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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Microsoft at Work: Tips for working from home
More and more companies and organizations not only allow but also encourage telecommuting. If your organization offers that option, you can use your mobile PC to be productive in the comfort of your home or another remote location. In this article, I discuss the tools of the trade and provide tips to ensure that the familiar home environment doesn't prevent you from keeping your focus and achieving your goals.
Tools of the trade
To efficiently telecommute, you'll need the following tools.
Internet access: Most teleworkers have access to the Internet at home so that they can connect to their corporate network. As a home user, you can choose from three Internet access options:
•DSL: DSL stands for digital subscriber line. It uses ordinary telephone lines and a special modem to provide an Internet connection that can transmit high-bandwidth information to a user's computer. A DSL line can carry both data and voice signals. The data part of the line is a dedicated connection to the Internet and does not interfere with the use of the telephone. DSL is high speed and is always connected to the Internet.
•Cable Internet: Cable Internet uses your local cable TV line to receive broadband Internet content. This data rate far exceeds that of modems and is about the same as DSL. Your local TV cable company is typically the cable Internet service provider.
•Satellite Internet: If cable or DSL aren't available in your area, or if the slow dial-up access speeds are not acceptable, consider using satellite internet. It's available to you if you live in the northern hemisphere and have an unobstructed view of the southern sky. The service is expensive and the data rate is not as fast as a direct line, but it is a good connectivity alternative if you live in an isolated location.
Computer: Of course, you'll need a computer! You can use a desktop computer or a mobile PC. If you can take your mobile PC home from the office, you won't have to install the same programs on your desktop computer. If you do need to use a desktop computer to connect to your organization's network remotely, you may need to install additional software to meet your company's connectivity and security requirements.
Dedicated space with some privacy: I've heard more than one frustrated telecommuter state that they have a hard time focusing when they work at home. When I ask where their desktop computer or mobile PC is located, they usually say it's on the dining room table. By setting up your workspace in a busy location, you almost guarantee distractions. Instead, set up a safe, healthy, and efficient workspace with easy access to your computer, a phone, reference materials, and supplies.
Communication tools: When telecommuting, make sure that your colleagues, customers, and manager can communicate with you at all times. Whether you're in the office or working remotely, make it easy for people to contact you. Here are some suggestions:
•Share your phone number with people you work with regularly and leave your contact information with your manager and one or two additional contacts (such as your administrative assistant or receptionist). Also, consider using call forwarding to your home or cell phone so that you receive incoming calls wherever you're working.
•Consider using instant messaging (IM). Similar to a chat room, IM is a fast means of communicating with one or more people in real time over the Internet. IM also gives you a way to show and update your communication status throughout the day. For example, when you need a couple of hours of undisturbed concentration, set your status as "Busy" and let everyone know that you'll be slower than usual to reply to e-mail messages and phone calls.
Tips for staying focused
The tools of the trade don't guarantee success—you'll also need some strategies to help you stay focused.
•Start working at the same time. Treat telework days like regular workdays: get up, get dressed, and be "at your desk" at the usual time.
•Establish a schedule. Keep work hours similar to the ones you would keep if you were working at your office. Your manager and your co-workers appreciate knowing when you are available.
•Limit distractions. Be careful not to replace office-based interruptions with home-based ones (such as children, neighbors, and friends).
•Plan ahead. Take the appropriate work home. Some work may be better suited for the home office than other work, so be sure to plan the telework a day ahead.
•Take breaks. Plan time to get up and move around. Consider going for a walk or a run during your lunch break to keep your mind fresh.
•Focus on objectives. Work with your manager and colleagues to define clear goals and objectives against which your performance can be objectively measured.
Telecommuting is not for everyone, but if your job lends itself to working remotely and you are self-disciplined and highly motivated, you can reap the rewards of working effectively at home or remotely. Using the information presented in this column, you can take advantage of the opportunity to work efficiently away from the office while remaining in touch with your colleagues and customers.
This article was written by Armelle O'Neal.
Faculty Focus: Wikipedia in the Classroom: Tips for Effective Use
By John Orlando, PhD http://www.facultyfocus.com/author/johnorlandophd/ in Effective Strategies @: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/
Most academics consider Wikipedia the enemy and so forbid their students from using Wikipedia for research. But here’s a secret that they don’t want you to know—we all use Wikipedia, including those academics.
There’s a reason that the Wikipedia entry normally comes in at the top of a Google search. Google relies heavily on inbound links to rank a site, and Wikipedia is one of the most commonly linked sites on the Internet. Here’s another secret—Wikipedia is vetted by volunteer academics. Wikipedia’s motto is “no original thought,” meaning that everything must be cited, and uncited material is quickly removed. In fact, studies have shown the Wikipedia is about as accurate as Britannica.
Here are two ways to use Wikipedia to improve learning outcomes in your classes:
1. Have Students Build Articles
In the Spring of 2008, Professor Jon Beasley-Murray at University of British Columbia had the students in his class "Murder, Madness, and Mayhem: Latin American Literature in Translation" create articles for Wikipedia on the books that they read. He transformed his students from learners to teachers, which improves outcomes. Plus, creating public work improves motivation as well as performance.
Importantly, the students were instructed to make contact with the Wikipedia editors—called the “FA Team”—to receive feedback on their work for revisions. The instructor had effectively enlisted outside academics as reviewers for his class. Wikipedia also has a quality ranking system that assigns “Good Article” or “Featured Article” status to exceptionally good works. About 1 in 800 articles reach Good Article status, while 1 in 1,200 reach Featured Article status. The instructor guaranteed his students an “A” for Good Articles, and an A+ for Featured Articles.
The results? The students, who worked in groups of two or three, produced three Featured Articles and eight Good Articles, an exceptional result given how few articles achieve these levels. These articles receive thousands of hits per month, demonstrating to students the value of their work. Now more than 20 universities have projects in Wikipedia.
2. Host a Course on Wikiversity
Wikimedia—the non-profit foundation that created Wikipedia—also hosts nine other wiki projects, including: Wikibook (free textbooks), Wikispecies (dictionary of species), and Wikiquote (compilation of quotes). One interesting site is Wikiversity, which provides a space for hosting courses or other content. An instructor can build a course page with syllabi, lesson plans, and other material for the students to access whenever they need it. That page can also be linked to other educational material such as videos.
Best yet, students can be given editing access to the page to add their own material. Groups can be assigned to add material to the course, such as resources for further exploration of the topics. Another option is to have the students build self-tests on the material using free web-based quiz functions for future students. This will enlist the students in an ongoing project of developing knowledge that outlives their particular class and is passed on to future generations of students.
Resources
The Latin American Literature Project - http://www.facultyfocusmail.com/ls.cfm?r=241441965&sid=9563083&m=1013702&u=MAGNA_FF&s=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jbmurray/Madness
Guide for university projects - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:School_and_university_projects/Piotrus_educational_boilerplate
Listing of university projects - http://www.facultyfocusmail.com/ls.cfm?r=241441965&sid=9563085&m=1013702&u=MAGNA_FF&s=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SUP
Guide for peer review of articles - http://www.facultyfocusmail.com/ls.cfm?r=241441965&sid=9563086&m=1013702&u=MAGNA_FF&s=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:PR
Wikiversity - http://www.facultyfocusmail.com/ls.cfm?r=241441965&sid=9563086&m=1013702&u=MAGNA_FF&s=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:PR
John Orlando, PhD, is the Program Director for the online Master of Science in Business Continuity Management and Master of Science in Information Assurance programs at Norwich University. John develops faculty training in online education and is available for consulting at jorlando@norwich.edu.
HBCU Library Alliance: The Atlanta Post...Many HBCUs Remain Socially Liberal, Fiscally Conservative
Since the start of the economic downturn many institutions have struggled to fund increasingly costly operations with diminished funds. But if the old adage is correct – when America has a cold, black America has the flu – historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) hoping to weather this storm are forced to be more careful than their counterparts in investing.
“Howard’s investments have performed fairly well compared to other colleges – the big names,” said Robert Tarola, chief financial officer and treasurer for Howard University. “We lost, but not 30% like some of the big name Ivy schools. Howard takes a very conservative and thoughtful approach in managing the endowment.”
The university’s endowment currently stands at $424 million. According to it’s 2008-2009 Financial Statements and Supplementary Information report, Howard invested a total of $426 million during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. During that same year it experienced a $90 million loss on its investment return. It takes $800 million dollars a year to run the school and it’s affiliated hospital. With this sort of price tag, taking measures to responsibly manage funds is paramount. “We allocate endowment funds to over a dozen different asset classes,” said Tarola. “We have a highly diversified portfolio both in terms of the number of asset classes, as well as the number of investment managers. We don’t have a large amount in any one bucket because diversification reduces risks.”
Lavera Prestage, comprehensive financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., believes universities with modest endowments, as is the case with most HBCUs, should approach investing with considerable caution as a matter of necessity. However, she contends risky investments are necessary for financial growth. “They should have some aggressive investments, but they also need a smart level of conservative investment,” said Prestage. “Ninety percent of performance depends on the mixture of investments.”
While sampling this recipe for growth may challenge organizations across the board, one could argue that stewardship of funds for historic institutions must be handled with greater care. The number of constituents to whom they are accountable – not just for the operation of a school, but for the continuation of a legacy – is substantial.When the city of Atlanta threatened to shut off the water at cash strapped Morris Brown College in 2009, interest swelled well beyond faculty, current enrollees and alumni. The Black community banded together to help save the debt-strangled institution from drowning. It wasn’t just the threat of a school suffering, it was the idea that one of black America’s most prized possessions – the Negro college – was in danger.
Robert Flanigan, chief financial officer of Spelman College, is well aware of his role in preserving the institution’s legacy and it’s place in the country’s academic community. “I always feel pressure with regards to creating equity and capital,” he said. “We have to provide spending for the existing population at Spelman and maintain this same endowment for students 100 years hence. I feel that pressure every day.”
Spelman suffered along with other universities when the economy tanked, but things have been rebounding and the school is shooting for an 11% increase over the next decade. In order to make that happen, Flanigan believes the school must continue with a relatively aggressive strategy when it comes to diversification. Currently the school has stakes in foreign equities, private equities, venture capital, real estate, commodities and currency.
“We’ve all learned a lot from 2008,” he said. “The world markets are not as uncorrelated as we thought. Before we had the fall in 2008, Spelman’s endowment stood at $350 million, then went down to $285 million. However, that 17 percent loss was probably one of the least losses in the U.S. with aggressive investments.”
SANDRA M. PHOENIX
Program Director
HBCU Library Alliance
sphoenix@hbculibraries.org
www.hbculibraries.org
404.592.4820
1438 West Peachtree Street NW
Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30309
Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis)
Fax: 404.892.7879
www.lyrasis.org
Honor the ancestors, honor the children.
Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/meeting-form.html for the October 24-26, 2010 HBCU Library Alliance 4th Membership Meeting and the "Conference on Advocacy" pre-conference in Montgomery, AL. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.
Campus Technology Smart Classroom: The "Ed Tech Quarterback"
By Michael David Leiboff - 05/26/10
In the design of learning spaces, one key member of of the planning team is often not formally identified: the educational technology quarterback. This is the person who acts as both an advocate for technology and a coordinator between disparate departments. But the function of the "ETQB" doesn't end there.
Inside Higher Ed: Credit for Teaching
At many colleges and universities, the tenure trinity of teaching, research and service is widely viewed (at least by those coming up for tenure) as a myth. A new book (or articles in the right journals) will trump a great teaching idea every time, say many professors. Classroom innovation doesn't get any credit.
The American Sociological Association on Tuesday announced a new effort that -- organizers hope -- could change that. TRAILS -- the Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology Web site -- will be an archive for peer-reviewed classroom innovations, including syllabuses, class activities, individual assignments, bibliographies and Web sites -- all focused on teaching. A two-level peer-review process is being created to vet entries, and association officials promise that plenty will be rejected, or, as with journal submissions, sent back for revisions.
The idea is that by adapting a rigorous peer review process, successful items on TRAILS will be granted the respect on a tenure dossier that good teaching evaluations or a portfolio might never garner.
TRAILS will not be the first effort at peer review in teaching, which happens when senior faculty observe classes and in broader efforts such as MERLOT and the Peer Review of Teaching Project. Where TRAILS may be significant and successful, some experts say, is in its broad disciplinary focus. Junior faculty members win tenure based on publishing in their fields' top journals, the thinking goes, and the way to see teaching ideas actually get credit may also be to have the imprimatur of the discipline.
"I think there is power in having the discipline take it on," said Mary Taylor Huber, senior scholar emerita and consulting scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which has long promoted the idea of "the scholarship of teaching," advanced by the late Ernest Boyer when he headed the foundation. "I think there is a long way to go before there is a wide enough understanding and acceptance of this kind of pedagogical work as a serious intellectual enterprise, and I think this is a step forward."
Huber said that some disciplines and departments have made it possible for people to receive credit for teaching ideas in tenure and promotion by writing up scholarly articles about their teaching ideas and then publishing those ideas in key journals. While the basis for those articles may be teaching, they are ultimately being evaluated as research -- based on their publication. What she likes about the sociologists' idea, she said, is that the emphasis is on rigorous evaluation of and (where appropriate) "full credit for teaching as teaching."
How TRAILS Will Work
To get a resource accepted on TRAILS, a scholar will have to submit documentation that the learning tool meets a series of criteria -- and that assessment has been done by the professor to show that the idea actually works. The tool must also be demonstrably useful to others and explained in a clear way. Then the submission is reviewed by an "area editor," a professor selected by the association either for a focus on a type of teaching (introductory course, capstone course, research methods, etc.) or for sociology subject matter (from policy analysis to animals and society to stratification to immigration to biosociology). The area editor can approve the proposal for a second level of review (by the association's office or later by other panels), reject it, or ask for revisions.
Only after the second review would the resource be accepted and included on the Web site. To submit or to have full access to the materials submitted, sociologists will need to subscribe to TRAILS ($25 for association members and $100 for others). Those who join TRAILS will also be able to use any of the materials in their courses, with the only condition being that they give visible credit to the scholars who created them. So instructors will gain access to resources without any permissions process. Among the samples provided by TRAILS are a syllabus for a course on the sociology of the body, and a class module on AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
Margaret Weigers Vitullo, director of the ASA’s Academic and Professional Affairs Program and the creator of TRAILS, said she was under no illusion that the application of peer review would make teaching innovations be seen as identical to research innovations. "I don't think that publishing a class activity is the same thing as publishing a journal article," she said.
But if sociologists believe that teaching innovations matter, she said, they should consider why current systems for evaluating teaching don't end up getting much weight in tenure reviews. "Measuring excellence is very difficult," she said. Teaching portfolios may not be reviewed by people with expertise in teaching that subject, student evaluations of instructors are widely questioned, and in-person observation by senior colleagues is "a snapshot of a day."
The TRAILS idea is to provide "meaningful evidence of teaching accomplishment" that could earn the respect of tenure and promotion committees. Vitullo noted that Boyer argued that teaching would get real respect in academe only when reward structures reflect its importance, and added that she hoped this project would move the field of sociology in that direction.
While TRAILS "can't magically undo" a century or more of institutions giving relatively little credit to teaching, Vitullo said that she hopes review committees will pay attention. "We are showing that we can measure high quality teaching in a way that is public and peer reviewed and scholarly," she said.
Further, the effort asserts -- in the face of calls for accountability to be demonstrated through testing -- that a discipline takes teaching seriously, but doesn't want to rely just on testing. "Rather than say that we know a university does a good job of teaching because we are giving all of our students a test that may or may not measure what we want," the individual reviews of teaching techniques and tools (all accompanied by evidence of success) speak "to the push for accountability" and show that it is "something we take seriously," she said.
— Scott Jaschik
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