No. 49 May-June 2010 “Po’okela serves HPU faculty and an outside mailing list of readers interested in our work, with the intention to prompt community building and reflection on professional practice, and to encourage innovation in teaching.”
Contents 1 Golden Apple Awards 4 Faculty development grants 6 At the core of it all 7 Why do I need this class 8 Quotes
Teaching and Learning Center Staff Director: Michael Dabney (808) 543-8048 mdabney@hpu.edu Administrative Coordinator: Sandra Meyer (808) 356-5250 smeyer@hpu.edu TLC Hours and Location: Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Saturday 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Opening hours change during summer and winter sessions. 1188 Fort St. Mall, Suite 139 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
Hawai‘i Pacific University • Teaching and Learning Center • http://tlc.hpu.edu
GOLDEN APPLE AWARDS
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Every year, the Golden Apple Awards subcommittee of the Faculty Development Policies and Activities Committee (FDPAC), reviews faculty nominations to honor the contributions of faculty members to teaching, scholarship and the community. This year’s Call for Nominations included two new categories: One for faculty and staff to recognize exceptional performance by a staff member and another for students to recognize the outstanding performance of faculty members. This year, the committee presented eight awards at the Faculty Assembly on April 23, 2010 at the Tenney Theater, St. Andrew’s Priory.
Distinguished Graduate Teaching Pierre Asselin, Ph.D., associate professor of history In her nomination letter for Asselin, student Ramona Ferreyra writes: “His ability to empower students past simple regurgitation has impacted my academic career beyond measure. Unlike other professors I’ve encountered, professor Asselin forces his students to take on topics which seem obviously simple and examine them in a fresh way. He demonstrates that even erroneous arguments are worthy of debate. Ultimately, all of his students move past their assumptions and towards academic growth.” She elaborates how her paper examining the role of women in the Chinese communist revolution allowed her to challenge western assumptions surrounding women. In her Middle East class she was inspired by Gertrude Bell, who played a tremendous role in the formation of modern day Iraq. Under Asselin’s direction Ferreyra says she was able to examine how she challenged gender assumptions and current assumptions surrounding women in diplomatic roles. She concludes, “The workload was challenging, the discussions heated and the final paper a nightmare, yet the bonds I created through the honest discussions have remained the strongest I have made in HPU.”
Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching by a Full-time Faculty Member Justin Vance, Ed.D., instructor of history The Po‘okela newsletter is a bimonthly publication featuring articles of interest to faculty regarding pedagogy, scholarship, and service at Hawai‘i Pacific University. Opinions in this newsletter are those of the authors. Articles are chosen for their power to encourage reflection and discussion and do not reflect endorsement by the Teaching and Learning Center or Hawai‘i Pacific University.
Vance, an instructor of history with the Center for Off-Campus Programs, was nominated by Dan Flood, Ph.D. for being an outstanding instructor in the undergraduate history curriculum at HPU. Vance teaches both online and on campus and has received positive testimonies from both students and peers. He is regarded by his students as one who inspires academic excellence. He conducts field trips in every in-class course and is successful at this hands-on student experience because of his ongoing experience as a historian guide for the Tomlinson Corporation, as a tour guide for the USS Missouri Memorial Association and as an interpreter of Hawaiian culture and natural science at the Bishop Museum. Former program chair, Mike continued on page 2
Golden Apple Awards continued Pavelec, described Vance’s instruction as “near perfection in his online courses and, in my opinion, should stand as an example for other HPU online instructors.” Vance recently received a letter of appreciation from John Kearns, Ph.D.,Vice President of Academic Affairs, for facilitating a seminar for HPU faculty on the use of the Elluminate webinar platform in the classroom. He developed a live discussion platform for his HIST 4961 seminar in military history. Three presentation times were provided in one class to accommodate his students, many of whom were in the Middle East, East Asia, and the U.S. Mainland. Yet they all still achieved the learning outcomes associated with a live class discussion format. Flood says, “Justin is clearly both creative and innovative and his dedication to teaching and to his students exemplifies the kind of teacher which the rest of us should aspire to be.”
Distinguished Teaching by an Adjunct Faculty Member Thomas Corcoran, instructor of mathematics Lisa Perrone, Curriculum Area Liaison for Math at the Center for Off-Campus Programs, describes Corcoran as an exceptional instructor who “stands at the front lines of our military campuses, each term covering one section apiece of our two entry-level math courses, Math 1101 and Math 1105.” A glimpse at his student evaluations from every class throughout his years at HPU tells a consistent story: “Great instructor; taught well and made it fun,” “Best math teacher I have ever had,” and “This experience gave me a new outlook on math.” Perrone notes that Corcoran’s former students entered her upper-level classes with a solid foundation of prerequisite skills, and that she could build without impediment upon that solid foundation. Nevertheless, “to get a face-to-face glimpse and satisfy my eager curiosity” she attended one of Tom’s classes and conducted a formal peer evaluation. The result, after driving from Kailua to Schofield Barracks to attend a four-hour math class, on a Saturday, is that she was “wowed” beyond expectation, and delighted to have spent her day in that manner. She continues, “Tom transforms a classroom into an ideal world for learning math. He doesn’t skimp on mathematical rigor, nor does he skimp on curriculum. He just knows how to reach each and every student.” “The bottom line is that collectively through Tom’s many years of teaching for HPU, hundreds of students who never thought they could understand math have found themselves achieving heights previously unimaginable, because someone helped them find a way “in.” That someone is Tom Corcoran. When I consider the fact that student retention overall is positively correlated with success in the student’s first math class, it is clear to me that on behalf of his students and on behalf of HPU as a whole, Tom is abundantly, exceedingly worthy of commendation.”
Reflective Use of Technology Louis Primavera, Ph.D., pre-health professions coordinator and associate professor of microbiology Dr. Primavera was nominated by faculty members Art Whatley, Ph.D., Catherine Sajna, Langley Frissell, Ph.D., Brenda Jensen, Ph.D., and several students for his role in the development of the new Aquaponics facility on the Hawaii Loa Campus. In her recommendation letter, Dr. Jensen writes that Primavera “has established a living laboratory for teaching timely, relevant, sustainable technology,” which will become increasingly important “as societies seek sustainable solutions for agriculture problems, particularly for freshwater-limited environments as they increase their water demands and experience the impacts of global climate change.” The aquaponics feature is currently home to tilapia, herbs, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, watercress, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Primavera has hosted several tours of the faculty for faculty, students and staff. He was also recently awarded a grant of $700 from Pearson Education for campus sustainability practices. Dr. Frissell’s nomination letter explains how the facility functions as a laboratory for basic biological research and notes how Primavera encourages students to take the lead in running the system, and in using it to test their own research ideas. “What is particularly exciting is the facility’s potential for enabling interdisciplinary, collaborative projects among students, faculty, and staff. Currently, students majoring in biology, nursing, and health sciences have benefited from this learning environment, as have student and faculty members of the Sustainability and Green Clubs. The science, technology, production, economics, and management involved in the aquaponics system make it an excellent learning and teaching center for stu-
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Golden Apple Awards continued dents and faculty in any discipline.” Eventually, Primavera hopes that all island residents will look towards aquaponics as a means of reducing their reliance on processed foods, and thereby improving their physical and economic well-being.
Excellence in Mentoring Brian Metcalf, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology A member of the psychology department since 2000, Dr. Metcalf has been a very visible mentor, advisor, and leader of two student groups in his program: the Psychology Club and the HPU chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. For three years in a row, the students in the Psychology Club that Metcalf mentors have won acclamations from the Office of Student Life, including “Most Spirited,” “Event of the Year” (for their annual end of the year conference and award dinner banquet), “Club of the Year,” and “Most Distinguished Club” awards. Metcalf has also been a remarkable mentor to the students in his honor society as well. Their chapter of Psi Chi is on their way to earning “Model Chapter” status from the Central Office for the third year in a row. Less than three per cent of the more than 1,000 chapters achieve that in a single year, much less multiple years in a row. The HPU chapter is the first one in the state of Hawai‘i to ever achieve this honor. Metcalf has also worked with his student officers to write grants that have earned them thousands of dollars from Psi Chi to help offset the annual conference, the only Psychology student research conference in the state. More impressively, their chapter has been named the “Western Regional Chapter” and Metcalf was named the “Western Regional Advisor” for 2009 by Psi Chi.
Excellence in Scholarship Jerome Agrusa, Ph.D., professor of travel industry management Dr. Agrusa was nominated by his peers, Brian Metcalf, Ph.D. and Justin Gukhun Cho, Ph.D., for his contributions to peer-reviewed journals, which have significantly raised the profile of HPU’s Travel Industry Management program. Agrusa has published 20 peer-reviewed articles in the last three years and has presented at conferences around the world, including delivering the keynote address at the 8th Asia Pacific Forum for Graduate Students Research in Tourism in Seoul, Korea. Agrusa and his team have, for the past several years, analyzed numbers at the Honolulu Marathon and determined the economic benefits of the marathon on the State of Hawaii. He was recently awarded a Fulbright Senior Specialist Grant (the Fulbright award is one of the most prestigious awards given out to higher education faculty.)
Faculty Award for Exceptional Service to Students, Staff or Faculty Nita J. Carrington, Ed.D., associate professor, nursing Dr. Carrington, the course coordinator for Complex Care Nursing, received several nominations from students, both past and present, all of whom described her passion for teaching and for translating complex classroom materials into hands-on clinical experiences at The Queen’s Medical Center. Student Erin Boland relates how Carrington’s “mastery of nursing, and (whose) ability to inspire critical thinking in her students all combined for a rewarding nursing education.” Former student, Micah Aceves, describes how Carrington stood out as a professor “whose primary focus is to serve and prepare her students for a career in nursing. Not only is she knowledgeable and willing to take time out from her personal schedule to address the needs of her students, she always ensures that we, her students, possess the information needed to perform our nursing duties in a competent, caring and professional manner.” Lila Montambo, assistant professor of nursing, notes that Carrington “is organized and focused” and “is widely known for her fairness in dealing with students.”
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Golden Apple Awards continued She writes, “(Carrington) was recent past chair of the committee on students for three years and her members stayed in this committee while she was chair because they believed in her leadership to get things done. She believes that the committee’s role is to be the liaison to protect student rights and protect the academic organization. And of this she made sure.”
Staff Award for Exceptional Service to Students, Staff or Faculty Claes Insulander, web developer Insulander, a web developer at HPU’s Web Services, was nominated for his outstanding service to staff, particularly with regards to the setting up of the Events Manager system in mid-2008. The Events Manager is an online registration system which allows staff and faculty to register easily for events posted on Pipeline, HPU’s intranet, thereby reducing the need for RSVPs to be communicated via email. The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) was an early adopter of the trial system and Insulander worked patiently to create and modify an online test system for registration for the TLC’s workshops. He later helped streamline the form for faculty orientation and roundtables. He was constantly open to suggestions on improvements in the system and was prompt in answering emails and returning phone calls. He continues to model exemplary courtesy to staff in his interactions and is a sterling example of the ideal member of the HPU community.
Faculty Development Grants – Spring 2010 The Faculty Development Policies & Activities Committee has recommended the following 21 faculty development applications which have subsequently been approved by the president, for a total allocation of $39,933.94. The grants will go to fund a variety of professional development initiatives by faculty at Hawai‘i Pacific University and reflect the steady growth in scholarship activities among HPU faculty members Pierre Asselin, associate professor of history, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “Could Nixon have Achieved a Peace Accord in 1969 instead of 1973? New United States and Vietnamese Evidence” at the Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting in Washington DC, April 2010. Kathleen Cassity, assistant professor of English, is awarded for presenting her paper titled, “Voices from the Postcolonial Shadows: Exploring the Implications of Anglo-Indian SelfPublished Counter-Narratives” at the 7th Biennial International Auto/Biography Association Conference in Sussex, United Kingdom, June 2010. Grace Cheng, assistant professor of political science, is awarded for presenting her paper titled, “Liberal Human Rights Historiography and the Neglect of Politics” at the Thinking With(Out) Borders II Conference in Scotland, United Kingdom, June 2010, and at the Annual MPSA National Conference in Chicago, Illinois, April 2010. Catharine Critz, associate professor of nursing, is awarded
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for co-presenting her paper titled, “Problem-Based Learning: A Creative Approach to Teaching Physical Assessment to Advanced Practice Nurses” at the 2009 Shanghai International Nursing Conference in Shanghai, China, November 2009. Michael Dabney, director of the Teaching and Learning Center, is awarded for attending the 2009 Professional and Organizational Development Conference in Houston, Texas, October 2009. Jon Davidann, professor of history, is awarded for attending the SHAFR Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, June 2010. Jiasong Fang, associate professor of marine science and biogeochemistry, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “Fractionation of Hydrogen isotopes in biosynthesis of fatty acids by piezophilic bacterium Moritella japonica DSK 1” at the Goldschmidt Conference 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee, June 2010. Hobie Etta Feagai, associate professor of nursing, is awarded for co-presenting her paper titled, “Problem-Based Learning: A
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Faculty Development Grants – Spring 2010 continued Creative Approach to Teaching Physical Assessment to Advanced Practice Nurses” at the 2009 Shanghai International Nursing Conference in Shanghai, China, November 2009.
hollowed, or encrypted as ancient art” at the 9th Conference on Orality and Literacy in the Ancient World in Canberra, Australia, June 2010.
Susan Fox-Wolfgramm, professor of management, is awarded for presenting her paper titled, “Towards Increasing Business Students Confidence in Facing A Confusing Business Environment: A Strategic Management Approach” at the Oxford Round Table: Ethical Sentiments and the World Financial Crisis in Oxford, United Kingdom, March 2010.
Thomas Kohler, assistant professor of marketing, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “The Untapped Source of Professional Users for Co-creation” at the 39th European Marketing Academy Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 2010.
Phyllis Frus, associate professor of English, is awarded for presenting her paper titled, “True Stories: A New Method for Classifying History Films” at the SCMS Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California, March 2010. Marc Gilbert, NEH chair in world history, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “Revising World History Texts to Meet the New Changes in the Advanced Placement World History Course” and chairing a panel on “Art in World History: From Egypt to India” and attending as vice president and president elect of the World History Association at the 19th Annual Meeting of the World History Association in San Diego, California, June 2010. John Hart, professor of communication, is awarded for attending the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, March 2010. Russell Hart, department chair & associate professor of history, is awarded for attending and serving as a commentator on the panel “Causes Forgotten: Military Operations in the Pacific All But Lost to History” at the Society for Military History 2010 Annual Conference in Lexington, Virginia, May 2010. Margo Kitts, associate professor of humanities, is awarded for presenting her paper titled, “Ritual scenes in the lliad: rote,
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Thomas Kohler, assistant professor of marketing, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “The Untapped Source of Professional Users for Co-creation” at the 17th International Product Development Management Conference in Murcia, Spain, June 2010. Brian Kulik, assistant professor of management, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “Reverse Agency Theory: Jensen and Meckling (1976) in Contemporary Context” and “Environmental Contingencies in Executive Compensation” at the Western Academy of Management Annual Conference in KailuaKona, Hawai‘i, March 2010. Mark Lane, associate professor of finance, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “Honolulu Pacific Tower” at the FMA Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada, October 2009. Matthew LoPresti, visiting assistant professor of philosophy and humanities, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “Theopoetics of Faith, Dialogue, and Pluralism” in Claremont, California, April 2010. James Primm, associate professor of political science, is awarded for presenting his paper titled, “The Status of the Free Press in Cambodia: Appearance v. Reality” at the 3rd International Conference on ASEAN Media Freedom in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2010.
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There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line. ~Oscar Levant (1906 -1972) American composer, author
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At the Core of it All by Louis Schmier, Ph.D. We all need a time and place, a secret spot in our soul, where our dreams can safely go. So, before I started reading student journals and issue papers that morning, I just sat in a chair in the dark living room, slowly sipping a freshly brewed hot cup of coffee. I was thinking about a rich discussion I’d been having over the past few days with a bunch of collegiate faculty developers about attitudes towards students. Those exchanges had set me re-reading Carl Rogers’ books. He said it in On Becoming A Person, Client Centered Therapy, A Way Of Being, and The Freedom To Learn. How little we listen, he said. How much we talk. How much we look with our eyes. How little we see with our heart and soul. How much we know our discipline. How little we know each student. How much we seek to and think we control - yet, how little we can actually control. How much we pay attention to information transmission and skill development; and, how much of it we structure and supervise. How little thought we devote to the emotional and social development needed to properly use that information and those skills. I respond constantly to student journal entries. I write the “Words For The Day” on the whiteboard; we relate these pithy sayings to the people of the period of history we’re engaged in; I respond in class to the “How I Feel Today” single word the students write each day on the whiteboard. With all of this, I really have not found that I successfully can impose values, ethics, attitudes or behaviors on a student. I have not found that I can motivate a student. I certainly know I cannot do it by threats or enticements of subtracting or adding points to a numerical grade. If I thought otherwise, I’d be creating a breeding ground for frustration, resignation, anger, retreat and surrender. But I do believe in being an example of unconditional respect, support and encouragement in each student’s unique potential.
Respect and empathy; these are the deep connections of trust. They are the core conditions for learning. I know students feel deeply appreciated simply by being respected and understood – not evaluated, judged, graded or threatened; just simply understood from their own point of view. So, I submit that if you want to be effective and want students to learn, start with connection by meeting the student on a person-to-person basis. Be accepting by prizing each student as an imperfect human being, by honoring her or his person, feelings, situations, and views. Be empathetic by standing in a student’s shoes, and by having a sensitive awareness of the way the process of learning seems to the student. Learn to do this every day and the chances of that student learning shoots off the charts. I also know the persuasiveness of example has a far better chance of acquiring more followers than reason or command or imposition or threat. It’s like Mother Teresa said, “Let no one come to you without leaving better and happier than before. Be the living expression of love, faith, hope, empathy, and kindness; let them be in your body, face, eyes, sound, and smile.” It’s that simple – and that challenging. If you live each day using your unique energy to serve a meaningful and positive purpose, I guarantee you will know what a joy and a privilege it is to be able to make a positive difference in someone’s life. No, my wealth is not in my tenure, salary, or resume; it’s in my vision, my sense of purpose, my meaning, my significance, and the feelings of a job well done and mission accomplished when they all mesh with what I do. And no economic downturn can drain that account.
Louis Schmier teaches history at Valdosta State University, Georgia. Read more of his thoughts at http://www.therandomthoughts.com/. Reprinted with permission.
Snapshots A national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that with technology allowing nearly 24-hour media access as children and teens go about their daily lives, the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, especially among minority youth. Today, eight to 18 year-olds devote an average of seven hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week) and because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those seven and a half hours. Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8-to-18-year-olds is the third in a series of large-scale, nationally representative surveys by the Kaiser Foundation about young peoples’ media use. It includes data from three waves of the study (1999, 2004, and 2009), and is among the largest and most comprehensive publicly available sources of information about media use among American youth. To view the full report, visit http://www.kff.org/entmedia/mh012010pkg.cfm (downloaded February 4, 2010.)
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Why Do I Need This Class? by June Klees A common challenge that educators face from students is the question: “Why do I need this class?” Though we want to believe that students intuitively understand the importance of our subjects, often they do not. Many struggle to relate our disciplines to their lives. Without a sense of relevance, students experience a disconnection between our enthusiasm for our subjects and their experiences with it in and outside of class. This disconnection can hamper self-motivation, engagement and meaningful learning. Because of this dynamic, many of us now work to teach the relevance of our content disciplines. After attending an On Course workshop last year, I now employ a number of new tools in my history classes. With them, I have been enhancing what I call a “subject-value pedagogy” that encourages students to make meaningful connections between discipline-based skills/knowledge and other aspects of their lives. In every way possible, I encourage my students to find personal value in the content of my courses. My students know this approach as “Why History?” skills. This article discusses how subject-value pedagogy can be used in any content area to increase students’ intrinsic motivation to learn it. Beginning the Personal Connection Beyond usual active-learning methods, I now ask students to own and be the creators of their “Why History?” experiences. Starting in week one, I employ activities that reveal history as a practical tool for self-empowerment in the present. To be discipline specific, I adapted the wording of the On Course principles to read: “People from the past can role model for us how to take personal responsibility for our lives, have self-motivation, use self-management skills to get things done, be interdependent by working with others to achieve results, be self-aware about the ways we impact ourselves and others, look at life as a learning process, be realistic about managing our emotions, and believe in ourselves and abilities!” Then via written assignments, surveys, and discussions students reflect upon the manner in which they already value and employ “Why History?” skills. Though initially some do not see cross-pollination with other aspects of their lives, this approach sets a tone that shifts students’ perceptions of history from the impersonal and disconnected to the personal and connected.
Sustaining the Personal Connection Here is a quartet of “Why History?” activities that I employ: 1. Quotations: As a means of further prompting student thinking, a “Why History?” bulletin board displays quotations from and images of historical figures. For example, Philosopher Herbert Spencer reminds them that “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action”; while President Abraham Lincoln offers, “People are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.” At mid-term, my students then add their own group-created “advice to the future” along with their pictures. For example, one group metaphorically advised: “Today is homework for tomorrow’s exam.” Another group offered: “People who dwell too much on the past may come to realize that they are preventing their future.” During discus-
sions, my students said this activity helped connect them to their role in shaping history. 2. Mission Statements: To encourage semester-long engagement, another classroom bulletin board, displays inspirational “Why History?” quotes. After reading and reflecting on words like Paul McElroy’s “We are the living link through which will be transmitted to the timeless future all that will be preserved of value from the ageless past,” students create personal “Why History?” mission statements. For example, one young man wrote: “I will use the information from the past, so I can apply what I learn to help better myself as well as other people who may need help in their own lives.” Another female student wrote: “I will strive to learn about the important events of history so I can relate past events with my choices, decisions, and ideas today.” Such statements are placed on the bulletin board, and at various times in the semester students share their “Why History?” thinking with the class. For fun, each person who shares places a star on his/her mission statement. From this activity, I have witnessed improved individual ownership of the class as well as an increased interdependence amongst students. This outcome has been anecdotally evidenced by their willingness to spontaneously offer “Why History?” thoughts and to ask others to share ideas. For example, one student shared that as a result of studying World War II, she was able to make a personal connection with a veteran at the nursing home where she worked. By asking questions and talking about what she knew, she felt she made a difference in the quality of his life. 3. Journaling: Another important On Course technique that enhances subject-value pedagogy is journaling. As part of a portfolio assignment, my students write about the ways in which they use “Why History?” skills in their lives. For each entry they answer the prompt: “Explain how the history you’ve learned has impacted your understanding of your life today personally, at work, or in the other subjects you are studying.” They must identify the history to which they are reacting, but the majority of each entry is personal reflection.
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Why Do I Need This Class? continued The journals are a powerful way for students to embrace and demonstrate their ownership of “Why History?” skills. After writing about how the history of civil rights issues had opened her eyes to racism in her family, one student told me that journaling helped her to see the personal value of understanding history. 4. Instructor Sharing: In addition to the above structured activities, I frequently share my own “Why History?” moments or expand on a student’s statement or question to illustrate why I personally value history. For example, to one class I explained how I came to appreciate that my grandmother’s practice of washing and reusing plastic bags was the result of her experiences during the Great Depression. These moments are often some of the most meaningful interactions and rolemodeling opportunities, because they arise out of natural classroom dialog.
Documenting Benefits Along with regular assessment and feedback activities, I qualitatively survey each class near semester’s end to determine the efficacy of subject-value pedagogy. The survey’s results do not definitively indicate how each student came to value “Why History?” skills, and certainly additional quantitative assessments would be helpful. However, it has become evident that the survey itself is an important tool that encourages students to reflect on their use of “Why History?” skills. Three open-ended questions ask students to document their experiences. The questions asking for explanations are: “1) Which units and/or assignments this term have helped you to see the cause-effect impact of the past on the present? 2) In what other course(s) and to what topic/event/person/etc. in that class have you applied historical analysis/thinking and how? 3) To what current topic/event/person/etc. in your daily life have you applied historical analysis/thinking and how?” In the responses, students revealed: a motivation to connect their learning to other subjects, tones of self-empowerment, an enhanced capacity/desire to relate history to other situations, people and disciplines, and an expanded awareness of their abilities. The following sample remarks are edited for space and readability but not for grammar. For the cause-effect impact, students offered: The South unit really opened my eyes to the reasons for racial tensions today. Now I see how much past affects future. I’ve heard that the world isn’t ours; we’re borrowing it from our children, but who knew that really they meant our great, great, great, great, great grandchildren.
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The Cold War unit helped me to see how the conflict in the Middle East has basically built the conflicts we are experiencing today. The aspects of each unit were eye opening and give some context to many of the political arguments that go on today, which I had only an observer’s interest before having learned some of the causes. Concerning their other courses, many students identified the more obvious uses of historical skills, especially in English, literature and social science classes. But, these statements about other disciplines are fascinating. I am taking many computer classes. I found it interesting/important to research about the beginning of computers and the technologies behind computers, networking. In my Trig class, I used historical thinking when I was trying to understand some of the laws and principles. We are using what historical people figured out for us. Recently I went to an Electrical-Coop conference. While there I researched the amount of deaths and the different tools from the past. It gave me a better understanding of where we have come from safety-wise in the last century. In music appreciation … I have used historical thinking to determine what stage the U.S. was in when certain events and understandings had happened, for example, the impact of technology on musical devices. Lastly, regarding how they have used historical skills in daily life, these responses are compelling. I started to think “If I do this, how will it affect my life and the people around me, in the future?” The history of labor unions has led me to discover as much as possible about what they are fighting for currently because my dad is a major player in the unions … and I’m trying to understand his beliefs more. I have used it in explaining things to my children. For instance, “When grandma was young, World War Two was going on, and they had to ration everything they had.” I have occasionally found myself evaluating my life outside of class when coming across different current national events. I compare the rights I have today to how this would be handled in past times, just to keep my life now in perspective. Though further assessment is needed, the initial feedback from my students suggests that subject-value pedagogy has a positive effect on their motivation and the quality of their learning. By creating an
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Why Do I Need This Class? continued environment in which students from day one are asked to answer personally “Why am I studying this subject?” as well as “How am I going to empower myself by using the skills and knowledge it offers?” we foster student ownership of and engagement with our disciplines. Thus, I encourage all content area instructors to create a subject-value pedagogy that actively identifies and incorporates On Course empowerment principles and learner-centered techniques. What a wonderful thing it will be when our students as life-long learners no longer doubt the relevance of the classes they take, but instead, understand “Why Algebra?” in an art course, “Why Philosophy?” at an accounting firm, and “Why Human
Biology?” when confronting a family medical crisis. In all cases, they will have risen above mediocre expectations of themselves and our disciplines to find those “Aha!” moments of learning that help to empower their lives today!
June Klees is a history faculty member at Bay College, MI. Reprinted with permission from the On Course newsletter, February 17, 2010, http: www.OnCourseWorkshop.com.
WHEN EDUCATORS SPEAK…
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I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it. ~Terry Pratchett, British satirist
We would like to hear from you! If you have original quotes or anecdotes that you would like to share with other faculty about your teaching experiences here at HPU, please send them to the Teaching and Learning Center along with your name, your title, and your permission to publish them in the Po‘okela. Hawai‘i Pacific University • Po‘okela 9