On Saturday morning, while my husband and I waited for the first World Cup match of the day to begin, we sat with our coffee and watched the recently released documentary by Michel Gondry, the filmmaker who made the sweet and funny films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind, and the action adventure movie The Green Hornet.
His new movie, Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? isn't like any of these, however; it's an animated documentary (which sounds antithetical) about Noam Chomsky. Though it's not really about Chomsky, per se, but rather an 88-minute long interview of sorts where Gondry attempts to get at the heart of how Chomsky thinks and what he thinks about.
I'm writing about Gondry's movie here on this blog because not only is the film thought provoking--covering topics of education, linguistics, meta-cognition, philosophy, and scientific inquiry--and about a man, perhaps one of the greatest thinkers of our time, who wrote in his book Manufacturing Consent that "Education is a system of imposed ignorance," but also because Gondry, a whimsical thinker and filmmaker, represents us, the audience, in this dialogue with Chomsky: someone who respects the man, but doesn't always understand or agree with him.
It's the perfectly thoughtful kind of brain candy you all might want to chew on while you're on summer break.
The movie is available for instant streaming on Netflix (and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is available on DVD from the MCC Library)--let us know what you think!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
More Canvas Videos For You!
Our own Meri Winchester has been creating Canvas tutorial videos for her YouTube channel, and she's just completed three more. Here they are!
Creating and Using Rubrics in Canvas
Basic Discussion Set Up
Discussion Settings in Canvas
Creating and Using Rubrics in Canvas
Basic Discussion Set Up
Discussion Settings in Canvas
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
More Excellence in Teaching
Our third installment of the Excellence in Teaching Showcase brings us ideas from Stephen Mujeye (CIS) and Sarah Ruthven (ART). Stephen wrote them up for us to show off to all of you!
Stephen Mujeye, Instructor of Networking in Computer Information Systems wrote about pedagogy, and the teaching strategy was using technology as appropriate and available. The assignment was to teach students how they can use Group Policy in Server 2008 to set the homepage site on all network computers. The instructor was going to demonstrate a similar policy in Group Policy and then a volunteer students would be selected to lead others in setting and changing the homepage site for all computers.
Stephen Mujeye, Instructor of Networking in Computer Information Systems wrote about pedagogy, and the teaching strategy was using technology as appropriate and available. The assignment was to teach students how they can use Group Policy in Server 2008 to set the homepage site on all network computers. The instructor was going to demonstrate a similar policy in Group Policy and then a volunteer students would be selected to lead others in setting and changing the homepage site for all computers.
Stephen's lesson is a great way to get students involved in peer-to-peer instruction, and as we all know, teaching something is a great way to master it.
Sarah Ruthven,
Instructor of Art History wrote about pedagogy and the teaching strategy was
holding students accountable to performance expectations. The assignment was an
Art History I research assignment. The assignment included annotations and
three Canvas discussion boards for each preparation step of:
- Theme and Images
- Topic Statement
- Organization
The assignment would be graded
for completion and comments will be provided to students by the instructor.
Sarah's lesson is a great way to informally scaffold an assignment and keep students on track.
For more information about either of these assignments, contact Stephen or Sarah, and stay tuned for even more from MCC faculty members on how they exemplify Excellence in Teaching.
Thursday, June 05, 2014
Canvas Tips on YouTube
Meri Winchester, MCC Instructor of Digital Media, has started creating helpful Canvas tutorials and adding them to her YouTube channel.
We'll be sharing them here, and you can also visit her channel so see what else she's posting!
We'll be sharing them here, and you can also visit her channel so see what else she's posting!
Friday, May 09, 2014
Excellence In Teaching Showcase, Part 2
At the end of the Fall 2013 semester, we had an Excellence In Teaching Showcase during one of our Fifth Tuesday meetings. We collected your note cards, which detailed an activity, assignment, project, or approach you use in your classroom that mapped back to one of the E.T. tenants of subject matter, pedagogy, assessment, and professionalism.
We promised to share those note cards with you, and here's the second of what we hope to be many posts!
Contributed by the MCC reference librarians and edited by Kate Kramer:
Got a research project or paper for your class? The librarians would LOVE to help!! They can create a research guide in support of your discipline, course or specific project. Check out this research guide that was competed for a research project in GEL 110 (Geology of the National Parks). Contact the library at 815-455-8762 or refdesk@mchenry.edu to discuss your options.
So, take advantage of the time you have this summer and work with our terrific reference team on a Lib Guide for your class!
We promised to share those note cards with you, and here's the second of what we hope to be many posts!
Contributed by the MCC reference librarians and edited by Kate Kramer:
Got a research project or paper for your class? The librarians would LOVE to help!! They can create a research guide in support of your discipline, course or specific project. Check out this research guide that was competed for a research project in GEL 110 (Geology of the National Parks). Contact the library at 815-455-8762 or refdesk@mchenry.edu to discuss your options.
So, take advantage of the time you have this summer and work with our terrific reference team on a Lib Guide for your class!
#happyatMCC
Please save the date for our Fall Faculty Development Day on Thursday, August 14!
We'll again be partnering with the New Student Convocation, which is exiting, and we're currently putting the finishing touches on the program for the day's activities.
You can look for the full program and a formal invitation letter in your MCC email box in June.
And check back here for some summertime Faculty Development!
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Dancing with the Circulatory System
Yesterday afternoon I got a message from Deborah Firak, one of the hundreds of extraordinary faculty members here at MCC who go above and beyond their students' needs to deliver content in innovative and exciting ways.
Deb, who teaches biology, shared a video with me that she made "for [her] students to memorize the structures of the heart & circulatory system." She wrote a "ditty" to help them remember this important information, and then she put that song to work in this video, which is, for lack of a better word, adorable. Please watch it:
Now that you're bopping your head to those dancing little blood droplets and know a bit about the heart and circulatory system, send me a message to let me know what you have been up to. Because guess what? You're also one of the hundreds of extraordinary faculty members here at MCC, and you go above and beyond your students' needs to deliver content in innovative and exiting ways. So let's hear about it!
Deb, who teaches biology, shared a video with me that she made "for [her] students to memorize the structures of the heart & circulatory system." She wrote a "ditty" to help them remember this important information, and then she put that song to work in this video, which is, for lack of a better word, adorable. Please watch it:
Now that you're bopping your head to those dancing little blood droplets and know a bit about the heart and circulatory system, send me a message to let me know what you have been up to. Because guess what? You're also one of the hundreds of extraordinary faculty members here at MCC, and you go above and beyond your students' needs to deliver content in innovative and exiting ways. So let's hear about it!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
February is Re-Run Season at MCC
We had a variety of great workshops to offer on Faculty Development Day in January. But there were a half dozen workshops and only one of you! So if you had a hard time deciding between a couple workshops, don't worry--you've got another chance this semester.
Here's the list of workshops from FD Day that we're re-running in February:
And look ahead on the Professional Development calendar for more workshops scheduled for March and April!
Here's the list of workshops from FD Day that we're re-running in February:
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And look ahead on the Professional Development calendar for more workshops scheduled for March and April!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Grant Opportunities This Year
Contributed by Caroline Sobolak, Resource Development Specialist
If you're looking for a grant to fund a project, look no further. There are plenty of opportunities this year:
For more information, contact Caroline Sobolak at MCC ext. 7538.
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| Page/Image by Liz Weston |
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Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Dealing with Disruptive Classroom Behavior
Contributed by Talia Koronkiewicz, Manager of Student Conduct & Campus Life
The Professional Development and Student Conduct Offices are excited to host the webinar, Managing Disruptive Classroom Behavior: Strategies for Creating a Safe & Dynamic Learning Environment on both Wednesday, January 22 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, February 27 at 12:00 p.m.
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| Cartoon by David Sipress |
Whether you are a seasoned faculty member or just starting
out, classroom management is not easy. This 1.5 hour webinar will provide
you with great resources to start the semester off on the right foot!
Webinar Participants Will:
- Develop an overall philosophy of classroom management that promotes learning and creates a safe environment
- Implement effective strategies for creating and sustaining an engaging and respectful learning environment
- Learn strategies for setting the right tone on the first day of class
- Generate a list of practical strategies for redirecting disruptive behaviors
- Learn how to handle side conversations, digital distractions, and inappropriate comments
- Review how to use positive language in a syllabus that sets expectations, policies, and procedures
- Examine the instructor's role in disruptive student behavior
- Identify when and how to make referrals for student conduct violations
Register via the Professional Development auto-registration site today!
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