Hello, all:
I hope you’re well, and that you’re finding some way to get out into the garden, or to bake bread, or to paint or to read a really really good novel. Those of you who are teaching Spring Term, have faith! The end (of the term, not the world) is in sight!
Several short items today:
First, just a reminder that if you’re interested in the summer faculty/staff book club exploring Cathy Davidson’s THE NEW EDUCATION, there are still spaces available. Davidson’s book is an excellent opportunity to remind ourselves of why we do the hard work we do, and how the current crisis may give us the chance to make some important changes. My hope is that, rather than feeling like “work,” this book club is a way to refresh ourselves by diving into larger conversations about higher education.
If you’re interested, visit last week’s newsletter here for more information, then e-mail me directly at phanstedt@wlu.edu.
Second, the Liberal Arts Collaborative for Digital Innovation–aka, LACOL–is offering an online summer convention consisting of a series of workshops, reading groups, and discussions. Among other things, there will be a discussion of James Lang and Flower Darby’s SMALL TEACHING ONLINE. Since W&L is a member of LACOL (along with other peer institutions), participation is free. Elizabeth Teaff has made electronic copies of Lang and Darby’s book available.
Third, for those of you still thinking about how you’d like to close out your Spring Term courses–or for those of you who are just interested in exploring different ways to do final exams–mathematician Francis Su offers an interesting take in the piece “Seven Exam Questions for a Pandemic (or any other time).” It’s a short and thoughtful read.
Finally, on the lighter side, McSweeney’s has done us all the favor of creating course evaluations for life in the age of COVID. The writers have done a nice job of making sure that every field is represented. Enjoy!
Take care, everyone. Wash your hands!