I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. ~attributed to Etienne de Grellet~
This is the first post in a series about building an online course quickly, not just transitioning a F2F class to remote teaching. If you are gearing up for a third trimester of teaching, preparing for an intensive May term, or looking ahead to summer (when classes probably won't be gathering F2F) or fall (when... Continue Reading →
If you only know me through this blog, you might not know this about me: I'm an eternal optimist. I've never learned how to believe less in people, even when that would have been wise. I assume everyone is trying their best, assign good intentions, and believe we all want to become even better. It's... Continue Reading →
Overfunctioners, people ready to lean in, grit boosters, and all others who demand that everyone around them rise to the occasion-- Many of your students are here, and many soon will be as illness spreads. You might be here already, or you might end up here: Above, Maslow's hierarchy of needs. From the base:... Continue Reading →
Today's post is by Dr. Monika Myers, a sociologist who studies masculinity. I'm grateful for her insights and contributions to this conversation. In the past few days, a gendered pattern has emerged about social distancing. Women are complaining that their male partners refuse to stay home. Men are complaining that women are overreacting. I believe... Continue Reading →
Thanks to the many of you who have reached out to share that my recent post about using pedagogy, not unfamiliar technology, to teach compassionately during a time of crisis has been useful! And thank you especially to administrators who have embraced this position--your faculty need your assurances, and the message to teach with compassion... Continue Reading →
You're stuck inside. Maybe it's snowing. (Sorry friends in Colorado!) Or maybe it's a sunshiney almost-spring day and perfect for sitting on your porch swing or hauling your lawn chair to a shady spot at the park, six feet or more from others, to read. In any case, you can get free shipping anywhere in... Continue Reading →
Now, obviously, you know them better than I do, so listen in this blog post for what is useful to you and ignore the rest. And even if we teach at the same university, in the same program, you know them differently than I do. Even if we teach the exact same students, we know... Continue Reading →
I'm a big fan of online discussion boards (even for F2F classes) because they can foster thoughtful, deep conversation and still be easy to grade. Good questions make them possible, but, of course, you have to have students being respectful and engaged. How to do it? First, a clear policy of expectation. Something like this... Continue Reading →
Elsewhere I've argued that online discussion boards can be lively, engaging, and deep, involving more students than a typical classroom discussion and prompting more careful thinking and respectful engagement. But how do you get there? It all begins with the questions you ask. What your students talk about on discussion board will of course vary... Continue Reading →
Do you dread discussion board conversations from students because they devolve into students latching on to one good answer and all simply agreeing with it--or, worse, running the whole sentence through a thesaurus so they each say the same thing in a slightly different (and increasingly wordy) way? It doesn't have to be that way.... Continue Reading →
Rebecca Barrett-Fox 