Book Discussions
Book discussion groups are announced at the beginning of each semester. They are informal gatherings of faculty to read and discuss new books of interest related to teaching and learning. The book readings may be supplemented by additional relevant materials, and in some groups the authors have been invited to speak with the group members. Up to 12 faculty may join, and we ask that the faculty commit to attending all of the sessions, typically 5 or 6 in a semester. Registration is offered when the announcements are sent out each semester. All participants receive a free copy of the book. Requests and book suggestions are welcome. Contact Catherine Ross.
Spring 2008 Book Discussion
Generation ME & Teaching Today’s College
Students: Widening the Circle of Success
The spring 2008 faculty book group will be reading two books
and a few articles on the topic of generational divide. Some
of the questions we will consider are: who are our students,
are they really so different from previous generations, and
do we as faculty need to take another look at what’s
happening in our classrooms. We will start with the newly
released “Generation ME” by Jean Twenge, (2007)
in which the author summarizes her research across generations
and discusses “why today’s young Americans are
more confident, assertive, entitled and more miserable than
ever before.” We will also read “Teaching Today’s
College Students: Widening the Circle of Success” by
Angela Provitera McGlynn (2007) to explore more concretely
the college classroom implications of alleged generational
differences. Finally, we will incorporate a few N.Y. Times
and Chronicle of Higher Education articles debating these
issues. As a group we will compare our classroom experiences,
seek to move beyond clichés in our understanding of
who our students are, and come up with teaching strategies
that faculty can use in their teaching to make the most of
what this generation brings to our classrooms.
The book discussion group will meet every other Thursday
afternoon from 3:30-5:00 in CUE 331E (conference room) on
the following dates: Thursday 2/7, Thursday 2/21, Thursday
3/6, Thursday 3/20, Thursday 4/3 and Thursday 4/17. We ask
faculty to commit to attending all of the meetings to the
extent their schedules allow. Books will be provided for
all participants.
Book Discussion Combined with Online
Course Development
Participate in a faculty-driven book discussion with an
online component leading to the application of principles
important to developing courses for online as well as blended
delivery. The group will meet in CUE 133 from 2:00
to 3:30 PM on the following Wednesdays: 2/13/, 2/27, 3/12,
3/26, 4/9, 4/23. Participants are expected to attend
all meetings to the extent their schedules allow. Each
participant will be given a copy of Ken Bain's What
the Best College Teachers Do. Those who have read the
book previously are encouraged to join and take it one step
further. For more information, contact Marny Lawton
at 6-2301 or Desmond McCaffrey at 6-3121.
Previous Discussions
- Fall 2007: Rights and Wrongs in the College
Classroom: Ethical Issues in Postsecondary Teaching, Jordy
Rocheleau and Bruce W. Speck
- Spring 2007: What the Best College
Teachers Do, Ken Bain
- Fall 2006: The Missing Professor, Thomas B. Jones
- Spring 2006: My Freshmen Year, Rebekah Nathan; Leaving the Lectern, D. McManus
- Fall 2005: Engaging Large Classes, Stanley & Porter, Eds.; Declining by Degrees, Richard Hersh & John Merrow, Eds.
- Spring 2005: Thinking about Teaching and Learning: Developing habits of learning with first year college and university students, R. Leamnson
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