GlobalSkillsCC

General information -- as well as ordering information -- about the HBO film, Temple Grandin.

In the context of "meaningful assignments," TM shows this film in class, discusses it with the students, and then students are assigned to write a letter to Grandin (using business format). TM mails the packet of letters to Dr. Grandin.

By Arthur W. Chickering, Zelda F. Gamson and Susan J. Poulsen, published by the Johnson Foundation, 1987.

DM refers to this book in this introduction (in reference to his teaching principles), including the ideal that "Effective teaching encourages faculty-student interactions, encourages student-student engagement, provides prompt feedback, and communicates high expectations."

By Paul Nolting, published by Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Helps students to assess their math learning style, as well as building math study skills.

This book was mentioned in the "radical_ideas" group (Cohort 1) as well as a choice event.

Coach BM mentioned this book in the context of teaching study skills in conjunction with developmental math.

Speaker: Sir Ken Robinson on Feb 2010; posted May 2010.

TM shared this and several other TED videos in the context of innovation in her classroom.

An RSA "Animate" presentation based on a speech given by Sir Ken Robinson. RSA is the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, a "cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress." This animated presentation is a favorite of the KPI team.

TM shared this and several other TED videos in the context of innovation in her classroom.

TED2006, Filmed Feb 2006; posted June 2006. From the description, "Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity."

Looking to add "variety in instruction," KP closed her class with the first 6 minutes of this TED talk, week 1, semester 4.

TM shared this and several other TED Talks as examples of innovation in her classroom.

From On Course by Skip Downing, posted by College of San Mateo. Downing argues that the difference between "victim" and "creator" helps students take greater responsibility for their education.

DW shared the link to victim/creator chart after a discussion of Downing and specifically of this concept.

Icebreakers, games, and other classroom tools for faculty. Developed by Skip Downing.

Website run by Skip Downing, author of On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life. The site provides practical applications of the On Course principles (free of charge). Strategies are designed with the goal of empowering students to become active, responsible learners. There are links to descriptions of workshops and to registration options.

KG took the On Course course and says "Skip's program changed my life and the way I deal with my students...."

By Hunter R. Boylan, National Center for Developmental Education; published by Continuous Quality Improvement Network with the NCDE, 2002.

SB finds Boylan's "is the best book I know of that specifically addresses the developmental classroom and what works."

Produced by the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Minnesota; no author, last modified December 2009. This page provides suggestions for how to end the semester, in order to provide closure for students and to think about what students have done --and learned -- over the course of the semester.

TM feels that ending the semester effectively also provides her with some opportunity to have the students assess her work and teaching effectiveness; she shared this page with thoughts on ending the semester.

Posted by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Iowa State University, authored by Lee Haugen, February 1999. This page provides a great definition of CATs as well as a chart with examples of different assessments, what they test, and why they are important.

TM provided this link and other resources as she discussed using CATs in her own classroom.

By Nadine Dolby, Commentary column, The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 9 2012. In this commentary piece, Dolby describes a panel in which she invited her undergraduate education students to meet with a panel of "real" parents in the hopes of getting some new perspectives on K-12 education. As a matter of course, she required them to refrain from using cell phones, texting or tweeting. And she observed that these students then had a great deal of trouble just listening. She argues that, in a democracy, it's not enough just to share your own opinions, you must also listen to those of others. She concludes, "Teaching our students how to truly listen may be the most important multicultural lesson of all."

Website of John Taylor Gatto. According to his biography (on this website), Gatto was a long-time schoolteacher, eventually winning New York State Teacher of the Year (also multi-winner of NYC Teacher of the Year). He then very publicly quit teaching (that same year) and launched a public-speaking and film-making career, exploring what he feels is wrong with K-12 education.

SB mentions Gatto in a post describing readings that he's used that are critical of the current educational system.

Trailer and official movie site of the documentary by Davis Guggenheim, released fall 2010. The movie looks at the failing American public school system, as well as those who are trying to save it.

Mentioned in the Learning thread of the Jam. SB says that he was a little disappointed in the film.

On Frontline, PBS "Investigating how Wall Street and a new breed of for-profit universities are transforming the way we think about college in America..."

Mentioned in the Learning thread of the Jam.

This site describes itself as online tutoring and on-demand student support.

DS incorporates a Smarthinking.com review along with peer-review and students' own self-assessment, as part of the review of students' drafts.

By Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, University of Chicago Press, 2011. The authors argue that students learn very little as undergraduates at most colleges and that, often, "an institutional culture...puts undergraduate learning close to the bottom of the priority list."

JN uses a summary of this book and it's follow-up study with her students, to help them to think critically and to understand that learning is supposed to be hard and to manage their expectations about good grades.

This entry, by Mark K. Smith and published in the Encyclopedia of informal education, provides background on Howard Gardner and outlines his theory of multiple intelligences. Further reading and references are provided.

SS references Gardner in the Jam's very first post about learning.

Audio on the Academic Minute, Inside Higher Ed, March 14, 2011. University of Rochester's C. Douglas Haessig discusses Pi.

D.W. posted this link in March coffee klatch.

TM shared that her school celebrates Pi Day with writing assignments that have to do with Pi.