Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 5/5) - "But Why Do I Have to Take This Class"

Readers,

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :) I am highlighting some activities from our university's 8th Annual Excellence in Teaching Conference.

Here is our five highlighted activity! - "But Why Do I Have to Take This Class" by Tracey Holley (I am so proud of her! She is my colleague in the Communication Studies Department!)

A Small Description of the Activity:

Instructors of General Education courses face an uphill battle with student mentality.  Each semester for twenty-three years I have launched the first day session with an query as to why the students have chosen to take my class.  Each inquiry has resulted in the same response; they did not choose to take my course, it was forced upon them in the guise of a "requirement."  After approximately 186 repetitions of this question I have come to two conclusions: 1) simplified, students do not want to take my class.  If given a choice they would enroll in underwater basket weaving before Fundamentals of Communication. Students do not see an inherent use for the theories or skills associated with Communication studies.  2) It is my job to not only engage the student in a class that begins with a preconceived notion of uselessness, but to inform the student of not only the necessity of obtaining the skills and information the course provides, but the helpfulness of applying that knowledge in their everyday lives.

I plan to present my techniques for involving students in a core class from day one.  These techniques include perception quizzes, critical listening skills, critical reading, and cultural applications of skills. However, these skill are not presented to the student with the single objective of involvement, but also to ensure they understand the link between core classes and critical thinking/reading skills.  A final objective of these techniques is to enable the students to apply their knowledge to various situations, not just academia.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Holley_PP.pptx

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Holley_PP.pdf

Supplemental Material:

Ms. Holley used to ask her students why they are taking the course.   However, now she provides the students with quiz questions

- Examples - math, ... brain teasers

- Test their Frame of reference - 'take from' vs 'subtract'

- Critical reading and listening - animals on Moses' ark

- 'A bird in the the Hand' - stereotypes and perception process

- Nonverbal - nickels and coins

- Frames of reference - eg., napkin and serviette

- Repetition signifies importance - wood burning stove

- Gestures = importance

- Thought process

- Show them the necessity for the course and why it is required

- Recommended book to read is The Disappearing Spoon

- (See attached PowerPoint)

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 4/5) - "Using Adobe Captivate in Online Classes"

Readers,

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :) I am highlighting some activities from our university's 8th Annual Excellence in Teaching Conference.

Here is our fourth highlighted activity! - "Using Adobe Captivate in Online Classes" by Dr. Christopher Guthrie.

A Small Description of the Activity:

Based on my personal experience, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using Adobe Captivate to present course content in online classes.  My overall thesis will be that even thou there are some drawbacks to using this presentation software, the benefits outweigh the liabilities.  I will show pieces of my Captivate lectures to illustrate this presentation.

Activity Handouts:

Dr. Guthrie provided a short demo on how to use Captivate (an eLearning content capture and creation tool) to create interactive tutorials for instructors who design, create, and modify software demonstrations, interactive simulations, branching scenarios, and quizzes.

Features include:

- SWF (shockwave file) commenting

- Professional project templates 

- Customizable widgets

- Roundtrip PowerPoint workflow

- Table of Contents and Aggregator

- Text-to-speech functionality

- Rich animations

Supplemental Material:

http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 3/5) - "Microblogging with University Students 24/7: "Twitter Comes to Tarleton""

Readers,

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :) I am highlighting some activities from our university's 8th Annual Excellence in Teaching Conference.

Here is our second highlighted activity! -  "Microblogging with University Students 24/7: "Twitter Comes to Tarleton" by Dr. Ingrid Graves.

A Small Description of the Activity:

This study presents the quantitative and qualitative results of a Universal Design (Behling & Hart, 2009) modification to a face-to-face blended learning environment intended to quickly disseminate classroom information and provide for a diversity of learning styles.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Graves_Handout%20(2011).pdf

Supplemental Material:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Graves_Microblogging%20with%20University%20Students%2024.pdf

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 2/5) - "A System for Developing an Online Class that Works for Me"

Readers,

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :) I am highlighting some activities from our university's 8th Annual Excellence in Teaching Conference.

Here is our second highlighted activity! - "A System for Developing an Online Class that Works for Me" by Frank Ewell

A Small Description of the Activity:

In the process of constructing online classes over the years, I have developed a procedure that works for me. I believe that this system could work for other faculty in similar disciplines or at least help them plan and construct their online class. This is not a fixed system and I expect it to evolve as new technology becomes available.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Frank%20Ewell%20CITDEconfer.pptx

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Frank%20Ewell%20CITDEconfer.pdf

Supplemental Material:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Ewell_12%20Steps.pdf

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 1/5) - "Ticket in the Door"

Readers,

I love searching for new activities to integrate in my undergraduate classrooms (either face-to-face and hybrid classroom environments). Every year, our university hosts an Excellence in Teaching Conference that highlights innovative activities that Tarleton professors are integrating in their classrooms.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to attend this annual conference because it always occurs on the same week as the Southern States Communication Association conference. However, under the direction of Dr. Credence Baker and Mr. Doug Hanna, this conference has blossomed and has become one of the primer events on our campus.

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :)

Here is our first highlighted activity! - "Ticket in the Door"

A Small Description of the Activity:

To ensure that students are prepared for class, a Ticket in the Door is required.  The Ticket may be a highlighted reading assignment, questions for group discussion, information from websites that collaborate or dispute information from text, etc.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Calahan_Tickets.pdf

Supplemental Material:

http://teachers.tulpehocken.org/bdavis/Shared%20Documents/Learning%20Focused%20Resources/Ticket%20Out%20the%20Door%20Ideas.pdf

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Do You Recycle Your Syllabus Every Year? Think Outside of the Box!

Readers,

Sometimes, I have to remind myself, my students, and my coworkers to think "outside of the box". As academics, we can become accustomed to performing the same task the same way year, after year, after year... 

Think about your syllabus, do you just recycle the SAME syllabus EVERY SINGLE YEAR? Does your pre-fall or pre-spring process include changing the date and page numbers? Unfortunately, this process is true for many of my academic colleagues across the nation. 

Try something different this year, look at your evaluations and reflect on your personal experiences with the students in the courses. Take their suggestions into consideration. Talk to your colleagues at other institutions who are teaching similar classes and look at the blogs of professors who teach your courses at other higher education institutions.

My mantra for the fall semester is to "think outside of the box". What will YOU do differently?

Sincerely,

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

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Nonverbal Communication in the NBA Finals! - A Neat Classroom Teaching Tool!

Readers,


Last week, I was very excited to receive the following article via e-mail from one of my former students - Dallas' Secret Weapon: High Fives. He was very excited to apply concepts from our interpersonal communication class to the sports environment! Since, I have been watching the NBA finals for the past two weeks, I was VERY excited to receive the article from him.





I think communication and sociology professors who are teaching nonverbal communication principles can use the following video in their face-to-face and online courses. Players in the NBA use positive communication to communicate with their peers, why is it so difficult for faculty? Maybe this will start a trend! :)


Sincerely,


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.

Sustainability in the Classroom Events for Fall | Center for Teaching | Vanderbilt University

Sustainability in the Classroom Events for Fall | Center for Teaching | Vanderbilt University

I thought this article was REALLY neat! We had a "green" conference last year and I hope we incorporate some of these ideas from Vanderbilt University! :)

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

My Co-Sponsored Fall Project - “Diversity and Communication” Research Symposium

Readers,

Good afternoon! This semester, my colleague and I received a "Real-World Experiences Applied to Learning Real" (Keeping it R.E.A.L.) grant for undergraduate research and to plan our conference. Yay!

This conference is open to students (undergraduate and graduate), faculty, and staff. We are PLEASED that the grant committee picked our project! Here is the call for proposals I sent this afternoon:

If you are interested in presenting, please let me know! :)

Sincerely,

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

The Tarleton State University – Communication Studies Department will sponsor a “Diversity and Communication” Research Symposium on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 in TSU Dining Hall.

The conference planning committee is seeking panel and paper submissions from STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF focused on, but not limited to the following topics:

- Cross-Generational Communication (i.e. – baby boomers communicating with millennials)
- Small Group Communication and Diversity
- Organizational Communication and Diversity
- Instructional Communication and Diversity
- Social Media and Diversity
- Political Communication
- Interpersonal Relationships and Diversity
- Great Ideas For Teaching Education and Diversity (G.I.F.T.E.D.)
- Communication in Student Organizations and Diversity
- Diversity Programming Ideas

Panels (including roundtables and discussions) or papers/abstracts are possible forms of submission. Panels: Include a title, 100 word abstract, name of the contact person, and names, emails, affiliations, and addresses of all participants.

Papers/Paper Abstracts: Maximum length is 25 pages (excluding tables & references)
for a full paper submission or a one page abstract (with the expectation of a full paper at least two weeks before the conference). Include a separate title page to
conceal the author(s)’ identity. Title page should contain a 100-word abstract. Remove all author references. Designate “Student Authored” papers. *Full papers will be given priority over abstract submissions.

***Awards will be given for the Top Faculty/Staff Papers and Top Student Papers***

Deadline: Complete the conference submission form (http://www.tinyurl.com/diversityandcommunicationform/) AND e-mail papers/panels to Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards (jtedwards@tarleton.edu) no later than Friday, October 15, 2010 (midnight CST).

Attachments: E-mail submissions as e-mail attachments in MS Word (2003 or 2007) or Rich Text format.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards (jtedwards@tarleton.edu) and Prof. Cristi Horton (horton@tarleton.edu) via e-mail or telephone (254-968-9638).

***We are also seeking conference sponsors (on-campus and community sponsors). If your department is interested in co-sponsoring this conference, please contact us.***

The iPad Millennial Professor: Happy Independence Day!

Readers,

I love teaching summer courses because I can experiment with new technologies before the fall semester arrives. This summer, I used Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Presentation with my online classes (embedded in Blackboard).

In addition to the Google resources, I've been using my iPad (with 3G) to update the two online courses, grade assignments, and hold virtual office hours via Yahoo Instant Messenger.

I really like the fact that I do not have to wait until arriving home to update a Blackboard assignment or to respond to a student's email (teaching presence). However, I tend to sleep less frequently than I did before the iPad. It IS very time consuming, but for $30.00 a month for unlimited access, who can complain?

I am writing this blog entry as my husband drives us back from our July 4th weekend in Tyler. Talk about productivity!

Millennial Professor

Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.