Moore's Musings:
Working to Avoid Shallow ‘Resting Places’

It is Doubt (so often initially experienced as weakness) that changes things…When hard-won knowledge evaporates before your eyes, you’re on the verge of growth…Doubt requires more courage than conviction does, and more energy; because conviction is a resting place and doubt is infinite—it is a passionate exercise…We’ve got to learn to live with a full measure of uncertainty. There is no last word. That’s the silence under the chatter of our time.

John Patrick Shanley, (author of the play Doubt),
“Embracing Doubt,” 2005

Recently I had the opportunity to see a Seattle Rep production of John Patrick Shanley’s provocative play Doubt and it seems quite appropriate to use it as a springboard for some reflections as we head into a new academic year and what promises to be a livelier-than-ever election and legislative season with respect to educational issues, both here in Washington as well as nationally. The play raises powerful questions about certainty and doubt: how can some people be so certain about things when they have little or no evidence, and what are the implications and consequences of that certainty? While the play uses a Catholic parish school as its setting and context, to me the connections to education and policy are pretty clear and important to consider. In Washington state [ read more ]

Assessment:

Simple Assessment Techniques (May 2005) – As most academics realize, there is no “perfect” solution to any problem. Similarly, there is no perfect assessment tool or technique. Therefore, it is imperative that, while in constant search of better assessment tools and procedures, educators must be willing to begin by establishing simple – yet valuable [ read more ]

St. Louis Community College: A Mission-Based Approach to Using Assessment to Improve Student Learning Outcomes and Institutional Effectiveness - With strong focus on its mission, St. Louis Community College (MO) has developed an approach to student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness that engages faculty and staff in helping ensure the college keeps its promises to the community it serves. Read about St. Louis Community College's mission-based approach to assessment in the October issue of Leadership Abstracts. [read more]

College Ready:

• Blue Ribbon Commission Report on the State of Developmental Education and Learning Assistance in Postsecondary Education (April 2006) – Current and former leaders of the field of developmental education and learning assistance have issued a strategic review of the field and provided recommendations for its improvement. [ read more ]
  
  
• Enhancing Students' Readiness to Learn (September 2006) – Over the years, I have probably said, "Have you done your reading? Is everyone ready?" more times than I care to count. But as the years passed, it became apparent that more and more students weren't doing their assigned reading and were not ready for class. [ read more ]
  
  
• Transition Math Project (TMP) – TMP is a collaborative project of K-12 schools, community and technical colleges and baccaluareate institutions. With successful completion and publication of College Readiness Standards, the Transition Mathematics Project moves into an implementation-focused Phase II. The project has created funding opportunities establishing partnerships to continue the critical process of encouraging and enabling teachers in efforts to increase student math achievement. From throughout the state, newly-funded and enhanced collaborative efforts will join the current TMP partnership. [ Link to their website and College Readiness Math Standards. ]
  
  
• From The Carnegie Foundation for Teaching and Learning comes this Perspective by Rose Asera, August 2006, on the challenges of educating students in basic skills. [ read more ]

Learning Assistance:

• Learning Center Network: A New Virtual Community (June 2006) – The University of Texas Learning Center staff (at The U. of Texas at Austin) have launched a new Learning Center Network. [ read more ]
  
  
• A Partnership Is Formed (September 2006) – The National Tutoring Association (NTA) has formed a partnership with LifeBound Training and Certification for Academic Coaching Skills [ read more ]
  
  
• Students are engaged when they are interested - challenged - satisfied - persistent and committed to their school work."

Links to Articles of Interest to Educators

Mark these Dates
May 2-4, 2007
Pacific Northwest Higher Education Teaching & Learning Conference Vancouver Hilton
& Conference Center
Vancouver, WA

Bringing together educators to broaden their understanding of teaching, relate effective practices, and exchange insights, methods and strategies that promote and support student learning.

A new, international peer-reviewed open access eJournal, entitled International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning will be published by the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern University. Deadline for submissions for the inaugural issue is November 1, 2006. [ read more ]

If you are interested in a right/left side brain dominance diagnostic with a scoring key, then visit Brainworks. The scoring is done for you including an insightful summary.

Each issue of eWAG will link to one of Louis Schmier's "Random Thoughts." Inspiring and thought provoking, Louis Schmier calls attention to the too often lacking but needed human dimension of education, showing that the heart of teaching is to care about each student as a unique, sacred human being. For this issue of eWAG, we have selected "Teach Me How to Teach." Enjoy!

A Survey Tool – Survey Monkey is a web-based program that allows anyone to create professional online surveys quickly and easily. A basic subscription is totally free and includes all of the basic features of SurveyMonkey. It's a great option for individuals, students, and anyone who doesn't need the advanced features of SurveyMonkey. All survey responses remain absolutely private. Please note that basic subscribers are limited to a total of 10 questions and 100 responses per survey.

Publications:
Tracy L. Skipper (2005), Student Development in the First College Year: A Primer for Educators; National Resource Center, First Year Experience

Jose' A. Amador, Libby, Miles, C.B. Peters (2007), The Practice of Problem-Based Learning; Anker Publishing Company

Daniel Bernstein, Amy Nelson Burnett, Amy Goodman, Paul Savory (2006), Making Teaching and Learning Visible; Anker Publishing Company

Maryellen Weimer (2006), Enhancing Scholarly Work on Teaching and Learning; Jossey-Bass

To submit an article or to subscribe to eWAG, please email:
Anna Sue McNeill