Monthly Archives: July 2011

Faculty Blogging @ PSU

I’m a big fan of Chris Long’s work in the College of Liberal Arts, both in his passion for undergraduate education and his willingness to try new approaches in his teaching.  A couple years back he started using blogs in his philosophy course.  After several different types of approaches (each student has a blog vs. a single course blog, etc), I think he’s really found the right approach that works for both him and his students. 

One thing I’m asked about a great deal when talking about technology integration, whether for resident or online courses, is the ability to create a sense of community within a course.  In the video below, Chris talks specifically about how the blog connects his students and instills a sense of community in ways he did not foresee when first experimenting with blogging.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep1DdwW4Lvg


Digital Scholarship in the Humanities

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published the following article–it makes me wonder whether some of the discussion could spill over into the program assessment arena.

Humanities Scholars Discuss Their ‘Shared Mental Map’ for a New Age of Digital Communication

Literary Works featuring Teaching and Learning

A colleague, Catherine Ross, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at Wake Forest University, recently sent a query to the faculty developers listserv requesting examples of literary works focused on teaching and learning.  The interesting list below was the result, with the person who shared the work and comments.

“Who Is To Blame?” Chekhov

Catherine Ross, Wake Forest University: Short story about teaching, learning, and Latin

Ignorant Schoolmaster by Ranciere (1991, translation by Kristen Ross)

Kevin Johnston, Michigan State University: Teaching experiences in early nineteenth century western Europe.

Teaching Stories: An Anthology on the Power of Learning and Literature (2004) edited by Robert Coles, Modern Library.

Fiction, poetry and personal essays by a range of writers, including Hardy, Julia Alvarez, Toni Morrison, Tolstoi, and Howard Nemerov–all on the classroom experience (Warren Rosenberg, Wabash College)

The Student Body: Short Stories about College Students and Professors (2001) edited by John McNally

(Kathryn Watson, Eckerd College)

 The Education of Hyman Kaplan (1968) by Leonard Q. Ross

Emma Bourassa, Thompson Rivers University: An easy read that looks at learning as well as teaching; a bit of insight into adult learning that doesn’t quite match that of the instructor.

In Praise of Pedagogy: Poetry, Flash Fiction and Essays on Teaching Writing (2000) edited by Wendy Bishop and David Starkey.

P. Rachel Levin, Academy of Art University: My favorite is Nervouswork, a poem by William Snyder, Jr.

Teaching and the Case Method (1994) by Barnes, Christensen, and Hansen, Harvard Business School Press.

Ed Nuhfer, California State University Channel Islands: A wonderful collection.