Khanh on Teaching Journal – Week 6

Posted on March 8, 2011 by kbui4

Exploring a national cybersecurity exercise for universities
Hoffman, L.J. Rosenberg, T. Dodge, R. Ragsdale, D.
George Washington Univ., Washington, DC, USA
This paper appears in: Security & Privacy, IEEE
Issue Date: Sept.-Oct. 2005
Volume: 3 Issue: 5
On page(s): 27 – 33

I selected the paper “Exploring a National Cybersecurity Exercise for Universities” by Professors Hoffman and Rosenberg of the George Washington University and Dodge and Ragsdale of US Military Academy West Point for my week 6 journal reading.

In the opening statement of their abstract, the sentence “in cybersecurity competitions, participants either create new or protect preconfigured information systems and then defend these systems against attack in a real-world setting [italics added]” especially resonated in me. This is because, as part of my teaching philosophy, I would give assignments or hand-on activities that mimic the real world situations or problems that students will encounter in the workplace; the problems posed should have some realism so they have a chance to hone their problem solving skills in a safe environment that is somewhat more forgiving than the workplace.

The article summarizes the report of Cyber Security Exercise Workshop sponsored by the US National Science Foundation. It describes various types of cyber exercises in academic setting and raises several, legal considerations for organizers who establish, evaluate, and participate in such exercises. The exercises can involve inter-postsecondary schools, take place in a closed, isolated network or remotely via tunnels established through virtual private networks, and mostly pertain to the task of building and protecting their network by enforcing proper configurations on systems and services. Just like other gaming activities or professional competitions, the report calls for cybersecurity exercise guidelines that clearly define the rules for attackers and defenders, referees, scoring methods, and ways of assessment such as how to know, what, where, and when attacks may occur. Legal issues associated with malpractice, “intentionally or accidentally harm to an innocent third party…failure to secure the network, prevent attacks from spreading, or warn others of the possibility of attacks” (p. 30) are bought to the forefront, implying a need for a plan to address civil liability and criminal activity should it happen.

Overall I believe that it is a great idea to start to build the foundation for the next generation of cyber security professionals at the high and postsecondary school level. I agree with the authors’ goal to help students understand the potential damages and implications if they engage in unauthorized activities. It has been in the news many times how cyber attacks have been launched against the US from countries (e.g., China,, Iran, and other Middle East nations) by young hackers under a patriotic banner of varying levels of formality, but rarely formal enough to implicate the government. While students are primarily focused on defensive goals, there is a facet of the discipline, so-called Ethical Hacking that develops expertise in offensive cyber attacks. This is necessary so practitioners understand how to thwart intruders and also to conduct penetration tests to assess the capabilities of defensive systems. Because of the great harm that can come from the misuse of these attack skills, just like the case with bioengineering and nuclear physics, it is always worrisome that unavoidably some bad practitioners are being trained with the good. And, beyond that, it is also worrisome that there may be many younger people who are attracted to the idea of hacking/attacking and see the competition exercise as a legal, even implicitly government-endorsed, umbrella under which to engage in offensive attacks as long as, by their reasoning, it is directed toward nations seen as antagonists of the US). This is what I see as the Dark Side of the Cyber Security discipline and I believe it underscores the need for ethical conduct to be an integral component of education in general and the Cybersecurity exercise in particular.

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Graduate Education at AEJMC Schools: A Benchmark Study

Posted on March 7, 2011 by bkuhta

Interesting read regarding Journalism studies and student-learning outcomes.

Abstract – The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Board of Directors charged the Standing Committee on Teaching to devise a set of metrics for assessing doctoral programs in journalism and mass communication. This directive was made with the strict proviso that the goal would be to offer suggestions for improvement-that is, how we can better prepare future faculty who may one day teach in journalism or mass communication programs. Exploring what schools are currently doing was a first step. The survey reported here covered the three primary areas important for tenure-track faculty- research, teaching, and service. It builds on the Task Force on the Status and Future of Doctoral Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.1 The article includes suggestions for metrics and student-learning outcomes. Continue reading →

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journal article response March 6

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Ginny

I am looking at another journal this week, the Journal of Teacher Education.

Fairbanks, C.M., Duffy, G.G., Faircloth, B.S., He, Y., Levin, B., Rohr, J., and Stein, C. (2010). Beyond knowledge: Exploring why some teachers are more thoughtfully adaptive than others. Journal of Teacher Education, 61, 161-171.

When discussing how to prepare new teachers to teach, the authors of this article pose the question, “What is necessary beyond knowledge?” This is a good question indeed. Content knowledge is acquired and mastered by teaching candidates, but the methods of teaching, the pedagogy, are not always taught or learned. Teachers need to learn how to be adaptable, flexible, and well-prepared. Four facets of teacher characteristics are described: teacher beliefs, teacher vision, sense of belonging, and teacher identity.  Teacher beliefs will change over time and with experience but should be identified and remembered. Teacher vision is a “personal commitment to seek outcomes beyond the usual curriculum”. Teachers need to have a sense of belonging in the school or teaching environment and do not thrive if their teaching beliefs and vision do not match those of the school. Identity is about how one views oneself as a teacher. This identity changes over time and can be different in various situations, such as teacher, parent educator, advocate, authority, and learner. The conclusion is that teachers need to have multiple perspectives to sustain them in their teaching, and that they need to be adaptable and resourceful. The dilemma appears to be how to teach teachers to develop these skills.

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Revised Teaching Philosophy

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Jennifer

My group from last week had requested that we post our teaching philosophies here, so here is my revised teaching philosophy:

Teaching Philosophy

Student learning happens through multiple means and on different levels.  In addition to using a variety of formats to address students’ different learning styles, teachers should also consider the different types of learning that can occur in a course.  Educational studies reveal that students learn more by actively participating than by simply memorizing information (Prince, 2004; Bean, 1996; Bonwell and Eison, 1991; etc.).  My pedagogical goals are for my students to move beyond learning information and acquiring skills to become critical thinkers and lifelong-learners.

Today’s globalized, postmodern whirlwind of abundant and conflicting information requires citizens who can sort through this information overload and discern well-founded ideas from unsupported opinions.  In order to help my students acquire the analytical and rhetorical skills they need to be effective writers, critical thinkers, and productive citizens, I use discussion and journal writing to examine ideas, pose problems, and offer questions for their thoughtful consideration in order to address course learning goals.  In addition to informal at-home journal responses that ask students to consider overarching questions of the course and their relation to course readings, real-life events, and student experiences, I will also often introduce learning outcomes and course topics by having students respond to questions through brief in-class writings.  For example, to address the learning outcome of rhetorical awareness and its importance to effective writing, I will assign a supplemental reading about rhetorical situations, have students respond by describing encounters with such situations in their own lives outside of the classroom, and then we will discuss how to relate these concepts to rhetorical situations encountered in writing—both in the college classroom and in the real world.

Since students learn best through doing, I give my students ample writing assignments through which to hone their writing and thinking skills over multiple drafts.  I also require that students review each other’s drafts and collaborate to give constructive and thoughtful feedback on peer review group members’ drafts.  Through this activity, not only do students get feedback from each other, but they also gain useful strategies for revision that they can then apply to their own writing.

I expand my students’ repertoire of analytical skills—preparing them to both write and analyze information in their daily lives outside of academics—by incorporating a variety of media texts in my classroom, including advertisements, speeches, websites, news articles, and video clips.  Media literacy, the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate messages in a variety of forms, is essential for full and effective functioning in our increasingly digital culture. Rhetorical expertise and conventions must be understood and applied, no matter whether a student is writing an academic essay, creating a web page, discerning the validity of information on the internet, analyzing the arguments presented in an advertisement, or producing a digital video project.  I have students examine, evaluate, and compare websites as part of the research skills unit, and I also often incorporate video clips from cable news or advertising to demonstrate the use of rhetorical appeals or logical fallacies.

In my student-centered approach to learning, I allow the students a degree of choice in assignments and class procedures.  Even when I give students a specific writing task, they are able to have broad leeway in choosing the subject of their essays with guidance from me as necessary.  For example, for the final research paper in my English 112 course, College Composition II, I give students three broad topic options and work with them to tailor a specific topic to their interests.  For end-of-the-semester group projects and presentations, I also give several topic options to choose from and encourage student groups to develop a creative presentation in a format of their choice.  By relinquishing some of my power in the classroom, students not only feel more invested in their learning, but they learn to take more responsibility for their own choices.

Just as reflection is important to student learning, I believe it is also the most important part of being a good teacher.  By keeping a journal of my observations about the effectiveness of my assignments and activities and getting periodic feedback from my students, I am able to adjust my strategies and methods to accommodate their needs during the semester rather than after the fact.  Every class of every course is an experiment in teaching and learning, and as a reflective practitioner I can learn from every student.

A selection of anonymous student responses from evaluations over two semesters demonstrate the effectiveness of student learning and many of my teaching strategies:

“I felt that my teacher was great.  She used many different learning strategies.”

“My favorite part was the assignments and how they really made me think about what I was doing.  It definitely helped me master this course.”

“I enjoyed the discussions and writings on controversial topics. This helped me see new views and helped me strengthen my own through writing techniques.”

“The class has taught me to see all sides of a situation before deciding.”

“I enjoyed learning about the writing process.  How everything works and why is something I like to learn about…The class definitely helped me master the course goals.”

“My critical thinking has improved tremendously.  Before I lacked that ability.”

“I liked the discussions because we got to talk about what we are learning.  [This] made the class more hands-on and interesting.”

“The best part of this class is the essays.  The topics were broad enough that you felt free with your choice, but narrow enough to keep you focused.”

“The class gave me skills I can actually use in life.”

“My favorite would have to be the essays as they are engaging, introspective prompts.  The essays certainly helped to reinforce topics and helped with real world application.”

“Professor Hitchcock led really good discussions and got the whole class to participate.”

“I loved how Mrs. Hitchcock is very approachable and how many times I have been able to meet with her outside of class.”

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Teaching Journal Article

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Jennifer

Cosgrove, Cornelius. “What Our Graduates Write: Making Program Assessment Both Authentic and Persuasive.” College Composition and Communication. 62.1 (2010). 311-336. ProQuest. Web. 5 March 2011.

After having read the best teaching-related articles in the most recent issue of CCC, I decided to go back to the December issue to look for other useful articles.  In this article that also relates to assessment again, the author discusses how studying the writing practices of graduates of a writing program can help faculty assess the effectiveness of a program.  The author also looks at how this practice can help the public outside of the field to understand the nature of composition studies.  Rather than just focusing on “good writing”, which is often defined differently by different people inside and outside of academia, the author argues for focusing on whether the writing courses prepared alumni to effectively write in the authentic writing situations they typically encounter in their lives after they graduate.  The author conducted a study that surveyed several hundred graduates from the previous seven years and analyzed the survey results to determine how the writing program had helped students in their current writing and about what might be added to courses to better prepare students for the writing they would do once they graduated.  It is interesting how the article ties in nicely with some of the concepts we have been reading about in Driscoll and Wood, but this article also look beyond classroom assessment to overall program assessment after the fact.

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Driscoll & Wood Chatpers 7-8

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Jonathan Hsu

Being in the peculiar situation of having my syllabus supplied to me for the class I teach, I found these chapters informative in regard to creating engaging syllabi; however, I chose to focus on analyzing (read critique) the syllabus and course composition I’m supplied. This way, I’ll be able to glean what I like and dislike from my supplied course.

The syllabus begins with a description of the course along with rationale as to its purpose. Subsequently, the three course objectives are listed:

  • Describe issues related to the design and implementation of network-enabled information systems
  • Describe the functionality of some common server-side web application technologies
  • Demonstrate proficiency in implementing those technologies

Removing the tech jargon, the objectives of the course are to understand the structure of the web and how services are brought to the end user while using the prescribed programming language to demonstrate proficiency in the concepts that go into making these services. My first concern with these objectives is they do not give the student an idea of what their state should be leaving the class, answering the “so what” or “why take this class” is vital to framing the semester for students. Additionally the objectives make no mention of my role as professor. These objectives could be the foreword on a “do it yourself” programming book. As a logical segue, the textbook is listed next. I’ll return to the textbook at the end of my posting as it’s a large personal gripe of mine.

The next sections of the syllabus describe the various technologies that will be necessary for the class “Blackboard, Webserver access, VPN, PDF Reader, etc. While this information is undeniably important I feel that it is terribly misplaced. This type of information would serve its same purpose as an appendix of sorts to the syllabus, but in its current location it removes the focus from learning and dives deeply into semantics.

Next up is the grading section. The two components of this section are the breakdown of how a students’ final grade will be calculated (participation, quizzes, labs, exam, project) and also the generic A-F scale. There is no mention of assessment scales and this is a huge problem as per our readings.

Aside from the sections on honor code and disability accommodations the remainder of the syllabus are long verbose descriptions of each of the aspects of the course (lecture, participation, quizzes, labs, project, exam). Each of these descriptions may make loose mention of learning objectives, but there is no mention of assessment and thus a misalignment in the course content. These long descriptions are more concerned with protocols such as reiterating punctuality and emergency policy. They do not elaborate on HOW each assessment category will tie back to learning objectives and how it will build to a final outcome at the end of the semester.

Moving onto the idea of alignment, the course is terribly misaligned and imbalanced with the course outcomes. The entire course revolves around learning how to code and there is little discussion of the first and second objectives. Part of the problem is the enormous amount of content the course aims to cover. Because there is so much, the course most focus on the third objective exclusively. However, when reviewing the topics there are many that can be condensed and many that fall under the category of “interesting but not integral to the course”. Removing some of these learning modules would allow room to shift the class to have more thematic elements and less of a procedural feel to it. Drawing on my professional experience as a software developer I know that the process is infinitely more important than the syntax output. But there is very little mention of good practices that will aid in the field. This is reflected in the grading of the assessments which are simply shopping cart lists of “does the assignment have X component?” These grading structures DIRECTLY conflict with promoting, rewarding, and fostering the second learning outcome. Rubrics that also cover coding practices and give room for feedback and formative process will improve the course.

The schedule for the course is a separate document, mainly for ease of access on Blackboard, but has its flaws as well. The main deficiency is that each week’s lecture, lab, quiz, etc. has no linking to what learning objective the students are learning about that meeting. There is also no description as to what each section is and leaves students with the feeling that they’re reading a foreign document. This is clearly not student and learner oriented.

Returning to the textbook debacle, I have yet to find a text book that is outcomes-based friendly. All books, especially in the programming field, have a very procedural structure to them which all but forces teachers to structure their classes accordingly. The other option is to ignore the textbook (which I end up doing in my class) but then you’re removing a key source of information that the students could use to help. Specifically for my class, the lectures are very “textbook ported” in that they cover WHAT each programming construct is, and show one, maybe two examples but there are no built in opportunities to practice and focus on the other learning objectives. This is why I’m constantly having to provide supplemental materials. Going through CTCH 602 and using it to reflect and formulate my opinions of the class I teach, I wonder if I should begin work on the first outcomes-based programming text book for student learning.

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Some Thoughts on Doing a Personal Philosophy of Teaching

Posted on March 3, 2011 by bassman

Friends, lend me your ears (eyes would be helpful, too) as I try to think through this whole process of a teaching philosophy. Please do comment, disagree, whatever. I have found your insights and feedback most insightful.

Having read much of the references about and resources on the what, why, how-to of developing a teaching philosophy, certain things stand out to me.

First, there’s lots of advice out there. Much of it is useful.

Second, there is no one way to do it. I have seen ones less than a page and some eight or more pages.

Third, these are very personal. I think they should be. They should reflect our own understanding of and approach to teaching/learning.

Fourth, some read more like adapted or expanded syllabi. This is okay because this is how these teachers wish to present it, and it illustrates who they are and how they go about their art.

Fifth, this is my own personal view, I find that I want it to be broader for me, even at the risk of being generic, but outlining in as inspiring a way as possible how I see what it takes for meaningful learning to take place.

Sixth, I then use that philosophy outline to fill it out, to show how it will be fulfilled in more specific ways through a syllabus, which will be different for each course taught. I see my philosophy as my theories about teaching/learning, and the syllabus as an application of it. In other words, I will ask students to read it along with the syllabus. They are two parts of a whole. Now it is true that perhaps the two could be combined in some way. I’ll have to think about that.

Seventh, again this is just from my perspective, I see several versions of a teaching philosophy. The one I have written is aimed at students. I started with it because it seemed the place to begin. I can see me doing a version for a search committee, for faculty peers, etc. The version will depend on the target audience/readers.
All of these could be in a portfolio.

Eighth, we are doing several drafts of this in our class. What this tells me and I can see it from just what I have done is that this is something that is always becoming, evolving, changing, expanding – as it reflects the fact that we are always evolving, changing, learning, etc. I don’t wish to depress you, but I have a feeling we will always be developing our teaching philosophy.

Does any of this make any sense at all?

What are your thoughts? Your struggles? Your insights?

Thanks,
Bass

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Ginny’s Teaching Philosophy draft

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Ginny

Teaching Philosophy

Learning starts at birth, and we learn throughout our lives. Young children are constantly sorting and classifying information as they acquire it; I believe adult learners go through the same process.  Old views and perceptions are altered as new information is absorbed and reflected upon; erroneous concepts are replaced with better understanding.  We learn with all of our senses; sights, sounds, tastes, smells, touch, and movement all provide the brain with data.

In a successful learning situation content from readings and lectures is assessed and analyzed during personal reflection or collaborative interactions.  Successful learning is evident when students are excited, enjoy participating in class, and can demonstrate applied knowledge.  College students in my field of early childhood education (ECE) need to spend time with children and observe how young children behave and interact with other children and adults.

Field experience and internships are usually part of ECE coursework, providing students with valuable hands-on experience.  Mastery in early childhood education (ECE) includes a thorough knowledge of young children’s stages of growth and development across all the domains, including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive.  The ECE student learns how to work with children and meet their needs in class and child care. A well-prepared ECE student understands developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) with children and is familiar with the ECE field’s Early Learning Standards as defined in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines.

 “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”  -Chinese proverb.

“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” –Albert Einstein.

My teaching philosophy is a combination of Einstein and the Chinese proverb; I try to provide conditions for learning by being open and welcoming, and I teach by explaining concepts and involving my students in the learning process.  I share myself with my class by using personal stories as examples and by being open to questions and criticism. I ask for feedback and adapt teaching techniques to meet the needs of my students. I am flexible and open to change; if I observe that a portion of a class is not going well, I make a note to myself to change the procedure for the next time.  My role as a teacher is a coach, a storyteller, a guide, and a partner in learning. I encourage students to share their stories and experiences with children, and thus I learn from my students as well. I am so enthusiastic about young children that I hope I inspire and encourage pre-service ECE teachers to enjoy children and want to work with them.

Competency in teaching goes beyond sharing a foundation of knowledge in a particular field with others.  The competent teacher respects and supports each student without prejudice or judgment and accepts students at the current level of understanding.  The teacher guides students and encourages them, helping them to find their personal best.  I believe that teachers should remember that while they may have taught a certain class many times, each new class of students needs to hear the information as if it were the first time.  Tired, uninterested, or condescending teachers do not connect positively with their students; students remember these teachers, but not fondly.  I believe that teachers owe their students the best they have to give each time they have class together. 

My goal for students is that they become enthralled with the world of children and can’t wait to work with them.  For those students who are already in a setting, they can take new information and use it right away with young children.  For those who aren’t yet working with children and are contemplating a career path, I hope to help them decide if working with children is the right choice.  While there will be students who take an ECE course as an elective or to fill in the blanks, by the end of my class they will know whether they are suited for teaching young children. The ideal outcome of my teaching would be to send an army of well qualified early childhood professionals out into the world to work with small children in family child care, centers, preschools and kindergartens. Little children and their families deserve the best possible care and education, and ECE teachers deserve the best possible preparation in their education.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” –Dr. Seuss

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Scaffolding Wiki-Based, Ill-Structured Problem Solving in an Online Environment

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Jonathan Hsu

Abstract
To scaffold students’ wiki-based, ill-structured problem solving in an online environment, the author designed conceptual, metacognitive, procedural, and strategic scaffolds. Using mixed methods research, this study explored the effectiveness of the scaffolds and the use of wikis in the ill-structured problem solving process. Data were collected from multiple sources, including surveys, virtual observations, project-related documents and postings in Blackboard, e-mails, and group wiki pages. The findings of this study suggest that soft scaffolding is necessary, especially for conceptual guidance, to effectively support students’ ill-structured problem solving. The hard, metacognitive scaffolds provided in the course not only supported student groups’ planning, monitoring, and evaluation in their illstructured problem solving processes, but also helped the instructor provide tailored conceptual, metacognitive, and strategic scaffolding.
Continue reading →

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Journal Entry for 3/1/2011

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Michael

Discrete Mathematics and its Applications

Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications
Volume 29 Issue 3

Abstract:
The article gives ideas that lecturers of undergraduate Discrete Mathematics courses can use in order to make the subject more interesting for students and encourage them to undertake further studies in the subject. It is possible to teach Discrete Mathematics with little or no reference to computing. However, students are more likely to be interested in a subject if they are able to appreciate its use. There is, therefore, a strong case for teaching Discrete Mathematics in context. Lecturers are faced with the task of conveying mathematical material, some of which is new to students and some of which they will have met before. Lecturers must attempt to foster mathematical dexterity. All of this takes time. Teaching the subject in context can be achieved using little, or no, additional time. Of the wide range of Computer Science subjects, Artificial Intelligence and Software Agents are particularly rich in problems that are easy to understand and for which mathematics is needed in order to formally describe the problem as well as to solve it.
Continue reading →

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