Beyond Crossroads Blog

During the summer, I heard Scott Simon interview Elaine McArdle on NPR about her article “The Freedom To Say No” in the Boston Globe. This fascinating article got me to reexamine my perceptions about gender in the classroom.

During the summer of 2005, I was vacationing in Alaska. On my way back from Denali National Park, I passed through Wasilla, Alaska. Those who know me well know of my passion for microbrews and of my ability to find brew pubs in strange towns. It so happens that on this day, my hops sense started to tingle and I knew that I was close to refreshment.

Just off the main highway, I found the Great Bear Beer Company.  I sat at the bar with several new found friends. One old sourdough, who looked almost exactly like Grizzly Adams, sat next to me thumbing through the local paper, the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.  I was somewhat amazed to be sitting next to Grizzly. I was in the Great Bear so who else would I expect to meet there. The only thing missing was the big bear named Ben. Grizzly grumbled about the various idiotic stories in the local paper and before long I realized that Grizzly must definitely be a Libertarian.

Continue reading "When Will I Ever Use This?"

Last Friday and Saturday I attended a course redesign workshop sponsored by Pearson Education and the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT). The workshop took place at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson, Arizona. About 140 faculty members from community colleges and universities around the country were in attendance. Over two days, I attended a workshop on course redesign from a general viewpoint presented by Dr. Carolyn Jarmon as well as a number of case studies in successful redesign. These case studies involved the redesign of mathematics courses as well as courses in physics and economics. Other case studies pertained to courses in communications and the liberal arts.

Let’s get one thing straight right from the start. This article is not about the little blue tablet typically advertised during professional football games on Sunday.  Instead it is about a tablet that has been much more meaningful in my life. It has allowed me to change how I teach my classes and to give my students feedback on their assignments. It has allowed me to make better use of my time and has been much more valuable than any little blue pill.

Continue reading "The Joy of the Tablet"