Author Archive
Posted by itejeda on April 11, 2011
The purpose of this post is to let HWC faculty know what was discussed at the Chairs Meeting. You should contact or meet with your department chair for details and the full report.
Here’s the synopsis:
- Reinvention was the first item on the agenda. We were told that this should be the first topic of discussion at our meetings.
- A repor from DAC was given regarding how to provide assistance to students. A survey was also distributed. Department Chairs were asked to make copies and distribute to faculty. DAC needs our feedback.
- Ewa, our OIT Dean, introduced a new “rationale” form that needs to be included when requesting IT purchases. The form was developed by a Dean at one of the other City Colleges and has been adopted District-wide (for now).
- Our new president, Don Laackman was in attendance. We had a mini-forum with some good Q&A.
- We were given a list with HWC departments and names showing who had (and who had not) made their Blackboard courses available.
- I had to leave at 11:00am to attend the President’s Forum.
- From what I understand the meeting ended shortly thereafter; before 11:30am.
There was one department chair taking better notes. When I get the copy of those notes I will note my errors and omissions. For now, I invite any department chair to make corrections and fill in any missing information.
Posted in Chairs, Faculty, News | Tagged: Department Chairs Meeting April 2011, One more form, Reinvention | 1 Comment »
Posted by itejeda on March 4, 2011
With verbal permission from the current department chairs, I am posting notes from today’s department chairs’ meeting.
The purpose of this post is to let HWC faculty know what was discussed. You should contact or meet with your department chair for details and the full report.
Here’s the synopsis:
- Ewa Lick was in attendance and asked all department chairs to schedule a meeting with her this coming Monday to discuss departmental IT needs.
- John Hader reported on the new zero-budget model that will be used for the upcoming 2012 fiscal year. All chairs will complete the Departmental Annual Planning Form that is due March 9, 2011.
- Discussion of full-time faculty needing SLO’s in all their syllabi.
- Discussion of all full-time faculty needing to have syllabi posted on Blackboard.
- Summer booklists due March 18, 2011
- The need for all full-time faculty to post office hours and maintain these hours.
- ONE, UNIFIED, CCC Summer AND Fall 2011 schedule to be printed and available to ALL CCC students.
- Armen Sarrafian gave a presentation regarding rotation points. (Very well received. David Richardson’s name came in conversations as a good role model to follow regarding confidentiality issues)
- Dr. Marcia Turner, Dean of CDL was in attendance to answer our CDL related questions and concerns.
- Coming Spring 2012 ONE, UNIFIED, CCC Scheduling Grid (Section E wil now designate “Early” Classes, Section H will now designate “Hybrid” Classes. Section Z will meet Sundays)
If I missed any points, or have erred in my facts, I humbly invite corrections.
Posted in Chairs, Events, Faculty | Tagged: Chairs Meeting March 2011 | 2 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on February 24, 2011
As of late I’ve been in contact, via email, with our former union chapter chair, Mike Ruggeri. I asked him if I could share some of the information from his email blasts on The Lounge to which he stated, “Of course, post it everywhere.”
Suffice it to say, he continues to be involved with our union concerns. Here’s what Mike would like you to know:
- He’s created a website, ASSAULT ON TEACHERS. According to Mike, “It has up to date news on the sustained assault on the teaching profession by those who hate us.” Check it out.
- He would like you to send him a personal email address so that he can add you to his email blast list. He can be reached at michaelruggeri@mac.com
It’s good to know that he’s still involved with our college faculty. For those of you who do not know about Mike, ask some of the ‘older’ faculty members about his union tenure.
I still remember him coming to my office when I first started. He gave me the pro-union speech and got my signature on the spot. Along the way, we had our fair share of disagreements regarding union issues, but he always listened and when needed, agreed to disagree.
Posted in Faculty, News | Tagged: Mike Ruggeri, The Assault on Teachers, Union News | Leave a Comment »
Posted by itejeda on February 23, 2011
You received this email from John Hader and it bears repeating here on The Lounge.
Please join us for a reception from 4:00 – 6:00 PM today in the President’s Gallery, Room #1105 to celebrate the work of students selected for the 5th Annual City Wide Art Exhibition. This annual, juried exhibition includes work from student artists from all 7 City Colleges of Chicago.
The exhibition will be on view through Thursday, March 3.
Please bring your students and spread the word!
Thanks,
Vanessa Smith, Interim Curator
HWC
Posted in Events, Faculty, Fascinating | Tagged: City Wide Art Exhibit, Events | Leave a Comment »
Posted by itejeda on February 15, 2011
Here’s another link that may be of interest for those of you interested in Architecture: Dwell.com
In one of my architecture class, I’ve had my students use the magazine to get ideas on how to present projects and visually communicate their design. I just recently found out about their website. There’s a link to the magazine on the website, but there is also a wealth of information regarding design. The link on Places lets you travel the world via architectural/art images.
There’s also a Green section found under Ideas, for those interested in sustainable architecture. Here’s the link to one of many wonderful articles (with images). It’s titled Harvest Boon. The caption reads, “In the eastern Netherlands, resourceful recyclers 2012Architects have built a house almost entirely out of locally sourced scrap, from old billboards to broken umbrellas.”
Happy Anniversary Lounge!
Posted in Aesthetics, Curriculum, Faculty, Fascinating | Tagged: Dwell, Harvest Boon, Sustainability | Leave a Comment »
Posted by itejeda on February 14, 2011
Well, I’ve been told that The Lounge is celebrating an anniversary this week and I was asked if I’d like to contribute. The answer is yes, and I will share a link that was brought to my attention by our esteemed colleague, Armen.
Google Art Project
I’ve not had an opportunity to view the entire site, but from what Armen tells me, it will be yet another great resource to our Art, Architecture, and Humanities courses. Here’s a link to ‘Learn More‘ about how to use and view the images. I hope you find the site of interest and of good use in your classes, regardless of discipline.
A big congratulations to The Lounge on this milestone. I’m sorry that my posts have been far and few this past year. I will not say the same regarding my visits and the time I spend reading the posts and replies.
Again, congratulations to The Lounge. It’s a great resource!
Posted in Faculty, Fascinating | Tagged: Architecture, Art, Google Art Project, Humanities, Research, Teaching, Technology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by itejeda on December 1, 2010
This is for those who are interested in the arts, ethics, and capitalism.
(Right along the lines of that book you brought to my attention PhiloDave.)
I was surprised to read, and watch, how the art world does not accept the story from the couple who own(ed) the works. Could it have something to do with the artist and the value of the collection?
From the article:
The discovery of what is believed to be 271 works of art by Pablo Picasso has dropped jaws in the art world, where people had no idea such a trove was out there. Here’s the video link.
Posted in Faculty, News | Tagged: Artist or capitalist, Gift or robbery, Picasso | Leave a Comment »
Posted by itejeda on August 19, 2010
So here I am, rather, here we are, once again, registering students at the college. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with several colleagues and the consensus is that we can be more efficient with this registration process or, we can be doing better things with our time, such as working on syllabi.
On the one hand, I like and appreciate the opportunity to be in one room with all of you. Sure beats DWFDW.
On the other hand, I am concerned that while we enjoy the company of each other (a priceless experience, if you ask me) we may be doing ourselves and our students a disservice. I feel that we’ve all been reduced to being gears of an antiquated or archaic system. I’m talking about both students and teachers.
I know this is old news so, here’s my question:
What can we do and what should we do to transform this registration experience?
One idea that Chris (Sabino) and I brainstormed was to take faculty out of room 404 and just have students register online. (Wasn’t this the reason for going to PeopleSoft? To automate the enrollment system? And yet we are still enrolling as if we are using SPAS?)
Faculty could then be in their offices working on syllabi and meeting with students that have specific questions about our respective programs. Yes, we’d all have access to quick enroll. This would be a better use of our time (teachers and students).
I believe students keep depending on faculty because they know come rain, shine, sleet, or snow we will be at the college to look-up courses on their behalf. Why are we reduced to typists? I’ve simply been a query specialist or a U-Pass magician these past few days and it must change.
How shall we institute change so that next year at this time we are truly serving our community? I’m left wondering.
Posted in Curriculum, Musing, Teaching | Tagged: Advising, Future, Suggestions, Teaching | 5 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on August 9, 2010
Yes, to borrow the innocent, yet powerful, quote from PhiloDave’s daughter, I’d like to create this open post and keep it running all week in some way or another to focus on POSITIVE outcomes from Faculty Development Week. (OK, you can list concerns too.)
With Day 1 Day 2 underway, what will you or what have you done with your lemons?
Thanks for the input everyone! Here we go with Day 3 4 the last day of events! It will be short. Possibly sweet?
Last chance to leave a comment before the post leaves the main page. (Thanks for keeping it at the top Dave!)
Small hint to the timid and shy: You don’t need to leave an email in order to comment. Just a name. Silly, outrageous, and creative appears to be the fad.
Posted in DWDFW | Tagged: DWFDW, Education, FDW, Learning, Lemonade, Lemons, Suggestions, Teaching | 20 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on August 5, 2010
Hey, this site is no secret. Judging from the number of faculty listed (281 as of this posting) and the number of reviews, we have made a name for ourselves – for better or for worse. There will be a bit of activity in the weeks to come, so…
Take a look and see what students have to say about us. Do you agree? Is this a better form of evaluation than the forms given out by admin?
Take a look at our ‘School Comments and Ratings’ tab. I got a kick out of our highest rating going to ‘Campus Location’ while the lowest going to ‘Quality of Food’. Surprise, surprise. We’ve got to get some healthy choices in those vending machines…
Posted in News, Teaching | Tagged: Evaluations, rate my professor, ratings, Teaching, Website | 2 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on August 3, 2010
My question for the week is one that I have thought about for the past few years:
What do we, faculty and administration, mean when we use the word technology in our syllabi, mission statements, goals, assessment plans, committee charges, lectures, and assignments?
Do we mean that we have hardware, software, and peripherals?
Do we mean that we are using hardware, software, and peripherals to improve teaching and learning?
For a while, it meant that we were capable of placing a computer with an LCD projector on a cart and sending the teacher into the classroom with the power to alter the learning experience. Now we’re placing “smartboards” in the classrooms. Why? What does technology have to do with student learning? How does one compliment the other? Tell me how to define technology so I can proceed to implement it in my classroom.
I’m not sure what the word means in our academic environment and why we must stress the need to have and use technology in the classroom. Has the use of the word technology become obsolete? Do we still refer to planes, trains, and automobiles as new modes of transportation? Do we tout the heating and air conditioning system of our building as a perk to prospective and returning students? The answer is no and no, even though at one time or another these systems were seen as technological marvels; now, we just take them for granted to the point where we expect them as part of our privileged lifestyle.
So why do we still use technology as a word to promote dedication to, and progress in, our academic environment? Isn’t it a given that ALL academic institutions in urban settings have computers for faculty and students? That puts us on par with every institution, doesn’t it? So why do we take extra care to use this word in writing? Let’s promote our fluorescent lights and our “state of the art” security cameras. We don’t because it’s expected. So why do we still promote technology? Isn’t it also expected? What’s so special about our use of technology? What do we mean by this word?
I do not understand. This is why I seek assistance. How do you define technology?
Posted in Teaching | Tagged: Teaching, Technology, Tuesday | Leave a Comment »
Posted by itejeda on July 27, 2010
We have entered the official last week of summer classes. As I was running errands last week and seeing children outdoors and on their bikes, I found myself wondering: Should students attend school year-round?
There are pros and cons. I often thought that if year-round school was the standard, maybe summer school could focus on outdoor activities such as sports, and educational excursions away from the school building.
According to this link from CPS, there were 41 year-round schools at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Then this CPS link from May 11, 2009 states “the number of year-round schools in CPS to [be] 132 schools.” Followed by:
Teachers and students have said they like the regular and better-spaced periods off from school, which has turned into better attendance rates for both. Additionally, teachers like the schedule because it allows them more time to design more meaningful lesson plans that can translate into greater student achievement.
We will continue to have schools on the traditional calendar as long as that is what school communities prefer. However, the Track E schedule holds a lot of promise for many of our schools and students as we strive to keep the district’s progress moving in the right direction.
What do you think?
Posted in Teaching | Tagged: Education, Teaching, Tuesday, year-round school | 2 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on July 20, 2010
Chicago-area teachers top state in earning six-figure salaries
That’s the headline from last week’s Tribune article about teachers and salaries. The first paragraph reads:
“An extraordinary number of public school teachers in the Chicago region earned $100,000 or more in 2009, straining school budgets and taxpayer wallets and fueling the debate over what teachers are worth and how they get raises.”
Then Mary Schmich’s column ran with the headline: Setting teacher salaries is tricky in which she states, “In general, though, the practical answer is simple and brutal: A job is worth whatever the market decides. Supply and demand, period.”
Followed by Steve Johnson’s opinion column stating, “I’d rather not have my kids educated at a discount.”
So how much is too much OR, possibly more important, how much is not enough?
What’s your take on the issue or what do you have to say?
Posted in Teaching | 2 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on July 13, 2010
This may not appear to be relevant but I’ve been thinking about school uniform requirements and if it would be a good idea to have a dress code at the college level. There is a precedent that leads me to raise the issue: male students are asked to remove their head gear when entering HWC.
I suppose we (an institution of higher learning) are trying to mold our students to be good citizens, right? Maybe we believe this requirement is in keeping with our college mission, right? If this is the case, why not institute a policy requiring students to meet certain dress standards from head to toe. The argument could be made that they are individuals and what they do is their business, not the business of the college or the district; but, isn’t it our business to make sure that our students are prepared to meet the challenges of academic and professional life?
Are we sending mixed signals to our students when we require them to write proper sentences and neglect to require proper attire even though both will compliment their future professional endeavors?
Posted in Teaching | Tagged: Education, Graduation, Philosophy, Question | 6 Comments »
Posted by itejeda on July 6, 2010
I’ve been told that reading a book and “listening to a book on tape” are not the same. In other words, if I read a book from cover to cover, I would understand and absorb the material better than if I were to listen to the same words being read to me by another person. Is this true?
Do you or would you allow your students the option of listening to a book instead of reading a book? What’s the difference? If listening to the spoken word is not valid, then why do we sometimes read passages out of books during class and ask our students to listen?
BTW, ALL faculty may comment; including our retired faculty members.
Posted in Teaching | Tagged: Education, Philosophy, Question, Reading, Teaching, Tuesday | 1 Comment »
PhiloDave
cnepstad
mathissexy
itejeda
writingisthinking
Kamran Swanson
Realist
Matt U.
domenicorocco
speechfromtheblock
casthwc
