C-c-c-changes

I can say with confidence this independent study didn't end where I thought it would. My journey was full of detours, unexpected side paths, and a troll or two. I thought I'd spend a lot of my time building stuff in Canvas. I thought I'd work with people on the grab bags they chose. And, for a couple of months, I actually thought I might fully develop one of my grab bag ideas. Instead, I tinkered with the grab bags, but never actually finished one. I conducted a needs analysis for a a course that made me crave simplicity for the students, and I worked on a proposal that was accepted. I spend a lot of the semester in a state of flux, of working hard to be comfortable with being uncomfortable - something I ask my students to do, and now I have a greater empathy for the challenge that is in practice. I like knowing things are completed, that I can check them off my "to do" list. Still, my learning in this course was staggering. I know the unplanned lessons I gleaned from working on the needs analysis for a course so foreign to me, so unlike anything I've ever experienced as a student, or designed as an instructor will stay with me. I saw firsthand the importance of how students perceive the content of a course. From things as seemingly benign as the number of course objectives to the way in which assignment details are listed, explained and expectations for completion understood.


At the time, I didn't understand some of Roz's ideas, methods, and lessons. Now I see some of the reasons for her madness. I didn't understand why she pushed so hard for the conference proposal. Not that I'm against conferences, but it isn't my focus area, and I wasn't sure that my proposal, that talking about the Chaos Dump I'd implemented in 259 would be of interest to anyone. Still, I submitted, and it was accepted. I went to Orlando. The conference was different than most I'd been to before because there were fewer academics and more business minded people, more professionals versus professors. I know from past experiences that networking is a key to attending conferences, and for me feeling as though I've accomplished something by going. Roz created opportunities for networking at this conference with a different demographic than I've been exposed to before. This was the strength of the conference for me. I gained new skills, learned new ways of networking, learned how to move in different circles within the larger academic world. Most surprisingly, one of the gentlemen who came to my poster session invited me to come to a conference he is a part of. I'm grateful for the opportunities that came as a result of this conference, I'm thankful Roz pushed me to do something that at the time I didn't think would really matter in the long run.

Mostly I learned:

What do you have to show for it?

Demonstrating learning, proving to others that learning has happened, and communicating the hows and the whys and the whats of that learning is one of the most challenging aspects of both teaching and learning.

I can know as a student that I have learned something, but being able to prove that to someone else can be challenging. This is especially true when the things learned are less formal, less quantifiable. Or when there is an element of novelty, or newness to the learning. It starts out with a strong argument of I KNOW THE THING. Then quickly dissolves into a puddle of gibberish interspersed with theorists, and rhetoric. Finally a quieter, you can't just trust that I know the thing that I tell you I know?! And maybe some impossible to follow hand gestures that show that I know the things I learned.

As I work through how to talk about the implementation of the chaos dump in my 259 course, I find myself stumbling over myself. I know what happened - I know what worked, I know what didn't. I even know why I did what I did and what I would do differently next time. But, how to package this information for those who are not in my head, who were not in my class all semester long is proving more difficult than anticipated.

I tell my students each semester that while I love technology, I still use "old school" methods - and my method of choice (or addiction) is post-it notes. I jokingly tell them that I probably couldn't teach without them. I'm fairly certain I couldn't be a student without them.

But, I used them to start outlining my thinking. I don't know that I have a solid idea for creating the packaging for my learning, but at least I know some of the skeleton of what I want to tell other people about my learning, and that's a start, right?!

How I Cite?!

I was asked about citations. How to teach, to create a lesson for learning how to cite. I won't lie, I didn't know what to think at first. I have no memories of being taught how to cite. I remember learning that plagiarism is bad, and to avoid it we cite our sources. I then remember buying the style guides for MLA and later APA - and then, when OWL became available it was like a whole new level of amazing. It was always one of those the teacher says "cite your sources" and I went home and followed the protocols laid out in the style guide of choice.

Now, just because I can't remember doesn't mean it wasn't taught. One of my friends told me I'd probably blocked it. And, based on the responses I received from several colleagues, I'd totally believe it.

Me: do you remember being taught how to use APA/MLA cite sources, etc?

S: High School, lots of worksheets - He gave us a lecture on it and walked through the generalities of structure, and then we had worksheets with examples of book titles/article  titles/pictures, etc, and we had to format the citation correctly - we also went through a  bunch of online resources like the Purdue OWL and autoformat options in word or online

Me: Were we taught how to use APA/MLA or like citation stuff?

K: We got a bit on basic how to bibliography in high school, then in my first tutorial [UK  University], they were like, ok, your first essay is coming up, here's how the department  cites and references - And basically it was just an example or two - we were just expected to figure it out

Me: Citations? Were you taught how to do them? If so, how? When?

B: Freshman year. Series of talks from the librarians - Also, in HS, we had a unit on it in our textbook - The mini version of the MLA handbook was a required reading/text for my freshman comp courses - But, again, I'd gotten it in HS, too.

It's pretty much universal that information (both print and digital) must be cited. In academic work, this can be hugely problematic if not done correctly. Yet, based on my own experiences, and those of my colleagues, all of whom have at least one advanced degree - training and education how to do it seems distinctly lacking. I think K's comment sums my understanding of the current situation well: figure it out. Yet, this doesn't seem like the best way of doing so. 

How can instructors help their students learn to cite things? I'm still thinking through this one. I had a colleague suggest worksheets, which she admitted were a dated idea, but would maybe help springboard the learning between "read about it and DIY" and an in-class lecture on how to cite information. Within the worksheet, she envisioned fill in the blank type activities where students would be asked where they would insert the title of the book. This is an area that needs more thinking - makes me wonder what other places are doing, how others are learning to do it. By initial questions make me believe this problem extends beyond the course I'm working with - how many students are left on their own to "figure it out", or are lumped into the "prior knowledge" bubble? 

Connected Learning

I'm gonna just leave this here...

Connected Learning: Interest, Peer Culture, Opportunities from Connected Learning Alliance on Vimeo.

One Word Approach to Course Design

#SIMPLIFY

Complexity

Thinking about assignments, about syllabi, about designing - when is it just too complicated? When are there too many steps? When does the message get bogged down in unnecessary layers of directions, suggestions, examples? Things intended to be helpful, to provide guidance for the learner can have opposite effect. 

For me, my goal is this: Making Rube Goldberg Devices is fun; Being a Rube Goldberg Device is not. 

KISS Method - or how not to hate everything about course design

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received when I began teaching was this: KISS. But, I didn't really like it when I first heard it because surely simple was bad, simple was lazy, simple showed that I didn't care about my course - right?

No. Simple doesn't mean any of those things. Simple means manageable, it means clarity, it means streamlined. Simple means it's something you can accomplish, and accomplish well. It's how you thrive as an instructor, as a student, as a curriculum designer. It's showing finesse in what you do. In the words of Coco Chanel: Take one thing off before leaving the house.

As I think about the participants in this program, I'm reminded of KISS because there is an urge to overindulge in "newness", in trying new things.

Newness isn't bad. Trying new things isn't bad.

Here's my urge, maybe my challenge: PICK ONE.

Only one. One thing to try. One assignment to redesign. One instructional delivery method. Maybe even, one lecture. Just one.

It's not impossible. It's vital. 

It will force you to focus. Force you to identify the most important, most vital, most in need of attention element of your course. Maybe you focus some other way. Maybe you focus by choosing something you know you can handle during a busy fall semester. However you chose, the important part is to chose. 

Remember: