Blog
Are you there, it’s me: Teacher-Student Texting Mid-Semester
Phip Ross Below is a copy of a text conversation I had last night, as I write this. This student had dropped out last semester of my class. She works three jobs and is a non-native speaker living at home. We had planned to meet via Zoom earlier in the day—at noon, she requested, but…
Read MoreCommunities of Practice: A Room for Ourselves
Graphic illustration by Nitya Wakhlu, produced at the Experience Engagement conference in October 2015. A reflection of NADE 2019 by contributor Phip Ross When we started our shift to a dynamic* sequence of developmental English pedagogy and structure in 2014, I started using the phrase community of practice (CoP) during our meetings. While my use…
Read MoreCreating Authentic Bonds Between Speaker and Listener by Mary Birdsall
Recently I read an article that discussed how to ask better questions, particularly when establishing relationships. The author, Lila MacLellan, cited research by Harvard professors Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie John that emphasized the importance of asking follow-up questions. I gave this a try today as I met my first two classes of our summer…
Read MoreTeachers as Writers: Earned Expertise
by Phip Ross I get the honor of talking with teachers about their practice fairly regularly. I could say it’s part of my job, but it’s really not how I think of the work. The way each of us go about cracking that nut which is effective practice is pretty fascinating and every classroom context…
Read MoreWorking for the Public Good
I’ve been thinking about the purpose of education recently. For me, education is a public good. It is not a market commodity. It is meant to be one of the primary engines of human development in our society. I understand that this notion is idealistic and problematic, but it’s what gets me to campus every…
Read MoreGeneral Education Goal: Personal Development
General education goals occupy an important place in a community college; however, because of the varied nature of community college programs, working toward a shared vision can be difficult. In the past, we at Western Nebraska community College (WNCC) recognized the importance of a general education goal that emphasized personal development. For us, that goal…
Read MoreLet’s Work Together
An open call across our state: Let’s work together It’s my hope that the Nebraska Developmental Education Consortium (NDEC) becomes a network of professionals who encourage one another to continue to evolve as teachers, researchers, and leaders in our colleges, communities, and state. Hoping won’t make it happen. Money won’t even make it happen. It…
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