Feverishly working on a compelling and discipline-reshaping publication? Racing to finish a few more titrations to better understand the molecular activity of iron-sulfur clusters? Simply been caught up in the busy world of academia? Well then, sounds like it's time for a break!
While there are loads of reasons to put off a perusal of the collegial conversations, pedagogical inquiries, and other developments on the GEDI Discussion blog, Friday afternoons tend to be perfectly situated for work breaks. So, grab a coffee (or tea), thumb through your notes from class, review your textual marginalia, and head over to see what your colleagues are up to. And please let the record state, there is some really thought-provoking stuff happening on the GEDI Discussion blog. If you haven't looked lately, here's a summary of recent posts (all this activity since Wednesday!) to whet your dialogic appetite...
"Look Before You Blog" - In this wittily titled post Cayce ponders the pros and cons of using student blogs in her composition courses. Citing a piece from the "Brainstorm" section of the Chronicle, Cayce (and author Gina Barreca) wonders about the hopes and goals for student writing (although perhaps most visibly a concern for English, this is something professors and students think about in all departments; we all write, what's the point?, what's the "best" method to encourage thoughtful writing?; more broadly, think about issues of critical consciousness from Freire) and whether or not blogs help students develop as writers, thinkers, and people.
"Information Management" - Building upon Wednesday's discussion about information overload and information management, Patrick raises some very important points about information control and our (both individually and collectively) digital personas and informational footprints. As discussed during class, the sheer quantity and easy accessibility of information are simultaneously the bliss and bane of the internet. Living hectic lives, it is of course important to think about how to more efficiently manage information (for research, teaching, social, etc.). This is, as Patrick points out, only one portion of the information equation. Thinking about how to control information is good, but we are doing ourselves a great disservice if we aren't also thinking about how information is controlling us. This might sound a bit doomsday-esque, but as Patrick states, "it is becoming increasingly important to make sure that we educate the students about the responsibility that goes with usage of such technology."
"Gmail Priority Inbox" - Do you receive more email than you know what to do with? Do you use Gmail? Well then, you're in luck. Eric has provide a nice trick for corralling the chaos of your inbox.
"Academically Adrift: Live Chat With the Authors" - After briefly mentioning this interesting study in class, in his post Jeff provides a nice summary of the study's primary conclusion. There are also two great links: (1) David Glenn's Chronicle article discussing the new book and (2) a Chronicle hosted live chat with the authors. Time and interest permitting, you are all strongly encouraged to attend the chat and delve more deeply into Arum and Roksa's disheartening, but motivating findings. And in the spirit of collegial digital dialogue, Cayce follows Jeff's lead and presents an interesting comment about learner-centered teaching and expectations (for both students & instructors) in the classroom.
"Students as Containers" - Digging into the text of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Samah writes about the banking concept and provides some anecdotal information that addresses the complexities of engaging students as active contributors (as opposed to passive receptacles) of information/learning/knowledge/etc. Working to revise a historical precedent that tended to promote a stand-and-deliver, hierarchical, teacher-knows-all classroom dynamic is a challenge (for both teacher and student). Administering change in incremental steps with transparency and openness is a more feasible (and probably more comfortable) method for restructuring the educational environment, but questions about student expectations still lurk. Grab your copy of Freire's texts and join the conversation...
This is but a sample of the fine ideas available on the GEDI Discussion blog. Please review the blog archive for a fuller picture of the intellectual richness. When inspiration or compulsion strike, feel free to contribute to these ongoing conversations (via comments) or initiate a new conversation (via new post).
