Educators Succeed Despite Adversity

education is supposed to be about nurturing thoughtful creativity, yet we are often forced to “stay on script.”

Ramblings on Latitude and Longitude Using a Lightboard

Fall 2015 my university commissioned one of our on-campus engineers to design and build not one but two Lightboards. If you aren’t familiar with what a Lightboard is you’ve come to the proper blog. On Tuesday, March 1st, I gave a mess of lecture about the size and shape of the Earth, and double-down on…

Overcoming the “College Students As Children” Mindset

In 2007 I began working for a nearby community college, my third such institution in Kentucky. In Kentucky, the community college system operates by a set of guiding principles and policies yet each institution also operates as a sort of franchise. The best way I can describe this is the application process. A person must…

Staying Enthusiastic As Higher Education Sickens

I know. My post’s title is morbid, especially coming on the heels of my previous post about the passing of my director and mentor. He would have appreciated the irony. During what would result in Dr. Wesler’s last semester teaching Kit co-taught a course with the dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts…

Tribute to Dr. Kit Wesler, Archaeologist, Mentor, Trekkie

Cancer added my boss, Dr. Kit Wesler, to its constantly growing list of victims Monday, January 4th, 2015. As a few people angrily commented during Friday’s Celebration of Life tribute ceremony: “This is the 21st century; why are we still fighting cancer?” Be this situation as it may, and while I do have some very…

When Students Are Ready To Listen

Tonight, I had an interesting conversation with a college drop-out. She is young so she still has a chance at a decent future for herself. This young lady will have a decent future for herself when she is ready to listen. When she is ready to stop talking and start listening she may be able…

Privatization of Higher Education Deserves Scrutiny and Skepticism

On March 18th, 2015, the Illinois Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) proposed a new set of hardened news rules for students to adhere to if they want grants from the good people of Illinois (News-Gazette, 3-24-2015). Senator Brady’s bill, SB 1565, creates a repayment schedule for students who have received a grant. Students who complete their…

Higher Education Needs A Start-Up Mindset

I have numerous posts espousing changes I think I’d like to see in Higher Education. In May 2012, I posted Fostering Education Through Student Incubators (5-21-2012); in November 2013 I posted Education Is Like A Dysfunctional Family (11-6-2013); in December 2014 I was rather prolific over the holiday, posting Steal My Idea, Please! (12-13-2014) and…

Summer Work in Higher Education

Anyone who follows the trials and tribulations of higher education have little choice but to conclude the very foundations of Higher Education are being undermined. Higher Education and the intellectual integrity of the United States is being worried away by people and special interests who really don’t seem to appreciate the consequences of their actions.…

Professors Have A Point

Here is the original essay by Mark Bauerlein published Sunday, May 9th, “What’s the Point of a Professor?” I encourage all to read first, then reread, if necessary. Subtitle: Education is a Shared Responsibility Perhaps Mark was working against a word-count limit, explaining the gaping holes in some of the comments made. I’d like to…