That is somewhat surprising to hear that such a country so independently rich in history could take such a dim view of the role that humanities play. I imagine this is based on an economic focus, but I would not be surprised to see a shift in the future towards a more innovation nurturing curriculum.

I think that is a great graphic that you included! Agreed, we are not getting dumber but maybe smarter in the ways that we can adapt to these it’s. I think that it is our imperative as educators to help our students realize that there is more information that is useful than what can be found in the first 3 google hits. Usually the 4th on google scholar settles it for me :). With anything, it seems obvious that the rewards reaped will correlate to the efforts put into the adoption of the DT classroom.

As with all tools, the way we use them is what makes the most impact. Any cutting edge technology can be great or a paper weight depending on its use. Information access like you all are talking about is great. I think ,as I mentioned in my post, that being critical consumers of that information is what will lead to the success of those who can adapt to new technologies.

Too big for sure. A behemoth that needs to change. I was wondering earlier about who will get to make the changes and who from higher up will have their back. We are a long way from Pink Floyd’s view, but… many of those people are still in charge. Maybe not a banking model, but perhaps a business model, just like Higher ED!! But really, the change will have to be sold, not forced.

Exactly, we call this the “so what?” that we have to deliver when we talk about our own research. I definitely remember quite a few classes that did not provide any real reasoning for their purpose. I feel like I am at an advantage for working in an applied field where so much of what we teach and research has a very specific set of reasons.

Reflecting on your own bias is likely a great first step into taking back control from the autopilot. It seems like it would be another form of feedback that can help shape your awareness and help to make you mindful of the needs of others. Thanks for bringing up your own fear, it probably gave the chance for someone else to begin to reflect on their own.

I read this earlier, and to touch on a few of the comments, I find that diversity should be a matter of quality over quantity. That is to say that schools that focus on checking off all of the boxes for diversity run the risk of not being able to enrich their student’s perspectives with actual diversity. This risk could lead to schools not providing support and framework for diverse students to thrive on and off campus. In a schools that is aware of these potential downfalls, there might be more of a focus on nurturing diversity rather than embracing it.

Hmm, I was told early on that I did not need to be seen as the expert in the room. Jokingly I would hear that teachers are only a chapter ahead of their students. These are extremes but I would urge you to not submit to the pressure of being the fount of all related knowledge. In my case, I like to think of teaching as an opportunity to be a facilitator. Making the content accessible through my own experiences and choices. While questions after questions will be thrown at you, It is ok to not know somethings. In that case it may be an opportunity for everyone to learn. Great point about getting shaped by what the students may need. I have found that to be very true in my experiences as a TA.

Ha, that’s a great platform! I too enjoy Dr. Who. One of the things that I see in the Doctor is his willingness to let humans (students) go about their own business until help is really needed. I think that I would have one of my own categories be “To inspire curiosity.” To be more like the Doctor, I would lead by example and help students to go on their own until they needed my help. I recently found out I will get to teach one of my favorite courses in the spring and have been thinking of ways that I could infect the students with my curiosity. Maybe that is more of what Sarah Deel was talking about when she said that she saw an advantage to bringing more or yourself to the class.

I won’t ask you which Doctor, but what in teaching would be the equivalent of a Dalek?

Without assessment, there needs to be other avenues for feedback. If my advisor never read my lit review then I would have never improved my writing. Granted, he never put a letter grade on it, but at some point it was deemed “complete.” I think the culture of teaching to the test is what has to be changed first. My question is who will do it first? Primary or higher ed?