It’s Coming: Open Classroom Week

It’s Coming: Open Classroom Week

My first teaching job was at an all-boys private school in Los Angeles. I was 22 and fresh out of college with not a bit of teaching experience. But as part of the mentoring program, other teachers and administrators were in and out of my room all the time. At first,...
Are We Part of the Problem?

Are We Part of the Problem?

What if the norm for college students was thoughtful, polite, courageous and reflective engagement when faced with disagreement both inside and outside the classroom? What if this isn’t the norm and what if we’re part of the problem? How can we help our...
Confusion and Learning

Confusion and Learning

We’re heading into the last leg of the semester, and many of us have students working on the most complex projects and concepts in our courses. If we were to walk in the students’ shoes a bit we would see that they are working on complicated culminating components in...
Improving Social Presence in Online Learning

Improving Social Presence in Online Learning

I recently attended the Educational Technology Organization of Michigan (ETOM) Fall Conference held at Mid Michigan Community College in Mt. Pleasant. The keynote speaker was Dr. Karen Swan, the Stukel Professor of Educational Research and a Research Associate in the...
Moving a Mountain

Moving a Mountain

You know that one student as soon as you walk into the class. The one that is going to refuse to engage. The one that will do everything possible to resist ‘learning.’ The one that will even go so far as to appear a tad bit threatening to other students to ensure that...
Reconnecting to Our Compassion

Reconnecting to Our Compassion

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the need that some people have to say, “I’m sorry.”  I don’t think we should automatically apologize or expect an apology when there’s been a miscommunication. Now, I’m not saying that apologizing...