Author: Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Comment on Mindful vs Mindless: A no brainer by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

I really like your analogy to physical education – the results and progress of athletes seem to be more easily measured than that of scholars. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that not everyone will run a mile in the same amount of time because body types and ability vary. This is a great way to think of students’ abilities in the classroom. There is one common denominator though: the progress of both athletes and scholars is dependent upon their own desire to succeed, as well as their mentors’. Thanks for sharing!

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Comment on Is there really a dark side? by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Clearly a lot of people find your points relatable! I’m from Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, so we learned history from the side of Yankees (the winners). Needless to say, I grew up believing the South started the Civil War solely over slavery, Robert E. Lee was a racist and a traitor, and that the present-day Southerners need to stop being sore over losing. I started dating someone from North Carolina, who is very passionate about Civil War history and had ancestors who died in battle, and further, I moved to Virginia. After being involved in discussions about the same subjects, I am so deeply regretful that I grew up this way, and that the vast majority of people in my home state were taught these one-sided things. Though I won’t go into specifics, it is now clear to me that the issues are so much more complex than that. Clearly this is the plight of education as well.

Comment on Mind Full …, Or Mindful? by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

I think what resonated most with me in your post was the definition of mindfulness: flexibility, higher sensitivity, and CONTEXT! Too often classes draw on, slide after slide, and you wonder…how does this relate to my life? How does this relate to the grand scheme of this subject even? If a subject doesn’t relate to your interests or life, then why would you even waste your time being there? Recognizing this as an instructor shows that you care about the students’ life outside of the classroom.

Comment on Thinking outside the box by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Admittedly, I spent a few minutes trying to connect the dots. I wouldn’t have thought to “think outside the box” if I hadn’t read the title of your blog!
I also liked the proposed “third way” of laptop policies that allows them at mostly, but asking students to shut them at times when they most definitely would not be needed. This really is thinking outside of the box on the electronics issue. This way, you don’t seem authoritarian by not allowing them, but you also recognize that during some learning situations, having these things would be serve as nothing but a distraction.

Comment on hands-on learning is my favorite by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

We can all definitely agree that experiential and hands-on learning are so much more valuable than reading or listening to a boring lecture. Oftentimes the most basic skills we retain become the most important ones!
A lot of times lab sections are taught by TA’s, and a lot of those TA’s don’t seem like they want to be there. Every single chemistry lab I was forced to take was taught by graduate students who didn’t care to learn our names, wasn’t very good at answering questions, and overall just not very memorable people. The labs were meant to give us hands-on lab skills, but I still could care less about the class because the person in charge didn’t seem to care about us. I feel that if the teacher gives a genuine interest in their students, innovating teaching and learning will follow.

Comment on We are ALL cut out for learning by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

I know how you feel about wanting to be creative with teaching, especially with a large group of students. If the subject matter is dry, that does not make it much easier. How many of us have had to fly through lecture-style classes where the teacher might even say, “we’re already behind”?
Teachers know that this type of learning style isn’t the most effective, but I get the feeling that a lot of them don’t really care, or they’ve given up and believe that their subject is too complex to get creative with teaching. I’ve heard teachers say, “this subject (particularly math/science) can really only be learned through memorization, reading, and completing problems.” That may be partially true, but giving up on the discovery and creativity process is to give up on your own learning – not just the learning of the students.

Comment on Week 1 : Academic discourse in Digital age by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

I agree with your point that reading blogs requires a bit of attention, and millenials’ attention spans are pretty minute. I’ve felt this way before – of all the reading students are required to do anyway (which they oftentimes don’t do…because of their short attention spans) why would they take time to read a blog? Why would anyone? I think the power of visuals is the answer, like you mentioned with vlogging. All of us don’t have the time that professional YouTubers have to create and edit vlogs, but we can make our blogs more visually appealing with visuals. In fact, I’ve made a note for myself on my Stickies app to take more photos of my research. It’s not something I immediately think about doing while pipetting, and it’s embarrassing to ask someone to take a photo of you doing menial tasks. However, it is surprising how nice it is to have these photos later on, whether you use them for a blog, a presentation, etc.

Comment on #NetworkedLearning by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

Posted on by Jacquelyn Marie Prestegaard

I, too, have had my reservations about the value of blogging. But like you, I’m starting to come around to it. I think these personal thoughts we share make us seem more human to others. This could be valuable in opening up to our students, seeming less intimidating, and reaffirming our audience that we are passionate about what we do.