A few weeks into classes...

A few weeks into Fall 2010 classes and all seems to be going well, though, I have been seeing that my freshman students aren't really taking the syllabus seriously. Though we have gone over its importance, several students (who missed a deadline) have already mentioned to me that they didn't know that what was written down in the syllabus was truly expected of them. There seems to be a disconnect in the course expectations.  This brings me to an interesting article that I read entitled "How to Avoid being a Jerk in the Classroom".   Bottom line is treat everyone like you would like to be treated. I tell myself to remember what it was like to be a freshman. http://chronicle.com/blogPost/How-to-Avoid-Being-a-Jerk-in/26427/

Thinking upon my freshman year (it has been awhile) leads me to my next note. Since I am middle-aged (loosely defined as being between 40-68), I am sometimes wary of the rise of forgetfulness and distraction.   New research however shows that my middle aged brain can "develop new functions and abilities for a very long time, especially with a little care."   Age and education can help by helping the brain hemispheres work together more efficiently. So there is hope.  http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Your-Mind-at-Middle-Age-A/26380/

Finally, those of you who have attended my workshop on Web 2.0 (Social Media) have heard me mention the social bookmarking tool called Delicious.  Here is a short synposis of reasons to use it in your daily life even if you don't want to be "social".   http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Social-Bookmarking-Even-When/26375/
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