8/27/07
Professor of Camping, Canoeing, and Biology
Greetings! Summer has come to an end and now my attention has shifted to another academic year…one of my favorite times of year. Students are excited to begin their first year and returning students are eager to get back to college. Faculty have had a nice break from the classroom and are full of energy. There is enthusiasm and energy on campus like no other time of the year – this invigorates me.
I came to NWU in 1989 – I know, this means I was here about the time you were born and that means you think I am old. I suppose I am at that, yet I remain young at heart. I was trained as a botanist (one who studies plants) and I am a lover of nature and all things naturally wild (in fact I just returned from a 5 day wilderness canoeing trip with 13 of my first year students – one of the best teaching experiences I have had…but more about that next week). I teach a variety of classes in Biology including botany, plant taxonomy, senior research, introductory biology for non-biology majors, and environmental science.
This semester I teach Biology of Plants and my Liberal Arts Seminar (Necessity of Wilderness). We have record enrollment in the introductory classes so my botany class is very full (close to 100 students). However, this big lecture is divided into four smaller (24 students) labs, so I will have ample opportunity to interact with my students. On the other hand, my LAS is small (only 13 students) and I already know my students very well as we spent "quality" time together canoeing and camping over the last two weeks.
8/31/07
Into the Wild:
Canoe and Camp for Class Credit
Would you be willing to come to college two weeks earlier than other students, spend two days traveling and five days rigorously canoeing and camping in northern Minnesota with twelve other first year students, three upper level students, and three biology faculty (none of which you knew before the trip)? I am teaching a new class this semester for first year students (Necessity of Wilderness) and 13 first year students WERE up for this challenge. Yes, they were a bit apprehensive about meeting others, canoeing and camping. However, ask them now, after the trip, if it was worth the effort and you will hear that "It was a life-changing trip", "I would do it again in a heartbeat!" or "Everyone should do this". From my perspective as a teacher, this trip was the single best teaching experience I have had in my 21 years of college teaching experience,
All first year students at NWU must take a Liberal Arts Seminar (my Necessity of Wilderness is one of about 25 offered this semester). I wanted my students to experience a true wilderness by canoeing and camping 5 days in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. My students have formed lasting bonds with each other because of the common experiences endured throughout the trip. I believe most of my students will remain close friends for their college years and beyond.
My students will spend the remainder of this semester contemplating and discussing why wilderness is necessary for humanity. In class today, we had a wonderful discussion concerning why humans need to have a natural area in which to retreat and if visiting a wilderness could be a spiritual experience. If only all classes could share such a trip!!! My advice to you is to step out of your comfort zone and explore new challenges in life. The result will be surprising and rewarding! I promise.
10/12/07
Opportunities for Teacher Innovation at NWU
One of the most encouraging aspects of teaching at Nebraska Wesleyan University is the support I receive on campus for innovative tools/styles of teaching. If I am able to justify the need and benefit of a novel teaching method, I will normally get a green light to move forward – this, in part, makes NWU a great place to attend. Let me describe two examples that clearly illustrate what I mean.
Last year I began using a student response system for my lectures. Students have small transmitters that they can key in choices for questions I post during lecture. These responses are collected on my lecture computer and tallied for immediate feedback. This system is similar to audience participation on game shows such “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. As I lecture on a specific topic, I can stop the lecture, ask students to respond to a question and determine if they are in deed understanding the concept! How cool is that! As a teacher, I think it is great. We are using this in both chemistry and biology courses this year and the response from both students and faculty has been very positive.
The second example was the wilderness canoe trip I organized for my Liberal Arts Seminar (LAS) – see my 8/31 diary entry. The administration took a risk by allowing this class, but from the very beginning they supported my ideas. The class has been so successful that I plan to offer the LAS again next year. So if you are up to a challenge, consider this as possibility!
10/26/07
Wilderness Experience Gives Students a Common Frame of Reference
Class discussions….they can be one of the most rewarding learning experiences or one of the most frustrating. I am so impressed and rewarded with the class discussions from my LAS students. After experiencing the 5-day wilderness trip, students now have a meaningful, common frame of reference from which to formulate thoughts and to connect to the material read in class.
Our most recent reading was from Aldo Leopold’s Sand County Almanac. Leopold was one of the early conservationists in the United States and had a strong value system for proper land conservation. He realized the necessity of maintaining the health of land – especially soil – which ultimately protects the ecosystem biota. As a cofounder of the Wilderness Society, his work was instrumental setting aside large tracts of land as Wilderness Areas where human interventions were non-existent. One of the largest wilderness areas in the continental United States is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota and the adjacent Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. Combined, this area covers almost 2 million acres of land (3,100 square miles). My students paddled and portaged many miles in this wilderness in August and all have a unique perspective of wilderness – one that is difficult to verbalize, but easy to comprehend after such an experience. This perspective allows my students to significantly discuss wilderness concepts. Without the canoe trip, this would have been impossible. I firmly believe that one’s life should consist of creating experience – as varied as possible – to widen the perspective from which one sees and interacts with the natural world.
11/2/07
Making the Transition from High School to College
The change from High School to College is a significant one. For many students, this is one of the great challenges of college. As a professor of first year students, I see this played out each year. Students come to college and begin as they left off from High School continuing whatever study habits (or lack thereof) they have. The reality is that college is much more difficult than High School and requires additional work on the student’s part in order to maintain the same academic quality. Either the students realize this very early and kick into gear the first few weeks, or they think it will change without putting in additional effort.
Students are now in the midst of the semester with several major assignments behind them. This serves as a good time to assess their performance. Many students have changed their study habits and greatly improved performance in my first year classes. However some are struggling because of the huge change or a lack of change on their part. Don’t let this happen to you.
Here is my recommendation. Come to college realizing that the academics will require more effort. If you have good study habits – excellent – continue to improve them now. If you are lacking these, work diligently to improve them while in High School. Additionally, plan to spend much more time studying for exams – college lectures are much more in depth and there is a tremendous amount of material to synthesize before an exam. Lastly, come to college with a good attitude – an attitude to succeed. You are not alone and the professors want you to succeed. We will do all we can to help you – all you have to do is ask and show us you care.
