Coming of age with technology choices
Computers and I grew up at the same time, and perhaps that is why I see using technology in my teaching as a way to solve problems rather than a threat to my profession. When I was small, computers were as big as a room and my dad let us play with the key cards....
At What Cost?
I encourage my students to use their devices during class to look up information on the web. We work on case studies and many times the internet can help them find some information that will be of use. Increasingly, however; I find that the internet has become an...
Beginnings
I saw Stephanie Mills a few months ago at the pool. Stephanie is a local author and former composition teacher here at NMC. We chatted about her writing and what was new in our lives. I mentioned that I was just beginning as the CIE director and I felt like there was...
Are You Sensing What I’m Sensing?
For some time now, I have been noticing something. And, I am wondering if anyone else is seeing it. It’s not so much visible to the eyes as it is discerned by the heart. I sense there is a movement underway. There is a question which is surfacing, arising, emerging, I...
Teaching Writing as Reflective Practice, Applied
One thing I've been working on this year is how to maximize the benefits of collaboration and group discussion. The goal is that the classroom become a place where students create meaning and knowledge themselves, and thereby increase feelings of ownership over...
The WRC: What We Talk About When We Talk About Writing (and Reading)
Those unfamiliar with NMC’s Writing and Reading Center, or the concept of writing centers, might conclude - with good reason - that the WRC is about writing and reading. And it is. My introductory spiel to classes always emphasizes that if it’s writing or reading,...
“I’d like a tutor.”
When I was a CIT instructor, I would think "Oh, no - not again!" Could I help this student? How??? I really wanted to satisfy each learner's request for help, but I might not be able to find a tutor. Many of NMC's second-year CIT students find local employment before...
What is an Education?
[slideshow_deploy id='7778'] Legislators, administrators and even we educators all spend a lot of time trying to "fix" education, but we rarely talk about what we mean when we say “education.” Faculty addressed this very question at our first Friday Forum in October....
Can You Get Your Students to Come to Class Prepared?
Several years ago I attended a session at a conference about how to get students to come to class prepared to learn the lesson of the day. I had struggled with this problem for many years and was really interested in some new ideas. The instructor explained what he...
A thousand ships
A fascinating aspect of my prior career as a consultant was working with a wide range of businesses that I would not have guessed had existed. One client milled silicon carbide and tungsten into precision rings that serve as impenetrable seals for pipelines. Another does nothing more than replace air filters in air conditioning units throughout southern […]