|
“MnWE News” Late Fall Issue
November-December 2020
Next
Conference:
Thurs. and Fri.
Afternoons,
March 25-26,
2021, on Zoom
In this issue:
1. CALL FOR
PROPOSALS FOR
2021 CONFERENCE
2. NEW WEEKLY
NEWSLETTER
RACE ON CAMPUS
3. CAN INCLUSIVE
ZOOMING BUILD A
BETTER SOCIETY?
4. HOW ARE YOU TEACHING IN THESE TIMES?
5. IS STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH SUFFERING?
6. FREE
TEACHING/LEARNING
E-NEWSLETTERS
(in each issue)
7. ABOUT MNWE
(in each issue)
If you are new
to our listserv,
welcome! We
never share your
address, and you
may always
unsubscribe at
the bottom of
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If you are a
long-term member
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you for your
continued
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Our listserv
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thousand English,
Writing, and
related Upper
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If you are the
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editor at richard
at jewell dot
net. We
suggest you send
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email address.
Also email us
for information
on joining our
meetings five
Fridays/year,
currently by
Zoom.
---
1.
INVITATION AND
CALL FOR
PROPOSALS FOR
MnWE
2021 CONFERENCE
We
invite you to
offer a proposal
for the 2021
MnWE Zoom
Conference
Thursday-Friday,
March 25-26! The
proposal
deadline is
January 24.
Registration for
attending the
conference (at a
special, lowered
fee) will open
soon.
Our
theme this year
is “Reinvent,
Reinvest,
Reinvigorate:
Teaching after
2020.” 2020
imposed an
involuntary
reset on
academe: an
opportunity to
take stock of
our pedagogy,
adapt what needs
a refresh, and
create new
techniques and
tools for
tutoring and
teaching. Our
theme invites
you to share
your experiences
in keeping
English teaching
and learning
vital for
students during
a pandemic,
economic
disruptions, and
demands for law
enforcement
reform.
Our theme
also encourages
you to look to
the future.
Social justice,
health, and
economic crises
have illuminated
our nation’s
disparities in
both higher
education and
high schools.
Health and
safety concerns
and financial
uncertainties
threaten our
students, our
colleagues and
coworkers, and
us. How will the
lessons and
experiences of
the past year
transform our
teaching?
Join us
this March 25-26
on Zoom for what
will be an
invigorating
series of
breakouts. This
year, to make
our Zoom
discussions
particularly
interesting, our
breakouts will
be organized as
one-hour
roundtables.
Simply send us
your proposal on
an aspect of the
theme. (See
length
requirements and
a list of
questions at
www.MnWE.org.)
You may gather
and propose your
own group of
three to five
discussants and
a theme-related
topic; or, if
you propose a
subject as an
individual, we
will place you
in a group with
others
interested in
similar issues.
Each roundtable
will begin with
its individuals
offering their
own view of the
topic for
several minutes;
the remainder of
the time, the
group will
answer questions
from each other
and from the
audience.
We
accept almost
every proposal.
This year, we
ask that it
relate to the
theme and/or the
CFP’s related
questions.
MnWE is
a warm,
welcoming,
professional
organization
emphasizing
friendly,
respectful
discussion and
exchange of
information. The
annual, two-day
MnWE Conference
is an Upper
Midwest regional
event centered
in Minnesota,
this year
entirely on
Zoom. It is a
great
opportunity to
practice
presenting,
prepare for a
future
presentation, or
share your
knowledge from
work or a past
conference. We
will look
forward to
reading your
proposal. You
also are invited
to simply
attend, enjoy
the conference,
and share your
questions and
thoughts with
others.
---
Full CFP and
Proposal
Submission Form:
www.MnWE.org
---
2. NEW WEEKLY
NEWSLETTER
RACE ON CAMPUS
The
Chronicle
has a new weekly
newsletter
called Race
on Campus.
Reports will
offer stories of
race on campuses
across the
country.
Subjects for
discussion
include advocacy
for change,
equity, and
inclusion. You
may sign up free
below.
(Note: You
may be asked to sign up–no charge–to
read online
Chronicle
articles.)
Note
that the NEA has
the weekly
newsletter
Diversity Insider.
It, too, is
free.
---
Sign up for
Race on Campus.
See a
sample.
Sign up for
Diversity
Insider.
See a
sample.
---
3.
CAN
INCLUSIVE
ZOOMING BUILD A
BETTER SOCIETY?
Kelly
Hogan and Viji
Sathy of UNC-Chapel
Hill provided
the Chronicle
with an April 7
article, “Eight
Ways to Be More
Inclusive in
Your Zoom
Teaching.” Their
article does not
speak of
combatting
racism,
students’
pandemic
fatigue, and a
difficult
election.
However, a
well-organized
inclusive
classroom can
have that
effect, whether
physically or
virtually. Good
inclusive
classrooms
naturally model
equality,
sensitivity, and
interest in
other
viewpoints. Here
are the
article’s eight
methods for
Zoom:
-
“Before a
session, ask
students to
consider the
settings for
their names....
Invite
students to
edit their
name on
display....
-
“Establish
the rules of
engagement for
each Zoom
meetup. In
our own
courses, we’ve
found that if
we ask
students to
use video in
Zoom, most
do....
-
“Use
different ways
for students
to “speak up.” In
Zoom,...there
are many ways
to hear from
people.... [T]he
more
ways,...the
better....
-
“Give
careful
consideration
to the way you
start. Without
structure, the
beginning of
online
meetings can
be very
awkward....
-
“Be
intentional
about how you
end your Zoom
sessions....
For example,
you might end
every class
with students
sharing their
“muddiest
point....”
-
“Break out
the breakout-room
tool. Consider
adding to your
repertoire the
division of
the class into
small
groups....
-
“Provide
resources and
opportunities
for
asynchronous
learning. One
certainty in
these
uncertain
times is that
students face
a whole host
of
barriers....
-
“Lastly,
acknowledge
that we’re all
learning
together....
To that end,
you can model
how remote
learning
doesn’t have
to mean
exclusion and
social
isolation....
-
“Postscript: [W]e
also have
created “A
Students’
Guide to Zoom”
that may be of
use to
readers. It
can be found here....”
---
Full article:
"8 Ways to Be
More Inclusive
in Your Zoom
Teaching"
(Note: You
may be asked to
sign up–no
charge–to read
online
Chronicle
articles.)
---
4. HOW ARE YOU TEACHING IN THESE TIMES?
Here is
a series of
summarized
teaching-learning
reports by
faculty as
quoted from
Beckie Supiano’s
free, weekly,
Dec. 3
Teaching
newsletter
sponsored by the
Chronicle.
(To sign up, look below in “5. List of
Free
Teaching/Learning
E-Newsletters.”)
-
“[A]
Twitter thread
from Robin
DeRosa...at
Plymouth State
University
[urges]
professors to
consider the
collective
workload
students
[face] with a
full schedule
of
courses...redesigned
for online or
hybrid
delivery.
-
“In a
recent Twitter
thread,
Jody
Greene...[lays]
out a
conundrum.
Students
complain that
they’ve been
inundated with
busy
work;...faculty
members say
they’ve cut
their
expectations
back....”
[Note: the
remaining
links may
require you to
sign up–no
charge–to read
online
Chronicle
articles.]
-
“James
Lang...at
Assumption
College...describes
how change and
variety can
help capture
students’
attention in
his
latest piece
on combating
distraction.
-
“Ben
Armstrong...at
the
Massachusetts
Institute of
Technology
shares a
technique for
incorporating
silent-reading
time into your
Zoom classes
in this
advice article.
-
“Read what
college
leaders
had to say
about
supporting
professors
through the
pandemic
during a
recent
Chronicle
virtual event.
-
“Are you
trying to
reduce
students’
workloads but
still hearing
from them that
you’re asking
too much?...
I’d love to
hear your
stories and
perspective
and might
include them
in a future
newsletter:...beckie.supiano@chronicle.com.”
---
5. IS STUDENT
MENTAL HEALTH
SUFFERING?
The
answer according
to some sources
is “yes.” Beth
McMurtrie says
the following in
the Chronicle’s
Oct. 8
newsletter
Teaching,
starting with a
quotation from Roaya
Higazi,
president of the
Undergraduate
Student
Government at
Ohio State U.:
“[A] lot of
faculty
members...still
[are] not that
understanding of
the scope and to
what degree
students are
struggling right
now,” Higazi
says. Housing
insecurity, food
insecurity,
family members
affected by
Covid-19,
isolation,
social-justice
issues, and the
stress of taking
multiple classes
online are
weighing heavily
on students,
leading many to
feel mentally
and physically
exhausted.
“Students
say they need
help,” Higazi
continues, “and
they hear, ‘OK,
go to therapy,
go to
counseling.’
That’s all good.
But how does
that show up
directly in the
classroom?”
She worries
that in an
effort to “get
back to normal,”
faculty members
are overlooking
how abnormal it
is for students
to take an
entirely online
course load,
which is
challenging even
in the best of
times. She notes
that during one
five-day span,
she didn’t leave
her apartment as
she plowed
through
coursework.
“Last year, if I
didn’t leave my
apartment for
five days,” she
says, “that
would have been
incredibly
alarming....”
Higazzi’s
suggestions for
faculty are:
·
“Be flexible
with deadlines.”
Students now
have multiple
concerns and
pressures.
·
“Respect
people's privacy.”
Don’t, for
example, require
cam views of
students.
·
“Support
students in
isolation.”
Some, for
example, may be
sick or
depressed.
·
“Explain your
policies.”
Have your
messages or
rules been
wrongly
interpreted?
·
“Acknowledge
the moment.”
Is there a new,
stressful news
report?
Higazzi
and McMurtrie
add to each of
these
suggestions
excellent
examples and
more advice. See
the original for
details.
---
Full article:
"Listening to
Students"
---
6.
LIST OF FREE
TEACHING/LEARNING
E-NEWSLETTERS
(repeated
each issue)
Do you
feel out of
touch with
colleagues or
seek ideas from
other networks?
Connect by
subscribing to
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newsletters. You
may start or
stop a
subscription at
any time.
NEA HigherEd,
National
Education
Association.
Weekly news
update:
Subscribe
Sample
Race on Campus
from
Chronicle of
Higher Education.
Weekly briefs on
race on
campuses.
Subscribe
Sample
Diversity
Insider,
National
Education Assoc.
Weekly news,
essays, and
advice:
Subscribe
Sample
The Source:
Updates,
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Center. Weekly
briefs,
pedagogy, and
readings:
Subscribe
(scroll to
bottom) Sample Other
free Center
e-letters
Always
available
online, the
Style Center’s
"Works
Cited...Guide"
Teaching
from
Chronicle of
Higher
Education.
Weekly short
news on general
methods:
Subscribe
Samples
Tomorrow’s
Professor,
Stanford
University.
Twice-weekly
reprint of a
pedagogy
article:
Subscribe
Sample
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online version
The Campus View,
Minnesota
Private Colleges
(17 colleges).
Monthly news:
Subscribe
Past
issues
---
7.
ABOUT MNWE: Old
Issues, Joining,
Who We Are, Grad
Credit, Unsubscribing
(repeated
each issue)
More
Online-Teaching
Resources:
See
www.mnweconference.com/resources.html.
Our
Newsletters:
For new and old
issues,
visit
“MnWE
News.”
Forwarding/Joining:
Please forward
this email to
other
interested
faculty and
administrators.
Your newer
full-time and
adjunct faculty
members,
graduate
students,
writing center
tutors,
and English and
Writing
administrators
may not receive
it.
If you
are not on the
listserv and
would like to
join it, simply
send your
request and
email address to
richard at
jewell dot net.
We always enjoy
signing up new
list members.
Who
are we?
“MnWE” is
“Minnesota
Writing and
English,” an
all-volunteer
organization
started in 2007.
MnWE has a
coordinating
committee, a
listserv, and an
annual, two-day
spring
conference
attended by
100-200 faculty.
Our coordinating
committee, which
meets about six
times per year,
is composed
entirely of
unpaid college,
university, high
school, and
other
professional
English/Writing
volunteers.
All
activities are
by and for
college,
university, and
college-in-the-high-schools
English and
writing faculty,
graduate and
undergraduate
students, and
related academic
and literary
scholars,
writers, tutors,
and others in
the Upper
Midwest. Our
purpose is to
bring together
these
communities in
Minnesota and in
nearby states
and provinces.
Where are we?
Please visit us
at
MnWE.org.
Our
geographical
center is
Minneapolis-St.
Paul. About 3000
faculty,
graduate
students,
tutors, and
related
administrators
are on our
listserv. They
receive this
newsletter six
times per year.
Our listserv
members come
from state
universities,
public and
private two-year
colleges,
private colleges
and
universities,
high schools,
publishing
companies, and
the public
universities of
Minnesota,
Wisconsin, North
Dakota, South
Dakota, Iowa,
Illinois, and
other schools
and locations
beyond the Upper
Midwest.
Conference:
At our annual
two-day
conferences,
our keynoters
speak on
pedagogical
concerns and are
scholars and
writers of
national
excellence from
both local and
national
locations. Some
of our
presenters come
from states or
countries far
beyond our own
geographical
area. The
majority of our
attendees and
presenters are
from
universities and
private
colleges; a
significant
minority
are in
two-year
colleges, high
schools, and
other groups.
Graduate
Credit:
Anyone may earn
one graduate
credit from
Southwest
Minnesota State
University for
attending
a
MnWE Conference
day and writing
a related
research paper
(up to three
such
credits may be
earned).
For questions
about this
course–“Eng 656:
MnWE
Practicum”–please
contact
lisa dot lucas
at smsu dot edu
or see
www.smsu.edu/academics/programs/english/?id=11637
.
Unsubscribing:
To unsubscribe
from this
listserv (and no
longer receive
the “MnWE News,”
MnWE Conference
announcements,
and other
forwarded
announcements),
please do so
yourself,
following
directions at
the very bottom
of this email.
If you try
unsubscribing on
your own without
success, then
send an email to
richard at
jewell dot net
indicating (1)
your
unsubscribing
action that
didn’t work, (2)
your specific
email address
copied from the
directions at
the bottom of a
MnWE mailing,
and (3) your
request for
removal.
Formatting:
Each of these
listserv emails
usually is
formatted in a
relatively
simple way using
html. If you
cannot read it,
please click on
the link at the
top right of
this email to
see the
newsletter on
the Web.
Questions:
We invite you to
email the editor
or any
coordinator on
the MnWE
Committee listed
below. You also
are always
invited to
attend any of
our six MnWE
Committee
meetings per
year: to join
the listserv,
email richard
at jewell dot
net. If
you’d like to
attend a
meeting, or join
the committee
for in-person
meetings, Zoom
attendance, or
email comments
from a distance,
please
ask
Richard. In
addition, you
always are
invited to offer
suggestions to
MnWE, or to
volunteer your
leadership for a
session at the
annual
conference.
Copyright:
This newsletter
is written
primarily by
“MnWE News”
editor Richard
Jewell without
copyright so
that anyone may
quote,
paraphrase, or
forward any or
all parts
freely, unless
otherwise noted.
We do
ask that you
give credit to
the “MnWE
Newsletter”
and/or “www.MnWE.org“;
and when you use
material that
has been quoted
or paraphrased
in this
newsletter from
another source,
please be sure
to give proper
credit to the
original
source.
---
---
Richard Jewell,
General
Coordinator
Larry Sklaney,
Conference
Coordinator
Danielle
Hinrichs,
Program
Coordinator
Gordon Pueschner,
Volunteer
Coordinator
Jana Rieck,
Communications
Coordinator
Heidi Burns,
Registration
Coordinator
---
richard at
jewell dot net
- (612) 870-7024
larry dot
sklaney at
century dot edu
- (651) 747-4006
danielle dot
hinrichs at
metrostate dot
edu - (651)
999-5960
gordon dot
pueschner at
century dot edu
- (651) 686-4468
janaL dot rieck
at yahoo dot com
heidi dot burns
at mnsu dot edu
MnWE
.org
Minnesota Writing & English
A Consortium of
Colleges &
Universities
|
Mission:
Transforming
writing and
English
into teaching
and learning experiences using methodologies
that serve students best
Vision:
Bringing
scholarly ideas
and practical
pedagogy
together
to create our
futures
.JPG)
Donald Ross of
the University
of
Minnesota and
Taiyon Coleman
of St. Catherine
University run a
breakout session
about
literature. In a
later year, they
jointly provided
a MnWE keynote.
Geoffrey Sirc of
the University
of Minnesota
runs a small
breakout after
his keynote
presentation.
Many University
of Minnesota
faculty have
given
presentations at
MnWE, as well as
faculty and
graduate
students from
many other
universities,
colleges, and
high schools.
MnWE started in
2007.
The cofounders
were Richard
Jewell, here
giving a welcome
after lunch, and Donald
Ross, second
picture above.
MnWE has drawn
presenters from
Minnesota, the
states and
province around
it, and at least
five other
states and
countries.
During a 2016
breakout,
Beata Puschner
presents on improving
classroom
inclusion of ELL
students. MnWE
attracts a
variety of
people in other
departments and
positions, too,
from ESL and
Reading to
Library Science
and
college-in-the-high-schools
faculty.
|
