Exercise = Brain Power — Marlene Griffith Wrubel

I try not to make New Year’s resolutions. But this year I did;  I’ve decided to improve my cognitive capacity. The first thought that came to mind was to purposely learn something new such as enrolling in a language course this Spring. Instead I’ve decided to accomplish two things with one activity: I’m going to improve my physical and mental health through exercise. Continue reading Exercise = Brain Power — Marlene Griffith Wrubel

“Chance Favours the Connected Mind” (S. Johnson) — Jen Doyle

Where Good Ideas Come From… Steven Johnson

One of my favourite things to do when I’m relaxing or working around the house is to listen to CBC radio and at the beginning of January I was listening to Spark. Nora Young was interviewing Steven Johnson. His most recent book, Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History Continue reading “Chance Favours the Connected Mind” (S. Johnson) — Jen Doyle

Testing: good practice! – Mary Power

If you have been reading our blog lately you may have noticed a bit of New York theme going on. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to continue the trend. Maybe not quite so glamorous as a trip to the Big Apple, but a recent article in the New York Continue reading Testing: good practice! – Mary Power

Green Slime – Veronica Brown

At dinner, we always try to take the time to ask the girls how their day was at school. Today, my eldest daughter (she’s 7) could barely contain her excitement. It was her first day at an after-school science program. It’s an hour long, once per week. Today, they made slime. Continue reading Green Slime – Veronica Brown

Teaching for Change: A Conversation at Ground Zero — Mark Morton

During a post-Christmas trip to New York City, my wife and kids and I walked to Ground Zero, the site where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. At first, it seemed that our visit would be underwhelming: the site now looks like any other construction zone, Continue reading Teaching for Change: A Conversation at Ground Zero — Mark Morton

Good Teaching: The Top 10 Requirements — Michael Pyne

I’m a firm believer that a calendar year cannot be concluded without a slew of top 10 lists. Even Faculty Focus, an online website and e-newsletter dedicated to teaching in higher education, recently succumbed to the temptation of a top 10 of 2010. The two-part article entitled “Top 10 Faculty Focus Articles for 2010” Continue reading Good Teaching: The Top 10 Requirements — Michael Pyne

How Learning Works — Jane Holbrook

Paul blogged on Tuesday about a recent visitor to our campus, John Mighton, and recommended his book, “The End of Ignorance”. I’m going to continue the trend this week by suggesting another book, one that I’m finding really helpful. I became aware of it through the POD listserv (Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education) and I received it recently as an interlibrary loan. We need a copy of this on our campus; I’m finding it to be an excellent resource. Continue reading How Learning Works — Jane Holbrook