http://www.ncfr.org/about/news_read.asp?id=1647
This little "digital ethnography" got me thinking about the perceived relevance of our profession(s) to the new generation of students. I think that this is our strength, and should be a major focus of ours--getting the word out that our classes are relevant, timely, and needed. Gets to that "life skills" idea that AAFCS has been promoting, but I think goes beyond that as well. Our classes are tailored to professionals and promote knowledge and skills they can use in both their professional and personal lives.
Watch the short video and let me know what you think. Another issue that the video brings up that I'd like to explore is modes of learning. How should we best deliver course content? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of on-line classes as opposed to the traditional lecture class? Are there other alternatives? If students are texting, blogging, facebooking, e-mailing, websurfing, etc. during class, and spend far more of their time on the computer, what are the practical implications of this for teaching and learning (and how prepared they will be for professions that involved actual physical, real world contact with human beings)? Things to ponder as we move forward.
