Digital Writing Across the Curriculum l Implications of Technology for the Shape of a College Education

In an increasing number of fields, students need to learn to write in the way or ways that professionals do, some of which are digital. So, for the student to learn to be conscious of the different ‘voices’ of writing in his or her field, digital writing has a role to play.

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Karen McComas, a faculty member in Communications Disorders in Marshall University in West Virginia, suggested this theme to me. She has developed an assignment to help students learn the differences among the various kinds of writing in her profession. McComas wants her students to develop skills and insight into the different oral and written communication requirements of their professional lives. So each student must pose a research question and then respond in a way that combines several of these types of communication. Students must each use seven different genres, that address multiple audiences, accomplish multiple purposes, and represent at least three different voices. One of those genres must be used in a way that unifies the other six.

I wanted to save this piece - it’s outdated (2005) and the assignment is on an old blog - but I wanted to keep the reference documented.

Here are the girls!
Ready for the kiln!  I used a pottery glaze so all of the color look strange and will look completely different once they are fired.
Holly’s snail for Baby Marley!
Ornaments for John’s niece and nephew!  The one by the phone is the sample; the ornaments on the butcher paper are the ones Katie made that are heading for the kiln.

Tomorrow, I plan to get up early as usual and get a bit of reading and writing finished before we emerge for the day.  Then, we’re watching movies, cooking dinner, and heading home in the late afternoon.

Nice! Except today, a good bit after the fact, I learned of a peculiar lawsuit that information and news giant Thomson Reuters Inc. filed last month against the makers of Zotero.

The post is available here.

Click. Click. Crap.
…Ian

This is a first draft…I suspect more will be forthcoming from me tomorrow….
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The study of chaos arose as scientists attempted to better understand how non-linear systems function.  Linear systems had long been understood, that is the mathematics and physics of linear systems were well within the grasp of those who studied linear systems. Linear systems are orderly and predictable.  For example, in the linear system/variable of predicting the mass of certain objects, the researcher only needs to know that mass of the object under investigation to predict the mass of other combinations of that object.  Specifically, if a researcher weighed a brick, the weight of that brick could accurately be used to predict the weight of various combinations of that brick (2 of the same thing, 3 of the same thing, etc.).  If this example was describing a non-linear system/variable, then knowing the mass/weight of the one brick would not necessarily help a researcher to predict the mass/weight of other combinations of that object.

In non-linear systems, researchers can make certain predictions as long as they know the pattern of the variable, as opposed to the quantity of the variable, within the non-linear system.  The measurement of sound is a good example of this. If a sound is emitted and it is measured with a sound level meter to be 30dB SPL (sound pressure level,) a researcher knows that sound is non-linear (in the decibel scale) and simply adding two similar sounds together would not yield a sound of 60dB SPL.  In fact, the resultant sound would be only 36dB SPL.  Researchers know that because when they studied sound, they discovered a pattern.  The pattern is this: when a sound is “doubled” (as in the case of playing two sounds of 30dB SPL at the same time) the resultant sound is an increase of +6 over the SPL of the two sounds.  Along those lines, if the two sounds are played that yield a sound of 36dB SPL and then they are doubled (another sound of 36dB SPL is added) the resultant sound would be measured at 42dB SPL.  It is in this sense that non-linear systems/variables differ from linear variables. Scientists found the pattern by experimentation and by knowing that pattern they could accurately predict future occurrences of the phenomena.

While scientists were immensely successful in discovering the patterns to a number of non-linear systems/variables (as in the case of sound previously mentioned), one system/variable continued to elude their understanding.  This system was that of turbulence and the pattern of regularity remained invisible to them for a number of decades.  This is where I believe we are in the point of our discussion with regard to learning patterns and coming to know.  There is a point in the process, and while I believe we have focused our discussion on the issue of MOO’s/technology I would suspect that what we discover will be applicable to learning in general, where I don’t understand or recognize the pattern any more.  This is the point we are trying to label. At the beginning of the learning process, learning IS linear.  The learner moves in a rather straightforward path toward some goal and along the way combines and incorporates a variety of data sets to move the learner forward in the journey.  It is during this time that learners acquire a number of facts, figures, and pieces of data.  Ultimately, for those who persist, the process changes at some point and learners achieve new levels of knowing without accumulating new facts, but by seeing old facts in new ways.

This is the point - the point where a learner achieves a new level of knowing.  My readings on the science community’s attempts to uncover the mystery of turbulence, a particularly elusive non-linear system, lead me to believe that what the scientists were seeking and have discovered about turbulence is similar to what I’m seeking and to what I sense.

Mitch Feigenbaum, in his studies of the turbulence problem, made the most significant advances in his attempt to explain the pattern of turbulence.  This occurred in the 1970’s although previous work of other scientists contributed greatly to his ultimate success.  He developed a “theory of universality.”  This theory describes the pattern that Feigenbaum discovered in his work that was totally unexpected and, once known, explained why scientists had previously had such difficulty understanding what happens when a system changes from stable (linear) to turbulent (non-linear).  He discovered that of least importance was the specific variables under manipulation and measurement.  What was important was the number that resulted when he compared the changes in numbers for each experimental case.  This number remained constant without regard for the variable he was examining.  Specifically this meant that if he measured changes in velocity, pressure, or mass, a single number emerged that reflected the changes for each of the variables he measured.  The number explained the changes that occurred across ALL variables, and that was the pattern that had remained obscured for so many years.  He, in later years, explained, ” In the end, to understand you have to change gears.  You have to reassemble how you conceive of the important things that are going on.“

On our way to work we drove through Tudor’s to grab breakfast and then, as we drove by campus on our way to Starbuck’s, we noticed that buildings were pretty dark.  As we went through the intersection of Hal Greer Blvd. and Third Avenue, I did notice that the Drinko Library and Old Main had lights on.  As we pulled up to Starbuck’s, we noticed that all of Pullman Square was dark - no electricity, no coffee.  Fortunately, the coffee shop on 4th Avenue had electricity and coffee! 

We headed back to campus and decided to take our breakfast over in front of the library and eat on the tables in front of the library.  I felt like I was on an adventure - almost like camping (well, not really).  Eating outside, no lights, a schedule disrupted.  By 7:30 an unexpected text message came through - classes cancelled for the day.  I liked thinking of it as the American Electric Power snow day.  Even teachers need a break now and then.  Thanks AEP!

All Things Girl » Everything Girl | » Interview with Man of the Moment Derek Powazek with Melissa A. Bartell

That the two sides of your brain share a single line out, and one side is verbal and incremental, while the other is non-verbal and visual. It’s that non-verbal side that hits you with flashes of inspiration and wild connections between disparate ideas. That’s why there are countless stories of inspiration coming in dreams. So if you’re trying to solve a problem, get up from the computer, take a walk – do anything to stoke that non-verbal part of your brain.

I have got to remember this advice…

We’ve assembled a support group of sorts - but perhaps we’re best described as a learning organization, a community of practice. We had our first meeting yesterday morning and plan on meeting each Friday morning at 9 throughout the semester. At our meeting were 5 faculty members (2 with terminal degrees; 3 pursuing terminal/clinical doctorates), 3 graduate students working or providing support for research/theses, and 1 undergraduate student. Yesterday we talked briefly about our work - previewing for one another the projects we have underway and our goals for participating in the group. We’ve an amazing amount of diversity - different kinds of research designs, different topics, different areas of interest. That diversity sculpts each of us into researchers with a greater depth of understanding of our own work but also broadens our own understanding of other forms of inquiry and learning.

I’m excited about the work - although I’m the primary qualitative researcher in the group (1 other is doing mixed with a preference to quantitative and another is doing quantitative although she definitely approaches the world from a qualitative position.

We need a name and it occurred to me as I write this that we are a Community of Practice. That is, a community of scholars who believe that research is an essential component of learning and we are committing - by virtue of our participation in the group - to embracing research and to allowing ourselves to be transformed by it.

Classes start on Monday and that’s when the potential of the semester becomes the reality of the semester.  We’ll have good days and bad days.  I’ll get mad at my students and they’ll get mad at me.  I’ll teach a concept really well and the next day I’ll muddle through like I don’t even know my own content area.  One day my students will be eager to learn and the next they will be sluggish and sleepy.  In spite of all these realities, the semester still holds unlimited possibilities.  Magnificent things happen, not because of a perfect course design, perfect students and a perfect teacher.  Magnificent things happen because we keep going to class and we keep trying.  Learning doesn’t emerge from perfection.  Instead, it emerges from the messy and chaotic experiences that go on every day in a classsroom.