Talking about Disability
We watched this TED talk by Stella Young to start off today’s HIST 233 class (Disability in American Life): This video is a powerful one, that speaks to the ways that people with disabilities are treated in today’s society. Stella’s no-nonsense speaking about “disability porn” and the objectification of disabled people works well to disrupt
On Wheels...
Two things happened to me this week that might not seem related, but in some ways I believe they are. On Thursday night I teach until 10pm. It’s really the latest that I’ve ever hung out on campus, as I exit the classroom building at that hour and make my way across the
Using WordPress at Chapman
WordPress offers many possibilities for faculty who wish for their students to be completing writing or multimedia assignments in an open online platform. However, there are many varieties of WordPress available to faculty, and some decisions need to be made to help faculty select the best-possible variant of WordPress for their learning objectives, and to
Class Rules
Last night I taught the first session of HIST 233: Disability in American Life. One of our initial activities was to discuss our “Class Rules.” To begin this discussion, I asked the students what were some typical Class Rules that they’d had in other courses at Chapman. The listed the following: No bathroom breaks No
The First Day
Back when I was a student, I hated the first day of classes (aka Read the Syllabus Day). One semester I rather snarkily informed each of my professors how much I’d paid for their class that day, and that I didn’t feel as though I was getting my money’s worth when the day consisted of
Study favors Non-Tenure-Track Teachers
I spend a lot of time supporting Adjunct Faculty in their use of pedagogical technology (Chapman employs about 400 adjunct faculty each semester). In fact, many of the most innovative uses of technology on our campus come from our Adjuncts. That’s one reason, among many, that the findings of this study about the effectiveness of
Epistolary Evaluations from Students
Now that the semester is nearing an end, here’s an idea for getting better student evaluations: Have them write a letter to students taking this class in the future.