WAITING FOR THE CALM
Things seem to be settling in rather nicely for our Fall semester. I am intentionally not bombarding you with emails because I realize the start of any semester is trying. Expect to begin seeing things from me in the next few weeks.

TEACHING NAKED
There is a very interesting story that appeared in the Chronicle a few years ago entitled Teachers Without Technology Strike Back. I usually enjoy the material in the Chronicle but the comments in the discussion section usually validate the use of my time in this way much more. This article certainly created an interesting debate.

GRAPHIC NOVELS ENCOURAGE READING
I also wanted to encourage you to read the piece about Jeremy Short, who is a professor of management at Texas Tech University. He uses a graphic novel in his class instead of a regular textbook. The kicker is he also co-wrote the novel with two co-authors. Having taken a similar management course as an undergrad pursuing a degree in economics, I anxiously took a look at the "new" textbook and found it fascinating and a great example of engaged teaching. Let me know what you think. DEBATE THIS There is also a research article by Ruth Kennedy that reports results from an experiment using in-class debate as a teaching tool. The students in the course believed that participating in and observing in-class debate greatly enhanced their knowledge of the issues surrounding the debate topics covered. Debate is a fantastic active and collaborative learning method and is highly effective for helping students enhance their critical thinking skills.

By the way, if you need to contact me, my office (213 Magnolia) phone number is 216.8534.