Forks in the Road/Nodes in the Web toward Digital Learning Posted on October 6, 2014 by A+ Brooke Lester, CuratorI usually don’t see the fork in the road at the time I take it. It’s only looking back that I can say, “Huh. Made a choice there.” Or, occasionally, “Huh. Made a meaningful choice there.” As 2008 slid into 2009, a recent addition to the rank of PhDs and already-long-time member of the adjunct-faculty class, I read a blog post–I suppose for me in that year it must have been a blog post, rather than a Tweet or a Facebook status update–by Dr. A.K.M. “Akma” Adam, recommending his readers’ attention to a *then* recent digital learning video by Michael Wesch. It was “A Portal to Media Literacy” (2008), following upon Wesch’s “The Machine is Us/ing Us” (2007). Both presentations concern learning and the digitization of text…
Tech for Adjuncts: Four Commandments for Getting By Posted on August 18, 2014 by Josh KingcadeWhile full time faculty have access to equipment and training, many adjuncts must just wing it with what they already have…. I’m fully committed to a responsible and robust use of technology for my teaching. So what am I to do? Well, I’ve found ways to manage, and I’d like to share a few with you.
The Bible and Pop Culture: An Academic Journey? Posted on July 18, 2014 by Chris ParisWhenever I learn of classes that feature pop culture, my initial enthusiasm is always tempered by wondering how any of these courses can truly be academic. I had the opportunity to wrestle with this issue when Vanderbilt Divinity School allowed me to teach The Bible in American Culture….
E-learning or Correspondence? The Fine Line. Posted on June 9, 2014 by Cari CrumlyDid you know that there is a fine line when it comes to technology based instruction known as e-learning and correspondence? What’s the difference? Either way the lesson, assignments, tests, books, etc…are sent and/or received via mail, right? Okay, okay, maybe it is electronic mail, but isn’t it still correspondence? Well, let’s look at this a little more in depth….
Flipping the Classroom: Don’t Sweat the Technique Posted on May 12, 2014 by Richard NewtonFor those unfamiliar, the flipped classroom reverses the conventional teach-in-class/learn-at-home approach. Instead teachers introduce content in homework lessons, and students practice the material in the classroom. In theory, this will encourage more hands-on learning when students and teachers meet together. With the help of dynamic media, students can interact with content beyond the level afforded by the traditional lecture experience. Truth be told this is not a novel idea. Math and science educators, for instance, have been implementing this for the past 20 years. Humanities professors frequently harbor anxiety over what it means for our praxis….