This Week's Playlist for Grading Papers!

When I busy grading speeches and papers. I HAVE to listen to music OR watch a good movie. For some reason, this helps me focus on the task at hand. I know that I only have a playlist or a movie worth of grading to complete, so the process begins and ends when the playlist/movie is complete. Enjoy!

Millennial Professor
Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Millennial Musings - Southern States Communication Association Conference 2010

Millennial Professor
Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

A Millennial Professor's Musings: SSCA 2010/Allergens/Stressors/De-stressing...

I admit, the life of a millennial professor never ends. On Sunday, I arrived back from the Southern States Communication Conference (held in Memphis, TN) at 10:00 a.m. The night before leaving Memphis, I typed and submitted minutes from a conference committee and then I created a sample template for the call for proposals (2011) for a committee and I sent this document via e-mail to the appropriate people.

So, this leads me to Sunday - which I spent taking allergy meds for eight hours and then I spent four hours grading speech outlines via blackboard for a COMS 101 course.

Sunday was finished and Monday morning arrives. Now, take into account - I took so much allergy medicine on Sunday that I was VERY tired and groggy on Monday morning. So, I drove 45 minutes to the university and had a cup to tea to dilute the meds. Thank goodness for tea and the 9 am class because both of these provided a GREAT start to a very long day! After spending the night grading speech outlines I noticed the need for students to find additional research for their topic. This additional research is best accomplished in a computer lab, which is conducive for college student research synergy! It is AMAZING what happens when you place 25+ students in a computer lab (all working on the library's databases). I was able to reserve the library for Monday morning (thank God) and the students were able to obtain their research.

The upper level class is working on their scholarly research papers (that will be submitted for publication) and this class met in the computer lab as well. They are using GOOGLE DOCUMENTS to write their papers and to analyze their data. This has been a great process, but I will write about this in ANOTHER blog entry (and a scholarly paper).

So, after my 1pm class and three cups of coffee AND tea, I was exhausted. When I arrived home around 5pm, I had a bite to eat and took a quick nap. The husband arrived home and I had this GREAT idea to mow the front and back lawn AND to put our raised bed kits together. So, we accomplished all of this, and here is the result....

Millennial Professor
Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Help a Millennial Professor!!!

Hello!

Please help me improve this blog by taking a short poll! This poll is located at the top of the blog - http://millennialprofessor.blogspot.com/

The Monday AFTER Spring Break

Amazingly, I am very excited about this week. My students had a break (thank goodness) and they are refreshed and ready to go. Surprisingly, the students on the back row of the class were extremely responsive today. Thank goodness for spring break!

Here's an update from Friday's list.

a. grade a qualitative blackboard test

b. update my google calendar (for work and home)

c. start my literature synthesis for research with Lora (keep me accountable)

d. create a HBCU/HWCU research boot camp strategy for my grant

e. find a journal for the HBCU/HWCU article

f. reply to my google and university e-mail accounts

g. critique speech topic proposals

This week, I have to:

a. Post the COMS 101 Online Weekly Assignments/Chapter 5 Notes

b. Grade a late speech

c. Start my literature synthesis for research with Lora (keep me accountable)

d. Create a HBCU/HWCU research boot camp strategy for my grant

e. Find a journal for the HBCU/HWCU article

f. Finish my presentation for the Gulf South Summit on Service Learning and Civic Engagement

g. Return some books to the campus library.

Seven items so far! I am excited! In addition, I turned in my grant proposal paperwork. Thank goodness! Now, time for the research!

Millennial Professor

The Blissful Back to School Process

I am too excited! My university goes back to school next week! No, I am not insane. Since last Friday, I have organized and cleaned EVERY inch of my house. In fact, I made a list:

Msg. sent to a friend during spring break...
I bought groceries, rearranged my office, swept the floor, cleaned the fridge, baked banana nut muffins, cooked dinner every night, purged lots of paper (ready for recycling), starting online bill pay for ALL of the household bills, started updating our monthly menus on a 2 week rotation (let me know if you want to see it).... I think that's it. In addition, I plan to finish reading three books before this "filled" week is finished. over with and I need to grade papers.

During the next 72 hours, I need to start my school preparation process. I need to:

a. grade a qualitative blackboard test
b. update my google calendar (for work and home)
c. start my literature synthesis for research with Lora (keep me accountable)
d. create a HBCU/HWCU research boot camp strategy for my grant
e. find a journal for the HBCU/HWCU article
f. reply to my google and university e-mail accounts
g. critique speech topic proposals

Okay, I need to get started!

Millennial Professor

President Obama's Big Day!!!

I am watching events as they happen this morning. For the past couple of days, my father-in-law has been sending us pictures from the events in Washington, DC. I am glad that someone close to me attended the events in Washington this week. 

As I watch CNN, Fox, CSPAN, and MSNBC, I wonder how many college students are present at today's event. It seemed that a majority of college students were supportive of President-Elect Barack Obama. A majority of students at my campus were supportive of Senator John McCain (according to a campus poll), but I am glad that they were active in the voting process. Personally, I think that both of the candidiates were wonderful, but the people of America supported President-Elect Barack Obama as America's new leader.

I hope and pray that today's events occur without disruption. Bless the new President.

***Take a look at Barack Obama's Myspace Page

Millennial Professor

Does Graduate School Prepare Millennial Professors for the Professional Environment?

I really enjoyed my break. I had a chance to visit family, to shop, to wrap gifts, to CLEAN MY HOUSE, and to spend time with my husband. In addition, I temporarily gave up my "24 hour professor syndrome" for three entire weeks. However, on new year's night, I responded to e-mail in my university inbox and I completed a information security training during the celebratory ball descent. 

The interesting aspect of my eventful new year's night is...I celebrated the new year in a completely different way BEFORE graduate school and becoming a professor. Today, I operate under the mantra of professionalism at all times. I never know when I will come in contact with a student at the local Chili's restaurant, Kroger, or at Wal-Mart. 

It is amazing how graduate school acculturates future professors for their teaching job. However, I was a student services practitioner before I joined the tenure track and I gained a wealth of experience in professionalism with undergraduate students.

Do you think that professors should have professional (or more relaxed) relationships with students? Does graduate school prepare millennial professors for the professional environment?

The 2009 Outlook -Tenure Track Goals...

I am too excited about this new year! It seems that 2009 is going to be one of the BEST years. I am finished with my doctorate, my family is settled in our community, and I am ready to write. Here are my goals:

a. To maintain work-related interpersonal relationships.

b. To write a scholarly article every two months.

c. To keep the blog updated at least two times every week.

d. To read at least two scholarly articles a week.

e. To keep an organized and updated calendar.

     This year's goals are smaller when compared to last year's goals. I shortened this year's goals to start on a focused path towards tenure. Last year, I gained wonderful mentors that I need to stay in contact with this year. In addition, I will try to attend as many academic conferences as I possibly can. Networking and organization are the keys to a successful 2009!

Black in America?

I am watching the first day of the CNN special "Black in America" and I decided to blog during the two day special. After these two days, I will post a couple of posts related to: (a) the impact of gas prices and higher education, and (b) how to engage students on the content management system websites.

"The Black in America" Blog Special:

Paying Students to Learn
The African American drop out rate. This aspect of the special was heartbreaking. I feel that I am so far removed from the secondary school environment that I do not know about the startling statistics pertaining to the high school graduation achievement gap. One professor had a solution (grant funded, I believe) to increase the high school graduation rate for African American students. His solution was to pay students to stay in school and to achieve. I think that the average student received $65.75, but these students were in elementary school. I wonder how this would work at the high school level.

My Take
Interesting enough, I am launching a weekend-based college prep academy for junior and senior level high school students. This academy will teach students about college admission secrets, scholarships, and SAT/ACT preparation. After the workshop, I want the students to have access to my personal e-mail address and cell phone number. Most of the students will come from underrepresented populations, but I want EVERYONE to have access to this workshop.

While watching the CNN special, an interesting thing has happened tonight. I received 10+ telephone calls and text messages from friends/former students who wanted to make sure that I was watching the special. My husband wondered if people of other races were watching the special. Were they? Not sure.

Potential Impact
However, I think that this special will result in a preponderance of scholarly articles and newspaper articles on this issue. In addition, this will be an interesting issue for my Intercultural Communication course in the spring. I hope that CNN has a Hispanic American special as well.

We shall see. Any thoughts?

MP

New Blog Feature - "Ask a Millennial"

Today I introduce a new feature....

Every Friday is "Ask a Millennial" Day!

Every Friday, I will address several questions that were submitted (millennialprofessor@gmail.com) from the prior week. Please ask me questions about:

• millennial students in the classroom
• student engagement
• millennials and the media
• professors from the millennial generation
• the work/life balance for a millennial
  
• teaching online
• using WebCT/Blackboard in a face-to-face setting
• or almost" anything!

I look forward to receiving your questions and I will respond on this Friday. Again, please direct all questions to millennialprofessor@gmail.com.

-Millennial Professor

Millennial Motivation for June (Itunes Style)

I had to get motivated to research (and work out) this summer. Therefore I made a new playlist. Millennials get motivated by MUSIC and I decided to share my playlist with you. Just the top 20 songs (*smile).

*Please remember that some of these are VERY old songs (from the 90s). 

• Butterfly - Crazy Town
• Crush - Jennifer Paige
• Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
• World Town - M.I.A.
• Bamboo Banga - M.I.A. 
• A Milli - Lil Wayne
• Lollipop - Lil Wayne
• Be Good to Me - Ashley Tisdale
• Foolish - Shawty Lo 
• Cyclone - Baby Bash
  
• Gonna Make You Sweat - C+C Music Factory
• And Then What - Young Jeezy
• Gimme More - Britney Spears 
• Wall to Wall - Chris Brown
• Shining Star - Earth Wind and Fire
• Love Don't Cost A Thing (RJ Schoolyard Mix) - Jennifer Lopez
• Whine Up - Kat DeLuna
• Just Fine - Mary J. Blige
• Work That - Mary J. Blige 
• Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna
• Take You There - Sean Kingston

In fact, I might post a monthly itunes list.

-Millennial Professor

My Minimester Hiatus: More Great Classroom Ideas to Follow!!!

Readers,

I am nearing the END of my minimester and I have lots of interesting ideas that have emerged during the past few weeks. Please subscribe to my blog, because you will receive MANY millennial professor ideas in the next few weeks.

I am excited about having the summer off and I am going to focus on the blog and the scholarly research.

Via Con Dios! I will be back in a few days! Minimester awaits!

Sincerely,

MP

Millennials and Minimesters

The Semester is Complete!

Well...the minimester starts in a few days. I am actually excited about teaching yet another minimester because the students are engaged with the course content for 2 1/2 weeks. They are not taking any other classes and the professor usually forms a strong connection with the students during those weeks.

The past few times that I taught a minimester course, I served as an adjunct at a community college. That course would usually have students from two of the flagship institutions in my state and some local students who attended other community colleges and universities.

The course was one of the most rewarding courses in my career, because the students in the course became very close (both traditional and nontraditional). Since the course lasted 3 1/2 hours, I would have divide the students into groups and I would have the groups of students bring snacks for other students on designated days. This small gesture helped the students look forward to the next class day. Of course, I would bring snacks on the first day to "model the way".

I have to leave all of your with this correlation between millennial students and minimesters. Please remember, millennial undergraduate students usually want to finish their courses and their college career in a short amount of time. The enrollment in the minimester course that I am teaching in a few days reiterates this "millennial" point.

MP

This American Life

This American Life: My Guilty Pleasure

On a gloomy Saturday evening, people tend to focus on activities that are lower on the priority list in the work week. All day I have been glued to my laptop listening to podcast after podcast of my favorite online show "This American Life". I would have to say that this is my guilty pleasure. This podcast has very interesting stories, which range from an environmental expose' on the diminishing landmass of Nauru to an ethnic doll selection process as perceived by little girls and their mothers.

Yes, I have been an avid podcast listener today, but I have also completed the following:

(a) read and outlined two academic books
(b) created a 2008 monthly budget
(c) created family dinner menus for everyday
(d) sorted through my 1,000+ articles on google reader

Now, for another podcast - 307: In the Shadow of the City

Two Down...10+ More to Go

My goal for this new year was to continue writing in my blog and to publish as many articles as possible. I am continuing to work towards the second goal and I am lacking in the goal one department.

From the beginning of the new year until now, I have written and submitted two articles already! I am quite excited and I am working on a new article about service learning and millennial students.

This year I am also focused on collaborating with other faculty on campus. I already have one collaboration and I am working on a few more. Hey, the more the merrier.

My classes are going well this semester (it is the first week) and I am introducing a new course that is focused on intercultural matters. I will keep you updated.

Last but not least, I leave you with Nathaniel's wonderful Yo Gabba Gabba video. Over the holidays, I was able to watch A LOT of youtube. Nathaniel is hilarious and I have never seen the show Yo Gabba Gabba, but it looks like fun.