What about the iPad?

When I first started using the iPad, I was really excited. I could sit on the couch in the living room and work on this tablet in the evening. But what I learned is that I could not easily access assignments in Blackboard, but the Discussion Board posts were visible with no problem. In later updates, the assignments came up as well, but only if opened using the "Needs Grading" window. Although this is a minor issue, I still can't scroll through the entire grade book on the iPad, so I seldom use it for Blackboard access. I am sure that newer Blackboard apps will come out to correct and improve the functionality of grading on this device.

The iPad is great for checking my work and personal email, the bank account, and Facebook. I also have a Brother app so I can print files open on the iPad at home. I can also access Dropbox files with the Dropbox app, which makes life really convenient when needing to access work files even when not sitting at my office computer. The trick here is that I have to save the files to Dropbox and not the Z-drive. I am sure many of you have much to share that would encourage me to use this device for even more work-related purposes. Please share.

One of the best attributes of the iPad is the larger viewing screen for many of my apps such as Kindle, Overdrive, and others. I can make the screen view a full page or turn horizontally to have a split page that looks like a traditional book. I feel that the iPad is a Kindle on steroids, and much more. If you are considering getting a Kindle, don't, unless you really want the smaller screen. I have been very happy reading books on the iPad. The lighting options, ability to increase font size, and so on are great. Even an elderly relative with very poor vision was able to read text on this device.

Also, my husband and I bought a Fisher Price case for the iPad and purchased some really awesome games for our grandsons. We believe a solid case is a must. The iPad has fallen off the back of our couch onto the tile floor more times than we can count--with no damage. If you have preschoolers, please check out Endless Reader, Endless Numbers, the Toca games, Monkey Math, and Monkey Preschool. I am sure actual parents of preschoolers know far more than a grandma.

Honestly, when traveling across country, the iPad was more comfortable to work on than the regular laptop when browsing and reading. When I had to get down to serious grading, however, I did go for the laptop most of the time. A laptop computer has a better work interface because of the stability of the shape and size as well as the traditional keyboard. I am not a fan of using the touch keyboard on tablet computers. Also, using the laptop would nudge me to go sit at the desk, which is better for posture.

One last tip--with an iPad, less is more. What I mean by this is that although many apps are free, managing the updates for all of those free apps can be time consuming. My suggestion is to keep your apps to the minimum of those you really use. Also, keep apps in handy folders. This will make the iPad more user friendly for you and those with whom you share the device.

I hope this brief blog will help educators who are considering what type of tech tool to purchase for home, work, and family purposes. I wish you the best in your decision.

Why I iPhone

Why am I glad that I got an iPhone last year at Thanksgiving? Well, it certainly wasn't so that my bill would increase. But I certainly have experienced many benefits, and so have my students.

1. I can receive all of my personal and work email up to the minute in this device.

2. In addition, the college and personal email are separated, so I can choose to view either one, or ignore either one.

3. Students now hear responses back from me far more quickly because they don't have to wait until I sit down at a computer to respond to them.

4. The iPhone has the ability to become a hot spot, so even when I am in an area where there is no phone signal, I can log in and check email, grade papers, and so on. Yes, it does run up the data plan, but seriously, I do it so seldom, that even on the long trip I took this summer, I never came close to using up the data available.

5. And then there is the all-too-popular Yavapai College app. Okay, so it isn't too popular, but I can still log in and see what the dining opportunities are in Prescott just in case I need to work on the main campus.

6. Navigation with the Maps or Google Maps apps has gotten me many places. All I have to do is type the address of the location I want to go, and these heavy-weight navigation programs get me there at least 90% of the time.

7. "Reminders" is another useful app for teachers. How many times do we think of something when walking back to the classroom only to forget about it on the way? With "Reminders," all we need to do is tap the app, hit the microphone button, and speak the reminder into the device. It will remain their until we delete it. Okay, so we still need to check the reminder.

8. I really appreciate the Calendar app. When I am in a meeting and need to check my schedule, I can see what is already scheduled to see when I am available. I can also add new appointments on the spot rather than waiting until I get back to the office.

9. "Spider," a solitaire game, also comes in handy when my brain is on overload, when I am stuck in the airport waiting for the plane to take me to a conference, or when I need a diversion. I do not suggest using Spider during class or office hours, of course, but I do think that a healthy mind is one that finds moments for relaxation.

10. And last, but certainly not least, is the Dropbox app. I seriously use "Dropbox" for all of my work files these days. I can access all of my files from work, home, and even iPhone whenever needed.

I hope you have found at least one reason to consider using a smart phone to enhance the options available. I know I have found even more ways to use the iPhone than listed in this blog, and I am sure you will find ones I haven't even discovered. Blessings!

Reflections

Participating in the 9x9x25 blogging adventure has been a rich experience. I have grown as a teacher, learner, and writer. For example, when writing the first blog on new student orientations, I finished and was pleased with the results. Then I counted the sentences and realized I only had 15. So I had to return and write more, which in and of itself caused me to dive deeper and add more specific details, and isn't that what I keep telling my students? By the end of this experience, I had to count sentences to hold myself back.

Then I wrote about the Ning thing. I had been wanting to write about that experience for quite a while, and this venue gave me the opportunity and an audience to listen. Thanks for the privilege! One blog never got published even though I had spent at least six hours crafting it. The title was Big Business, Big Government. I never seemed to get the right blend of what I wanted to say in a way that was not too political. I decided that was not where I wanted to go as a writer.

Reading comments from other faculty gave me ideas for teaching without going to an expensive conference or driving to Prescott for an Institute. However, I will say that going to one conference a year and/or attending both Winter and Summer Institute are outstanding opportunities. Yet, it is nice to have another way to gain new ideas, and virtually for free.

And when our blogging developed outside interest from other institutions, excitement grew. We read blogs from other institutions of higher learning and gave these faculty members' feedback on their blogs. When we received comments back, that was moving and delightful. Yes, Karly, I was sure you were right as soon as I had read the email you sent out. I saw that I had received a comment right after your email arrived.

But the best thing that blogging has done for me is getting me to write again. I have made a commitment to myself to keep blogging. I have been invited to write blogs for a writer who wants to take five weeks off for Christmas, and I feel ready to dive in. I also dug out the papers I had saved from my Creative Writing classes and want to revise and publish anything worthwhile. So, thanks for the challenge and the blessings that have come from the entire experience.

And thanks for the Ben & Jerry's, the certificate, the book, the hat, the USB drive, the cookies, and more. Good job, Todd and family! Hey, maybe I will have my students write a blog, and then have it be a reward. Why not!

Gearing Up for a New Semester . . Soon

Every semester when I see things winding down, the faithful students seeking to finish well, I think, wow, my work is almost done here. But then it hits me . . .  Think again! Now is the time to start building for the new semester.

So what process do instructors go through to prepare for a new semester? Instructors receive a new Course Management System (CMS) shell to build new content. That means we don't just copy the course from last semester and change the dates. Why not, you may ask? Each semester instructors find ways of teaching the class that they can improve upon. Often I write notes right onto the syllabus of the face-to-face classes to help me remember what changes to make. In online classes, I sometimes change the assignment the week after the students finish it so it is already ready when I do roll over content into the new Blackboard shell.

But I thought you said you don't copy the course. Well, since I am a limited human being, I do copy the main portion of the course, especially between fall and spring, and then I do the major rewriting during the summer . . . when I am off contract. But I still change textbooks, content, assignments, the way the directions are written to improve clarity, and so on.

Instructors also go to conferences and develop new ideas. In addition, most instructors network with other faculty at their campuses to gain insight into new and better ways to deliver instruction. We also network to make sure that students taking a particular course are getting a similar experience regardless of which section they take.

In fact, blogging here in this TeLS 9x9x25 challenge has become one more way for instructors, both locally and around the country, to similarly learn from one another and to network. I was pleased to get a great idea from a professor of writing from another institution today that I will definitely incorporate. And with funding for professional growth shrinking, we as instructors need to turn to the Internet for more and more ways to learn from one another.

One important point I would like to make about developing an online course is to write into it your conversational voice. Use proper grammar and punctuation, but write your personality into the course. Be warm and open in the voice you present to the students, and they will find you to be inviting. They will be more likely to contact you when they have trouble. The first time I taught online, I inherited a course from a professor at Northern Arizona University. I spent most of the rewriting just changing the information into my voice. And as Matt Pearcy taught us at the last Summer Institute, be sure to make your syllabus friendly for students.

And all throughout that semester, when students sent me an email asking to clarify directions, I was logging into the CMS to see how I could improve them. Each semester I seemed to have fewer emails with students having difficulty. If one student had an issue, I didn't consider it to be a problem, but as soon as I heard from two, I figured that a lot of others probably had the same issue, but didn't have the courage to ask or hadn't gotten to that point in the lesson yet. That is when I made sure I got into the course and changed things.

So here it is, November. Time to get started with Spring semester courses. Let's get our fingers nimble and go to work. After all, isn't that what Thanksgiving vacation is for? Well, at least after filling ourselves with turkey and thanking God for all of his many blessings, but seriously.

Signing off . . .

Intelligence and How to Get It

Here is one article I found in Facebook that I can't get out of my mind: There's one key difference between kids who excel at math and those who don't. The article states, "While American fourth and eighth grades score quite well in international math comparisons--beating countries like Germany, the UK and Sweden--our high-schoolers underperform those countries by a wide margin." The authors go on to say that "some influential voices in American education policy have suggested simply teaching less math--for example, Andrew Hacker has called for algebra to no longer be a requirement. The subtext, of course, is that large numbers of American kids are simply not born with the ability to solve for x. And how will that help America compete in a global marketplace?

Ever since teaching GED classes here at Yavapai College, I have been listening to students tell me, "I'm just not a math person." So why do I care? I teach English. Yet, the students who are good in math transfer this thinking into "I'm just not good at writing."

So what if you have trouble getting math concepts right away? Not all brains are created the same. We have multiple intelligences. Howard Gardener wrote books on the subject, and I even wrote a thesis on it. For anyone who really wants to dive into Gardener's theory, here is a list of his books: The Disciplined Mind (1999), Leading Minds (1995), Creating Minds and Multiple Intelligences (1993). For those of you who teach English or who wonder why I like to use collaborative learning, you can read my thesis.

But even if one student has more trouble than another in learning math or how to write, does that mean the student should shrug his or her shoulders and give up? Maybe in America, but certainly not in foreign countries. According to this article, students who have more trouble learning in other countries learn to work hard. What a concept! I remember my oldest daughter having such a struggle in college calculus. She told me that she was determined that no matter how many times she had to take Calculus II, she was going to pass the class. And she did. Eventually.

So how do we create a more dynamic educational system in our country, a system where people dive in when the going get tough? Where the challenged keep striving for excellence and intelligence in all we say and do? We as the adults need to change our language. We need to set the example. Don't say that we ourselves can't remember the times tables and dig out our cell phone calculator, for example. Don't tell our kids that mommy or daddy weren't good at writing papers in high school and then send the kids off to bed without at least trying to talk them through some basic ideas about a topic they are supposed to write about for homework.

That isn't to say we shouldn't also point them in the direction of a tutor, teacher, or friend who is good at the subject. But let us set the example of people who are willing to try, willing to strive for success, even when it is difficult.

To Dream Again

First, I had gone to school to be a medical secretary. Yes, we still used the word "secretary" in 1976. My parents thought that was the perfect career for a young woman who wanted children. I took Medical Transcription and Medical Office Procedures at Pima College.

After working a few years doing accounting, secretarial work, and other odd jobs working for the government and private industry, we got a break financially, so I went to college and earned a one year Certificate of Accounting. I really liked the whole way numbers worked together and came out even, if I didn't make any mistakes. So I worked in accounting for a number of years, and my husband went to college to pursue his dream: becoming an Elementary School Teacher.

A few years later our family of two grew to three, then four, then five, and then six as our children were born. My dream of being a stay-at-home mom had become a reality. When the baby went to kindergarten, I decided I no longer wanted to work with numbers, but with words. My dream to be a writer was born. Yes, I even published a poem and a cover story in a magazine.

With all of this sudden success, I panicked. I didn't want to be a good writer, I wanted to be a great writer. I started taking English classes and other general studies classes right here on the Verde Valley Campus. My instructors were folks you know: Ginny Chanda, Terrence Pratt, Di Dwan, Paul Ewing, and Jon Frericks. I felt like someone had given me the world. And eventually I was asked to apply for the All USA Scholarship and received it. The whole family said, "Go, get your education." I couldn't tell if they were encouraging me or trying to get Mom out of the house. Either way, I went. Four years later I returned to Yavapai College asking for work, and I was rewarded.

First I worked for Terrence Pratt as an English adjunct faculty member as well as for Northern Arizona University. Next, Barbie Duncan hired me to run the Learning Center half time. Then I was hired as the Verde Campus GED Coordinator and had a great time working with the students. Finally, Connie Gilmore hired me to be English faculty. What a ride! I was so excited, and I still love my job.

But it is time to dream again. No, I am not saying I want to stop teaching. Heaven forbid! I am saying I still want to write. Writing these blogs has been great fuel for the fire. I have also been working with a woman in Prescott Valley editing her children's book. Seeing her go through the process has been a delight. And reading about Karly's book and having another gentleman I know give me a copy of his second novel last week, well I think there is a message in here.

If any of you have a hidden dream, start polishing the metal in your spirit and go for it. I don't care if it is hiking the Grand Canyon, flying a helicopter, getting a degree. Whatever your dream is, pursue it with all of your heart. Who knows what great things lay ahead for those of us who dive in and believe. Wishing you all the best as you too, dream again.

Writing Curriculum: The Experience

This month I have been working on curriculum for a new English class here at Yavapai College. I have been trying to create a meaningful 200-level linguistics class, ENG220: Grammar and Usage, to help English majors get more variety in their second year. Currently we offer second year creative writing and literature classes.

The purpose of this new class is to give students confidence in grappling with phrases, clauses, sentences, and grammar in general. Students will also study dialects, history of the English language, and a few other topics to prepare them for the university environment.

Potential students for the class will not only be those who want to gain more confidence with writing, but also those who need a 200-level linguistics class when they transfer to Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University. The class may also transfer to other state university programs. We also hope that some students will take our course who attend other schools since the class will be offered online. Why would we put this class online? So we can draw from the entire county as well as from our own students who have transferred to a four-year school and who feel the need for some fortification of their writing once they arrive.

First I searched the Web sites of both Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Arizona State University (ASU) thinking these were the two most likely places our Yavapai College students would go. Neither site gave access to outside individuals to see their Course Outlines. I could find some program-level information as well as a list of classes offered at least for the next semester, but that is not what I was looking for.

Next, I contacted one of my former professors at NAU, and she referred me to a linguistics professor  there who taught the equivalent course at that school. The professor sent me a copy of his syllabus. I also contacted the NAU English Department, and the office personnel sent me a syllabus from his course as well as that of another professor. Now I was in business.

After having such a positive experience with the NAU English Department staff member, I contacted ASU and found that English department helpful as well. I received a syllabus for their equivalent class. When I had these three syllabi, I started creating Course Content and Learning Outcomes as a blend of what these professors' courses offer. I also wrote a Course Description.

Then I sent out the draft of the Course Outline to Burt Coffin, our ATF representative; Keith Haynes, English faculty assisting with developing new classes; Joani Fisher, Faculty President; Dean Holbrook, Division Dean; and Laura Cline, Curriculum Committee representative. These interested parties gave me feedback, and I continued working on the outline. Laura also told me that I would need to fill out the curriculum form, and I chose to use the Permanent Course Proposal since I would like this class to count as a Written Communication course in General Education.

While writing the Permanent Course Proposal, I decided to see if I could find a similar class offered at the University of Arizona (U of A). This time I called the English Department without doing an extensive search of the Web site and was emailed Course Descriptions the same day. I included the course number of the most similar class offered at the U of A into the Permanent Course Proposal and hope that the new ENG220 class will articulate.

After rewriting the Course Outline and creating the Permanent Course Proposal, I sent the two files to both Laura and Dean. Laura sent me a message saying that I needed to check one of the verbs to make sure it was on the approved list for Learning Outcomes, and I did make the change. She said that I could send it on to Patti Schlosberg to get the articulation with other universities taken care of.

The Course Outline and Permanent Course Proposal have been sent on to Patti, and now I can sit and wait to see how the course is received, how it will articulate, and to see when the new class can be developed. I look forward to a positive reception from our Yavapai College English Department for this new class, and I wish the first instructor well as s/he develops this class online. Blessings! Tina