September used to mean new pencils, rulers, and notebooks. Guess I'm just showing my age. The new thing these days is a clicker -- and it almost makes me wish I were back in the classroom.
From today's
Philadelphia Inquirer comes the tale of technology in teaching, with Trish Wilson's piece, "
High-tech gadget transforming college teaching - and learning."
A few excerpts to whet your appetite:
- "I think they are the greatest educational innovation since chalk," said Neil Sheflin, an associate professor of economics at Rutgers University.
"If I ask a question, and half the class gets it wrong, I can work on that right away, instead of waiting for a test," said Felicia Corsaro-Barbieri, a chemistry professor at Gwynedd-Mercy College. "The misconceptions are being cleared up immediately rather than later."
- "There is a big cadre of students who say, 'Do I like them? No, but I know they're good for me.' Sort of like broccoli," Duncan said.
The days of sleeping through class are over. And it's a good thing, too.
Click on, future of America.
