Happy Finals Prep-Week/Wandering Wednesdays - Frugal Scholar: Lessons from a Lifetime of Frugality

http://blog.hootmag.org/

Readers,

During this time of year, I am always searching for good deals for Christmas and for the month of January (which is always an economically LEAN month for our household). I am always reading frugal mommy blogs and frugal couple blogs to gain ideas and insight into how our household can save money. Here's my hidden secret, I also spend money on my "mobile classroom" at the beginning of each semester (even throughout the semester). The items that I purchase include the following: post-it notes, markers, in-class incentives, kraft bags for in class activities, books, etc.). 

Now, I am super excited to feature the following frugal professor blog (one of the first that I have ever seen). Introducing the Frugal Scholar Blog - http://frugalscholar.blogspot.com/. This author (who does not identify herself) describes herself as a, "pathologically frugal professor, wife, and mother".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sado27/4917385326/

I will definitely follow her blog via Blogger and I cannot wait to discover which subject she teaches and for which university she is employed.

Her recent posts in the months of November/December include:

Pre-Finals Week/Wandering Wednesdays - More Specials I Will Not Avail Myself Of: Black Friday and Beyond

Cheap Gifts for Your College Student, Adult Child, or Yourself: Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker

Gifts for Teachers: FRUGAL Gifts for Teachers, that is

Enjoy!

J. Edwards

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

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

Healthy Meals for Professors-on-the-Go (3/5) - Wandering Wednesdays - The Healthy Professor Blog

Readers,

Today's Wandering Wednesday's post is focused on "The Healthy Professor Blog". This blog is written by Dr. Nina Marinello for one of her local newspaper's websites. She is the Chair of Nutrition at the Sage Colleges and her posts focus on her classroom, her personal (and healthy) interests, and several tips for the community!

One of her most recent posts is titled "Fatigue, Food, and Friday". Here's the funny thing, I experience this phenomenon every Friday. During my 3pm slump, I have to find some nourishment and my body says...SOMETHING WITH SUGAR PLEASE! So, lately, I have been prepared to answer this daily message from my body with grapes and a cup of green tea.

I can tell that she LOVES her job, but I realize that sometimes we can become so focused on our work that we forget to eat and our bodies can definitely remind us of our mishap by growling or completing shutting down at 3pm/5pm. I can relate to many of her messages and I hope that she will continue posting messages to this blog!

Here's one of her most recent video-based posts. My husband LOVED the video and he plans to use it in his Biology classroom.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

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

Fun, Organizational Tips for Faculty (3/5) - The Teaching Professor Blog!

Readers,

This week's Wandering Wednesday post is focused on the Teaching Professor blog. This blog always features great ideas for college faculty who teach and who research. The Teaching Professor blog is filled with amazing ideas and focuses on the following subjects:

• the scholarship of teaching and learning
• classroom policies
• active learning
• assessment
• generational differences
• student performance

All of these ideas can definitely help college faculty become more organized and to help more students in less time!


Enjoy!


J. Edwards

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

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

Faculty Work-Life Balance Series (3/5) - Wandering Wednesdays - "Too Hot To Teach" Blog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dogwelder/

Readers,

This is our second week of school and I am very excited to share a neat blog with you. This week's Wandering Wednesday's Blog is focused on work-life balance and it is written by three lovely academic bloggers (Professor KM, Miss Kat, and Part-Time KC). Most of their posts focus on the celebrations and perils of being young, fierce, female and faculty. Wow, I remember those young and fierce days, now I feel almost tenured and _______ (insert adjective here).

Their blog helps me reflect on my first six years of teaching in higher education. Yes, it has been SIX YEARS! Here are the categories that are featured on their blog:

Annotated Bibliography

Career Change

Field Notes from the Classroom

Identity Crisis

It Never Ends

Their blog features a WEALTH of personal/professional reflection and an equal amount of neat teaching ideas. 

Visit their blog here - http://toohottoteach.com/.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

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

Hello Fall 2011 - Post 3/5 - Wandering Wednesdays - The Theatre Prof Blog

Readers,

This is been a great week! In addition, to the amazing first week of classes, I also found a great blog to follow! This blog is called The Theatre Prof and Prof. Michelle Stephens seems to be a very active user of social media in her personal life and in her classes. :)

She is active on Google Plus and I hope to learn A LOT from her about this software, because I am LOST on Google Plus! :)

Here are her most recent posts on teaching in higher education...

10 Ways to Use Google Plus in the Classroom

Dear Parent of a College-Bound Child

Report from the Trenches: Evaluating GooglePlus for Online Learning

Week Zero: Why You Should Engage Students Before Classes Start

Check Out Michelle's Blog! - http://www.theatreprof.com/

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

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

New Semester Prep Week (3/5) - (Wandering Wednesdays) - "Murphy’s Pondering Tree: Mark II" Blog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanfordedtech/ (Open Source)

Readers,

This week's Wandering Wednesday post is focused on the "Murphy’s Pondering Tree: Mark II" blog. The author, Steven Francis Murphy, serves as an adjunct instructor of history at a community college. His recent posts are focused on the upcoming semester:

Pondering Teaching Strategies for a Survey History Course

The Teaching Front: Spinning Up for Year 2011 - Fall Semester

The Teaching Front: The Latest Update on the "Why Did I Fail the Rest" Component of My Syllabus

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - Pilot Pens - "Get It Done Fun" (Printable Personal Organization Forms)

Readers,

As part of my organization journey, I am always seeking neat templates for everyday activities. Pilot Pens (http://www.notjustapen.com/) published a website focused on daily organization essentials and everything is free (just the cost of paper and ink for your printer). Here are some examples:

Enjoy!

J. Edwards

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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - "The Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment" (Youtube Channel)

Readers,

My husband, a high school science teacher, practices informal professional development by watching online teaching videos from the textbook companies and Youtube. So, I caught his professional development virus and I started watching online videos on instructional development. Western Washington University's "The Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment" has a wonderful channel on Youtube that provides viewers with a wealth of videos focused on faculty development! :)

Here are a couple of the videos:

Western Washington University - Teaching, Dialogue, and Tolerance

Western Washington University - Taking Exams Online

Enjoy!

J. Edwards

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

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

Wandering Wednesday - "The Worst Professor Ever: Alternative Adult Education"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazer73/ (Creative Commons)

Readers,

This week's "Wandering Wednesday" post is focused on the "Worst Professor Ever: Alternative Adult Education" blog. This is a neat blog by a female professor, Amanda Krauss who decided to leave the academy to "get a life in Austin". I think her blog is very interesting and I will definitely add her RSS feed to my Google Reader! :)

Check out her blog, "The Worst Professor Ever: Alternative Adult Education".

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - "Academia and Fashion"

Readers,

I hope each of you are having a great week! I am excited about this wonderful find for "Wandering Wednesdays"! Apparently, there is a hidden world of women in academic who love fashion as much as I do!

By simply clicking the link above, you can gain access to a list of academic blogs focused on fashion and academia! Very neat! :)

Although I do not frequently blog about fashion (I have a shoe post about once every year), I LOVE fashion! Especially suits and SHOES! Here's a recent pair that I purchased from Nine West to begin the semester. Shoes make me smile. :)

Enjoy!

J. Edwards

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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - "Digital Union Blog" from the Ohio State University's Office of the Chief Information Officer

Readers,

Every week, I enjoy reading the Digital Union Blog from the Ohio State University's Office of the Chief Information Officer. I love faculty training and technology and this blog merges both of my passions in one digital, easy to understand format. 

This blog features the following categories:

• Creativity
• Digital Media
• eLearning Event
• eLearning Pedagogy and Tools (i.e. - Conference, ePortfolio, Games for Learning, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Learning Spaces)
• Event
• System Management
• Technology (General) (i.e. - Mobile Devices and Apps, Social Networking and Apps)
• Uncategorized
• Workshops & Workshops Archive

The aforementioned categories combine to provide a comprehensive repository of resources for college faculty who are interested in improving their teaching skills and incorporating online technology in their face-to-face and online classrooms.

Wonderful website! Check it out!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - Educause's "7 Things You Should Know About" Series

http://www.flickr.com/photos/noranna/

Readers,

Today's Wandering Wednesday post is focused on my favorite resources on the Educause website, the "7 Things You Should Know About" series! Here are some recent (2011) articles from this series...


*Of course, you probably know which one is my favorite... the iPad one.. :)


7 Things You Should Know About Personalized Digital Magazines


7 Things You Should Know About Organizing Files in the Cloud


7 Things You Should Know About LMS Evaluation


7 Things You Should Know About Modern Learning Commons


7 Things You Should Know About Open Textbook Publishing


7 Things You Should Know About iPads Apps for Learning


7 Things You Should Know About Open-Ended Response Systems

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - Communication in Higher Education Blog

Readers,


This week (Independence Week), I am PROUD to feature the Communication in Higher Education Blog for Wandering Wednesday! This blog's author, Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, is one of my best friends and research partners in higher education. 

Although our journeys are very different (she is white and she works at an HBCU and I am black and I work a predominately white institution), we have a wealth of similarities! Last March, she spent quality time with my students and I at the Southern States Communication Association Conference and we had a great time riding the Little Rock Street Car and dining at one of the local eateries. This summer, she invited me to meet her students during one of their monthly "Pass It On" poetry slam events at the George and Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art. Her students' poetry was simply amazing! Here's a sample:

Throughout the past few years, we compared and contrasted our tenure track journey, which may be coming to an end very soon! I have enjoyed sharing my higher education experience with such a wonderful woman! Okay, now to her blog, Communication & Higher Education: Life on the Tenure Track at a Teaching Institution.


Through her blog, she explores life on the tenure-track at a teaching institution through the following lens: faculty life, socialization, issues faced by faculty, teaching and pedagogy, and technology in higher education. Her blog candidly explores trends in higher education culture, access, information flow, and faculty life.


Enjoy!


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

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

Wandering Wednesdays - Top 50 Blogs By Education Professors

Readers,

Today's Wandering Wednesday post is focused on a website titled, Ph.D. in Education (http://www.phdineducation.org/). This website is dedicated to providing graduate students with the information and tools needed in order to purse their doctoral degree in Education.

Recently, this website posted an informative post on the Top 50 Blogs By Education Professors

This post features the following sections - General Education, Education Administration, Education Technology, Elementary/Secondary/Special Education, Higher Education/Adult Education, Educational Psychology and Counseling, and Library and Resource Management. Here is the link to the post -
http://www.phdineducation.org/top-50-blogs-by-education-professors.html

Under the Higher Education/Adult Education section, the following blogs were featured...

A Millennial Professor’s View of Higher Education: This professor focuses on communication technology in higher education.

Rick Osborn’s Continuing Education Blog: A look at higher education and adult education.

Higher Education, etc.: This blog is written by a doctoral student, who also teaches classes.

CEHD News: A blog from the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development. Interesting news and resources.

ProfHacker: Information from two professors on teaching in college.

One Ontario College Prof’s Blog: A look faculty relations.

Adventures in Canadian Post-Secondary Education: An interesting perspective from this education professor.

Adrian Barlow’s Blog: The Institute of Continuing Education at Cambridge has a blog devoted to education.

Continuing Education: This adjunct offers great insights.

Great list! Check out their website and blog!

Sincerely,

Here's the link to their lists and website links -
Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

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

Wandering Wednesday - Jane's Pick of the Day

Readers,

Welcome to this week's Wandering Wednesday! I am excited about this week's website, Jane's E-Learning Pick of the Day, because I have been following Jane for the past two years! She is simply amazing! Everyday she posts an informative educational technology link on her website (which is linked to Twitter and Facebook).

One of her recent blog series have been the daily Twitter Digests and the monthly reviews. In addition, some of the posts are very specific, such as the 30 ways to use SoMe to work and learn smarter post.


Here's Jane Hart's contact information and links to her social networking profiles. :) She is amazing!


Twitter: @C4LPT
Facebook page: C4LPT

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

Wandering Wednesday - Instructify... Rest in Peace

Readers,


This week's Wandering Wednesday is focused on Instructify, an amazing website focused on free Educational Technology apps. Unfortunately, today's post has to begin with "Rest in Peace" to the Instructify website, because the website is "signing off". I hope the information will remain on the server and that current and future educators can access the content.

Check out their website here - http://blogs.learnnc.org/instructify/.


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

Wandering Wednesday - EmergingEdTech: Engaging Student and Enhancing Learning Outcomes and Internet and Instructional Technologies

Readers,


Today's Wandering Wednesday website is the EmergingEdTech: Engaging Student and Enhancing Learning Outcomes and Internet and Instructional Technologies. I have subscribed to this website's RSS feed for the past year and I enjoy the updates, because they are always informative and educational!


Every weekend, the author researches a relevant topic, writes an article about that topic and then he creates a video focused on his selected topic. Here's an introductory video for his website:

The authors provides his readers with timely posts focused on relevant topics!

His "Posts Index" is very comprehensive and it focuses on the following:
- professional development
- educational technology inside and outside of the classroom
- the future of education technology
- specific technologies and products
- education technology organizations and sites
- special needs students


Check out his website!


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

Wandering Wednesday's - Professor Josh's Blog

Readers,


This week's Wandering Wednesday is focused on Professor Josh's Blog! Professor job works at Valencia Community College as an Instructional Designer. On his blog, he writes about teaching in Central Florida, education, random information, tech tricks and tips, travel, and teaching. He integrates his blog with Twitter and he features the tweets on his blog. :)

Recently, he posted a video from a recent conference presentation titled, "#SMCEDU Millennials, Social Media, and Education: Connecting With Your Students Webinar". Here's the link to the Webinar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5uhsCkt2WE&feature=youtu.be.


Follow Professor Josh on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/professorjosh


Sincerely,

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

Wandering Wednesdays - Center for Teaching, Learning, and Academic Technology at Dillard University

Readers,


Last week, when I was searching for teaching and learning centers. I discovered a blog from the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Academic Technology at Dillard University (an HBCU in New Orleans). First of all, I am a fan of technology AND HBCUs and this blog combines both of my interests!


It seems that the DU CTLAT updates their blog on a daily basis. Their updates include: call for papers for journals and conferences, updates from the diverse issues in higher education, and teaching tips (and resources).


I visit this blog almost every day and it seems that the DU CTLAT updates their blog at least three times a day! :)


Sincerely,


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

Wandering Wednesdays - The Tenure Track Blog Graveyard & Hope

Readers,

For this Wednesday's Wandering blog posts, I decided to look for blogs that fit my current situation....the tenure track. Unfortunately, almost every blog that I encountered did not have current posts. For example, one blog focused on one person's first year, but the person never persisted to the second year of their tenure track blog posts. Here are some examples:

Life on the Tenure-Track for a CJ Prof

http://cjprof.blogspot.com/

Teaching and Service and Scholarship! Oh My!

http://tenuretracknewbie.blogspot.com/

Tenure Track Woman

http://tenuretrackwoman.blogspot.com/

After looking at these forgotten blogs, it makes me wonder about the individuals who started the blogs (mostly women) and their ultimate fate. Did they receive tenure? Did they become stay-at-home mothers? Did they become discouraged in their blogging journey? Unfortunately, these blogs are like forgotten tombstones in a overgrown cemetery. Just left and forgotten without any flowers (blog comments) or mentions (on others' blogs).

Then, I started looking for recent blogs on the tenure track process (updated in the past month).

Communication and Higher Education: Life on the Tenure Track at a Teaching Institution

http://www.commhighered.com/

Balanced Instability: Adventures on the Tenure Track

http://scientopia.org/blogs/gertyz/

On the Fence: A Blog for Indecisive Academics Who are on the Market, or Currently Employed in Academe, But Considering Non-Academic Job Options

http://phd-onthefence.blogspot.com/

Babies, a PhD and Me

http://phd-onthefence.blogspot.com/

Now these blogs were inspiring. Most of them are written by women and most of them focus on work-life balance, a subject for which I have a large interest. I am very excited about following these four blogs focused on the tenure-track journey and I hope you will follow them as well!

Sincerely,

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