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Friday, June 24, 2011

Reflecting: Neal/laeN

I am finally getting around to my requested reflection (before the deadline even)

1. What worked? What would you celebrate?
In general, I always celebrate the learning that I have undergone (and continue to undergo) as I continue participating in the SUSTAIN project. The ability of a disparate group of faculty to convene on a regular basis to talk about something very risky and poorly understood demonstrates a commitment to try new things and even learn. Much of this learning has been painful given the seeming misunderstanding that often seems to happen but I even celebrate that.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Research basis of the SUSTAIN initiative

Hi all, Ginger requested a look at the research basis of the SUSTAIN learning initiative.  This isn't the best description, but it brings together many of the ideas.

Download the file here: (To download page)

Recreating the experience of English...

It occurs to me that Kathryn might not have the experience of being heard.  I'd like to recreate what I understand as the experience of the English folks at a polytechnic (Kathryn, please feel free to edit...you and all have administrative power so can edit any message, just click the little pencil icon at the bottom of the entry).

What is it like to teach a "service course" at a polytechnic university?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

I'm too wordy for a "comment"


Linda,

I do not mean to suggest that "my contribution to a student's education is more valuable than yours." I am saying that my discipline has years of research to demonstrate small class sizes promote better student learning with respect to writing.

Further reflections: Kathryn

I’d like to respond to Pete’s posting, but my “comment” turned into another entry, so I’m putting it here instead.
I really appreciate Pete’s thoughts, but I think maybe I wasn't as clear as I could have been.

Pete's posting

Hi all, I'm posting this for Pete because his account is somehow cursed.  This does happen in cyberspace sometimes.  I myself have terrible technology karma.

In the words of Pete (verbatim):
When I said that I want to start over, I really meant it.  I mean, we can’t go back to March, and we have other plans for summer, but I can’t go forward as if this meeting never happened, and I don’t agree with Linda’s “we’re finished”.  I’m not finished.  I have a relationship with Kathryn and English that needs attention.  This wounded conflict is underpinning what we’re trying to do.  Furthermore, it also represents the foundation of what we stand for – that is working together in trust.  We can list a number of things that need to be done such as setting a schedule and recruiting freshmen, and I agree that this needs to be done.  However, the fact that English and possibly Math don’t trust us is an ongoing discussion that I feel compelled to continue.  Questions for Kathryn, Ginger, English, anyone else.  Do you want to trust Engineering, other departments?  Do you want to work on this?  What would you like to see happen? Is there any structure that could be put in place that would help this?  What metrics could we use to measure progress?  Did you like the idea of a writing requirement for a physics lab?  I am concerned that isolating English in the curriculum will identify it as something less important – do you have this concern?  What could we do about it?  Could we aim fall quarter to reassess where we are for Spring Quarter to consider if English and/or Math would like to (not be willing to, but would like to) join the “flock”?