if you could design a communication curriculum...

[Slithytoves]

Something that was lacking in the communication course I took was a proper discussion (with good examples) of how language shapes reality, and how it's used to institutionalize ideas and perspectives. The instructor touched on these things here and there but never made them a stand-alone lesson. I think it's too important to omit.

I took a Diversity & Oppression class with an instructor who had both an MSW and a Master of Communications. He based several lessons around physical demonstrations in which students became points on living "charts" of perception and experience. If you are interested in specifics and have a classroom where a physical game is possible, let me know and I'll describe in detail. His methods really drove things home like nothing else I've seen in a course.

Is there anything specifically that I might be able to do to reinforce my willingness to work with my students, regarding their individual needs?

Bringing the topic of neurodiversity into even one early discussion would be a signal to people on the spectrum that you're an ally. Just hearing acknowledgement of our existence is very refreshing in a course on subjects of special relevance to us. We're so used to being under-considered, and social anxiety can make it difficult to make ourselves and our needs known. You could reinforce your understanding by slipping in somewhere that you understand students with ASDs may benefit from a chance to ask questions or give feedback one-on-one, and that you welcome it. To cast a wider net, you could simply mention that there are a number of other reasons why some students may require additional support in a communications class, and that you consider them all equally valid. Fear of invalidation is a big obstacle to anyone with extra requirements.

I personally hate group projects also, but I'm wondering how I can alter this assignment to make it more effective but also more enjoyable for my students? Currently, it's basically just a group presentation that they work on for a few weeks, and then "reflect" on in peer reviews. Any thoughts you might have would be great! And if one of my students were particularly adverse to the group project, do you think there is a big risk in letting him or her do an alternative assignment, i.e. would it make him/her feel even more self-conscious if the rest of the class can clearly see that they are not participating in it?

I'd personally give severely group-averse students the option of an alternative assignment and let them weigh the risk for themselves.

I taught a Confirmation class for teens at my synagogue, which included a small-group project. I had a couple of students who really balked at group work, so I tasked them as "stitchers", responsible for synthesizing the work of other group members to create the final presentation. That role was understood to have autonomy, explained as extra responsibility for not having to take part in the general group sessions. The students who took that job seemed happy to be able to contribute but without any discomfort. Just a thought. It may not work in every situation.

P.S.: I also allowed students to give individual presentations privately if they needed to, in front of me and two or three classmates of their choosing (or mine, if they wished to defer to my judgment). They had to approach me under their own steam if they wanted to do that, though. I was willing to accommodate social anxiety, but not to enable it by relieving students of all responsibility for getting their needs met. You can only do so much before it's counterproductive.

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

Something that was lacking in the communication course I took was a proper discussion (with good examples) of how language shapes reality, and how it's used to institutionalize ideas and perspectives. The instructor touched on these things here and there but never made them a stand-alone lesson. I think it's too important to omit.

I took a Diversity & Oppression class with an instructor who had both an MSW and a Master of Communications. He based several lessons around physical demonstrations in which students became points on living "charts" of perception and experience. If you are interested in specifics and have a classroom where a physical game is possible, let me know and I'll describe in detail. His methods really drove things home like nothing else I've seen in a course.





Bringing the topic of neurodiversity into even one early discussion would be a signal to people on the spectrum that you're an ally. Just hearing acknowledgement of our existence is very refreshing in a course on subjects of special relevance to us. We're so used to being under-considered, and social anxiety can make it difficult to make ourselves and our needs known. You could reinforce your understanding by slipping in somewhere that you understand students with ASDs may benefit from a chance to ask questions or give feedback one-on-one, and that you welcome it. To cast a wider net, you could simply mention that there are a number of other reasons why some students may require additional support in a communications class, and that you consider them all equally valid. Fear of invalidation is a big obstacle to anyone with extra requirements.




I'd personally give severely group-averse students the option of an alternative assignment and let them weigh the risk for themselves.

I taught a Confirmation class for teens at my synagogue, which included a small-group project. I had a couple of students who really balked at group work, so I tasked them as "stitchers", responsible for synthesizing the work of other group members to create the final presentation. That role was understood to have autonomy, explained as extra responsibility for not having to take part in the general group sessions. The students who took that job seemed happy to be able to contribute but without any discomfort. Just a thought. It may not work in every situation.

P.S.: I also allowed students to give individual presentations privately if they needed to, in front of me and two or three classmates of their choosing (or mine, if they wished to defer to my judgment). They had to approach me under their own steam if they wanted to do that, though. I was willing to accommodate social anxiety, but not to enable it by relieving students of all responsibility for getting their needs met. You can only do so much before it's counterproductive.

Slithy, your compassion and wisdom needs to be stitched into the human genome. We could all benefit.

 

[AsheSkyler]

oh AsheSkyler, this post hits home, particularly because you mention comm and ethics classes in conjunction with business. When they made our intro comm course a general education requirement, the focus shifted from "being competent and capable communicators" to "how to succeed in business." As such, there's been a lot of pressure on us to make everything business-focused: how to give a good pitch, how to conduct yourself in meetings, how to succeed during an interview, even how to dress professionally, etc. It's not that these aren't important skills, but they are just such a small part of communication and its necessity to everyday interaction.

My experience suggests that your perspective on public speaking is right on. Public speaking can be a heinously traumatic experience, and I am sorry to hear that it has been a nightmare for you. Even I did not lose all my discomfort/fears until I was up there, teaching every single day. As I mentioned in my reply to Zurb, there are certain requirements for the course, including four speech assignments and, often, some impromptu speaking. I can't get rid of them entirely without getting fired, but I have been considering an alternative for my students who are particularly anxious about them. What would you think about this: instead of giving speeches in front of the whole class, what if a student could deliver their speech to me and a small group, like 4 or 5 people, at a time and in a place of their choosing? The student could choose the members of their small audience; ideally, they would be friends that the student feels comfortable around/has practiced in front of multiple times. Then, they might progressively become more comfortable speaking in front of small groups, then maybe one day, bigger ones? Do you think this alternative would be helpful? I have also contemplated letting a student deliver a speech only to me, but without an audience, it's not really public speaking, is it?

The small group thing is highly recommended among many who deal with those with a fear of it and it is a logical progression. I was never given that chain to follow, so I can't say with personal experience how it will affect the worst of the lot, but those with anxiety due simply to the unknown and unfamiliar aspect of it should do fine. And naturally, if they really get into it, they can get bumped up to larger settings faster.

You gave me an idea, inadvertently. How about instead of starting with a small performance, there could be a King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table (or group therapy) approach where everybody sits in a circle? Kind of a teaser to get used to talking with a bunch of people, but with the focus not entirely on them so they can test their wings a bit before taking the stage. They'll still of course have to get the guts up to speak with everybody listening, but it's different when you're in the crowd rather than above them. Those never gave me fits, and as you read I'm about as much of a basket case as they come to public speaking.

I have taught a class once. It was only a one-time thing, all the kids at my church were to take one Sunday and each of us go to a classroom to teach the lesson. I got to claim the little old ladies, that is a wonderful audience to start with! Not that I performed well, Aspie processing issues got in the way and made it a bit confusing, but grannies are a supportive place to start. Would it be terribly out of line for some to give their speeches in a nursing home? Make a field trip of it and the seniors would benefit too, a lot of the residents I've known loved having visitors.

 

[NTgirl4276]

1. Silence never says nothing. What does that mean? Identify different "kinds" of silence and how to hear and use them to improve communication.
2. Notice their length and position in a conversation.
3. How to "read" silence: how to pronounce commas, periods, semicolons, colons--and why these things matter.
   
4. Consider an assignment on listening for different kinds of silence in different kinds of conversation: parent scolding child, lovers in anger, the being with a friend whose problem you can't solve, scenarios that your students can pick for themselves and report on to the group.
5. How to evolve your own rules for permitting yourself to be quiet, and to be OK with that.
   
6. Silence in music: the notes are supported by the rests. Think about conversation as a form not just of logic, but of art: and how silence adds or robs words of their meaning. And how the storytelling machines of our minds sometimes work to rob of us helpful silence because we need to fill that space with story, filling in the blanks of what we don't know. How do we acquire the skill to stop the storytelling machine when it's not helping? Potential recommended reading: What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, by David DiSalvo.
7. One of the most useful classes I ever took in communications wasn't communications. It was Voice I--which had lawyers, amateur singers, and upcoming debaters and public speakers learning how to breathe, to control the sound they made with their words, so that their sounds would support the sense of what they said.

Feel free to PM if you have questions. Good luck with it, this is a very exciting thread, I'm delighted you opened it!

these are amazing insights, Aspergirl4hire !! I usually touch on silence in the transition from verbal language to nonverbal language, but never with this level of depth and nuance. I love that your ideas highlight silence in both (non)spoken language and written language. With your suggestions, I'm going to try to plan an entire session revolving around silence.

I wish I could address #7 in my class, but I don't think I am qualified to do so. BUT, your suggestion makes me think that I could bring in a guest speaker to help with this! I'm sure I can find at least one person at the university that has greater voice/vocal training than I do. The theater department comes to mind!

Thanks so much! If you are inspired by any other suggestions, please feel free to keep passing them along. It's such a great help.

Something that was lacking in the communication course I took was a proper discussion (with good examples) of how language shapes reality, and how it's used to institutionalize ideas and perspectives. The instructor touched on these things here and there but never made them a stand-alone lesson. I think it's too important to omit.

I took a Diversity & Oppression class with an instructor who had both an MSW and a Master of Communications. He based several lessons around physical demonstrations in which students became points on living "charts" of perception and experience. If you are interested in specifics and have a classroom where a physical game is possible, let me know and I'll describe in detail. His methods really drove things home like nothing else I've seen in a course.

Since I'm a rhetorician I do this every chance I get. It is hard to handle it at any length with the restraints on our semester schedule/all the other things we need to get through, but I will keep trying! I, too, find it to be the most compelling dimension of communication. You'd probably be devastated, though, at the reaction I often get. Since it's a general education course, I get a whole range of students, and many of them (namely, the anti-humanities ones) are very resistant to the notion of constructed and/or multiple realities.

Bringing the topic of neurodiversity into even one early discussion would be a signal to people on the spectrum that you're an ally. Just hearing acknowledgement of our existence is very refreshing in a course on subjects of special relevance to us. We're so used to being under-considered, and social anxiety can make it difficult to make ourselves and our needs known. You could reinforce your understanding by slipping in somewhere that you understand students with ASDs may benefit from a chance to ask questions or give feedback one-on-one, and that you welcome it. To cast a wider net, you could simply mention that there are a number of other reasons why some students may require additional support in a communications class, and that you consider them all equally valid. Fear of invalidation is a big obstacle to anyone with extra requirements.

Such a perfectly simple and wonderful idea. Of course I should do this. On day one!!

I'd personally give severely group-averse students the option of an alternative assignment and let them weigh the risk for themselves.

I taught a Confirmation class for teens at my synagogue, which included a small-group project. I had a couple of students who really balked at group work, so I tasked them as "stitchers", responsible for synthesizing the work of other group members to create the final presentation. That role was understood to have autonomy, explained as extra responsibility for not having to take part in the general group sessions. The students who took that job seemed happy to be able to contribute but without any discomfort. Just a thought. It may not work in every situation.

P.S.: I also allowed students to give individual presentations privately if they needed to, in front of me and two or three classmates of their choosing (or mine, if they wished to defer to my judgment). They had to approach me under their own steam if they wanted to do that, though. I was willing to accommodate social anxiety, but not to enable it by relieving students of all responsibility for getting their needs met. You can only do so much before it's counterproductive.

I'm glad that both you and AsheSkyler seem on board with the potential for small-group presentations. I'm also glad you mentioned "enabling," because it is one of my concerns. I'm less concerned about enabling potential Aspies and more concerned with enabling other students who are just kinda-sorta-not-really-wanting-to-give-a-speech types. As per your suggestion, the small-group alternative is something I won't necessarily broadcast widely, but will offer as students share their anxieties with me. The "stitcher" alternative for the group project is also something I'll keep in my back pocket!

The small group thing is highly recommended among many who deal with those with a fear of it and it is a logical progression. I was never given that chain to follow, so I can't say with personal experience how it will affect the worst of the lot, but those with anxiety due simply to the unknown and unfamiliar aspect of it should do fine. And naturally, if they really get into it, they can get bumped up to larger settings faster.

You gave me an idea, inadvertently. How about instead of starting with a small performance, there could be a King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table (or group therapy) approach where everybody sits in a circle? Kind of a teaser to get used to talking with a bunch of people, but with the focus not entirely on them so they can test their wings a bit before taking the stage. They'll still of course have to get the guts up to speak with everybody listening, but it's different when you're in the crowd rather than above them. Those never gave me fits, and as you read I'm about as much of a basket case as they come to public speaking.

I have taught a class once. It was only a one-time thing, all the kids at my church were to take one Sunday and each of us go to a classroom to teach the lesson. I got to claim the little old ladies, that is a wonderful audience to start with! Not that I performed well, Aspie processing issues got in the way and made it a bit confusing, but grannies are a supportive place to start. Would it be terribly out of line for some to give their speeches in a nursing home? Make a field trip of it and the seniors would benefit too, a lot of the residents I've known loved having visitors.

I'm glad the small-group alternative sounds like a potentially good path to you, AsheSkyler ! I'm definitely going to implement that as needed. Your King Arthur round table is also a great idea. Sometimes, we arrange our desks in a circle for activities and stuff, but your suggestion makes me think it might be good to use that spatial arrangement to slowly build confidence and comfort with speaking. Perhaps the first speech of the year will be seated! It can be billed more as leading a conversation, rather than "giving an informative briefing." I agree that spatial arrangement can have a very significant impact on how a speaker feels in the speaking moment; in fact, the nonverbal material I teach does dedicate some time to spatial arrangement/communicative use of space--for example, how walking into a meeting room with a long table, with single chairs at each end, cultivates an authoritarian model of power, rather than a collaborative one.

The grannies!!!!! What a great idea. I WISH I could do this. At the university level, arranging "field trips" can be strangely difficult. We're not protected by the same liability insurances that secondary education teachers are, and there's not a mechanism in place for me to charter a bus or anything like that to transport them. And I'm not really allowed to require them to procure transportation to an off-campus location. It would be AWESOME though. This may sound weird, but I totally adore older people. I love talking to them. They have so much LIFE to share!

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

The small group thing is highly recommended among many who deal with those with a fear of it and it is a logical progression. I was never given that chain to follow, so I can't say with personal experience how it will affect the worst of the lot, but those with anxiety due simply to the unknown and unfamiliar aspect of it should do fine. And naturally, if they really get into it, they can get bumped up to larger settings faster.

You gave me an idea, inadvertently. How about instead of starting with a small performance, there could be a King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table (or group therapy) approach where everybody sits in a circle? Kind of a teaser to get used to talking with a bunch of people, but with the focus not entirely on them so they can test their wings a bit before taking the stage. They'll still of course have to get the guts up to speak with everybody listening, but it's different when you're in the crowd rather than above them. Those never gave me fits, and as you read I'm about as much of a basket case as they come to public speaking.

I have taught a class once. It was only a one-time thing, all the kids at my church were to take one Sunday and each of us go to a classroom to teach the lesson. I got to claim the little old ladies, that is a wonderful audience to start with! Not that I performed well, Aspie processing issues got in the way and made it a bit confusing, but grannies are a supportive place to start. Would it be terribly out of line for some to give their speeches in a nursing home? Make a field trip of it and the seniors would benefit too, a lot of the residents I've known loved having visitors.

these are amazing insights, Aspergirl4hire !! I usually touch on silence in the transition from verbal language to nonverbal language, but never with this level of depth and nuance. I love that your ideas highlight silence in both (non)spoken language and written language. With your suggestions, I'm going to try to plan an entire session revolving around silence.

I wish I could address #7 in my class, but I don't think I am qualified to do so. BUT, your suggestion makes me think that I could bring in a guest speaker to help with this! I'm sure I can find at least one person at the university that has greater voice/vocal training than I do. The theater department comes to mind!

Thanks so much! If you are inspired by any other suggestions, please feel free to keep passing them along. It's such a great help.



Since I'm a rhetorician I do this every chance I get. It is hard to handle it at any length with the restraints on our semester schedule/all the other things we need to get through, but I will keep trying! I, too, find it to be the most compelling dimension of communication. You'd probably be devastated, though, at the reaction I often get. Since it's a general education course, I get a whole range of students, and many of them (namely, the anti-humanities ones) are very resistant to the notion of constructed and/or multiple realities.



Such a perfectly simple and wonderful idea. Of course I should do this. On day one!!



I'm glad that both you and AsheSkyler seem on board with the potential for small-group presentations. I'm also glad you mentioned "enabling," because it is one of my concerns. I'm less concerned about enabling potential Aspies and more concerned with enabling other students who are just kinda-sorta-not-really-wanting-to-give-a-speech types. As per your suggestion, the small-group alternative is something I won't necessarily broadcast widely, but will offer as students share their anxieties with me. The "stitcher" alternative for the group project is also something I'll keep in my back pocket!



I'm glad the small-group alternative sounds like a potentially good path to you, AsheSkyler ! I'm definitely going to implement that as needed. Your King Arthur round table is also a great idea. Sometimes, we arrange our desks in a circle for activities and stuff, but your suggestion makes me think it might be good to use that spatial arrangement to slowly build confidence and comfort with speaking. Perhaps the first speech of the year will be seated! It can be billed more as leading a conversation, rather than "giving an informative briefing." I agree that spatial arrangement can have a very significant impact on how a speaker feels in the speaking moment; in fact, the nonverbal material I teach does dedicate some time to spatial arrangement/communicative use of space--for example, how walking into a meeting room with a long table, with single chairs at each end, cultivates an authoritarian model of power, rather than a collaborative one.

The grannies!!!!! What a great idea. I WISH I could do this. At the university level, arranging "field trips" can be strangely difficult. We're not protected by the same liability insurances that secondary education teachers are, and there's not a mechanism in place for me to charter a bus or anything like that to transport them. And I'm not really allowed to require them to procure transportation to an off-campus location. It would be AWESOME though. This may sound weird, but I totally adore older people. I love talking to them. They have so much LIFE to share!

There are so many ideas, tools and suggestions posted here on the extended post, that I am inclined to to think that NTs class may be more successful than any of us could hope for. Hoo Rah for team work and education.

 

[NTgirl4276]

There are so many ideas, tools and suggestions posted here on the extended post, that I am inclined to to think that NTs class may be more successful than any of us could hope for. Hoo Rah for team work and education.

let's hope that I don't let y'all down!

 

[Maelstrom]

let's hope that I don't let y'all down!

We could go on and on and on and...I'm worried we overloaded you and gave you a NT...shut down
Best wishes NTgirl Mael

 

[AsheSkyler]

I'm glad the small-group alternative sounds like a potentially good path to you, AsheSkyler ! I'm definitely going to implement that as needed. Your King Arthur round table is also a great idea. Sometimes, we arrange our desks in a circle for activities and stuff, but your suggestion makes me think it might be good to use that spatial arrangement to slowly build confidence and comfort with speaking. Perhaps the first speech of the year will be seated! It can be billed more as leading a conversation, rather than "giving an informative briefing." I agree that spatial arrangement can have a very significant impact on how a speaker feels in the speaking moment; in fact, the nonverbal material I teach does dedicate some time to spatial arrangement/communicative use of space--for example, how walking into a meeting room with a long table, with single chairs at each end, cultivates an authoritarian model of power, rather than a collaborative one.

The grannies!!!!! What a great idea. I WISH I could do this. At the university level, arranging "field trips" can be strangely difficult. We're not protected by the same liability insurances that secondary education teachers are, and there's not a mechanism in place for me to charter a bus or anything like that to transport them. And I'm not really allowed to require them to procure transportation to an off-campus location. It would be AWESOME though. This may sound weird, but I totally adore older people. I love talking to them. They have so much LIFE to share!

A seated speech sounds awesome! I find it easier to catch your breath when seated, but naturally there are some who breathe better when standing. I'd imagine table and chair arrangement makes as much importance as the position of the eyebrows and especially the feet. (They say since feet are furthest from the head that they are more likely to betray true emotions, and I find the eyebrows to be more expressive than eyelids.) And now my little mind is running away thinking of future binge research to do for me and my writer friends, there isn't much interior design in their community...

I forget about a lot of legalities that get in the way of doing simple activities. Even if everybody was willing to carpool and ride together to the nearest nursing home (assuming there's usually one within 30-45 minutes drive and a class of 20 would fit into about five vehicles) and even go so far as it being more of a volunteer thing rather than official school function, that doesn't get around the insurance issue. I'm assuming insurance only became an issue because we're in an age where everybody is sue-happy?

And same here, I rather enjoy spending time with the elderly. I wish finances permitted for me to go to nursing homes regularly. If their health permitted, it'd also be fun to have a regular crafting day. Lots of older people were very good with their hands and enjoyed making things, and I'm sure some of them would be glad to know some young'uns still liked to make homemade things too.

 

[Judge]

I'm assuming insurance only became an issue because we're in an age where everybody is sue-happy?

Well, out-of-control litigation definitely impacts the cost of liability in general. More so in some areas than others. However contractually speaking, adult educational institutions don't generally provide off-premises liability compared to secondary schools where the exposure is far more prevalent. Obtainable...but it would remain an infrequent exposure with an expensive additional premium. Problematic I'd think, to sell to the average board of regents. Then again, with tuition skyrocketing you have to wonder at times where all that money is going. It's primarily a fiscal issue rather than a legal issue.

 

[NTgirl4276]

We could go on and on and on and...I'm worried we overloaded you and gave you a NT...shut down
Best wishes NTgirl Mael

Don't you worry, Maelstrom! the chances of overloading me are slim to none. i'm an avid talker/listener/writer, so you can always feel free to go on and on with me!

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

Well, out-of-control litigation definitely impacts the cost of liability in general. More so in some areas than others. However contractually speaking, adult educational institutions don't generally provide off-premises liability compared to secondary schools where the exposure is far more prevalent. Obtainable...but it would remain an infrequent exposure with an expensive additional premium. Problematic I'd think, to sell to the average board of regents. Then again, with tuition skyrocketing you have to wonder at times where all that money is going. It's primarily a fiscal issue rather than a legal issue.

In my opinion, no matter what the implied or stated purpose of the organization or institution, cancer cure, child development or peace through warfare, the actual purpose is to grow and propagate via the control and manipulation of money. You can almost bet that tuition income is going towards a new stadium, or admin bonuses.

 

[NTgirl4276]

A seated speech sounds awesome! I find it easier to catch your breath when seated, but naturally there are some who breathe better when standing. I'd imagine table and chair arrangement makes as much importance as the position of the eyebrows and especially the feet. (They say since feet are furthest from the head that they are more likely to betray true emotions, and I find the eyebrows to be more expressive than eyelids.) And now my little mind is running away thinking of future binge research to do for me and my writer friends, there isn't much interior design in their community...

I forget about a lot of legalities that get in the way of doing simple activities. Even if everybody was willing to carpool and ride together to the nearest nursing home (assuming there's usually one within 30-45 minutes drive and a class of 20 would fit into about five vehicles) and even go so far as it being more of a volunteer thing rather than official school function, that doesn't get around the insurance issue. I'm assuming insurance only became an issue because we're in an age where everybody is sue-happy?

And same here, I rather enjoy spending time with the elderly. I wish finances permitted for me to go to nursing homes regularly. If their health permitted, it'd also be fun to have a regular crafting day. Lots of older people were very good with their hands and enjoyed making things, and I'm sure some of them would be glad to know some young'uns still liked to make homemade things too.

AsheSkyler:

1. That settles it. For the first presentation, seated speech it is!
2. The legalities really ARE so easy to forget and are simultaneously a total pain, especially since the university is very close to DC. There are so many amazing resources we could tap if we could transport our classes into the city and/or require them to go do stuff there.
3. I JUST NOTICED YOUR SIGNATURE. Specifically, "I think, therefore, I am a waffle!" I don't know what the backstory is, but this makes me happy/makes me laugh..... I want to get a puppy soon and, a year ago, I decided I would name him Waffle.

Well, out-of-control litigation definitely impacts the cost of liability in general. More so in some areas than others. However contractually speaking, adult educational institutions don't generally provide off-premises liability compared to secondary schools where the exposure is far more prevalent. Obtainable...but it would remain an infrequent exposure with an expensive additional premium. Problematic I'd think, to sell to the average board of regents. Then again, with tuition skyrocketing you have to wonder at times where all that money is going. It's primarily a fiscal issue rather than a legal issue.

You are a smartie, Judge! I never would have been able to explain it and have never looked into why exactly these things are the way they are, so I appreciate your insight. Not to mention, "you have to wonder at times where all that money is going." HA. You betcha. A group of grad students are currently trying to piece together the complete money trail to explain where all of our state funding goes/how it is spent, because we're a little curious about how staff and faculty pay is frozen and yet we're building approximately 4 new buildings right now, including a HOTEL. As you can imagine, they're not having much luck.

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

AsheSkyler:

1. That settles it. For the first presentation, seated speech it is!
2. The legalities really ARE so easy to forget and are simultaneously a total pain, especially since the university is very close to DC. There are so many amazing resources we could tap if we could transport our classes into the city and/or require them to go do stuff there.
3. I JUST NOTICED YOUR SIGNATURE. Specifically, "I think, therefore, I am a waffle!" I don't know what the backstory is, but this makes me happy/makes me laugh..... I want to get a puppy soon and, a year ago, I decided I would name him Waffle.

You are a smartie, Judge! I never would have been able to explain it and have never looked into why exactly these things are the way they are, so I appreciate your insight. Not to mention, "you have to wonder at times where all that money is going." HA. You betcha. A group of grad students are currently trying to piece together the complete money trail to explain where all of our state funding goes/how it is spent, because we're a little curious about how staff and faculty pay is frozen and yet we're building approximately 4 new buildings right now, including a HOTEL. As you can imagine, they're not having much luck.

Right, just what educational facilities need, a hotel, convention center and a strip mall. The library and labs are a waste. Besides we don't need people that know how to think critically, we just need them to buy into what to " thimk" sic.

 

[Judge]

You are a smartie, Judge! I never would have been able to explain it and have never looked into why exactly these things are the way they are, so I appreciate your insight. Not to mention, "you have to wonder at times where all that money is going." HA. You betcha. A group of grad students are currently trying to piece together the complete money trail to explain where all of our state funding goes/how it is spent, because we're a little curious about how staff and faculty pay is frozen and yet we're building approximately 4 new buildings right now, including a HOTEL. As you can imagine, they're not having much luck.

You're too kind. I was a commercial insurance underwriter for many years. It was literally my business to know such things.

But corporate endowments of educational institutions....on some levels it's staggering. Small wonder some of the top universities actually reinvest such funding by as much as half of what they receive. Meanwhile tuition continues to climb. And yes- wages remain stagnant.

That's a whole lot of capital to keep- or lose track of. What's wrong with this picture?

10 Universities With the Largest Financial Endowments - US News

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

Don't you worry, Maelstrom! the chances of overloading me are slim to none. i'm an avid talker/listener/writer, so you can always feel free to go on and on with me!

NT, I like clues, 4/2/76? Yes or no.
Thanks

 

[qwerty]

I would suggest using some artistic interpretations of what it means to "communicate" and the tangled barrage of peoples attempts to convey ideas, hopes, dreams, needs, wants verbally, and that the most authentic and true communication happens in silence.

I highly recommend Marina Abramovic' work

 

[Maelstrom]

Don't you worry, Maelstrom! the chances of overloading me are slim to none. i'm an avid talker/listener/writer, so you can always feel free to go on and on with me!

A dangerous offer Ha ha! I will try not to make your ears bleed tonight. I'll stay away from the heartbreaking stuff tonight too, and focus on helping you. It seems to me that identifying what problems you are dealing with in each child may be as important as tailoring teaching to them. So maybe some others who know more on these brain sector catagories can point out anything I missed, I'm not a expert on this.
So in my view each of these differences are driven by a shift in the growth structure tree of brain sectors. It's like one sector stole some of the food from another and got extra fat and the other one got extra skinny. Perhaps the brain filter membrains densities are causing glucos consitration shifts to different brain sectors during the babies growth. Anyways you usually end up with at least one set of plus minus development areas. I may have just solved the auti brain development riddle by the way.

So with auties brain cloud overload is the main problem..too much, too much, everything takes more time, but they can be more smart once they get comfortable with a thing. so audio and social teaching often bad

I think aspies are diferent (I am a little of both), the lack of the ability to read facial emotions or read them quickly, the same with modeling the other persons empathic curancies leads to unintentionaly hurting others feelings or looking cold. social group teaching may be bad

because of the dual up down brain sector thing, there can be strange combinations on these things sometimes.

there are a number of distinct brain sectors: visual, math, language, speech, hearing, impulse control, atonimus nerves- touch and taste, some have motion clumsines, short term memory, long term memory, sorry I don't know them all. sometimes brain sectors bleed into others seeing sounds as colors etcetera.

With me I'm real high on visual modeling logic, long term memory, and creativity, my language center and math center likely are the size of walnuts, no spelling, no gramer, short term memory is bad, can't remember my own phone number.

I wish I could help you more, maybe some others or a moderator could point you to some nice charts of these things, so you can figure out your students better.

So what you may want to do is make up or get a list of ways to test reactions from kids. Do they look away when they speak to you, show sensitivity to too much sound or light, miss social cues, are they audio, visual, social, kinetic in orentation on learning. Then you can figure out the best way of dealling with a student. In a big schools separating kids by these learning preferances would make teaching them vastly easier as you could use just one method at a time.

Best wishes to you NTgirl Mael sorry I didn't mean to write so much. If you need to ask a specific question or sensitve question you can PM me.

 

[AsheSkyler]

AsheSkyler:

1. That settles it. For the first presentation, seated speech it is!
2. The legalities really ARE so easy to forget and are simultaneously a total pain, especially since the university is very close to DC. There are so many amazing resources we could tap if we could transport our classes into the city and/or require them to go do stuff there.
3. I JUST NOTICED YOUR SIGNATURE. Specifically, "I think, therefore, I am a waffle!" I don't know what the backstory is, but this makes me happy/makes me laugh..... I want to get a puppy soon and, a year ago, I decided I would name him Waffle.

Good luck with the first speech! I hope it's a hit.

It's really weird that colleges would ban a group trip to some place considering all the legwork they make you do by yourself. While I did enjoy my trip to the art museum, it was the fact it was mandatory in a class irrelevant to my field of study that I didn't agree with.

"Cogito ego sum" is Latin for "I think, therfor, I am", and some long philosophical something about proving that you must exist because you have thoughts. Naturally, those with a proper appreciation for breakfast foods noticed a similarity between "ego" and "eggo", and the waffle quote was born. I forget now where I first saw it, but I've kept it ever since.

 

[NTgirl4276]

NT, I like clues, 4/2/76? Yes or no.
Thanks

I'm so sorry, Epicurean Pariah, I'm afraid I don't understand your question. Would you mind clarifying it for me?

I would suggest using some artistic interpretations of what it means to "communicate" and the tangled barrage of peoples attempts to convey ideas, hopes, dreams, needs, wants verbally, and that the most authentic and true communication happens in silence.

I highly recommend Marina Abramovic' work

This is an amazing video, qwerty! I had never encountered Marina Abramovic's work before. Wow! I love this, and it dovetails nicely with Aspergirl4hire's earlier post re: silence. I'm definitely going to use it.

As a sidenote: it reminds me of that list that was circulating a few months ago online, a whole list of 36 exhaustive questions that are apparently designed so that people will fall in love. I had a strong negative reaction to the list/the idea in general, but the final task--finishing the questions by looking directly at each other for 4 whole minutes--fascinated me. I think this video speaks to that.

A dangerous offer Ha ha! I will try not to make your ears bleed tonight. I'll stay away from the heartbreaking stuff tonight too, and focus on helping you. It seems to me that identifying what problems you are dealing with in each child may be as important as tailoring teaching to them. So maybe some others who know more on these brain sector catagories can point out anything I missed, I'm not a expert on this.
So in my view each of these differences are driven by a shift in the growth structure tree of brain sectors. It's like one sector stole some of the food from another and got extra fat and the other one got extra skinny. Perhaps the brain filter membrains densities are causing glucos consitration shifts to different brain sectors during the babies growth. Anyways you usually end up with at least one set of plus minus development areas. I may have just solved the auti brain development riddle by the way.

So with auties brain cloud overload is the main problem..too much, too much, everything takes more time, but they can be more smart once they get comfortable with a thing. so audio and social teaching often bad

I think aspies are diferent (I am a little of both), the lack of the ability to read facial emotions or read them quickly, the same with modeling the other persons empathic curancies leads to unintentionaly hurting others feelings or looking cold. social group teaching may be bad

because of the dual up down brain sector thing, there can be strange combinations on these things sometimes.

there are a number of distinct brain sectors: visual, math, language, speech, hearing, impulse control, atonimus nerves- touch and taste, some have motion clumsines, short term memory, long term memory, sorry I don't know them all. sometimes brain sectors bleed into others seeing sounds as colors etcetera.

With me I'm real high on visual modeling logic, long term memory, and creativity, my language center and math center likely are the size of walnuts, no spelling, no gramer, short term memory is bad, can't remember my own phone number.

I wish I could help you more, maybe some others or a moderator could point you to some nice charts of these things, so you can figure out your students better.

So what you may want to do is make up or get a list of ways to test reactions from kids. Do they look away when they speak to you, show sensitivity to too much sound or light, miss social cues, are they audio, visual, social, kinetic in orentation on learning. Then you can figure out the best way of dealling with a student. In a big schools separating kids by these learning preferances would make teaching them vastly easier as you could use just one method at a time.

Best wishes to you NTgirl Mael sorry I didn't mean to write so much. If you need to ask a specific question or sensitve question you can PM me.

Thank you so much for your honest replies, Maelstrom. I find them so helpful. You're right, that I can and should definitely do more to try to better understand and pay deliberate attention to each student's particular needs. It's so easy to get caught up in the higher-education machine (it really has become that, I'm afraid) and just treat all students generally the same, because it's more "efficient." Or, more "objective" and, therefore, "fair." Teachers are under a lot of pressure to be "fair" and treat all students the same "across the board," but I tend to believe that treating people equally or fairly does not equate to treating them the SAME. Equality does not mean sameness. I can do better putting that thought into practice in my teaching.

No apologies necessary for long responses. As you can see, I tend to offer long responses as well Your words and ideas are so very valuable to this thread and this collective brainstorming project!

 

[Major]

I took a communication class in college. I think it was required. We only had to do one speech for the class. I had a note taker so notes were not an issue. For my speech I took the whole class outside and taught them how to do something step by step and I got an A. I guess I was the first one to do it that way and the teacher said it was perfect. I don't even think I had to look at anyone because I had to focus on my props (which could be a danger if not attended to) I liked classes where teachers let me do things my own way and gave a bit of freedom like that.