read this book. I will probably keep on blogging about it. But, I have to go read more and internalize. I can't stress this concept enough...this book is probably the best historical reader I have ever read. Her style in incredibly enjoyable; I feel like I am reading Cosmo. She digs up all the great dirt and makes you think about the women she unconvers.

Shakespeare's Other Name

2006-07-27T17:52:00.000-04:00

I am happy to report that Mark Anderson's book, Shakespeare by Another Name, is the book of the month on Ask the Author. Mark's Shakespeare Upon iPod series is terrific, and they are great tools for English folks teaching Shakespeare.

Congratulations, Mark!

The Penance of Meetings

2006-07-27T00:24:00.000-04:00

I was listening to the Howard Stern show today, and he was talking about how much he hates meetings. I agree. I also hate meetings. I have way too many of them, and most of them are about nothing, and, really, are a waste of my time.

Anyway.

We went to the Lake today, and, yikes, I have a sunburn that can beat any out there. Fair skin is my curse...short arms are my other curse. A low back is the final curse. My kids are calling me "Mama Lobsta." Cute kids...too smart for their own good.

On the way home, I was thinking about some of my fellow college graduates. Even though I wasn't a theater major, I worked in the Box Office of our theatre, and was a music intern (festival piper) for the Summer of MacBeth (also known as the year James Kiberd was there).

Mostly, I have no idea what my college friends are up to. Steve Burns, of Blues Clues Fame, made a heckuva lot more money by leaving college than staying. But, I have to say, he was one of the most brilliant actors I have ever met in my life. He is also an awesome musician.

I was trying to think of other people I went to school with, but, honest to Pete, I can't remember any last names. One of the theater majors, Veronica Mosey, is busy being a great comedian. She was hilarious when I knew her, and I am sure she is doing great work. She made some folks mad on the Dr. Phil show because of a bit she does on parenting. I think it is a riot, and I don't think you need to have kids to know how to raise one.

This tip toe down memory lane was inspired by my seeing Casey Gallagher at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival the other night. Casey was an incredibly nice guy in college, and is doing a smashing job at PSF. When I think of Casey, I think of Dwain, Mo, and Colleen. But, sadly, I don't remember their last names. I also think of Steve Lyons, but I have no idea if that is how to spell his name. He had great hair, and he played intense accoustic guitar. He then reminds me of this hottie dark haired boy (name forgotten), Megan (the crazy girl), Toni (the druggie), Chris (the very hot guitar guy), Sheila (the swamp rat Opera singing roomie), Angie (the 80s roomate), the cool red headed guy (that I swore I would always remember), and the Kristin Campbell (name spelled right or wrong??). I went to Kris's graduation party, and I still remember it to this day. Her family is all involved with the Mummers. They did the Mummer's strut as my Delawarian friend, Charlotte, and I sat - stunned - by a seemingly dead woman rise to dance the strut. I have watched that parade every year since. And, of course, there is the endless list of crushes...Paul, Tim, Jason (ah, Jason), Pete, Mike, Steve, and that other guy...ye gads...I am old.

I really loved the college I went to for my BA. Back then, it was called Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales, and is now been upgraded to DeSales University. It was a small Catholic liberal arts (specializing in theater, dance, and vocal music) college, and was, very much, like a Dead Poets Society kind of place. I used to play my pipes at the edge of the campus, and they would echo down into the campus. That was kind of cool...well...except for the baseball team...they would throw things at me (fun stuff, no worries...socks, underwear...stuff of great glory...and I would display these trophies on my dorm room wall, under the red chaser lights....our room was dubbed "the swamp" for many reasons, but general debauchery and mayhem were mostly to blame). My friends and I crashed the Formal, were caught by a Priest (to whom I never lied, I will have you know...He said he hadn't seen me during dinner...I simply replied that I had been around - I didn't specify where). We didn't crash it to be mean or stupid, we wanted to take pictures of our friends, so we gussied up and went after dinner. It was great fun, and is a story still told there. Even then, I was known for pranks and overall naughty behavior.

It was fun place to live and learn and grow. We were encouraged to think independently, and we were forced to be creative all of the time. A theater school is like that.

So, as I sit in these long and boring meetings, I often think of those days of creative glory, and wonder if other cool people from college are serving their penance by sitting in the same kind of meetings.

Humility in the Hatch

2006-07-25T22:53:00.000-04:00

Well, good news.

Richard Hatch, that disgusting fat guy from survivor, FINALLY went to prison, and not the sweet uppity kinda prison - - the other kind.

Perhaps he ate too much rice in Bali Bali or wherever, or maybe he got bit by a secret rattlesnake or something. Did he really think the IRS was gonna let him go without paying taxes?

His arrogance reminds me of other arrogance I have heard, read, and blogged about this week.

Here is the thing about Richard - he is (or was) a pretty smart guy. I think he is creepy, but he was pretty brilliant in that survivor pull off. America paid him a million bucks to prance around naked. But, he wouldn't share his due percentage.

Hatch reminds me of how I feel about arrogant academics and other professionals. What good does holding all of the knowledge do for any one person, if there is no one with whom to share? I don't just mean the dude from MIT; there are colleagues all over that just won't share ANYTHING because they think they have the corner market on brilliance.

I was speaking to a colleague today about this WebCT conference I attended back in March. I went there to learn about how to use iTunes University, since I was supposed to pilot it in our Summer I session. She was blown away by the revolution that started as a result of that conference, and, while it would be great to lay claim to such a thing, I certainly can't take credit for it. Had I not met Jean-Claude Bradley, I would still be trying to figure out the difference between audio and podcasting.

Jean-Claude is one of the most brilliant men around, and he is probably one of the most humble. He shares with everyone, and he doesn't ask for anything in return. He could be doing any number of amazing things, but, instead, he spends his time helping people like me teach better (this is, I am afraid, a daunting task). He spends his time and energy trying to make chemical research open and accessible to others. I was happy to hear that his wikispace made the top 25 most used wikis list. Jean-Claude is an inspiration to me and to others, but, he still manages to be kind, helpful, and sincere. He gives back more than his due share.

Perhaps Richard Hatch and Mr. MIT could a learn a lesson or two from Jean-Claude. Brilliance can make a man arrogant or criminal, but true brilliance, combined with a touch of humility, is most rewarded when it is shared and celebrated by the people who can benefit from it.

Alla Karpova UPDATED

2006-07-24T21:25:00.000-04:00

Note: I originally believed that Susan Hockfield blew the whistle on this guy, but I was wrong.

A few days ago, I blogged about the jackass at MIT that "refused to work" with the young, talented, and brilliant Alla Karpova if she were hired. According to the Chronicle, "Susumu Tonegawa, a Nobel laureate and director of the Picower Center for Learning and Memory, told Alla Karpova that he would not interact or collaborate with her, or serve as her mentor, if she accepted a job at MIT, and that members of his research group would refuse to work with her as well."

A wee bit jealous, Dr. Tonegawa?

I praise the efforts of the gender equity committee at MIT for blowing the whistle on this guy. I don't care what awards he has won; he doesn't have the right to shut out a talented and brilliant scientist on the basis of her gender.

Oh, but he wasn't refusing to work with her because of her gender...not at all..."Mr. Tonegawa was simply telling Ms. Karpova that he did not want to collaborate on research [which is similar to his own]. Mr. TonegawaÂs tone 'wasnÂt at all threatening or unpleasant,' he said. 'It was in fact quite complimentary.'"

Baloney [insert expletive of choice here].

Perhaps he wasn't afraid of her gender, but he sure was gun shy of her brilliance. Looking at her credentials, I can see why he would run the other way. Um, the girl is, I donno, brilliant? Amazing? Incredibly gifted? Why on earth would MIT want to have TWO brilliant scientists?

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of MIT. I support their OpenCourseware initiatives, and have blogged about their revolution. They have amazing guys like Dr. Mitchel Resnick.

I like MIT.

But, I dont' like their reputation for beating down female scientists. The Chronicle article cites their history of gender inequality.

So why do I care so much about Alla Karpova? I don't know her, will probably never meet her, and can only pronounce 3 of the scientific words she knows (and can spell less than that, I am sure). Here is why I care:

I have a son with cerebral palsy as a result of an in-utero stroke. From a mother's POV, I can tell you that a lot needs to be learned about the human brain. Alla Karpova, whatever she studies, is part of progress.

Someone emailed me to let me know that Alla Karpova turned down the MIT job. Um, no kidding? Would you accept a job where the star player told you that you weren't welcome? Would you join a team where the captain said "I'll never play you" and "I won't let the other team members play with you either"? He may have smiled when he said it, but, I can assure you, his message was clear to her.

I don't blame her one bit for turning down the job. She is a bright star on her own; she doesn't need MIT and the King of Curmudgeonry (new word) to beat her down. I also give her a lot of credit because she wants people to stop blabbering on about this episode so she can move on with her life. She wants to be known for science and not for this kind of stupidity.

I don't blame her.

Shakespeare is in the House

2006-07-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Many thanks go out to the Lovely Gina Conti for inviting me to see Othello tonight at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. I've seen Othello a dozen times at different venues. This probably wasn't my favorite rendition, but it was lovely to be out and listening the words brought to life by stage.

What I Liked:

1. I am a huge fan of PASF's sets. I am not sure if Will Nuert designed this one, but he is my favorite stage designer in all of Christendom. This set was beautiful; it was simple, clean, and DETAILED. I know it seems silly to pay attention to such things, but I am all about set design. A crappy cast can look a whole lot better with the right set.

2. I liked the use of live music. The most touching scene (to me) was when Emilia sings over the slain body of Desdemona.

What I Sorta Liked:

1. I liked the costuming. However, I do think it would be prudent if Desdemona would have more than 2 dresses. I would have liked her done up in more softer textures and colors. Her innocence, simplicity, and faithfulness rest on how the audience perceives her. She needed more elegance. In fact, I wish some director would pick a blond over a brunette for this role, as I think the Mary imagery would really work here. The men looked great, but Othello could have been more "stately." He wore this robe all the time that reminded me a bit of a boxing robe. I thought it was entirely stereotypical and did not paint him as a noble man afflicted by a tragic flaw.

2. Iago was villainous, but he was just a little too silly for me. I didn't get his hatred for Othello, even though he says the lines about a thousand times. I didn't get the evil he represents, either. The audience loved him because he was funny, but that really isn't they way it is supposed to go. I don't mind so much that the director went with the whole "charming" Iago concept; but, it seems a little odd to me that he was SOO charming. He was, however, the best male actor.

3. I like the intimacy of the arena stage (theater in the round) but not for Othello. I felt claustrophobic. Leave the arena stage for the non-Shakespearean plays like My Fair Lady. However, if you are going to do the theater in a round, then do it right and get the audience involved. Iago did it once, and that was good, but that set up requires more intimacy between actors and audience.

4. I liked the homosexual undertones, as I believe they exist in the text. But, I thought more could have been done with them in a less silly and superficial way.

Things I Didn't Like:

1. I really didn't like the cast that much. I know that sounds rough, but, really, the only one I liked was Emilia - and I didn't like her until the end. The line delivery was just too forced...thee-ah-tah...we art discussing Shakespeeeeeah." Ugh. I had a bad feeling with A1S1...when the first line just felt canned. I simply did not believe the characters. Othello did not seem genuine to me, and I didn't "get" that he was a noble and just man. Since I know the story, I know that the tragedy is that this wonderful and wise warrior is prone to a tragic flaw. In this portrayal, I had to be told that he was a good guy. Maybe it was the boxing robe. Maybe it was that he and Desdemona kissed a thousand times, and yet I did not feel the love...just the lust. Desdemona did not come across as particularly fair and virtuous, either. At the end (her end), it was a little better, but I should get that with her first appearance. I should get her sweetness, devotion, and goodness when she speaks to her father. I didn't get that. Iago, while evil, seemed more like a big jokester than the evil man he is at the core. They had to use lighting to show his evil, and that is just not the way the character is painted. The audience liked him the most, and that is a bad, bad thing. I didn't really feel sorry for Cassio. I liked that Roderigo was a nerd, but I wanted to feel sorry for him, and I didn't. The characters were just superficial. Emilia kinda sucked until the end, and then her character came to life. Her scene where she tells Othello and Iago off was tremendous. For me, she saved the play.

So, that is my recap. MANY MANY MANY thanks to Lovely Gina.

Using Movies to Teach

2006-07-23T11:18:00.000-04:00

I am interested in learning about how other professors use movies in the classroom. I use these movies, but I am always on the hunt for more:

1. The Stepford Wives: I use this in Women's Studies class to discuss the "ideal" wife, what men "want," and concepts of beauty. It isn't the greatest movie out there, but it is interesting (especially since the whole plan is generated by a woman).

2. The Handmaid's Tale: I use this in Women's Literature when we read the novel by Atwood. The movie is completely different than the book, and we discuss why.

3. Mary Shelley's Franksenstein (K. Brannaugh): I use this in Women's Literature to discuss the novel. I like it because it debunks the whole bolts-in-the-neck image we have of Frankenstein (seeing as Vic Frankenstein is the DOCTOR and NOT the monster). I teach this novel from the standpoint of psychological horror and the search for mother.

4. Beloved: I use this to teach Morrison's novel. The novel is kind of hard to put on film, but this movie does a pretty good job of it.

5. Dead Poets Society: I use this in English Composition to teach "thinking" outside of the box. We look at it from the perspective of the teacher and the student who committed suicide. Generally, I have my students write the suicide note.

6. Clueless: I use this in British Literature II to talk about Jane Austen's Emma. It is a nice modern version of the story.

7. Cold Comfort Farm: I use this to teach Jane Austen, as well. It is a hilarious (very dry) poke at Jane Austen's style. My students don't really get it, though.

8. Romeo and Juliet (the version with LD): I love this modern interpretation of the play. I use this in British Literature I to teach Shakespeare.

9. Pump up the Volume: This is, by far, my favorite movie. I use it in English Composition to discuss censorship and critical thinking.

10. Pretty Woman: I use this is Women's Literature and Women's Studies to discuss the concepts of fairy tales and how they "instruct" women.

So, these are 10 of the movies I use in class. I am interested to know what other people use in class. What do you use?

The (Updated) Reading List

2006-07-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

Note: Friend called and said I cheated by offering "scant" descriptions. Friend is a pain in the butt, but here is an updated version for his sake. Revisions are in italics.

OK, so my friend has now requested this list for the 345th time. These are my top ten favorite pieces of literature. It is really hard to pick just 10. These are in no particular order, although my favorite book of all time is Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor.

1. "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut - I love this short story for a million reasons (at least). It is insanely creative, imaginative, and right on track. We strive to be equal to one another, and, while I support equitable access, I think it is dangerous to believe that we all have equal talent, abilities, desires, opinions, etc. For example, I am a creative person, but I can't draw to save my life. I also can't sing. But, I try my best, and, while that will never land me a role on American Idol, that is OK. I don't need to be good at everything. I don't want to be good at everything. In the book I am reading now, The Average American by Kevin O'Keefe, the average American doesn't think too much, spend too much, eat too much...ye gags.... People shouldn't strive to be average; they should strive to be unique parts of a more complete whole. Vonnegut's story reminds us of what will happen if we are finally equal. I would get a headset. How about you?

2. "Those Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula LeGuin - Should one child suffer for Utopia? Children suffer now, all over, for less. There are handless babies in Sierra Leone because Diamonds are a girl's best friend. We see, like the Omelasians, the suffering in the world, and we can choose to walk away, or we can stay put and forget, neglect, and avert. In the story, the utopia rests on the suffering of one child. He is locked in a room, and is deliberately neglected. It is believed that this child must suffer for the sake of everyone's happiness. When new folks enter town, they are taken to see the child (wallowing in his excrement) and are told that this must happen for the sake of the whole. People can either choose to live in Omelas with the knowledge of the child, or they can leave town. The moral situation is interesting. Neither choice is a good one. If you stay, you accept utopia on the grounds that someone suffers. Does it make a difference that it is a child? Not really, but knowing and staying means that you accept that suffering exists to help others. But, if you leave, you still know about the child, and knowing about the child means that you have some sort of moral obligation to right the wrongs done to the child. I would try to break the child out, and, even if I were successful, they would replace him with another child. So, is there really an answer?

3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - This is one of my favorite novels illustrating a dystopia. It is brilliant, as Atwood is a genius. It has also been banned in a few places, and so, like all banned things, I love it. I like most of her older stuff (Edible Woman), but not so much of the newer stuff. I like her poetry, and she has a great short story called "Happy Endings," as well. I like THT because it speaks to (yet again) our attempts to create equality...we go so far to one extreme that we end up worse off than where we started. She also pokes great fun at the academy by creating an ending that mimics what we do at academic conferences. The movie does not share this ending, and my students hate this ending, as well. But, I love the concept. Too often, academics (in English) reduce people or authors to "subjects." I try to remember that the women I study were living, breathing, warm, sensual, scared, happy, angry, and, for the most part, "normal." This, like Bergeron, is an insanely imaginative work.

4. I am a huge fan of Gloria Naylor (who, incidently, is not in the canon....WHO on earth decides???). I love all of her work, and it is hard to pick a favorite. But, I am also a fan of Dante's Inferno, so I am going with Linden Hills as my top choice. The book is set up in the same journey sequence, and there are levels of Linden Hills that are patterned after the Inferno. At the bottom of the hill is Mr. Nedeed, a wicked and wealthy man. I like the story because it illustrates the various stages of "selling out." I also like the idea that the "richest" people in the book are the ones with no money. This is followed very closely by Mama Day. Mama Day illustrates a modern matriarchy. The imagery is out of this world, and the characters (Mama Day, Cocoa, George) are exceptional. That is followed very closely by The Women of Brewster Place and The Men of Brewster Place. WBP is better than MBP, but they are both great. Again, Naylor paints outstanding characters, and deals with controversial issues. In one haunting scene, a group of gang members gang rape a lesbian. She dies as a result. It is a painful story, but one that needs telling. Finally, I also adore Bailey's Cafe. Again, the characterization is fantastic. The story illustrates the lives of various people as they search for the meaning of life at this last stop diner. The classical references in all of her work are amazing, and, again, these are creative and imaginative pieces. As an African-American writer, she is equal to Toni Morrison (great author), Alice Walker (great author) and Maya Angelou (great writer, awesome poet, amazing speaker). Yet, she doesn't celebrate the same success.

5. Antigone by Sophocles - It may be old, but it is the perfect play. Antigone was about 13 when she faced off Creon. The whole idea of deciding between love of family and love of state is not terribly removed from our world. Okay, Friend, here is where you think I cheated. I love this play because it is tightly written. I am drawn to the roles of women (Antigone and Ismene), and I am drawn to the conflicts of love and passion. Creon was like a step-dad to Antigone, as Oedipus had put her in his care. In disobeying him, she disobeyed the law and the only "father" she had access to on earth. But, she chose to honor her brother and the gods by properly burying him. She did not allow the law of man to interrupt her understanding of the laws of faith. Antigone has great faults, but given her age (pre-menstrual), she demonstrates great strength and wisdom. And, if I were her, I would have done the same thing.

6. Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman - This is one of my more recent loves. It is one of the best autobios out there; it is funny, and it talks about Mick Jagger (see list of favorite bands). I like her writing style. Okay, so you are right. I slacked off here. Gilman is a hilarious writer; she is the daughter of former hippies and tells all sorts of tales of her youth, teenage years, and early adulthood. I don't know why I liked it so much, but mostly, I think, because it wasn't too serious. It made me laugh.

7. America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins -
This is a great historical study of American Women, but the writing style is active and engaging. Too many history books feel like school; this one feels like Cosmo. She tells familiar stories in captivating ways. I love her treatment of the Salem Craze...she doesn't doey it up; she relies on fact to illustrate that the whole witch craze was the result of a neighbor dispute. The research is amazing and detailed. I think the writing style is fresh and inviting. The book is a bit prolific, but it well worth the read. I am going to be adding this to my Women's Studies reading list.

8. A Separate Peace by John Knowles - Even though this book is typically taught at the high school level, I think it is brilliant. The coming of age story characterizes so many things, but, specifically, it pinpoints the frustration of youth. The setting and tone are beautiful and haunting. I like the concept of boarding schools; they are somewhat magical and a little bit creepy. I could never send my kids off like that... I like this book, and I like Dead Poets Society, because they detail a world I know nothing about. There are some good essays from Knowles about his own work, as well.

9. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - This is a brilliant coming of age story. I love the setting, and the characters are full and colorful. The issues are current, engaging, and emotional. I like this book because it speaks to the heart of all women, but it is also a good read. There is a good plot, and the use of the bees is pretty interesting. I don't get into much modern fiction, but this story captures a part of every woman's soul.

10. The Quilters by Barbara Damashek and Molly Newman - This play is my absolute favorite. It is an incredible tapestry of the lives of the women who settled the west. It solves the problem of the American Eve, a concept not really discussed in RWB Lewis's The American Adam. In settling the west, women were given a chance to shed the Eve complex, and this musical illustrates this point extremely well. It is funny (Sunbonnet Sue) and sad (shadow blocks). The quilts are glorious.

The Average Curmudgeon

2006-07-22T00:35:00.000-04:00

Today was a day to catch up on some reading. If you are in need of a great book, check out The Average American by Kevin O'Keefe. It is a great read.

Dean Dad has another great post over on Confessions of a Community College Dean, as well. It is all about the Crumudgeons in Higher Education. The article references an IHE article about the mean spirited nature of senior colleagues toward junior faculty. Apparently, younger (bright, talented, motivated, and, evidently, female) colleagues are stressed out to the point of therapy and Xanax because the Crumudgeons make life miserable.

Sadly, I know a lot of these young faculty members (and am one myself), and we all feel the weight of the Crumudgeons. One of my former Penn State colleagues was near breakdown because of the stress; she was never "as good" as her male counterparts, and she "needed improvement" where her male colleagues were lacking, as well. I don't mean to get all genderized here, but, sadly, the gender divide still exists for many bright young females. And, surprise, surprise, it isn't always the MALES grinding them down. As my Good Buddy over at Motherhood Uncensored has indicated in her recent post, it is WOMEN who (often) play the cat games. GB had to endure the wrath of an insecure wife, but we can all relate. Even Robin, the Goddess of radio, notes that women are brutal to other women.

But, I also know a few men that feel the weight of competition. These are brilliant guys, and it totally sucks that they have to play down their intellects. One, in particular, doesn't apologize for his brilliance, but he certainly feels the weight of it.

I can buy that there is an Average American. I knew, just by virtue of the title, that I wouldn't qualify. But, there are a lot of folks that do, and that is cool. But, the best and the brightest (Americans and non-Americans, of course) are supposed to teach the future leaders of this world. So, why do we beat each other down? Why do we cut people off at the knees to make ourselves look better? Why do we compete and not work together for progress?

I can only say that MIT really screwed up by not hiring Alla Karpova. In fact, they ought to take Susumu Tonegawa's Nobel laureate away just on the basis of being an absolute crumudgeon. I wish Alla all the very best in her career, and hope that she kicks some serious neuroscientific butt.

Accessible Education Tools

2006-07-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

My students don't have a boat load o' cash. Most of them work FT, go to school FT, and have families. The cost of education is completely expensive, and so I am working to try to get them what they need for free. Here are some links to wonderful resources:

Free Load Press: This group publishes free textbooks. Thanks to Stingy Scholar for the link :-)

Read Print: This site houses free texts of real texts (good stuff, like The Inferno and The Invisible Man). Many thanks to Marc Bonanni for the link!

You Tube: YouTube hosts videos (under ten minutes). Ideal for vodcasters. Thanks to Jean-Claude Bradley for the link. Here is an example of its use in Chemistry.

Learn Out Loud: Cool Stuff for the iPod. Thanks to Stingy Scholar for the link.

QoolSqool: Free educational materials (lectures and whatnot...good stuff). Again, many thanks to Stingy Scholar (brilliant chap) for the link.

Google Video: A great place to host longer movies; however, it can take a few days to post up. Thanks to Jean-Claude for the link.

Of course, Jean-Claude got me all connected to wikispaces, feedburner, blogger, and sitemeter.

Cookie Cutter Academics

2006-07-18T17:37:00.000-04:00

The poetry workshop was lovely, and many kudos go out to the amazing Gina Conti for putting it together. These were brilliant and talented women, and I am infintely jealous of their talent. Lovely Gina thinks I should write poetry, but the lovely Gina doesn't realize how painful a process writing is ANYWAY...I can't imagine going through the trouble of deciding line breaks and meter (ugh...nightmares of Introduction to Poetry...Iambic Pentameter...oh, puhleeeeze). When I write prose (polished prose....not this kind of blogging thing), I dive in completely, and writing is very intense and personal. So, no, Lovely Gina, I will probably not write poetry, but I loved listening to y'all read it and work through it.

Anyway.

I finally got to listen to Howard in real time. Most of the time was spent with Artie complaining about 5000 dollars. That was annoying.

But, before that, he interviewed M. Knight Shyamalan. Knight, among other things, wrote The Sixth Sense and The Village...these are two of my favorite movies ever. The Village was brilliant. I guess Knight got some heat from Disney because his new movie (Lady in the Water) is wierd (um, and those others were like 101 Dalmations?). So, he took his talent elsewhere. Good for him. He is really brilliant, and his work is wonderful. I can't wait to see this movie, and you should see it, too.

Anyway, the point is that Knight and Howard talked about taking risks, and Knight has had to hold back because of the idiots at Dinsey. And, of course, Howard is the King of Risk Taking. Taking risks in higher education is entirely interesting to me, and so I was interested in that conversation.

In higher education, a lot of people are afraid of taking risks (well, before tenure, that is). I am not tenured, but I fully believe in taking risks in higher education, and I believe that risk takers should be humble about it (not prancing around proclaiming their worth for all the world to see).

But, I think it is fair to distiguish between "risk" and "stupidity." A risk in higher ed is doing something different within the boundaries of the course outline. It isn't worth it to work outside the course outline; it is unprofessional. So, doing something "out there" is only cool if students learn what they are supposed to learn. For example, it is very cool to connect students to the community, but if there is no writing assignment involved...well then....it doesn't necessarily belong in English.

So, rule number one....always follow the course outline. But, how do you get there? Take some risks; stand on the box. Do like Whitman and "barbarically yawp" until your students can't help but pay attention.

The second rule is...always think it through to the end and have some back up plans. Some critics think that my teaching is off the cuff. What they don't realize is that I have a stash of activities to pull out at any moment. My lesson plans (yes, I write them...and, no, I don't have a degree in education) are pretty structured, but I have all kinds of stuff to pull out here and there. To me, teaching is a lot like theater...I spend most of my time entertaining students and tricking them into learning something cool about literature. Anyway...I keep the show moving, and no, it isn't off the cuff. I am glad it appears that way, though, because that is totally what I want the students to think.

The third rule is...don't allow failure to stop creativity. Not everything I do works out, but I always learn from what I do, and I use mistakes as teaching moments. Some of my best work has evolved from a huge blunder. In the end, it is all good.

The fourth rule is "no nolite bastardos compendrum." Just don't let them. Once you give them power to make you feel guilty or bad about your teaching, they have won. Don't allow them to think they have the right. Don't allow them to get that kind of hold on you.

See, this is precisely why I like the concept of Stern. I think some of his stuff is crap, but some of my stuff is crap, and students will be the first to tell you. I like that he took risks and didn't let anyone grind him down. His statement to Knight was "I would rather you take risks...than be a cookie cutter." AMEN. If more academics would take worthwhile risks (see point number one), we could have less cookie cutting going on in the academy.

Your Mother Writes Poetry

2006-07-17T17:14:00.000-04:00

So, I am getting ready to go to the local Barnes and Noble for Women's Poetry Night (started up by good friend and colleague, the lovely Gina Conti). If you live in the Lehigh Valley, grab some poems and make some copies, buy your latte, and have a seat.

I don't actually write poetry, and I don't read much of it, either. But, I am interested in people who write about motherhood in any format. So, I am going for the coffee (I am definitely a coffee hick; I hate anything but regular) and the friendship. I would really like to help Gina get this ball rolling, and, I like listening to stories. My favorites, of course, deal with my three favorite archetypes: The Virgin, The Temptress, and The Mother. Let's hope there are some archetypal patterns going on :-)

In my journeys through the blogosphere, I have tiptoed past some really awesome motherhood blogs. My absolute favorite is Motherhood Uncensored.

She has a great blog, but be prepared. It is, as the title suggests, uncensored. This has, evidently, caused her some heat. Here is the trick to blogs...just go on to the next one. Her ideas are fresh and funny, and she also speaks to the heart of other professional/academic mothers struggling with identity, family management, and personal safety (mental, physical, whatever).

Kudos go out to her and her blog; please go now to read it.

A Level Playing Field

2006-07-16T19:22:00.000-04:00

So, I know that I used to talk about other interesting things, but these two items were particularly interesting to me as I listened to Howard Stern's rebroadcast this morning. I have no Idea when these shows were originally played, but there are three points I want to talk about.

My mother, the Queen of Republicans, listened to Rush Limbaugh, Bob Grant, G Gordon Liddy, and C-Span all at the same time. Believe me, she can't afford to pay for the necessary therapy. As such, I swore never to listen to talk radio again. I hate talk radio. I hate radio broadcast sports (well, and most real ones, too). I bought Sirius because of friends who told me I needed to listen to the Stern show, and, well, I support free speech. I would have voted for him back in the day if A) I were old enough and B) I lived in Jersey. But, I do remember my friends and I taking a road trip to the Rest Plaza he negotiated for himself from former governor Christine Todd Whitman. The sign was stolen, but we were there. So much for my brushes with fame (did I mention that I went to college with the Steve of Blues Clues fame? Very nice guy; awesome stage actor. Incredibly talented guitarist. Not at all like Mr. Rogers.)

I digress.

So, I bought this Sirius with the sole interest in listening to talk radio..that which I had sworn off as a child haunted by the voices of Rush, Bob, Gordon, and Lynn Samuels. Oh, and C-Span. I still need Xanax when the word is mentioned...

And, of course, Stern is on vacation.

So, the first few shows I listened to only talked about strippers and porn stars, and I thought, sheesh, my friends must not think a whole lot of my intellect, or they are telling me to make a career change (um, I doubt that, lol). I was ready to pack it in and switch over to just Hair Nation and the Rolling Stones channel...and then it got better.

Howard talked about calling Bob Grant on the day Bob broadcasted his last show. He said that he wanted to pay homage to this guy's incredible radio career. And, really, I thought that was insanely touching. Stern is this incredible "shock jock" or whatever they call him these days, but, in addition to all that, or under all that, he is really passionate about the art of radio. That he would take his time out from interviewing porn stars getting off on the wiggly chair (or stratocaster or whatever it is), and pay homage to Bob Grant is entirely cool. That he would take the time to wish the man well was amazing. His genuine respect was clear as he talked about it, and, if I remember correctly, Grant was pretty right wing (he must have been; the only "liberal" we listened to was Samuels). There was just something about that 1 minute story that made me think twice about my BuzzSaw/Hair Nation exodus. Stern gained back all my votes.

So, I listened to more shows, and sorted through the crap I didn't like, because the stuff I did like was fascinating. He talked about how the FCC (Clear Channel, really) was out to standardize or regulate satellite...something about "leveling the playing field." Really, they are just irritated that Stern can have a show that they can't control. They are irritated that Stern can do whatever he wants, and they can't touch him because we are paying to listen to him. Mostly, though, they are ticked because they have lost a boat load of money. What will the FCC do without all of Howard's fine money? Maybe they could have a bake sale or something. What does one do with such incredible freedom? I don't know. I probably wouldn't use it to host people pooping and barfing on each other, but, who knows? Maybe that is just a ploy to really irritate the nay sayers. If so, all the best...but I will listen to Hair Nation until the good stuff comes on.

The other thing he talked about was a congressional committee formed to discuss decency. Oh, Lordie, please don't let our government determine decency. Half of them do drugs, have "special friends," and take bribes. Okay, so I don't know that they do that, but I am guessing. I am a decent woman. I wear clothing that covers my body; I am nice to old people, stray pets, and children. I don't have piercings (well, other than my ears) or tattoos. I don't smoke dope, shoot up, or own a gun. I donate 10%of my salary (before taxes) to my church, and another 10% to social, religious, and political groups that I support. I volunteer in the community, I stop at stop signs, and I obey all the laws. I don't need someone stepping in and saying, "Oh my...those are decent things, but, really, we need to control your thoughts...we can't just have you spouting off about this or that." Um...hmm...has anyone read Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut? Really. Before you know it, we will all be wearing those hearing devices and sand bags...Kurt V was right on the mark. I really think that if they have a committee to curb free speech, they should invite someone like Stern to sit on it.

To level the playing field, so to speak, they should require that students have equal access to quality education. They should require that students can't graduate HS if they are functionally illiterate. I am not supporting NCLB because I don't know much about it, but SOMETHING has to be done to get these kids up to par. It isn't just the fault of teachers. There is something sadly wrong in a society when a parent will stick up for a child that bullies others because of his ADD, but won't spend the time to read with him.

I think I like Howard because he started at the bottom and worked his way up to the absolute top. He took a lot of risks in his industry, and he didn't care that sand got kicked in his face. He just kept at it.

I feel a little bit like him in my industry. I am willing to take risks (and, I don't shut up), and I am willing to keep trying new things to help students learn. I have a few friends (at other universities) like that, too. They take risks, get a lot of heat, and keep working toward their goals. Like Stern, we all believe that taking risks is worthwhile. We see the need; we know the benefits.

Stern levels the playing field by catering to his diverse audience; some want the farting Olympics. While I will just turn it off and go listen to a few rousing songs by Metallica, I know that, when I come back, he will be talking about something interesting, new, and revolutionary.

The guy is brilliant. We could use some more professors like him.

The "Old Fart Two-Step"

2006-07-15T23:47:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to post about this terrific blog post by Dean Dad over at Confessions of a Community College Dean.

You should really leave this blog, right this second, and go read that post. I laughed so hard I had to walk away from my computer. The funniest part, of course, is the reference to the "old fart two-step." This has now become part of my daily vocabulary. See? Even administrators have a sense of humor.

I am, indeed, a victim of the "old fart two-step." I think most professors in their 20s and 30s are victims of the OFTS approach to higher education. The sad part is that the OFs think they are being PROGRESSIVE by being such pains in the tookas (tookasi?).

I have met some wonderful people at conferences over the years, and we still keep in touch. We swap war stories and vow to never be like the OFTSers of the world. We have made oaths; we have pinky sworn. We are committed.

Where does it happen? WHEN? Is there a mid-life collegiate crisis? Is it situational? Is there medication?

I have had a mix of good and bad administrators. In my first college job, I had a really good data administrator. Since I knew no better, I thought this was how every college operated, and I never questioned it. I didn't argue about reporting. I just did my job, and I loved it, and I loved the people. There were some higher persons that were a little bit, well, hmmm, cranky. They had some bitter and jaded thing going on (preceeding my employment), and I would watch (all doey eyed) as the faculty took on intellectual ice hockey (low shots and all) with the administration.

Penn State, of course, is a huge place, so I didn't even know a tenth of the administrators. Some were good; some really sucked. I relearned something, though, there that I had learned when I interned with Congress and then with the Senate....powerful women do not like other powerful women. I actually heard Robin-the-sidekick-to-Howard talk about the same thing the other day (on a rebroadcast). She was talking about how successful women hate other successful women, and beautiful women hate other beautiful women. Honest to Pete, she is right. I learned the first two concepts as a congressional and senatorial intern....you could just see the back stabbing and nail digging (intellectually, not in reality). The competition was brutal (seeing as I am not at all competitive, you can see why politics wasn't the right choice for me). I once witnessed an intern in the DC office steal a stapler and blame it on another intern. Can you believe it??? A STAPLER!!! I was shell shocked by that whole ordeal. But, it didn't really turn on me because I was just a proclamation writer...I had no power...I had no real voice. I organized the scrapbook for the love of Pete. Seeing as I was no threat to anyone within a 5 million mile radius, I was off the hook. And, further, never having been part of the beautiful crowd, I didn't have to worry on that end, either. So, really, none of the women-hating-women impacted me....until I got to Penn State.

I study women. While this has always caused great confusion about my sexuality, it is just something that has always interested me...starting with Helen Keller, moving on to Laura Ingalls, and working my way to blogging mothers. I would study men, but, really, even after having a boat load of brothers, a gaggle of boyfriends, a spouse, and two sons, I don't know much about them. Seeing as I am a women, it makes a heckuva lot more sense for me to study them.

Anyway.

In reading diaries, I have found that women have always been like this toward other women. But, never having been the victim of it, I was surpised when it hit me at Penn State. I am just a happy-go-lucky chic; I don't get all caught up in stress, and I sort of just mellow it out. I tend to play down what I have got going on for me, just so that others won't feel bad. I didn't get the hand out for beauty, but I got double doses of humor, brains, and creativity. People will put up with a lot from you if you are brainy, creative, funny, and MOTIVATED. I am always motivated. I have high energy. I am insanely productive. I am an overachiever...probably to a fault. But, I am not competitive, and I am not out to be a shining star.

This, evidently, doesn't sit well with people who want to be shining stars. They start doing the Old Fart Two-Step...even if they aren't Old. They see it as a threat; they start complaining. And, they run around trying to find the leash that will rein me in. But, it is all very simple to me. Students are the bottom line. Always. If they will learn better because I hold class in the quad, well then, I hope it never rains. Not every colleague gets that concept. They just don't accept the ideology and philosphy that someone might do something without wanting the gold star. Not all adminstrators get it, either, and the ones who do are generally cool and less brazen than the ones who don't.

In my current situation, I have been fortunate to have some very good administrators (and, no, none of them read this blog). We celebrate innovation at our college (so long as it doesn't cost anything), and creativity is welcomed and not squashed. But, as I have learned, administrations change pretty frequently, and the faculy does not, so it is good to be wise.

In any case, I don't ever know how to deal with the Old Fart Two-Steppers of this world. Generally, I ignore them (which they hate), but I don't have any other plan. I celebrate their years of service, commitment, and wisdom. I will move out of the way do they can two-step it up all they want, but, then, I am going to head over to the Mosh pit where all the real work (the work that improves student learning) happens.

Free Speech and Other Tales

2006-07-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

We spent the day at the lake today. It was hot, but absolutely incredible. Spending the day there, sitting on the beach, watching the kids whap each other with giant noodles was just relaxing and fun. We spent a good portion of our time looking for DD's police car matchbox. This was a good lesson on why we don't take matchbox cars into the lake. But, if you are ever at the lake, and come across DD's police car, please make sure to drop it in the shed.

In any case, I had ample time to plant myself in my beach chair (well, before the police car incident). I was thinking about free speech, and how that concept changes with geography.

At the lake, no one cares what anyone says. There is complete free speech. There is also a lot of mud, sand, and spiders. But, in that remote place, everyone speaks freely, laughs freely, and, really, even if someone is spouting off about something stupid, it is all good. These same principles do not apply in any other realm of my life.

I recently got all caught up with satellite radio, and have been listening to Howard Stern replays (he is on vacation...that figures...). Some of it is stupid, but, I like the idea that he and his staff can speak freely - even if -especially if - it is stupid. Who else can do that??

But, that isn't the only show I listen to; in fact, my favorite show is Hair Nation (sad, sad, sad...but true). But, even there, I am able to listen to UNEDITED songs I have NEVER heard before! The live cuts are amazing.

Anyway, I digress.

I was thinking about censorship, and how professors censor themselves all of the time. Wouldn't it be great to look at that obnoxious student and say what you really think? Well, maybe not. Good taste is always appropriate, but, my gosh, wouldn't it be nice just one time???

Student Leadership

2006-07-12T22:54:00.000-04:00

Today I had the honor of presenting at our campus Judicial Board training for students. I was blown away by the number of students interested in serving in this capacity. In the wee introductions, most of them identified interest in serving in a leadership capacity.

On my way home, I thought about developmental English and why our learning community has such low enrollment. It is because students think it is a "loser" block; they don't want to repeat high school (although, clearly, they need to revisit basic skills).

I believe the whole problem is packaging. Why don't kids like the SPARK (developmental program)? Well, because it sounds like something remedial. If we package it as a loser collective, well then, it IS a loser collective. If we call it "leadership training," students might be more willing to sign up. Perhaps that is unethical (false advertising), but is it? Really, we are trying to teach them to be leaders in an arena they haven't been able to demonstrate leadership. Is that so bad?

Jubilee

2006-07-12T00:58:00.000-04:00

I was thinking tonight about the Old Testament concept of Jubilee. About every 50 years, there would be a time when everyone was forgiven their debts. Land was returned if it had been offered up for debt; all debts were paid...no questions. Whatta concept.

Now, I am not really sure how it all worked. But, I can't even imagine Chase Manhattan or Citibank letting people walk away from debt.

And, I wonder, did a bunch of people rake in debts right before the 50th year? Did people take advantage of the system, and, so now, it no longer exists?

I don't know how it worked. But, I like the spirit of the concept. People hold way too many grudges, and just need to forgive and move on. It would be better if that happened every 50 seconds.

Then I was thinking about my friends in KY and their struggles to support St. Laurence House in Sierra Leone. I think about how much people love diamonds, and how they go into great debt to buy them. Believe me, after seeing these pictures, you will know that the folks IN Sierra Leone aren't getting any of the loot from the diamond trade. Not being a fancy girl, I never really got excited about jewelry or anything, but even I fall prey to the Tiffany line. I like Neiman Marcus. I have a Gucci purse and Prada sunglasses and a Jack Spade bag. Somebody, somewhere, earned two cents an hour for all of that work, and I just poke along as if nothing was wrong with that. While I may not be a diamond girl, I certainly have tastes that make someone miserable somewhere. And, I thought I was beyond all that. Even though I didn't go into debt for these things, I owe some poor people a whole lot of apologies.

Well then I started thinking some more...

So, if all debts were cancelled, then all debts for diamond rings would be cancelled, and that would mean that the babies who had their hands slaughtered off to prevent future voting would have had that done for nothing....

Hmmm...I don't know how I feel about THAT.

The Neediest in the World

2006-07-11T00:07:00.000-04:00

So, I spent all morning on the phone with Linksys (don't buy their routers; they are junk) and Earthlink (same deal...go somewhere else). I couldn't get any of my computers to recognize the router, and this one said it was the other one's fault, and I was engulfed in a flurry of aggravation.

Then I got an email from Vicki Hicks.

You see, in other parts of this world, people struggle to feed their children on a daily basis. In Sierra Leone, many people have had theur hands chopped off by rebels (to prevent voting). Vicki witnessed a child die because another humanitarian agency wouldn't give a baby an aspirin (we certainly can't go handing them out, ya know, then EVERYONE would want aspirin). Vicki is desperate to help these poor people, and their work at St. Laurence House in Freetown, Sierra Leone, relies exclusively on donations. Money is tight for everyone, and the funds have dried up here, and, consequently, they have dried up there. People can't feed their children; babies can't get medicine. People are dying.

Suddenly, I didn't care so much about my anger toward Linksys and Earthlink.

It's funny how things work.

I met Jean-Claude Bradley at a WebCT conference in the Spring semester. His work in open sourcing scientific experimentation in his UsefulChem Project seemed pretty revolutionary to me. The current target in his lab is malaria, and I have only met one person who suffered from it, Fr. Seraphim. A million years ago, in my pre-children days, I was a co-director of our denominational camp, and Fr. Seraphim and Vicki (now his wife - don't worry, Anglicans marry) sent Vicki's daughter, Melody, from KY to PA for camp. Since she couldn't just lolligag around PA, I would get her at the airport and try to entertain her (she is way cooler than I ever was), and, as a result, I had the opportunity to learn about malaria and Sierra Leone.

But, then I had babies, and I left the denomination for which I had invested 10 summers. I didn't think I would ever have the chance to work with these great people again, and that made me entirely sad. But, when I started working with Jean-Claude, I thought about what I needed my students to do in English 105 to learn to basic concepts of research and dissemination. I generally try to find good speakers, and, if they are going to learn anything about living in a developing nation or malaria, I know they need to meet Fr. Seraphim.

I searched the web forever to find his email (which is so easy, duh). And, well, the rest is history. My students will now be connected to needy people in Sierra Leone, and they will be able to learn about malaria and other diseases, economic and political craziness, and root-level poverty. They will learn, by working with Jean-Claude, that scientific solutions take a long time, but not because they HAVE to... We spend more money creating drugs like Viagra and Nasonex than on curing and treating malaria and AIDS.

So, what has technology done for us? Well, it has connected lost friends, it has generated new friendships, it has partnered up disparate disciplines for the purposes of research and global awareness, it has connected people across the globe, and it has made me more aware of the work of Christ in this world.

Everyone can make a difference by giving more, loving more, sharing more, and complaining less. When I see the living conditions of James, his family, and the people of Sierra Leone, my heart breaks. I want to do all I can to help them.

Vicki needs to raise money to send to James so that he can provide food and medicine in Freetown. If you have the ability, please donate to them. If you don't, and you are the praying type, please pray for them daily. If you can't do either of those things, please try to raise awareness by sending students to the wiki I created for them today. Help them fight to make a difference in this world.

The F Bomb

2006-07-10T02:59:00.000-04:00

I have been having a great discussion with some folks over at the Community College English blog. In particular, I have been having a great chat about service learning, audience, and grading with Richard on his blog.

I realized (today) that I am celebrating my 10th year of teaching in higher education. After feeling a bit sad about being 10 years older, I started to think about how my teaching has changed in that time. My first teaching assignment (in graduate school) was at the county prison. I recommend teaching at a prison if you are like I was at 22...wishy washy and a bit doey-eyed. I learned quickly to set standards, keep my word, and focus on results. Fortunately, I have never needed to call the drug dogs in for a shake down in college English. But, it gave me a great foundation for college teaching.

In my first position, I was a tutorial coordinator in the Learning Center at the community college I had once attended. It was a really great position, and my staff of 50 tutors was awesome. I had a really great administrator (Dr. Jim Benner); he was progressive, but, as most administrators were/are, very detail oriented. He taught me, by virtue of Middle States reporting, how to produce careful and statistical data about my work. I had learned none of that when researching archetypal patterns in women's literature. We had a wonderful staff in the learning center at that time. Chris Wetzel, the math goddess, was progressive in her use of manipulatives, and Christian Tatu, the writing master, was progressive in his use of humor and detail to teach the basics of English. It was an honor to work with these people, and all of us have moved on to teaching positions (and, rightfully, Dr. Benner became a Dean). I struggled with the opportunity to leave NCC (a union job) for a teaching and directorship position at the local branch of Penn State (a non-union job). But, I realized (even as such a young person) that teaching at Penn State was an opportunity of a lifetime (seeing as I didn't have a Phd). I knew that it would only be a three year gig, and I had to decide, in a moment, whether I wanted to retire from NCC as a tutorial coordinator or move on and hope for best.

At Penn State, I worked with some of the greatest people I have ever met. In English, Mary Hutchinson was doing incredible stuff with service learning. Barbara Cantalupo was doing incredible work with women in prisons. Before I left, I had great relationships with Scott Warnock (now at Drexel), Julie Ealy (chemistry), and Melissa-of-professional-writing-fame (who has since married and has an unknown last name). The librarians were awesome, and I still think about our "Granny's Bloomers" presentation for women's history month. I have great memories of the students, and, most specifically, the group I took to Georgia to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. It was an incredible period of growth for me (as a person and a professional). It was also a transformational period, as I had married and had two children in the space for 3 years.

But, I also met (sadly) some of the most back-stabbing, competitive, gossipy, and unethical people I have ever met in my life. My idealism about the nature of educators was quickly squashed as I learned that some people will do anything to get ahead. Of course, I can't name them here or anywhere, but, if anything, they wiped the doeyness from my eyes. I learned that my energy and passion are not always welcome in the academic world; I learned that some people aren't willing to give up the limelight. They won't support the success of colleagues (me or anyone), and are bitter about whatever struggles they faced. I try not to focus on those people, and, instead, remember all that I learned about teaching, students, and ethics.

I had planned to continue teaching PT at Penn State after my 3-year contract ended. My second son had an in-utero stroke, and I did not think I would be able to work FT. However, I needed the benefits, and a colleague mentioned the opening at LCCC. I understand that there were over 120 applicants for this position, and the final call was very close. I tried to represent myself honestly in all five of my interviews. My teaching demonstration was a true replica of my teaching style, and I believe I presented myself accurately. I have no doubt that some of the folks on that committee (10 total) did not wish to see me hired; my teaching style is not conventional, and I am not conventional. Perhaps they wished for someone more in tune to traditional forms of teaching, but, really, I can't worry about that now. I really can't change passion, and I really don't want to change passion. However, my critics have made me a better teacher because I hold myself accountable for what I teach and how I teach it. At the prison I learned that I couldn't make everyone happy, and that true engagement and determination resides in an understanding of self-worth and esteem. I simply won't apologize for being different. This has helped me face my new critics because I simply do not accept their definition of what I should be in a classroom. At NCC, I learned to take careful notes and prepare cohesive documentation. This has helped me ward off critics, too. I can present any or all of my materials in a moment's notice and supply the statistical supporting data. At Penn State, I learned that not everyone in the academic world likes people like me (or me, for that matter) and that life goes on. I can't fight to win the hearts of people who have already decided to hate me, dislike me, or devalue me. I would rather spend my energy on student learning.

I have learned that being progressive means taking risks. One of my favorite administrators once told me that "if you are going to kick sand around, you had better be prepared to get sand in your eyes." This statement is true and keeps me going (oh, and a little Latin phrase...no nolite bastardos compendrum). In my other blog discussions, we are discussing assignments and grading. I don't know how I feel about grading, as it seems a little antiquated. But, I have an open mind, and I will listen to all of the arguments. If I have learned anything in ten years, it is that I don't know most of the answers to anything. But, if I pay attention closely, I can learn a lot more than I expected.

Lard, Trains, and the FCC

2006-07-08T22:14:00.000-04:00

Today, my family spent the day in Lancaster County, PA. It is the home of all-things-made-o-lard, and, by gosh, that is just a wonderful thing. On our way there, we perused a yard sale at a mansion I have wanted to buy since I was a child (about a block from where I live now...which is, sadly, not a mansion). In any case, we bought the most beautiful antique dining room table, complete with 6 caned chairs...beautiful...really, really beautiful. Now, hopefully, my kids won't kill the chairs or the table.

I digress (as usual).

On the way to Lancaster, I forced my significant other to listen to Howard Stern. He makes me listen to baseball and NASCAR, so, fair is fair. Anyway, it was a re-broadcast of his show from when he won the rights to use his own stuff from that OTHER station he used to work for...

I have to admit, I don't really enjoy most of the current stuff on Howard's show. It just isn't my thing. BUT, I loved listening to this broadcast because it spoke to what I believe about the FCC and censorship. I really can't repeat the EXACT words he had to say about the FCC, but, certainly, I agree with the sentiments. While I may not like everything on the Stern show, I don't think bad taste negates the RIGHT to free speech. Clearly, the people have spoken....people are buying up Sirius and XM because they are tired of being told what they can and can't listen to in the car (when, really, you can see just about anything on TV). I enjoyed this show, and it reminded me of why I like Howard Stern...he isn't afraid of the big bad FCC. He does his thing (bad taste and all), and he cares about his fans and the people who helped him make it big in radio. I don't know that I can stomach an entire show on bodily functions (the trend, it seems, at the moment), but, at the core of all that garbage, is a philosophy that I share. Free speech isn't just free for those with whom we agree; it is a promise to all.

So, there we were...riding through the Amish country side...our brand new high gadget van in the parking lot...complete with GPS, Sirius, power locks, and 6 cup holders. On our left...an Amish farm...no electricity...no phone...no Sirius...no cup holders in the family buggy. On our right, miles and miles of corn, tobacco, and other earthy looking stuff. It was beautiful; the simplicity was incredible. I thought to myself (briefly) that I wouldn't mind being Amish...and then I remembered that I can't cook, and I hate doing laundry...oh, and I like my laptop, love my GPS, and adore my new Sirius.

A Wiki Wonderland & The Blogosphere in the Academic World

2006-07-07T18:48:00.000-04:00

Back in the olden days of January, I knew what blogs and wikis were, but I didn't use them. I didn't think they held a whole lot of academic merit. In March, I met Jean-Claude Bradley at Drexel. His work with wikis and blogs in chemistry and his use of podcasting, vodcasting, and screencasting was transformational.

So, now that I have bought in to this whole movement, I am blown away by how much I simply don't know. I knew about MIT's Open Courseware model, but I wasn't sure that I could duplicate that at a community college. Jean-Claude's use of social platforms like Wikispaces makes it possible to completely open source courses (with live links to existing texts) without a lot of downloads and, essentially, for free.

But, like he says, it takes time to convert everything. So far, I have women's literature mostly open sourced. I am also working on British literature 2 right as we speak. For the fall, I have my honors English I and developmental English going up. I hope to have all my courses up by May 2007.

What does this mean for the academic community?

One of my colleagues (well, several, I am sure) believes that I am working myself out of a job. I don't agree. If anything, I believe wikis and blogs attract students. Further, I believe that the student-teacher interaction is still paramount to education. I am better live than on audio, for example.

Another colleague (and good friend) believes that we need to "go back to books." Well, I am sure there are people who believe the abacus is better than the calculator, too.

A friend (not a teacher) thinks that technology will make us lazy...Um, no. Technology helps us to be more efficient.

The Wiki Wonderland is so much easier than WebCT, and it benefits a lot more people. The Blogosphere is here, and it is a great way to connect ideas, people, and movements. Personally, I would rather lace my fingers through the pages of an old Tennyson collection than read the print out, and I am sure others feel the same way. But, for those folks with no access to rare books, I think the webbed world is a great place to go.

Blogs and Students

2006-07-06T18:43:00.000-04:00

I am listening to a webcast about Web 2.0 offered through the NECC conference. I am listening to "Web 2.0 in Education" with speakers Will Richardson, Tom March, and Tim Wilson.

The discussion raises many interesting points. I want to talk about two of them. First, the speakers discuss the potential risks of using blogging as a teaching tool. They question whether students will resent invasion of this space because blogging (like roller skating in the 80s) is "just" a thing for teens. The second point is one that impacts me daily at the college level. Some professors "don't do technology." As one of the speakers said (it is hard to tell which is which), "those days are long past." Obviously, these three talk about other great stuff, and I recommend listening to the webcast (or download it onto your video pod).

Okay...

Point 1: Will students stop blogging because of invasion of turf?

I don't know. I suspect not. I use blogger because I can provide RSS feed. I tell the students about Xanga, but most of them already know about it (the 18-21 year olds anyway; sometimes the adults know it, too, because they have kids). My students seem to think that Blogger is the one that everyone uses, and Xanga is the one that kids use. I don't have a Xanga account, and I don't want one. I briefly visited my 17 year-old niece's site to see her prom pics, and, well, I'll stick with Blogger. My Space is another one that I wouldn't use. Like these three folks say, we need to teach the different platforms in terms of media literacy. They suggest teaching a media class kinda like Driver's Ed. I support that idea, actually. The web is their world, and we should prepare them, early, to use it correctly. Do I think kids will stop blogging because we ask them to use it as a tool? Well, I have taken my kids to plenty of roller skating parties, and I have been to a lot of concerts, and I have gone to the mall where lots of parents shop...kids will make their space their own - regardless of what we do. The question isn't whether or not they will stop...the question should be, how do we keep them safe? I don't mean drastic measure like DOPA...that is...like all paranoid politics...overboard. Instead, we should teach children to discern good and bad information.

Point Two: Professors need to step up
These guys are talking about K-12 education, mostly, but the point is valid. How do professors get off saying they "just don't do technology.."? Um, hmmmm.....what would we say if a professor said, "Well, I just don't do citations?" or "I just don't do ethical research..."? Technology is the classroom isn't an option...it is THE option. We are charged to prepare students for lives out of institutional care...they need to be effective in the workplace, in graduate school, or in life in general. If we don't prepare them for the life outside our walls....who will? I face this a lot in English. We don't offer Shakespeare at the college level much anymore. Why? It is too hard...the students can't connect...it isn't popular... BALONEY! If a teacher uses the web, finds clips of audio, uses video, whatever, students will appreciate the ART of Shakespeare. The language barrier is only a barrier because we allow our students to use it as an excuse...once we get them in there, invested, interested...they will learn the language...really, it is just a dialect like visiting the south or Canada. We need to be more creative in our approaches...the answer isn't to just stop teaching it!!!

Anyway, this is my daily rant. I am a bit dopic and blind today. So, I am sorry for errors in spelling.

All About Satellite

2006-07-05T17:45:00.000-04:00

So, I took the plunge today and bought a Sirius Starmate Replay. I am in love with my new toy, as I love all new technology toys. Last week, I loved my new Garmin GPS :-)

Anyway....I digress.

We have had a household battle over the concept of satellite for a few months now. We support free radio. I still support free radio.

However, I hate commercials, and I don't agree with censorship (this is what America is all about, right? The right to teach your children values...the right to express yourself freely without fear of political retribution). I like the variety of stations that can be accessed via satellite. I can listen to all the NPR talk radio I want, and, when Dave is driving, he can listen to the Rolling Stones. If I am driving, and he is a passenger, I can listen to Richard Simmons (just to drive him nuts), or, if the kids are in the car, we can listen to shows geared toward children. I love that variety. I also like the variety of news shows and, of course, who doesn't love the weather channel?

So, the debate remains...will satellite kill free radio? I don't think so.

Top Ten Favorite Blogs

2006-07-04T06:59:00.000-04:00

Vicki Davis posted her Top Ten Web Posts early this summer, and I thought I would spin off and write about my top ten favorite blogs.

10. Tenderbutton This is a blog for chemists, and, so, most of the time, I have no idea what Dylan is talking about. But, it makes it to the list because it is funny, and because it discusses issues outside of chemistry (lab coats, peer-review publishing, etc.). I like the style of it, and I enjoy reading the responses. He doesn't seem to mind that an Englishy-chic is lurking off stage.

9. Alan November Weblog I had the opportunity to hear Alan speak, and he is, really, an inspiration to K-16 educators. I like his blog because he asks thought provoking questions, and I enjoy reading the responses.

8. The Imaginary Journal of Poetic Economics Heather Morrison is the queen of Open Access information, and I enjoy reading her thoughts about OA. Her site is well organized and easy to search.

7. Thoughts of an Average Woman I like the style of this blog, and the author raises political awareness about the web. The author is also a survivor of breast cancer, and, based on her writing, is clearly a level headed and strong fighter.

6. The Stingy Scholar The posts are interesting and a lot of fun. The use of video and pictures is awesome, as well.

5. American Popular Music Supplemental My colleague, Richard Metzger, operates this blog, and it is a fantastic collection of information about American music. I love the content and style.

4. OA Librarian This is another of Heather Morrison's sites. It is a gateway to great information.

3. Community College English This is a must-read for community college English professors. Note: I originally posted that it took a break in the summer, but I was wrong; the blog continues through the summer :-) Woo Hoo! It is GREAT resource!!!

A Tie: My number one spot is a tie between two blogs that I love. I use the Drexel CoAs blog daily, so, really, it is the more functional of the two for what I do. From that blog, I can get to Jean-Claude's blogs and wikis for gaming and his UsefulChem Project. The information provided on his collection of blogs and wikis has really helped transform my teaching, and, without him, I wouldn't have known how to subscribe to the Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

1b. Cool Cat Teacher Blog This is, by far, my most favorite K-12 blog. Since I don't teach in a K-12 system, and I am not certified to do so, I often find K-12 information irrelevent. However, Vicki Davis hosts great information and awesome resources for teachers at all levels.

1a. Drexel CoAS E-Learning My whole initiation to the OA world and the uses of technology in the classroom are credited to Jean-Claude Bradley at Drexel. His talk at a WebCT conference inspired me to rethink my use of technology. His mentoring led to a partnership between his chemistry students and my writing students. I like this blog because it connects his many other blogs, and, really, is a gateway to technological freedom. So, for his brilliance, and the impact his work has had on my teaching, he receives my biggest gold star.

LaGuardia's CIS Conference

2006-06-01T11:06:00.000-04:00

OMG! I only found out today about LaGuardia's conference (9:00 AM - 4:30 PM in the Atrium, Little Theater, Skylight Area, Poolside Cafe) on Monday, June 5! It's New Media Technology and it's supposedly closed to the public, but I'm sure they could open a few seats for interested parties! Sorry I can't make it myself!

All About Authorship

2006-05-14T00:08:00.000-04:00

This is a post I added to the LCCCfaculty Blog. It talks about web authorship and the great service provided by whois.com.

Kitch'n it up Notch: Active Learning Strategies for the College Classroom

2006-05-11T15:45:00.000-04:00

Here is the screencast of the workshop given at LCCC on May 5, 2006.

LCCC Faculty: LCCC Wiki

2006-04-28T12:13:00.000-04:00

LCCC Faculty: LCCC Wiki

Getting Results

2006-04-24T10:13:00.000-04:00

Hey Folks,

Friday's workshop at LCCC with Phyllis van Slyck and Will Koolsbergen of La Guardia Community College was the best workshop I've been to in a long time. They really know learning comunities inside and out...and they're really quite the "dynamic duo" of theatrics!

The League for Innovation in the Community College has recently launched "Getting Results," an online professional development course for community college educators. You can find it at http://www.league.org/gettingresults/web/index.html. More information about this course is available at http://www.league.org/publication/connections/2006/connections_0604.cfm#

peace,
Linda K

LCCC Faculty: LCCC Faculty: Welcome!

2006-04-24T10:10:00.000-04:00

LCCC Faculty: LCCC Faculty: Welcome!

Open Source Philosophy

2006-04-22T23:57:00.000-04:00

Here is an article about the open source philosophy. While this article deals with software, we can assume the same ethical principles apply to all subjects.

Lightening Speed

2006-04-22T00:02:00.000-04:00

Today was a really productive day. The TLC hosted an amazing conference on Learning Communities, but I only could stop by to eat half a brownie (but, thanks, Linda...it was a great pick me up). The speakers were incredible, even though I only had the opportunity to chat with them briefly.

I spent the greater part of the day on a one-woman crusade to bring more technology to our campus. We are fortunate in that we have the best technology of any local community college, but there is always room for more :-) Our 3D design program in the arts is one of the best in the East and is compared only to 4 year art schools. Our digital media lab is, likewise, a fantastic program. We now need to get our faculty the tools they need to be current in this digi-universe.

I am star struck by my new friend at Drexel, Jean-Claude Bradley. His work with pod, vod, and screen casting is just incredible, and he is an absolute inspiration. In the three weeks since I met him, I have been able to kick up sand around these here parts, and have had great opportunities to connect with my colleagues.

Two Cool Research Sites

2006-04-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html

Reviewed in 2006jan CHOICE.
[Revisited Oct'05] Repositories of Primary Sources (RPS) is, as the Web site states, "a listing of over 5,000 Web sites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar." The site provides direct links to archival Web sites for major colleges, universities, and research centers, for any subject or discipline, in the US and abroad. There is no ranking or analysis of linked sites--RPS is merely a portal, albeit an important one, to archival and manuscript repositories. Linked sites are searchable geographically by state or region and also alphabetically in a master list. The addition of subject groupings (e.g., religion, politics, and government) would aid searching and increase the site's effectiveness and use. The site's appearance and navigation are simple and direct, without unnecessary ornamentation. RPS is regularly updated and has a link for submitting new or revised entries. The site has had 450,000 visitors since its inception in 1995, suggesting that RPS is a hidden gem; if better known or more easily found, it could become a definitive resource for promoting and expanding the use of primary source materials in many subject areas, for both the casual and scholarly user. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty. -- K. Proffitt, American Jewish Archives This is a copied message from Diane M about 2 cool resource sites. Thanks, Diane!

Other women's voices. Internet Resource http://home.infionline.net/~ddisse/ Reviewed in 2006jan CHOICE.

[Visited Oct'05] A valuable addition to feminist scholarship, this Web site collects full texts and excerpts of works by over 125 women from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East writing from 2200 BCE to 1700. For the student, teacher, and researcher, an overview surveys entries by genre. Outlines present the works in alphabetical or chronological order. The literature ranges from the personal and devotional poetry of Sappho and Bahina Bai to the memoirs of Jeanne d'Albret, the sacred narratives of Lucrezia de'Medici, eyewitness Byzantine history by Anna Comnena, and the fairy tales of the Baronne d'Aulnoy. Entries include biographies, links to transcriptions and portraits, and annotated bibliographies of primary and secondary sources. Some--including drama and hymns by Hildegard of Bingen, chivalric verse by Marie de France, and the love letters of Heloise to Abelard--appear in the original language and in translation. Site navigation is simple and self-explanatory. The commentary is basic but serves well as a prologue to in-depth study. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates, researchers/faculty, and general readers. -- M. E. Snodgrass, independent scholar

Romantic Site

2006-04-06T15:19:00.000-04:00

Thanks, Spons, for the Romantic Lit site :-) The "mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation" searching the internet in vain, lol. Thanks :-)

short sensorial experiences in education

2006-04-06T13:49:00.000-04:00

Check this out...."short sensorial experiences could have stronger results if the concept of an investigation could be presented clearly in three minutes." Just imagine what a learning community could do....
Linda Kvamme

Research Article/ Columbia Journalism Review

2006-04-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Diane M for sending this article; it is an interesting take on research on the internet. Thanks, Diane!

Blogging in Academics

2006-04-05T12:36:00.000-04:00

This is a great screencast about blogging as a teaching tool :-) This is part of the HigherEd BlogCon conference.

Dream Tools

2006-04-05T12:13:00.000-04:00

Jean-Claude linked into this awesome site from Brain_blog. It has a list of some dream tools for e-teaching/e-learning. Good stuff :-)

They have a free version of CamStudio (like Camtasia).

Forensics in the Classroom

2006-04-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

Julianne sent this to me. It sort of follows the principles that we use in our team teaching of the "Crime Scene in the Forest."

At LCCC, Julie and I set up our crime scene and allow all professors to use the materials (text and scene). Since she teaches math, she uses a different approach in using the crime scene; I usually use it as a writing prompt for primary research methods.

The "Crime Scene in the Forest" is adapted from Dr. Beachy Orr, Professor of Microbiology, at Lake Tahoe CC. She has been kind enough to share :-)

Thanks, Jules, for the link :-)

Departmental by Robert Frost

2006-04-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sponsler has this poem on his door. So, I am posting it on my virtual door. THANKS, Spons :-) I truly speaks to the heart of creative educators :-)

Service Learning as Primary Research

2006-04-05T07:11:00.000-04:00

This information was presented as part of the "Kitch it Up a Notch" series and for use in the TLC. I use service learning to teach primary research in the humanities (observation, surveys, interviews).

The Division standard for the final research paper in English 105 is a 5 page persuasive essay using 5 responsible sources. I require a 10 page paper, 10 sources (5 must be from peer reviewed journals). Students have the option of 15 hours of service in the field or 15 hours of taped interviews. Often students combine the two (8 hours of service, 7 hours of interviews). On the last day of class, students host a poster session (following the model for scientific posters); this event is open to the college community.

At the start of the semester, students are asked to identify a community agency that deals with human suffering. It can be non-profit or not-for-profit. The thesis of the paper has to address this question: Does your agency fulfill its mission effectively? This requires students to look at hte larger issue (lack of decent housing) on both national and local levels. Students work with the agency (Habitat for Humanity, for example) and decide, through a combination of primary and secondary sources, whether the agency is effectively fulfilling its mission.

All of the essays in ENG105 deal with the topic the student has selected. Students are encouraged to build up the papers and to combine efforts. For example, the compare/contrast paper asks students to compare their agency to a similar one. The research extracted from this study is almost always useful in the final paper. The building-block approach is designed to illustrate that research is a process, and it is a task that has multiple opportunities for dissemination.

Human Slide

2006-04-05T06:55:00.000-04:00

Several of you asked for the directions for the Human Slide game that I play in English 105. This is part of the series "Kitch it Up a Notch" delivered at adjunct convocation and prepared for use in the TLC.

I learned this game from the Close Up Foundation in Washington, DC. Please feel free to adapt, mold, massage, whatever...it's all good :-)

This activity is best used in situations where there are three answers: agree, disagree, and don't know. I give the students a question (do you agree or disagree with abortion) and ask them to choose a side of the room. If they have no opinion, they go into the middle. Each side has 10 minutes to prepare a compelling argument with the goal of trying to convince people from the middle to come over to their side.

Once they have finished preparing their cases, they have 3-5 minutes to convince the middle. The other side has to stay quiet (this is, sometimes, a challenge). The middle group can ask any questions. After they are finished, the other side has the opportunity to speak (and then the middle asks questions). Anyone can move at any time from the middle to a side (or from one side to the other). I usually allow a free for all at the end and let them argue back and forth, but I try to keep the discussion focused.

I follow this up with a writing assignment (usually as part of our persuasive essay materials). I use this as a way to communicate the complicated ideas of logical fallacy.

Spaghetti Architecture

2006-04-05T06:36:00.000-04:00

So many have asked for the instructions for this activity, so I thought I would post them here. This actiivity is showcased in the series "Kitch it Up a Notch: Active Learning Strategies for the College Classroom" that I put together for Adjunct convocation and for the TLC.

I use this activity in a few different ways (depending on the class). In tech writing, I use this activity to teach the concept of writing technical descriptions. When the students are finished with their designs and documentation, I have them take digital photos. I post both into WebCT and ask other tech writing professors to "judge them." Of course, the winning team (or person) gets some kind of prize (usually a GC to the wretched bookstore).

I use this in developmental writing to teach process writing, and I have used this is in a number of classes to teach team building or leadership skills.

I learned this game as a camp counselor for the Girl Scouts, and I've been using it since then. Please feel free to shape, adapt, mold, or recreate the design.

Supplies (for 24 students class):

1 bag of marshmallows (I have used both sizes, and the bigger ones work better because they are messier; messier is always more fun :-)

1 bag of 8 inch spaghetti (really, you can use whatever size...Angel Hair is problematic, though)

Rulers

Scale

Digital Camera

Instructions: Split the class into teams (or ask them to work alone). Give each group 4 large marshmallows (or 8 small) and 10 pieces of spaghetti. Ask them to build anything they want; however, the structure must be free standing. Set a time limit. If you are going to ask for a writing, you might want to distribute a rubric for grading or instruct them to take copious notes as they build.

Once they are finished building, ask them to debrief (orally or in writing). If it is tech writing, ask them to write their spec sheets. Take photos of the structures (for later use). I go around and test the designs, as well.

Higher Ed BlogCon

2006-04-04T14:48:00.000-04:00

There is an awesome conference going on right now online featuring teaching with technolgy. Follow the link: http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/teaching/

Critical Thinking

2006-04-04T11:48:00.000-04:00

This is another one from Ciel; this is directed at students. I don't know...to me it seems a little dumb to read ABOUT critical thinking when we should place students in the position to DO critical thinking