Thursday, March 31, 2011

Survey Opportunity - Instructional Communication and How Instructors Use Facebook to Communicate With Their Students

Readers,

One of my dear friends, Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, is conducting a great study focused on instructional communication and how instructors use Facebook to communicate with their students. If you have a spare moment, please help her by completing her survey. To participate in this study, participants must (a) have a Facebook account (b) be a college-level educator. Please participate by answering (10-15 minute) online survey questions about Facebook use. This study has been approved by the Southern University at New Orleans IRB. - Click here to take survey

Please forward this survey link (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2CM2RBW) to others who fit the criteria above.

Thank you so much!
Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Southern University at New Orleans

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I am a Millennial Professor and I Embrace the 24 Hour Professor Syndrome

Readers,


Whenever I arrive back to the office from a long conference, I am always overwhelmed by the numerous items that I have to accomplish before leaving the office. I have to make online and offline lists (via Google Tasks) as I think about the items I learned from the conference and people I have to contact across campus. 


However, as I persist through the items on these lists, I experience a feeling of accomplishment. By the time I leave the office, usually after 5pm, I accomplish most of the items on the list. Then, I drive home only to answer students' e-mails and sift through my 300 daily e-mails on Gmail. 


This is the life of a millennial professor. I have to keep everything organized and I have to squeeze in time for my family as well. As I answer e-mail at home, I watch movies with my husband and I take my iPad with me as I garden and shop. Yes, I admit, I answer my students' e-mail messages as I eat lunch at La Madeleine on Saturday, browse books at Barnes and Noble, and pursue racks at Goodwill in search of great items for Environmental Communication Week. 


I embrace the fact that I am a 24 hour professor. A few years ago, I tried to avoid falling into the "24 hour professor" trap (i.e. - Does Graduate School Provide Millennial Professors for the Professional Environment), but now I am happy to embrace the fact that I am professionally connected to my students and my career. 


Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

SSCA Conference Reflection - The Last Day...

Readers,

Last week's conference went well. I enjoyed spending time with my students and answering their questions about the presentations. However, on the last day of the conference I experienced a splitting headache before my 11:00 a.m. paper session. This session was my one of my attempts to present quantitative research at a conference. My background is educational leadership (organizational communication) background and I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I learned from my respondent's comments and I will definitely use many of her suggestions in my next research paper. 


If you have a good respondent, you can gain a different insight into your research. If you have a bad respondent, this can make your 75 minute presentation one of the LONGEST periods of your life. The most important thing that I learned from this session is that the WAY people COMMUNICATE positive (or negative) information can GREATLY AFFECT how people receive and remember the information (and the person/people). The next time I function as a respondent for a paper session, I will definitely communicate my comments in a manner that is conducive to positive learning.

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Traveling with Undergraduate Students - A Recap and the DAY AFTER!

Readers,


Today, I arrived back on campus. Thank goodness! I have to admit, when I am away from Texas, I REALLY miss conversing with my colleagues, walking on campus, and teaching! I prepare for my departure at the beginning of the semester and I list the departure in my syllabus.


However, when I arrived back on campus this time, I had a different experience! Remember, I traveled with undergraduate students and I had LOTS of paperwork to submit on their behalf and on my behalf. Whew! Aside from the paperwork and teaching, I had my weekly meeting with my colleague and interns with environmental communication week. Then, I had A LOT of e-mails to answer from students and faculty wishing to present in environmental communication week.


When I arrived home, I was so tired and as much as I wanted to water my garden, I had to sleep for the rest of the evening! Traveling with undergraduate researchers is a rewarding, yet an exhausting process! I definitely look forward to my next experience!


Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Traveling with Undergraduate Students - Today is Presentation Day!

Readers,

Today is the day my undergraduate students present their research! I am excited, yet nervous about their presentation! They are looking forward to presenting their research after lunch. Here is the information from the conference program book:

OUTCOMES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS 
SPONSOR: THEODORE CLEVENGER, JR. UNDERGRADUATE HONORS CONFERENCE
CHAIR/RESPONDENT: TOM SABETTA, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY


College Students’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Math Anxiety
Megan Traweek, University of Montevallo


College Students’ Perceptions of Fitness and Body Type in Interpersonal Relationships
Melissa MacDonald, Tarleton State University
Kylee Thetford, Tarleton State University
Nicole Schueneman, Tarleton State University


College Students’ Perceptions of their Undergraduate Peers with Sexually Transmitted Infections

Stacy Diane Coggins, Tarleton State University


College Students’ Perceptions of Interracial Relationships
Chale Moreno, Tarleton State University
Raul Carrillo, Tarleton State University
Winston Dawson, Tarleton State University


It’s an Age Thing: College Female Dating Age Preferences
Jessica Weaver, Southern Adventist University
Hilary Prandl, Southern Adventist University
Kelsey Larrabee, Southern Adventist University
Lauren Swafford, Southern Adventist University
Kara Turpen, Southern Adventist University



Their presentations went very well and I am so proud of them! My department head and Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason came to view their presentations and she said that their presentations were indicative of master's level research. Here are some pictures from their presentations! 







After their presentations, the students sent a text message stating "We have a surprise for you downstairs". I arrived downstairs and the presented gourmet cupcakes to me with a beautiful message stating "Dr. Edwards - Thank you for all of that you do!". It was the best surprise and I was so excited to receive such a great gift during this time of the semester! I really NEEDED that message this week! :)





Overall, it was a great conference and I hope that I will be able to take students to the Southern States Communication Association conference next year in San Antonio! :) We would also like to thank Tarleton's Student Research and Creative Activities Office, the Council for Undergraduate Research, and the Tarleton Communication Studies Office for their support of our trip! :)


Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Travel with Undergraduate Students - My Students' First Day at the SSCA Conference!

Readers,


Last night, I had the pleasure of dining with a good friend, Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason. She is a communication professor from Southern University New Orleans and we always try to schedule our meals together to talk about the conference and about our journey on the tenure track. This year, we had dinner at a restaurant that was not too far from our conference hotel. We had a great time talking about our institutions, our students, and our families. In addition, this was a great time for me to mentally prepare myself for my students' arrival at the conference. 


The students arrived early on Thursday morning and we had lunch at this wonderful restaurant down the street from our conference hotel. Before arriving at lunch, I took them to the Peabody hotel and they loved the ducks!


After lunch, we arrived back to the conference hotel and the students checked in and received their newcomers and undergraduate honors ribbons for their name badges. Some of the students decided to attend PR sessions and other students attended the communication studies sessions (i.e. - gender communication and environmental communication).







After the conference sessions, we met downstairs to attend the conference reception.  The students were excited about this networking opportunity and they spoke with several institutions about graduate school and job opportunities (conference planning, etc.)




I am very excited about their presentations tomorrow! Through this trip, one of the students was able to fly for the first time! I was really excited about this opportunity for this student and the rest of the students on the trip!


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Traveling with Undergraduate Students - The Pre-Trip Meeting and Checklist



Readers,

Before each trip, I like to meet with the students about their trip and their presentation (this is from my student services days). I thought that this information might be beneficial for those of you who travel with undergraduate students.

Subject Line - PRINT THIS SHEET. THIS IS IMPORTANT!

SSCA Conference - Little Rock, AR (A FEW REMINDERS/ANNOUNCEMENTS)

We are EXCITED about OUR TRIP!

DRS. HOWARD & EDWARDS' EXPECTATIONS
- Represent Tarleton well! Do not do ANYTHING to embarrass Dr. Edwards OR TSU.
- Take advantage of the networking and connections available at this conference. This is GREAT way to make graduate school and/or job connections with students and faculty.
- Dr. Howard wants you to attend the sessions and ASK QUESTIONS!

TRAVEL TO THE AIRPORT:
- You are encouraged to carpool from Stephenville.
- You need to leave Stephenville by 6:00 a.m. on Thursday.

DEPARTURE/ARRIVAL
- You will leave on Thursday, March 24th at [time] and you will arrive back in DFW on Saturday, March 26th at [time] p.m.
- You are encouraged to park in the [Name of Parking Lot].
- If you are late, you will have to pay a $150 change fee.

CARRY-ON FYIs:
- DO NOT CHECK IN YOUR BAGGAGE
- 3 oz. of liquid or less (unless you have medicine) and place the liquid in a quart-size zip lock bag.
- Bring a camera.
- Bring meal money.
- Do not pack any bottled water, but you are encouraged to bring a refillable bottle (to fill in the airport).
- Dress professionally: Church Attire (3 days worth)

AIRLINE TICKETS:
- Print your ticket BEFORE arriving at DFW. This will make the check-in process MUCH easier.
- Bring a driver's license (make sure the name on your driver's license is the SAME as your airline ticket).
- If you have an AA account, please add this reservation to your account.

PASSENGER SCREENING:
- This process should take 15-20 minutes.

ARRANGEMENTS:
- Our hotel is the Double-Tree Little Rock - 424 W Markham St., Little Rock - [Phone Number for Hotel]
- We have two rooms (one male and one female).

YOUR PRESENTATION:
- 8-10 Minute Presentation (one person) - Thank ALL of your group members from last semester AND Dr. Edwards :)
- Talk about: Purpose, Research Questions, Intercultural Comm. Competence Theory, Methodology, SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME ON the RESULTS, Conclusions, Implications, and Suggestions...
- Question and Answer (at the end of the presentation) - Each member from the group will have a chance to answer questions.
- Bring THREE COPIES of your paper. If anyone asks you for a copy of your paper, tell them that the paper is under review and it should be published very soon. Get their e-mail address.

MY CONTACT INFORMATION: [My cell phone number]

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Traveling with Undergraduate Students - Preparing a Schedule (Subject Line - PRINT THIS E-MAIL)


Readers,

While gathering contact and emergency information for the SSCA conference, I also have to create a schedule when I travel with undergraduate students. 

Here is the schedule that I sent to the students and my department head with the subject line - PRINT THIS E-MAIL: SSCA Conference - Little Rock, AR (IMPORTANT INFORMATION)

Outstanding Student Leaders,

Here is a schedule for the conference!

Thursday - March 24th
Check-In to Hotel :)
12:30 p.m. - Meet for Lunch in the Lobby
2:00 p.m. - Pick a Session
6:30 p.m. - Welcome Reception @ Salon D
7:00 p.m. - Meet for Dinner in the Lobby
*Attend at least 3 conference sessions a day! :)

Friday - March 25th
8:00 a.m./9:00 a.m. - SSCA Breakfast Meeting
10:15 a.m. - Pick a Session
12:00 p.m. - Meet for Lunch in the Lobby
1:15 p.m. - Practicing for our Session (Meet in Lobby)
2:45 p.m. - OUR SESSION!!! :)
5:45 p.m. - Pick a Session (I am going to "Take this Job and Shove It" - Robinson 102)
7:00 p.m. - Meet for Dinner in the Lobby
*Attend at least 3 conference sessions a day! :)

Saturday - March 26th
8:00 a.m./9:00 a.m. - Undergraduate Honors Conference Breakfast - (Salon D)
9:30 a.m. - Pick a Session
11:00 a.m. - Pick a Session
12:30 p.m. - Meet for Lunch in the Lobby
2:30 p.m. - Pick a Session
4:30 p.m. - Depart for the Airport
7:05 p.m. - Depart from Little Rock Regional (LIT)
8:20 p.m. - Arrive back to DFW Terminal  B

I hope you enjoy your trip! Represent Tarleton well!

Sincerely,

Dr. Edwards


I just thought that this schedule might help faculty/staff visiting the website!

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Traveling With Undergraduate Students - Preparing for the Southern States Communication Association Conference



Readers,


This week I am very excited about the Southern States Communication Association Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas! This year's conference is going to be amazing because I am presenting two papers, serving on a panels, and chairing a paper session. Aside from my busy schedule, I am also bringing seven undergraduate students who have been invited to present their research as part of the Undergraduate Honors Conference. 


As a result of the conference later this week, I have to prepare my online and face-to-face classes for their virtual assignments on Wednesday and Friday. My interpersonal and organizational communication courses are working on their research papers by distributing their survey and fine tuning their data analysis section via Google Docs. My two online speech courses are working on their informative speeches and updating their outlines on Google Docs. Google Docs enables me to view their progress on their assignment and to help the students along the way via my netbook or iPad.


Communication...it is not just the subject that I teach, but it is the daily life that I live!


Have a great week!

Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Freebie Friday - Groupon in the Higher Education Classroom

Readers,

During the past few months, I have become a Groupon fanatic! The website is amazing and I purchased many groupons in the DFW area (as well as the online coupons). I am always looking for ways to merge my personal interests with my professional interests and I think that I will start purchasing groupons for my classes and our conferences (i.e. - Environmental Communication Week and the Diversity and Communication Research Symposium). I will post more about our new initiative, Environmental Communication Week, in a few days.


Since my university is located in the rural part of Texas, I try to find groupons that the students can use in the area. Some of our local businesses and organizations were featured during the past couple of weeks including, the Dublin Dr. Pepper Bottling Company, the local Drive-In Theater, and the Dinosaur Valley State Park.


I will also use this website as a teaching tool in the classroom. Companies are usually a virtual guerrilla marketing technique to communicate with their customers and the customers recruit other customers... Communication in ACTION (while taking advantage of low-cost activities/products)! :)


Have you used the Groupon website before? What do you think?


Join Groupon Now! - LINK

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Learning About New Technologies - Seven Items at a Time!

Readers,


As a tenure-track professor, I have a short amount of time each day to read my e-mail and to glance over long journal articles. I attempt to stay informed about new technologies and how these technologies affect education. I usually read short technology briefs by Educause on their "Seven Things You Should Know About..." series.


Some recent topics in this series are:


- 7 Things You Should Know About Open-Ended Response Systems


- 7 Things You Should Know About Online Media Editing


- 7 Things You Should Know about Android


This series is ideal for the "professor on the go" who needs to do more with less time. Click here for the "Seven Things" series - http://www.educause.edu/ELI7Things


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Make Their Day! A Different Approach to Motivating Undergraduate Students in Communication Studies Classrooms






Readers,


During the past few weeks, I started emphasizing the FISH Philosophy in my Organizational Communication course. This philosophy has four components: play, make their day, be there, and choose your attitude. One of the components that I emphasized in all of my communication studies classes in to "make their day". I am one of those eccentric communication professors who always walks to class with a briefcase in one hand and a candy container in the other hand. I use the candy container to provide incentives for the brave students who choose to provide answers or contribute stories of their personal experiences during class.


This week, I decided to incorporate my love of coupons and deals with my passion of teaching college students (like my blog). I decided to obtain as many "Free Oatmeal @ McDonalds" coupons as I possibly could in a short amount of time. At the end of my coupon collection period, I ended up with 60 coupons in all. This collection process enabled me to give "free food" coupons to my hungry college students as incentives. They LOVED it and they were very thankful for the sweet incentive. As a result of this great experience, I plan to obtain a lot of coupons from local restaurants to give as incentives to my college students to feed their mind and their hunger! :)


THINK ABOUT IT - What do you think? Additional ideas?


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Spring Break is Here! - Incorporating Spring Break Pictures in Class Lectures


Readers,

We are preparing for spring break and I am very excited about traveling for non-conference purposes! Here's the interesting part of non-conference travel...I am always THINKING of examples for my courses: interpersonal communication, organizational communication, and intercultural communication. As I travel, I take pictures of artifacts (both cultural and organizational) to incorporate on my presentation slides.

Here are some pictures from my past travel adventures:






Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Monday, March 14, 2011

iPad2 - The Sequel (Communication Technology at Its Best!)

Readers,

I have to tell all of you about my wonderful husband! On iPad Friday, my husband was determined to purchase an iPad2 for my birthday! After working all day teaching at a local high school, he stood outside of the Apple Store for two hours! Amazing man!



However, his efforts were in vain because these new devices sold out within a 30 minute time frame! So, on Saturday, we spent SIX hours driving around the DFW area to find a 3G iPad2. Best Buy decided to capitalize on the high demand and low supply of the iPad2 and they implemented the reservation program! For $100.00, customers could reserve an iPad2 and the company would call you when a product arrived. Yes, this sounded like a great idea at the time so we went for it!

On the way back to the car, I had a bright idea to call the AT&T Stores in the area and each of the stores in Dallas and Fort Worth were completely sold out! On a whim, I decided to call the AT&T Store in the town in which my university is housed (which is an hour an a half outside of the DFW area) and they had FOUR iPads left! I wish that I would have known this very important fact before I left work on Friday! :) I was very excited to drive to that AT&T Store to purchase my iPad2! It is amazing!



Five Features that I LOVE about the iPad2:

1 - It is available in white! I think this looks a little more professional than the black.
2 - It has a camera and a video camera!
3 - It has FACETIME! - This will be great for videoconferencing or virtual office hours on the go!
4 - It is slender and lighter than the original.
5 - I LOVE the new cover!

I really think that the iPad is the ultimate communication technology tool!

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Freebie Friday - Adobe Connect (Webinar Software)

Readers,


In this week's posts, I wrote about undergraduate research and ways to help undergraduate students disperse their research. Recently I discovered Adobe Connect on my iPad. This is a wonderful software system that enables presenters to upload their power point slides into Adobe Connect to provide viewers with an interactive presentation. 


Here's the free aspect. Adobe Connect is offering a free 30 day trial! - http://connect.webinar.us.sem.adobe.com/content/try?sdid=IEBDP&skwcid=TC|22191|webinar||S|p|5894734222






I plan to activate their FREE 30 day trial next month to provide my undergraduate students with an interactive forum to disperse their research. Now, I have to worry about the technological capabilities at my university and what our current classroom will enable us to do. I might have to switch classrooms for our presentation day! :)


Have a great week! Enjoy the free product for 30 days!

Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

This Semester's Undergraduate Research Project (Spring 2011) - Organizational Communication





Readers,

This semester we are STILL working on undergraduate research papers in my upper-level communication courses (organizational communication and interpersonal communication). This year, they chose some very interesting topics!

Organizational Communication Topics:

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Expectations of Workplace Benefits

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Etiquette on Social Networking Websites

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Dangers of Social Networking

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Work-Life Balance (My Sample Document for the Students)

They are excited about submitted their projects to a journal! :)

Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

This Semester's Undergraduate Research Project (Spring 2011) - Interpersonal Communication

Readers,

This semester we are STILL working on undergraduate research papers in my upper-level communication courses (organizational communication and interpersonal communication). This year, they chose some very interesting topics! VERY INTERESTING topics!

Interpersonal Communication Topics

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Trust Issues in Interpersonal Relationships

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Stalking and Geo-Tagging on Social Networking Websites and Interpersonal Relationships

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Security, Stalking, and Tagging on Social Networking Websites and Interpersonal Relationships

Online Dating Website Users' Perceptions of Technology and Interpersonal Relationships

Millennial Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Defriending on Facebook (My Sample Document for the Students)

I provide a sample document for the students and I provide feedback for the students throughout the semester! Very busy semester!

Unfortunately, we do not have a on-campus forum for the students to present their undergraduate research during the spring semester, but we will have a forum in the fall semester. However, I always have to think outside of the box and this semester I think that we will host a poster competition OR a webinar for the students to present their research.

If you have ANY ideas, PLEASE let me know. I am VERY open to ideas! :)

Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

My Academic Life is Organized By My iPad....

Readers,

It appears that iPads are here to stay! The iPad2 will be released in a few weeks and I am ready to get my hands on the NEW ONE! I use my iPad for EVERYTHING! Here's my top ten uses of the iPad (in no particular order).

1 - Presenting an electronic ticket when boarding a plane.
2 - Finding my way around a city via Google Maps.
3 - Constantly checking email.
4 - Presenting Groupon coupons at retail locations.
5 - Blogging and more blogging!
6 - Checking voicemail on Google Voice.
7 - Writing papers.
8 - Keeping myself accountable for completing tasks on Google Tasks.
9 - Grading papers on Blackboard.
10 - Conducting virtual office hours.

I use this wonderful device for MANY things! In addition to a professor's uses, several of my students use their iPads to play music on Pandora, check email, write reminders, and sometimes to take notes.

"iPads: A Bane or Boom to College Teaching?", an article by Josh Fischman in the Chronicle of Higher Education, explores a study highlighting students' usage of iPads in a college classroom. One interesting aspect of the study took place at the end of the course when students has the option of using iPads or a laptop on the Internet-based final examination in class. Only one student chose take their final examination on the iPad. Very interesting! I wonder did the study focus on the students' perceptions of the device as well. I wish that I was able to conduct such a study in my classroom! Here's the link to his article - http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/author/jfischman

Very interesting! What do you think about using iPads in your academic life or in your classroom? Contribute a comment! :)

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Monday, March 7, 2011

One Educator's Paperless Approach to Teaching Millennials

Readers,

One of my favorite bloggers, David Andrade (http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/) wrote about his paperless approach to his high school classroom. Higher education faculty and student affairs professionals can adopt some of these methods for their day-to-day activities as well!

Here are some of his wonderful ideas!

1. His students' lab reports, online work, and projects are all created electronically and submitted via e-mail or a web-based program. Then he grades the assignments on his mobile device.

2. He uses online resources(Google Docs, Discovery Education, web sites, and class blogs) in his classes instead of a textbook. In addition, he has access to the textbook pages and instructor resources in PDF format.

3. He stores information in "the cloud" (i.e. - Dropbox, Sugarsync, and Zumodrive), which enables him to access his documents at work, at home, and from any computer. 

4. He takes pictures of his whiteboard, students' posters, etc. and uploads the pictures on Evernote.

Here's the complete article - http://www.google.com/gwt/x?source=reader&u=http%3A%2F%2Fteachpaperless.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Funfettered-by-stuff-or-why-i-dont-lug.html

Amazing ideas! Share your teaching paperless ideas by typing in the comment box! :)

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Freebie Friday! Free Sample of Yogi Tea!


Readers,

It is almost SPRING BREAK! I desperately need a break and I imagine that you need a break as well! :) Take advantage of this offer to send one of your colleagues a free sample of Yogi Tea! Encourage them to return the favor!

http://www.yogiproducts.com/ecard

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

An Awesome Opportunity! - The International Association for Research on Service Learning and Civic Engagement (Deadline - April 15th)



Readers,

If any of you are interested in attending and/or prsenting at a service learning conference, here is a great opportunity for you! The International Association for Research on Service Learning and Civic Engagement is accepting proposals for their national conference in Chicago, IL on November 2-4, 2011.

PAPER PROPOSALS:
Conference organizers will favorably review proposals that present research findings from:

Rigorous research design
Research that incorporates voices of community partners
Research based on authentic evidence
Comparative studies from cross-cultural perspectives
Conceptual frameworks with clear implications and recommendations
Meta-analysis of literature to date and implications for research agenda
Program evaluation that is the basis for research or comparative case studies

The extended Deadline for Proposal Submission April 15, 2011, by 11:59 p.m. (EST)

http://www.researchslce.org/conferences-awards/call-for-proposals/
Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

How Neat is Your Desk? A List of Several Essential Items for Your Desk


Readers,

As faculty members, we need to step away from our teaching, research, and service requirements to organize our lives. Does your desk reflect a strong or weak level of organization to your vistors (students and faculty)? I strive to begin and end my days with a clean desk. I always keep Lysol in my desk drawer to minimize the amount of bacteria present in my workspace. Aside from bacteria, I like to keep several important items on my desk. One of the most important items in my workspace is my label maker. I use this very important device to organize my file folders, binders, electroic devices, and student work.

The magazine Real Simple created a great list titled, "All You Need in Your Desk Drawer". Here is the list of important items:

- Forever Stamps
- Personal stationery (Note Cards, Thank You Cards, etc.)
- A black permanent marker (grading, etc.)
- A silver permanent marker (to use on dark paper)
- An angle-tip highlighter (I use BIC Bright Liners)
- Correction tape, to fix mistakes (similar to the liquid stuff, but without the drying time).
- Mechanical pencils (I use Papermate brand pencils)
- Titanium scissors (they stay sharp for years)
- Large paper clips.
- Small and large sticky notes (to do lists, grading reminders, reminders, notes for students)
- A box of your favorite pens: Use (and lose) only one at a time.
- A classic stapler (I use the Streamline upright stapler)
- A weighted tape dispenser that holds a fat roll of tape.

Here's the link to their article - http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/streamline-your-supplies-00000000052054/page4.html

It was a great article and it was an eye-opener for me!

Sincerely,

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Establishing a Web Presence: Benefits and Disadvantages for Faculty

Readers,

As a millennial, I have had a digital footprint since high school! Amazingly enough, I always knew that the Internet would be a mechanism that could either help or severely hurt one's reputation. As a result, I have tried to avoid situations (parties, clubs, political events, etc,) in which people can take pictures that may be questioned years later in my life.

However, when I started the tenure track, I discovered that a web presence can be a GREAT benefit to one's academic career. Through this blog, I received a wealth of opportunities, including two national speaking opportunities, produce review opportunities, and numerous new friends!

Recently, Miriam Posner, Brian Croxall, and Stewart Varner from the Digital Scholarship Commons created a presentation on this topic, "Creating a Web Presence: A Primer for Academics (Part I").

Here's the link to material and the video from their workshop -

PRESENTATION - http://web.library.emory.edu/blog/creating-web-presence-primer-academics-part-i-1&ei=iU-ATa21D4PWwAXSrPjzDg

VIDEO - http://ia700401.us.archive.org/30/items/CreatingWebPresenceI/CreatingWebPresenceI.mov

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.