dr. b.'s blog
Syllabus Prep and Tech Mentoring
Thu, 11/15/2007 - 10:22 — dr. b.As we are getting ready to head out for Thanksgiving let's start thinking about what is going to happen after we get back 
The week after T-giving starts our multi-week stretch of syllabus prep. During the 1st week I want you to come to class with a draft of your reading schedule. Yes, we still be using the same books and I would like for us to be doing the same units at the same time so that we can have current pedagogical discussions during mentor group meetings. This means if you really think that a unit should be moved you will need to propose that to the group with a solid rationale for why so that we can make a group decision. While we do have to agree on these things we can have varying supplemental media. I think that we can plan to do that for 2 meetings in order to be sure that we get everything covered.
The third class period (as well as any time that may remain from the 2nd meeting) will be spent going over the assignment sheets for next semester. We are going to have to have all of the major assignment sheets done (with rationale and objectives) before we leave for Christmas break. We can also work on the smaller assignments (i.e. visual projects and in-class exercises) and share those with the group and borrow liberally from one another as time allows.
Yes, that is only 3 days of a two week period. That is because you will be meeting with Marc Santos on the 27th to talk more about Drupal and to get the instruction on Moviemaker that you requested (yes, Marc and I do communicate) as well as anything else that he can squeeze into that time. Marc has asked me to tell you that he is canceling tech mentoring next Tuesday (thus the meeting on the 27th). This means that you will have next Tuesday off. As usual if you have any questions please do email me or come and bug me in my office!
Grammar Study Results
Wed, 11/14/2007 - 20:10 — dr. b.Multitasking?
Tue, 11/13/2007 - 12:45 — dr. b.A friend sent me this and I immediately thought of you guys Yes, I do realize...
More Library Games
Tue, 10/30/2007 - 17:01 — dr. b.Remember my earlier post about the library games? Well, there are 3 links to other games on that page that are equally addictive. One of the better ones is the Outbreak game out of ASU. You have to gather sources, talk to professors, and get help from other students to collect samples before you run out of time (30 mins) and die from the infection that is spreading on campus yourself. I highly recommend this one.
BTW I bet Kyle can attest to the fact that some of his kids found the library games pretty engaging :-)
Library Games
Thu, 10/18/2007 - 12:57 — dr. b.The Carnegie Mellon library system has released (in beta) two games meant to get at using the library system. The first game, Within Range, is not the most interesting but it asks students to re-shelve books based on LoC subjects and the Dewey Decimal System. Useful for helping them find books in the brick and mortar library but not riveting gaming. The second game, I'll Get It, is a much like Diner Dash (only in a library). You have to look up the patron's topic and choose from 2 books or 2 internet sources what you will bring back to the patron based upon their research question. This one is a bit more interesting especially since it goes in waves and gets more harried as time passes.
How effective is this? Can we teach students how to use a virtual library and expect them to extrapolate that out to the real world? Or will they simply google the topic and go from there?
via Dennis Jerz
Visual Rhetoric Project
Wed, 10/03/2007 - 10:34 — dr. b.Extended mentoring, observations, and life in general has kept us apart (as a group) for far too long. We haven't had much time to talk about upcoming assignments. The visual rhetoric project comes on the heels of the advocacy project and before paper #2 (which for some/most/all of you will also be an advocacy project). My suggestion for the visual rhetoric project is to make it either an extension of the topic of the previous advocacy project or a part of paper #2 (with the latter being preferable in my mind).
More Reminders (of a less snarky nature)
Mon, 09/24/2007 - 15:40 — dr. b.You do have tech mentoring this week and next even though you will not be meeting with me on TH.
When you come to your one-on-one meetings to talk about observations please bring with you the following:
1. Yourself
2. Your three sample evaluated papers
3. Your teaching journal
I will be putting a sign up sheet on my door later this week so that you can choose a day and time.
Upcoming Deadlines
Fri, 09/21/2007 - 19:07 — dr. b.For you as teachers and students
October 1 – Last day for grade correction for spring and summer 2007
October 4 by 4:00 p.m. – Reports of unsatisfactory work due in HEAV 314B. See information below.
November 15 – Deadline for pending fall 2006 incomplete grades to become failing grades
December 17 by noon – English fall grades due in HEAV 324.
Another Reminder
Tue, 09/18/2007 - 13:46 — dr. b.Teaching journals and blog posts are not the same thing. Your teaching journals are to be kept in a notebook and are reflexive exercises that we will be using as the basis for our teaching philosophy statements that are going to be included in our portfolios. Blog posts are generally going to be used to ask a question, share an exercise, talk about the readings, and share interesting tidbits.
As I have said before I will be collecting the teaching journals twice or so this semester.
Oddly, there seems to be a breakdown in communication with some folks. Some folks are hearing what I say and others are totally missing it. If you look at the course description you will see that journals, cohort observations, and other things are detailed there as well as having been pointed out in class. You are responsible for getting these things done if you are going to successfully complete this practicum.
