Technology and Higher Ed

"This competition to cooperation thing requires a huge culture shift here in the States. The longer we wait to begin to immerse our students to the principles and literacies of sharing and participation, the longer it will take for that shift to occur."

"Innovative thinkers and teachers, like writers and artists, move us forward. When our institutions become hostile toward innovative thinking and new ideas, they-and the people who produce them-don't disappear. They go elsewhere. The best thoughts are not happening on our campuses, they are happening elsewhere."

"So you Want to Get a PhD in the Humanities "

"By having students actually create music, Mr. Kapur and Mr. Cook hope to show the value of understanding computer science. Using a music program that responds in real time provides "instant gratification," Mr. Cook added, and can interest students who weren't originally attracted to computer programming."

"How to Get the Most Out of Tech Tools for Teaching"

"Let's Spread the Word About Fair Use"

"In reality, however, the news is bleak: Median pay per course in 2010 was $2,700. ($2,235 at two-year schools; $3400 at four-year doctoral or research schools). Pay doesn't correspond with credentials-wage premiums for better credentials within the contingent workforce are small; likewise, there's not much of a career ladder. And, of course, contingent faculty pay lags behind similarly-educated professionals in other fields. Part-time faculty have access to limited professional development, and are generally excluded from governance. Most part-time faculty teach in such positions for extended periods of time, and most would prefer a full-time appointment, if one were available."

This NY TImes article discusses a recent Pew report on the texting habits of 12-17 year olds. It really explains a lot about how this technology is used by our in-coming students, and perhaps why it can vex us so much!

"Many faculty members assume students enter the college classroom with the disposition to be successful. The reality is many students enter the classroom lacking the dispositions to be successful or make the necessary improvements to positively impact their learning outcomes. Although it's easy to identify such problems, it is harder to address them. Faculty must find ways to influence students' thoughts that impact their behaviors and achievement of the body of knowledge and skills sets prescribed by the discipline. "

"While things are in motion (dramatic disruptive change) we can't use the old mindset to describe the new mindset. We can't use current processes to accomplish new processes. We can't measure a butterfly as if it were still a caterpillar. The event of change requires us to also change the way we view ourselves, our roles, and our processes."

"we need to teach them how to find information and more importantly what to do with the information that they find. The only way to do this is to make the fundamental change from teaching how to use technology to using technology to learn."

"But you lose much more than you gain. If you believe, as I do, that education is a collaborative exploration of ideas, you've immediately restricted the class's ability to explore a subject together. You've determined the course in advance, so students will not be able to make any meaningful contributions to its direction. If you stumble onto an interesting detour in your thinking, you might be able to veer off for a while, but the inexorable pull of the fixed list's itinerary will ineluctably drive you on."

"The Big Bang Theory"