Undergraduates Sending Texts in Class - Yes, I Can See You!

Readers,

Do any of you have a policy focused on texting in class? Is this policy included on your course syllabus? I have a polcy listed on my syllabus and most of the students comply with the policy. My classes are generally engaging, but I've discovered that students who are not engaged by their professor during class tend to send text messages. Engage them and keep them accountable for their actions.

Also, I provide examples from the post-graduation world and I explain that they cannot text under a table during a business meeting or in the front of their future classrooms. I remind them that whatever they practice becomes a habit!

Read about other professors' experiences here -
Guilt Is Not Enough to Stop Students From Texting in Class - Wired Campus - The Chronicle of Higher Education

http://www.college-reporter.com/opinion/567-professors-arent-stupid

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

Freebie Friday - Cheese-It Sample

Readers,

I am always looking for GREAT snack ideas for grading incentives for myself and for in-class snack for my students...which they LOVE! This week's Freebie Friday product is a free package of Cheese-Its! Request your free sample by visiting the Cheese-It Facebook page, becoming a fan, and casting a vote for your favorite flavor!

Here's the link! http://www.facebook.com/cheezit?v=app_137697646284792

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

The Potential Implications of Blogging and Tweeting in Higher Education

Readers,

I hope you are having a wonderful day! Recently, I started using my Twitter account again. I have a private Twitter account (drjtedwards) and public Twitter account (drjtedwardsTSU). Keeping both of these accounts updated on a regular basis is very difficult. I usually use the public Twitter account to communicate with my undergraduate students. I have a Twitter widget on my Blackboard homepage and this widget helps me to reach the undergraduate students who do not have a Twitter account.

Through this public account, I am able to establish social presence with online and face-to-face students. They are able to see and respond to my daily activities and ideas and I am able to help them with their questions about the course and questions about school (advising, financial aid, etc.). If I am not able to help them, I always post informative links to point them in the right direction.

When I post a Tweet, I always think about the potential implications of that tweet or blog post on my current career, future career, and interpersonal relationships. When you post information about yourself, this act enables other people to have power over your information. For example, after I finish this blog post, it will be syndicated by bots and posted on various websites.

Think before you post! Your post MIGHT affect your career!

Think Before You Tweet (or Blog or Update a Status) - ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Here's the link to the article: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/think-before-you-tweet-or-blog-or-update-a-status/30949?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

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

IJTLHE : International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Readers,

I hope you are having a great week! Each month, I read the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. It is always filled with great ideas and helpful explanations of faculty members' experiences in the classroom.

Here's this month's issue:

LINK - http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/current.cfm

IJTLHE : International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Developing Quality Online Dialogue: Dialogical Inquiry
      Helen Bound, University of Tasmania, Australia

pp. 107–119

Do We Practice What We Preach? The Teaching Practices of Inclusive Educators in Tertiary Settings
      Andrea Reupert, Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, Australia
      Brian Hemmings, Charles Sturt University, Australia
      John Connors, Charles Sturt University, Australia

pp. 120–130

Empowering Student Leadership Beliefs: An Exploratory Study
      Sara Marcketti, Iowa State University, United States
      Sara Kadolph, Iowa State University, United States

pp. 131–139

Preparing Scholars of Teaching and Learning Using a Model of Collaborative Peer Consulting and Action Research
      Margaret Waterman, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      Janet Weber, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      Carl Pracht, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      David Kunz, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      Beverly Evans, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      Steven Hoffman, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      Brian Smentkowski, Southeast Missouri State University, United States
      David Starrett, Southeast Missouri State University, United States

pp. 140–151

Project Panama: An International Service Project
      Lydia Aydlett, Western Carolina University, United States
      Gayle Wells, Western Carolina University, United States
      Mickey Randolph, Western Carolina University, United States

pp. 152–157

The Spread of ICT Innovation in Accounting Education
      Sam Jebeile, University of Wollongong, Australia
      Indra Abeysekera, University of Wollongong, Australia

pp. 158–168

Writing Blah, Blah, Blah: Lectures' Approaches and Challenges in Supporting International Students
      Sophie Arkoudis, University of Melbourne, Australia
      Ly Tran, RMIT, Australia

pp. 169–178

Instructional Articles

Planning, Teaching, and Assessing Elementary Education Interdisciplinary Curriculum
      Cynthia Campbell, Northern Illinois University, United States
      Mary Beth Henning, Northern Illinois University, United States

pp. 179-186

Developing Skills for Effective Academic Presentations in EAP
      Elizabeth Bankowski, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

pp. 187-196

Emotional Engagement Through Drama: Strategies to Assist Learning Through Role-Play.
      Paul Heyward, University of Auckland, Faculty of Education., New Zealand

pp. 197-203

Reflections on Learning in Interdisciplinary Settings
      Åsa Andersson, Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies/Centre for Population Studies – Ageing and Living Conditions Programme/Umeå Centre for Gender Studies, Umeå University, Sweden
      Hildur Kalman, Umeå Centre for Gender Studies/ Department of Social Work, Umeå University, Sweden

pp. 204-208

Promoting Noticing through Collaborative Feedback Tasks in EFL College Writing Classroom
      Osman Zakaria Barnawi, Yanbu Industrial College, Saudi Arabia , United States

pp. 209-217

Eliciting and Assessing Reflective Practice: A Case Study in Web 2.0 Technologies
      Kelly Parkes, Virginia Tech, United States
      Sara Kajder, Virginia Tech, United States

pp. 218-228

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

Fellows Announcement - Society for New Communications Research

Readers,

I am proud to announce that I have been selected as a 2011-2013 fellow for the Society for New Communications Research. I feel very honored as I glance through the list of new fellows:

Jeffrey Edlund, CTO Communications and Media Solutions, HP;

Jennifer Edwards, assistant professor of communication studies, Tarleton State University; 

Atanu Garai, consultant for India’s Population Council; 

Egle Kvieskaite, EU project manager, Vilnius Pedagogical University and director of the Lithuanian College of Democracy; 

Alicia Nieva-Woodgate, managing director, ANW Networks, LLC; 

Ingrid Sturgis, assistant professor, Howard University; and Dan York, director of conversations, Voxeo Corporation.

Here's the press release - http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebSNCRFellows/2011_2012/prweb5065694.htm

Please join me in congratulating the new SNCR fellows!

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

82(R) HB 750 - Introduced version - Bill Text

Readers,

Here is the introduced version of the senate bill focused on higher education institutions in Texas and handguns.

82(R) HB 750 - Introduced version - Bill Text

Author: Driver

Caption: Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on certain premises of or locations associated with schools or institutions of higher education.

Excerpt: CARRYING OF HANDGUNS BY CERTAIN LICENSE HOLDERS ON CAMPUSES. (a) For purposes of this section: (1) "Institution of higher education" and "private or independent institution of higher education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. (c) In this section: (1) "Institution of higher education" and "private or independent institution of higher education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.

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

Freebie Friday - Scotch-Brand Office Supply Coupons (Expires June 2011)

Readers,

The Freebie Friday is more of a Discount Friday this week! Using these coupons, you will be able to save money on your Scotch-brand office supplies! Each of the coupons are available in PDF format and they expire on June 30, 2011.

Here's the link - http://www.scotchbrand.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ScotchBrand/Scotch/Offers/One/

Save 75¢
off any one Scotch® Pop-Up Tape Dispenser or Handheld Dispenser

Save 50¢
off one roll of Scotch® Double-Sided Tape

Save $1.00
off any one package of Scotch® Clear Reusable Strips, Tabs or Sheet

Save 50¢
off any one Scotch® Advanced Formula Super Glue Gel or Liquid

Save 75¢
off one Scotch™ Precision Cutter

Save 50¢
off one roll of Scotch® Packaging Tape

Save 50¢
off one package of Scotch® Foam Mounting Squares

Save 75¢
off Scotch® Easy-Grip Packaging Tape Dispenser

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

Tweeting During an Academic Conference...

Readers,


I attend a few conferences every year and I enjoy opening my iPad and tweeting throughout the span of the conference. As a result, I am always on the lookout for great ways to promote my tweets and my website.


I enjoy meeting different people through Twitter and participating in actual Tweet-ups at conferences. Here is a great article for educational bloggers who post during conferences. 


Mark Stelzner's article, "How to Live Tweet a Conference", focuses on the following aspects of posting tweets during conferences:


Pre-Event
- Get a Press Pass
- Verify WiFi/Cell Coverage
- Confirm the Hashtag
- Configure Your Applications
- Bring Your Charger


"Live At The..."
- Be Wallflower
- Set the Stage
- Use Attribution
- Follow Others
- Perpetuate the Conversation


The Post-Event Wrap Up
- Measure Your Success
- Blog Content
- Thank Your Hosts
- Thank Your Followers


His article is available at this link - http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/05/13/how-to-live-tweet-a-conference/ 
Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Prezi - A Free, Online Presentation Tool!

Readers,


Earlier this semester, I was asked to serve on a search committee for one of the new english professors. During her presentation, the candidate opened my world to Prezi! This is an awesome online website for presentations! This website saves all of your presentations and introduces them to your audience members using an innovative format.


As a communication studies professor, I cannot wait use this website in my personal presentations and to introduce my students to the website!


Such a wonderful, free online teaching tool!


Sincerely,


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

2011 Horizon Report: Six Technologies in Higher Education (Time-to-Adoption)

Readers,

Technology in higher education both in student affairs and in the academic setting is very important to me. Personally, I feel that technology is going to lead higher education in a direction that higher education professionals are not anticipating (yielding both positive and negative results).

Here's an interesting article from the Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Edition titled "Six Top Tech Trends on the Horizon for Higher Education". According to this article, here are the top tech trends:

1 - Mobile Devices (i.e. - learning via iPad or iPad 2)
2 - Game-Based Learning (i.e. - interacting with avatars to learn the interview process)
3 - Learning Analytics (i.e. - great for assessment and evaluations)
4 - Electronic Books (i.e. - textbooks on the Kindle)
5 - Augmented Reality (i.e. - a mobile-based museum map, etc.)
6 - Gesture-Based Computing (i.e. - practicing surgery via the Nintendo Wii)

To read more about each of these technologies, you can access the report here - http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/HR2011.pdf

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

FREE Webinar Sponsored by the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities

Readers,

This is a GREAT opportunity (sponsored by the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities) for those of you who are focused on educational facilities (K-12 and higher education).

This FREE Webinar, "The Vulerability Assessment Process" will be presented by Dr. Arthur Cummins on February 28th at 11:00 a.m. (CST).

Here's some information about the webinar:

Dr. Cummins is currently serving youth as Director of Safe and Healthy Schools within the Orange County Department of Education. He oversees programming such as Health & Wellness, Sports & Physical Education, Food & Nutrition, Drug & Alcohol prevention, and Mental Health services. He has served as a classroom teacher and school site administrator in both middle and high school in the states of Oklahoma, Texas, and California.

Dr. Cummins also serves as the Southern California Lead for the School & Law Enforcement Partnership, which facilitates collaborative relationships between law enforcement agencies and school district personnel. He serves on the Executive Board for the California School Resource Officers Association as well. Dr. Cummins sites on the Board for the Orange County Drug & Alcohol Advisory Committee as serves as Co-Chair for the California Child Abduction TASK Force. Finally, Dr. Cummins serves on the Board for the Joyful Child Foundation providing prevention and intervention resources for missing and abducted children.

In addition to holding multiple certifications in emergency management, Dr. Cummins is also an approved trainer for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation which provides psychological recovery services to public and private school populations.

Register for the Webinar Today! - LINK

Enjoy!

Dr. J. Edwards

Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D. - Vice President of Education and Professional Development

Oh Happy Friday! - My Students Were Accepted to Present at a Regional Conference!!!

Readers,

I am too excited to announce that SEVEN of our Communication Studies majors were selected to present their papers at the Southern States Communication Association Conference in Little Rock, AR. The students worked VERY hard on their papers and they are going to have the experience of a lifetime by presenting their research at the conference!

Now, this wonderful circumstance has caused me to operate in fundraising mode for the past two weeks. I contacted two associations in which I am a member to see if any funding exists for undergraduate student travel. I was so excited, because undergraduate research travel is something that the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) actually sponsors! We are waiting to hear back from this organization.

In addition, my department head and I plan to meet with the undergraduate students several times before the conference to tell the students what to expect, proper conference attire, professional behavior during the conference, and our expectations.

Their papers will focused on undergraduate students' perceptions: of interracial relationships, other students with sexually transmitted diseases, and body type and interpersonal relationships.

Wish us luck! We are excited!

Sincerely,

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

Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series, Spring 2011

Readers,

Good morning! If you like taking advantage of FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS, then register for one of "Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series" Workshops! What a wonderful opportunity!

Here are their offerings:

1. Blackboard - Student Engagement to Help Students be more Engaged in the Online Classroom

2. Blackboard - Assessing Student Engagement for Continuous Course Improvement

3. Blackboard - Student Engagement in Online Classes

4. Effective Collaboration in Team Building in the Distance Learning Environment

Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series, Spring 2011

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

Freebie Wednesday - Free iPhone/iPad OneNote Application

Readers,

I hope you are having a GREAT week! This week's freebie is from the Apple Company! I recommended this freebie for my students this week and I also recommended the freebie to several colleagues.

Do not walk...but RUN to the Apple Store to download OneNote. :) This program is only available for a limited time only.

Good luck!

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

2011 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture - Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century University

2011 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture - Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century University
October 27-29

While the pursuit and transmission of wisdom historically has been at the heart of education, some critics of the modern academy claim that wisdom has been relegated to second-class status among the university's other goals. Separated from other aims—like discovering new knowledge or imparting marketable skills to eventual job seekers—wisdom too often is seen as the sole province of a few disciplines like philosophy and theology, and not at the center of the entire university's work and purpose.

But without wisdom, how is new knowledge to be used—towards what end? Without wisdom, how are university graduates prepared to seek meaning and significance in their lives, whatever their employment? Without wisdom, how does the university fulfill its enduring mission to nurture our human nature and serve the deepest needs of our communities, nation, and world?

We invite scholars and teachers from across the disciplines, college and university administrators, and students (both undergraduate and graduate) to join us as we explore these questions:

What is the nature of wisdom? Is it something that we construct, seek, or are drawn into? How do we encounter it in various disciplines? What curricular and co-curricular efforts might encourage wisdom's formation in students? How might educating for wisdom transform scholarly research? How might Christian universities—drawing upon the resources of the Christian traditions—seek and share wisdom and a love for what is true, good, and most beautiful? How might such wisdom be offered in the service of others?

Confirmed speakers include:

Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary—eminent Old Testament scholar and theologian
Celia Deane-Drummond, University of Chester—professor of theology and biological sciences and director of the Centre for Religion and the Biosciences
Andrew Delbanco, Columbia University—director of American Studies and Julian Clarence Levi Professor Chair in the Humanities; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and named by Time Magazine in 2001 as "America's Best Social Critic"
John Haldane, University of St Andrews—professor of philosophy and director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs; Gifford Lecturer, University of Aberdeen; BBC Radio contributor; chairman, Royal Institute of Philosophy
Anthony Kronman, Yale Law School—Sterling Professor of Law and former dean of the law school; author of Education's End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life
Candace Vogler, University of Chicago—David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor of Philosophy

We invite participants from a broad range of fields to contribute to an intellectually rich and faith-informed discussion about the wisdom and higher education. Individual papers, panel proposals, and discussions of current books are welcome.

Possible topics include:

Biblical, theological, and philosophical sources of wisdom
Wisdom as an intellectual and moral virtue
Wisdom in the sciences
Pedagogical practices and the cultivation of wisdom
Educating for wisdom and the global perspective
Liberal education and the crisis of the modern university
The history of the university and the loss and recovery of wisdom
John Henry Newman and the modern university
Co-curricular formation in wisdom
The possibility of wisdom in a culture of techne
Abstracts of no more than 750 words should be submitted by July 15, 2011 online at www.baylor.edu/ifl/bsfc_cfp. Call 254-710-4805 or send an e-mail to ifl@baylor.edu for more information.

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

The Next Big Thing in Digital Education: The Blackboard and McGraw-Hill Higher Education Partnership

Readers - Here is a great resource for those of you who are interested in "the next big thing in digital education". :) Enjoy!

Millennial Professor

Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

The Next Big Thing in Digital Education: The Blackboard and McGraw-Hill  Higher Education Partnership Thursday, February 17th @  2:00pm Eastern The evolution of mobile and digital technology has reached its next milestone  within education – interactive, digital content – only a few, simple clicks away.  Recent data shows that Amazon sold more eBooks than printed. And, the  increasing popularity of smart devices and mobile tablets (iPads) enable quick  and effortless, mobile consumption of content. The confluence of these  technologies with education is leading educators to the next frontier in how  they use technology in the classrooms. The next big thing in digital education  will allow educators to pull content – eTexts, video, labeling exercises, and more  - from proven learning object repositories directly into their courses with just  two or three clicks. During this insightful webinar, Katie Blot, Senior Vice President of Consulting  at Blackboard and a former CIO at the U.S. Department of Education, will lead  the conversation on technology changes within education and how  technology can: Shape the daily lives of educators and learners Promote student success, educator efficiency and thriving institutions Plus, take a look inside Blackboard and McGraw-Hill’s new, integrated solution.  The solution makes McGraw-Hill Connect®, a leading homework management  system in the publishing industry, and McGraw-Hill CreateTM, a tool to create  custom textbooks and eBooks, accessible from within the Blackboard LearnTM  Platform. It represents the deepest, state-of-the-art integration of  publisher content within a learning management system, to date. This  Webinar is sponsored by Blackboard and hosted by The Chronicle of Higher  Education. All content presented during the event is provided by Blackboard.

Valentine's Day is 10 DAYS AWAY!!!

Readers,

I am VERY happy that Valentine's Day is coming up in 10 days! February, the second month of the year, is always a rough month filled with midterm planning, tax preparation, helping students with their undergraduate research papers, and spending time with family.

However, Valentine's Day occurs during this month and I always look forward to this day! Usually, I bring a big basket of candy to class for the students and I place Valentine's Day cards in the boxes of all of the family members in my department. Even though some people feel that Valentine's Day is a day for manufacturers, I think Valentine's Day is a great day for professors to let students know that we care about them!

Need ideas for Valentine's Day? Check out these links!


Valentine cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/valentines-day-cards-and-stationery
Birthday invitations to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-invitation
Valentine’s gifts to http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts
photo mugs to http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs
Thank you cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/thank-you-cards

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

Happy Four Days of Snow!!!

http://johnnyyanok.com

Readers,

Texas is covered in a blanket of snow and my husband and I have been out of school for the past FOUR days! One of today's news stories focused on cabin fever. No, I will admit that we do not have cabin fever yet. Nor, do I think that I will ever get cabin fever on a snow day. :)

During our snow days, my daily schedule included: 

1. updating blackboard
2. responding to e-mail
3. updating my students' help documents for their research papers
4. conducting office hours
5. researching protection motivation theory
6. cleaning the house
7. conducting research and dating the library databases again... (it is a love-hate relationship, because I love logging on to the databases, but I hate them because I end up spending hours upon hours on the databases finding interesting articles).
8. AND keeping a cheerful attitude while being a great wife and mommy to my dog.

Snow days are fun, but I am almost caught up with my grading and I cannot wait to finally finish grading papers tomorrow (so I can finish my non-fiction book this week... I am very behind in my book club). :)

Take care & stay warm!

Sincerely,

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

Freebie Wednesday! - Chili's: Free Brownie Sundae with Entree Purchase

Readers,

If you have a week filled with meetings next week, try moving one of your meetings to Chili's Restaurant. It is a fun and welcoming atmosphere for meeting with groups of students or faculty. Plus, there is at least one Chili's restaurant in almost every college town.

Here is a coupon for ONE FREE BROWNIE SUNDAE with entree purchase - LINK. This coupon expires on February 10, 2011.

Plus, I tell my students about any simple discounts for their Valentine's dates. They really appreciate the tip and it is interesting that they view you as an actual human if you are striving the save money - because they are on a limited budget as well. :)

Thanks Coupon Cravings!

Enjoy!

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

Study: University Students Pick iPads Over Textbooks | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Readers,

A recent study conducted at the University of Notre Dame concluded that university undergraduate students pick iPads over textbooks. This study, titled the eReader project, took place in a project management class consisted of 40 students.

According to Jill Duffy a writer for PC Magazine, the students stated that "they learned more and enjoyed the class more". Here's the link to her article - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376165,00.asp

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