Hi All,
Just saw this great sign posted on Facebook from our own alum Drew Loewe about how to properly use apostrophes. Might be fun to pass out in class and/or post to your eCollege or course website.
17 November 2009
15 November 2009
The Commodification of Lore
Upon opening my Sunday Dallas Morning News, I discovered a very interesting article about the recent emergence of lesson plans for sale on sites like craigslist.com. Coincidentally enough, the article had been purchased by the DMN from the New York Times, another occurrence of purchased intellectual property. The article addresses several viewpoints in the debate: 1) should we share teaching materials with each other? 2) is it ethical to sell these materials to others? and 3) should the teacher's institution get some of the profits from selling these materials?
Obviously, I'm grateful to be at an institution that graciously shares teaching materials among peers, but at times, I do feel guilty for assimilating somebody else's assignments or exercises into my own lessons. So what do you think? In case you missed the link up top: Selling Lessons Online Raises Cash and Questions
09 November 2009
In Which I Decry the Electronic Age and the Death of the Fountain Pen
During a (relatively) recent conversation with Sarah Jewell about students and communication, I mentioned that a friend had sent me a blog entry intended to provide pointers for effective communication with professors. Sarah said I should post it here, which I thought was a great suggestion. I then of course immediately forgot her excellent suggestion, going blithely about my day/weeks/ahem, month or so . . . until, that is, Kelly mentioned that a few Frog Blog entries might make up an hour of service time. Seeing as how I just happen to have an hour of my time freed up every week due to the season ender of “Mad Men,” I found myself hit with the dire need to blog. For approximately 10 entries.
I don’t specifically discuss Dr. Leddy’s tips during class time, although his entry does offer up quite a bit of excellent opportunity for class discussion (audience, for example, and why it matters to think about this). I have found, though, that when I bring focus to this topic, subsequent emails I receive from students are much easier to read. Having worked as an adjunct simultaneously at two different schools, teaching the same topic, it was darned difficult to know whether I was emailing with a UNT student or a TWU student, especially as so few of them used their school email account. I begged, pleaded, and cajoled my students to include their class number in the email re line (especially so that I could get those darned filters to work that I spent so much time setting up!) but had no luck. No regular luck, really, but some occasional, seriously sporadic luck. Once I brought focus to this particular blog entry, though, the students began to take some heed to what I was asking them to do.
I think what appealed to them the most was that they were getting some sort of secret information. "Here's some tips - from a professor! - about how to successfully email with professors!" I wasn't saying "Do this because I say so," but instead just put the information out there for them to make use of if they chose to do so. Obviously they didn't all do so (see? I still have bald spots where I pulled my hair out), but I got the definite impression that the students who DID do so felt like they had a leg up.
I think my next undertaking might involve another one of his entries...I'll let you know if I enjoy an outbreak of Emily Post Syndrome in either of my classes.
I don’t specifically discuss Dr. Leddy’s tips during class time, although his entry does offer up quite a bit of excellent opportunity for class discussion (audience, for example, and why it matters to think about this). I have found, though, that when I bring focus to this topic, subsequent emails I receive from students are much easier to read. Having worked as an adjunct simultaneously at two different schools, teaching the same topic, it was darned difficult to know whether I was emailing with a UNT student or a TWU student, especially as so few of them used their school email account. I begged, pleaded, and cajoled my students to include their class number in the email re line (especially so that I could get those darned filters to work that I spent so much time setting up!) but had no luck. No regular luck, really, but some occasional, seriously sporadic luck. Once I brought focus to this particular blog entry, though, the students began to take some heed to what I was asking them to do.
I think what appealed to them the most was that they were getting some sort of secret information. "Here's some tips - from a professor! - about how to successfully email with professors!" I wasn't saying "Do this because I say so," but instead just put the information out there for them to make use of if they chose to do so. Obviously they didn't all do so (see? I still have bald spots where I pulled my hair out), but I got the definite impression that the students who DID do so felt like they had a leg up.
I think my next undertaking might involve another one of his entries...I'll let you know if I enjoy an outbreak of Emily Post Syndrome in either of my classes.
06 November 2009
Questions about Professional Development
At yesterday's 20803 Teaching Roundtable, a lot of questions came up about the five professional development hours required for graduate instructors each semester. To refresh your memory about what counts as professional development, refer to your teacher's guide: it's in the appendix. Also don't forget that it is also posted on the wiki.
While the information in the teacher's guide is pretty clear, it is not exhaustive, so if you have any questions, see me or Charlotte. A couple of things came up yesterday that were not on the list. For example, 10 Frog Blog entries would count as one professional development hour. Observing a fellow GI's class and writing him or her an observation letter (this would be in addition to the faculty observation letter required for all GI's) would also count as one professional development hour; however, simply asking another GI to observe your class would not count as a PD hour. One idea - partner up with another GI and trade-off observing each other's classes.
Another important tip: continually write down what you've done throughout the semester. Life gets busy, and you are liable to forget. Some activities that you may have taken part in that count as professional development include serving on the composition committee, co-facilitating Teaching Circle, and leading a session at the pre-semester GI workshop.
While the information in the teacher's guide is pretty clear, it is not exhaustive, so if you have any questions, see me or Charlotte. A couple of things came up yesterday that were not on the list. For example, 10 Frog Blog entries would count as one professional development hour. Observing a fellow GI's class and writing him or her an observation letter (this would be in addition to the faculty observation letter required for all GI's) would also count as one professional development hour; however, simply asking another GI to observe your class would not count as a PD hour. One idea - partner up with another GI and trade-off observing each other's classes.
Another important tip: continually write down what you've done throughout the semester. Life gets busy, and you are liable to forget. Some activities that you may have taken part in that count as professional development include serving on the composition committee, co-facilitating Teaching Circle, and leading a session at the pre-semester GI workshop.
26 October 2009
Friday will be held on Wednesday this week. Got that?
Just a note to let you guys know that I'll be holding the office hours I normally hold on Friday on Wednesday. So, I'll be in my office from 10-12 on Wednesday, Oct. 28, rather than Friday.
14 October 2009
Hi, everyone,
I'm back from the Feminisms and Rhetorics conference, where I gave my paper on Frances Power Cobbe, Harriet Martineau, and Maud Gonne, all women writers commenting on the Irish Question within the Victorian periodical press. Michigan was very lovely, with all the fall colors, and I left even more convinced that I want to get back to the upper-Midwest as soon as possible.
Highlights of the conference were panels on feminism and writing program administration, and visual rhetorics in the Victorian press, two topics very close to my heart. Not a lot of big names this year, but the event featured a lot more diversity.
I highly recommend the Feminisms and Rhetorics conference to anyone interested in women and communication: one needn't be a composition and rhetoric scholar to fit in with this crowd. And it's a very friendly atmosphere, not at all agonistic. I got good advice about the job hunt just by striking up conversations with people at lunch, in the airport shuttle, etc. The next conference will be held in 2011 at Minnesota State University Mankato. (Hopefully, by then, I will be close enough to drive ;)
Oh, and to somewhat make up for my absence last week, I'm holding office hours today. I'll be here until 11, and then back from 1-2.
I'm back from the Feminisms and Rhetorics conference, where I gave my paper on Frances Power Cobbe, Harriet Martineau, and Maud Gonne, all women writers commenting on the Irish Question within the Victorian periodical press. Michigan was very lovely, with all the fall colors, and I left even more convinced that I want to get back to the upper-Midwest as soon as possible.
Highlights of the conference were panels on feminism and writing program administration, and visual rhetorics in the Victorian press, two topics very close to my heart. Not a lot of big names this year, but the event featured a lot more diversity.
I highly recommend the Feminisms and Rhetorics conference to anyone interested in women and communication: one needn't be a composition and rhetoric scholar to fit in with this crowd. And it's a very friendly atmosphere, not at all agonistic. I got good advice about the job hunt just by striking up conversations with people at lunch, in the airport shuttle, etc. The next conference will be held in 2011 at Minnesota State University Mankato. (Hopefully, by then, I will be close enough to drive ;)
Oh, and to somewhat make up for my absence last week, I'm holding office hours today. I'll be here until 11, and then back from 1-2.
05 October 2009
Hey everyone,
Just a reminder that I'll be out of the office starting Wednesday and for the rest of the week due to the Fems and Rhets conference in Michigan. I'm looking forward to some authentic fall weather, not this 80-degree faux autumn business we get down here. I hope I don't get snowed in though; in Michigan, that could definitely happen.
Have a great fall break!
Just a reminder that I'll be out of the office starting Wednesday and for the rest of the week due to the Fems and Rhets conference in Michigan. I'm looking forward to some authentic fall weather, not this 80-degree faux autumn business we get down here. I hope I don't get snowed in though; in Michigan, that could definitely happen.
Have a great fall break!
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