One of the bedrock concepts of designing residential curricula and learning plans is the ability to write effective learning objectives. Writing effective and measurable learning objectives, however, is often more difficult than it may seem. The deeper one delves into learning theory and curricular design, the more nuanced one realizes these concepts are. One of... Continue Reading →
All too frequently, we become enamored with the bells and whistles of technology without taking a step back to examine our goals for using it. Bill Ferriter, of the Center for Teaching Quality, created the following image to demonstrate how learning to use technology can be conflated with learning what technology can enable us to do. It provides... Continue Reading →
Connected learning holds the promise of re-invisioning what education can look like. In many ways, we have talked about the ideal of connected learning for years, but it wasn't until the advent of the internet and social media, in particular, that we have had the tools to make it a reality. The beauty of social technology... Continue Reading →
This past semester while teaching in Merrimack College's Higher Education Program, I played around with a new assignment for my students. Instead of the standard end-of-the-year "lessons learned" presentation in my practicum class, I had my students do it in a PechaKucha-style format. As you may remember, PechaKucha is 20 slides set to automatically advance every... Continue Reading →
In the practicum course I taught in the Merrimack College Higher Education program this semester, I had the students experiment with the creation of online portfolios. Online portfolios can be an excellent opportunity to promote reflective practice as well as give students a leg up in the job search. They can follow you throughout your... Continue Reading →
I had the pleasure of presenting with Dr. Susan Marine, one of my fellow faculty members at Merrimack College, on concepts of classroom flipping. What is flipping? Here's a useful definition from Wikipedia: Flipped classroom is an instructional methodology and a type of blended learning that delivers instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom and moves activities, including... Continue Reading →
One of my fellow faculty members in the Merrimack College Higher Education Program, Susan Marine, and I collaborated to create a session about the concept of flipping learning environments. Susan is using an example from her teaching and I created an example for a training event. It is appropriate for both faculty and professions. Come join... Continue Reading →
Any of my good colleagues and friends who are doing research into college students and social/digital technology will tell you that the distinction between formal and informal learning is an important one to understand. Small and Vorgan (2011) state that technology has ushered in “a new culture of communication—no longer dictated by time, place, or even how... Continue Reading →
Being an instructor in the Higher Education Master’s programs at Boston College and Merrimack College, and as former Res Lifer, I’ve always been interested in how to advance student learning outcomes through the use of technology and social media in classroom and training environments. I’ll have the opportunity to present on both at the upcoming... Continue Reading →
Last week, StudentAffairs.com published a piece I wrote entitled, An Experiment Using Twitter in Teaching a Student Affairs Practicum Course, in their Journal of Technology in Student Affairs. (Please check it out and let me know what you think!) In one of the later paragraphs of the piece, I wrote about my plans for teaching... Continue Reading →
As the details of the Newtown elementary school tragedy begin to come out, it’s caused me to reflect on my own experiences and calling as a student affairs educator. I work with a very different population of student, but the kinship I feel with the teachers of Sandy Hook is very much the same. I... Continue Reading →
This semester I am collaborating with one of the Boston College Higher Education faculty members, Ana Martinez Aleman, on a new technology e-learning project called “MediaKron” for her Higher Education in American Society course. MediaKron is an online multimedia platform that was developed at Boston College as a means of presenting and enhancing course content.... Continue Reading →
I had the privilege of doing a teaching observation of a colleague this semester. I always love the opportunity to learn from other’s approaches to the learning process. I thought I would share some of my reflections and observations hoping it may help you too. The instructor and I both share an approach to teaching... Continue Reading →
It’s that time of year! Time to train the staff, open the halls, and start welcome week. I wanted to share one of my favorite tools, Poll Everywhere, and give you some suggestions on how to use it in creative ways with your events, student staff trainings, educational sessions, and in the classroom. Poll Everywhere... Continue Reading →
< Return to my Teaching Portfolio For me, teaching is a calling. From my earliest childhood memories, I remember loving to play “school.” This love of the entire process of learning has followed me throughout the changes in my career path. In any role, regardless of whether I am acting in the formal roles of... Continue Reading →
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