LibGuides: CTE- Center for Teaching Excellence: Book discussions

Spring 2020 CTE Book discussions

The Years That Matter Most by Paul Tough
ISBN: 9780544944480
Publication Date: 2019-09-10
"Indelible and extraordinary."--Tara Westover, author ofEducated: A Memoir,New York Times Book Review ANew York Times Book Review Editors' Choice The best-selling author of How Children Succeed returns with a powerful, mind-changing inquiry into higher education in the United States Does college still work? Is the system designed just to protect the privileged and leave everyone else behind? Or can a college education today provide real opportunity to young Americans seeking to improve their station in life? The Years That Matter Most tells the stories of students trying to find their way, with hope, joy, and frustration, through the application process and into college. Drawing on new research, the book reveals how the landscape of higher education has shifted in recent decades and exposes the hidden truths of how the system works and whom it works for. And it introduces us to the people who really make higher education go: admissions directors trying to balance the class and balance the budget, College Board officialsscrambling to defend the SAT in the face of mounting evidence that it favors the wealthy, researchers working to unlock the mysteries of the college-student brain, and educators trying to transform potential dropouts into successful graduates. With insight, humor, and passion, Paul Tough takes readers on a journey from Ivy League seminar rooms to community college welding shops, from giant public flagship universities to tiny experimental storefront colleges. Whether you are facing your own decision about college or simply care about the American promise of social mobility,The Years That Matter Most will change the way you think--not just about higher education, but about the nation itself.

Fall 2019 Book discussions

Teaching with Tension: Race, Resistance, and Reality in the Classroom

edited by Philathia Bolton et al. (Northwestern University Press 2019) Tuesdays, 2:30-3:30

The original essays in this newly published volume critically examine the effects of current politics and the emergence of the neoliberal university on our students, classrooms, and teaching, and offer strategies for conceptualizing, talking about, and teaching race.

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The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux

by Cathy N. Davidson ( Basic Books 2017) Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00

“What would it mean to redesign higher education for the intellectual space travel students need to thrive in the world we living in now? What would it mean to reorient educational paradigms that, at present, overly standardize, test, diagnose (from disability to giftedness and all points in between), specialize, and discipline students in one-way transmission models inspired by the hierarchy of the factory and the assembly line, not the interactive internet?” These are some of the provocative and critically important questions raised by higher education scholar and innovator, Cathy Davidson. Join us for a lively discussion of the implications of her argument for what we do at Xavier, no matter what our role.

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Descartes’ Discourse on Method (1637) Wednesdays, 3:00-4:00

In this compact, elegantly written text in the form of an autobiography, Descartes criticizes his own Jesuit education as he seeks certain and useful knowledge that he can discover independently of authority, tradition, and fallible sensations. He promises that through the modern, mathematical approach to natural science, human beings can become “the masters and possessors of nature.” Join Philosophy professor and E/RS Director Richard Polt in discussion of this text which virtually every Xavier undergraduate encounters in Philosophical Perspectives and which offers ideas that are relevant to nearly every course taught on campus. No previous knowledge of the text is assumed.

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The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion

by Sarah Rose Cavanagh (West Virginia University Press 2016) Fridays, 12:00-1:00

In this engaging and provocative work, Sara Rose Cavanagh challenges the assumption that logic, rationality, and objectivity are the necessary hallmarks of college classrooms. She states, “...if you want to grab the attention of your students, mobilize their efforts, prolong their persistence, permanently change how they see the world, and maximize the changes that they will retain the material you’re teaching them over the long term, then there is no better approach than to target their emotions.” Cavanagh supports her perspective with research on emotions, neuroscience, and education, and offers specific techniques and activities for implementing these insights in our classrooms.

Spring 2019 Book discussions

Plato’s Republic

translated by C.D.C. Reeve, 2004, Hackett Publishing

Virtually every Xavier undergraduate encounters the philosophical dialogue of Plato’s Republic in our Core Curriculum. Offering ideas that are relevant to nearly every course taught on campus, the Republic’s main theme is the nature of justice in a society and in an individual. The characters’ conversation on justice leads to topics such as democracy, communism, feminism, law, money, family, tyranny, mental health and illness, ambition, desire, physical training, cultural and intellectual education, literature, music, myth, mathematics, ultimate truth, and the afterlife. Facilitated by Richard Polt, Professor of Philosophy and E/RS Director, this group is unlikely to run out of topics for discussion.

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iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood, Jean Twenge, 2017, Atria Books

Just when you thought you might understand the Millennials, along comes another generation! Born between approximately 1995 and 2012, iGen has begun to hit college classrooms, bringing new challenges and opportunities with them. In this recently published book, professor of psychology, Jean Twenge, identifies ten trends, including In No Hurry, Internet, Irreligious, and Inclusive, that have significantly shaped iGen’ers, and discusses the implications for those of us who teach them. Niamh O’Leary, English Department, will facilitate this book discussion group.

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Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students With Autism

edited by Dawn Prince-Huges, 2002, Swallow Press

Edited by anthropologist, Dawn Prince Hughes, who herself has Asperger’s Syndrome, this short but powerful book includes writings by college students who are on the autism spectrum. In their own words, these students recount the challenges they face, but also speak to their unique ways of looking at and solving problems, and the potential contributions they can make to diverse classrooms, when given the opportunity. This discussion will be facilitated by Kandi Stinson, Sociology Department and CTE, and Cindy Stieby, LAC.

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Critical Condition: Replacing Critical Thinking with Creativity

Patrick Finn, 2015, Wilfrid Laurier University Press

In this provocative book, Patrick Finn begins with what he calls a foolish question—”Isn’t it time we replaced critical thinking?” Arguing that the world around us is dramatically and fundamentally changing, Finn argues that so is the kind of thinking we should be cultivating in our students. His proposal? To replace critical thinking with creative, loving, open-source thought. Miti von Weissenberg, History Department, will facilitate this discussion.

Fall 2018 Book discussions

Teaching the Whole Student: Engaged Learning With Heart, Mind, and Spirit

edited by David Schoem, Christine Modey, and Edward St. John (AAC&U 2017)

The essays in this edited volume remind us that students not only bring their minds and knowledge to the classroom, they bring their hearts and spirits. Authors share their personal experiences of and strategies for creating learning experiences that engage the whole student, create community, and foster deep learning.

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Neuro Tribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

by Steve Silberman (Penguin Random House 2015)

What is autism? Wy have diagnoses seemingly skyrocketed? And most importantly, what would happen if, instead of viewing autism as a lifelong disability, we considered it as only one variation in a large, diverse range of cognitive differences? This award-winning book addresses these questions and along the way, raises implications for workplaces, educational institutions, and other realms of life.

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Getting Started With Team-Based Learning

by Jim Sibley and Peter Ostafichuk with Bill Roberson, Billie Franchini, and Karla Kubitz (Stylus 2014)

The authors draw on their own experiences as well as tips and techniques from 46 faculty members around the world, to guide readers through the implementation of team-based learning. Specifically the book offers strategies for using teams effectively, assuring students come to class prepared, designing effective application activities, and establishing accountability.

Spring 2018 Book Discussions

Paying the price : college costs, financial aid, and the betrayal of the American dream / Sara Goldrick-Rab

Are you smart enough? : how colleges' obsession with smartness shortchanges students / Alexander W. Astin

The war against boys : how misguided policies are harming our young men / Christina Hoff Sommers

A concise guide to improving student learning : six evidence-based principles and how to apply them / Diane Cummings Persellin and Mary Blythe Daniels

Fall 2017 Book discussions

Generation Z Goes to College by Corey Seemiller; Meghan Grace
ISBN: 9781119143451
Publication Date: 2016-01-19
Say Hello to Your Incoming Class--They're Not Millennials Anymore Generation Z is rapidly replacing Millennials on college campuses. Those born from 1995 through 2010 have different motivations, learning styles, characteristics, skill sets, and social concerns than previous generations. Unlike Millennials, Generation Z students grew up in a recession and are under no illusions about their prospects for employment after college. While skeptical about the cost and value of higher education, they are also entrepreneurial, innovative, and independent learners concerned with effecting social change. Understanding Generation Z's mindset and goals is paramount to supporting, developing, and educating them through higher education. Generation Z Goes to College showcases findings from an in-depth study of over 1,100 Generation Z college students from 15 vastly different U.S. higher education institutions as well as additional studies from youth, market, and education research related to this generation. Authors Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace provide interpretations, implications, and recommendations for program, process, and curriculum changes that will maximize the educational impact on Generation Z students. Generation Z Goes to College is the first book on how this up-and-coming generation will change higher education.

The Coach's Guide for Women Professors by Rena Seltzer
ISBN: 9781579228958
Publication Date: 2015-07-23
If you find yourself thinking or saying any of the following, this is a book you need to pick up. I know or suspect that I am underpaid, but I hate negotiating. I do everything else first and then write in the time left over. I'm not sure exactly what the promotion requirements are in my department. Since earning tenure, my service load has increased and my research is suffering. I don't get enough time with my family. This is a practical guide for women in academe - whether adjuncts, professors or administrators - who often encounter barriers and hostility, especially if women of color, and generally carry a heavier load of service, as well as household and care responsibilities, than their male colleagues. Rena Seltzer, a respected life coach and trainer who has worked with women professors and academic leaders for many years, offers succinct advice on how you can prioritize the multiplicity of demands on your life, negotiate better, create support networks, and move your career forward. Using telling but disguised vignettes of the experiences of women she has mentored, Rena Seltzer offers insights and strategies for managing the situations that all women face - such as challenges to their authority - while also paying attention to how they often play out differently for Latinas, Black and Asian women. She covers issues that arise from early career to senior administrator positions. This is a book you can read cover to cover or dip into as you encounter concerns about time management; your authority and influence; work/life balance; problems with teaching; leadership; negotiating better; finding time to write; developing your networks and social support; or navigating tenure and promotion and your career beyond.
Improving How Universities Teach Science by Carl Wieman
ISBN: 9780674972070
Publication Date: 2017-05-22
Too many universities remain wedded to outmoded ways of teaching science in spite of extensive research showing that there are much more effective methods. Too few departments ask whether what happens in their lecture halls is effective at helping students to learn and how they can encourage their faculty to teach better. But real change is possible, and Carl Wieman shows us how it can be brought about. Improving How Universities Teach Science draws on Wieman's unparalleled experience to provide a blueprint for educators seeking sustainable improvements in science teaching. Wieman created the Science Education Initiative (SEI), a program implemented across thirteen science departments at the universities of Colorado and British Columbia, to support the widespread adoption of the best research-based approaches to science teaching. The program's data show that in the most successful departments 90 percent of faculty adopted better methods. Wieman identifies what factors helped and hindered the adoption of good teaching methods. He also gives detailed, effective, and tested strategies for departments and institutions to measure and improve the quality of their teaching while limiting the demands on faculty time. Among all of the commentary addressing shortcomings in higher education, Wieman's lessons on improving teaching and learning stand out. His analysis and solutions are not limited to just one lecture hall or course but deal with changing entire departments and universities. For those who want to improve how universities teach science to the next generation, Wieman's work is a critical first step.

Fall 2017 Book Discussion related reading

Coach’s Guide to Women Professors by Rena Seltzer

Seltzer, R. (2015, July 24). To Find Happiness in Academe, Women Should Just Say No. Chronicle of Higher Education. pp. B12-B13.

Generation Z Goes to College by Corey Seemiller; Meghan Grace

Hope J. Get your campus ready for Generation Z. Enrollment Management Report. July 2016;20(4):1-5.

Kingston, A. (2014). Get ready for Generation Z. Maclean's, 127(28), 42.

Loveland, E. (2017). Instant Generation. Journal of College Admission, (234), 34-38.

Improving How Universities Teach Science: Lessons from the Science Education Initiative, by Carl Wieman

Spring 2017

Teaching to Transgress by Bell Hooks
ISBN: 9780415908085
Publication Date: 1994-09-12

Caudill, S. A. (1997). Teaching to Transgress (book review). Quarterly Journal Of Speech, 83(1), 129.

Leistyna, P. (1995). Editors' reviews. Harvard Educational Review, 65(2), 322.

Perkins-Gough, D. (2013). The significance of grit: a conversation with Angela Lee Duckworth. Educational Leadership, 71 (1).

Hochanadel, A., & Finamore, D. (2015). F ixed and Growth Mindset in Education and How Grit Helps Students Persist in the Face of Adversity . Journal of International Education Research, 11(1), 47-50.

Grit by Angela Duckworth
ISBN: 1501111108
Publication Date: 2016-05-03
In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, students, educators, athletes, and business people both seasoned and new that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls grit. Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of genius, Duckworth, now a celebrated researcher and professor, describes her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not genius but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance. In "Grit," she takes readers into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. Among "Grit" s most valuable insights: *Why any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal *How grit can be learned, regardless of I.Q. or circumstances *How lifelong interest is triggered *How much of optimal practice is suffering and how much ecstasy *Which is better for your child a warm embrace or high standards *The magic of the Hard Thing Rule Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, "Grit" is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that not talent or luck makes all the difference."
Traditions of Eloquence by Cinthia Gannett (Editor); John Brereton (Editor); Maureen Fitzsimmons (As told to)
ISBN: 9780823264520
Publication Date: 2016-05-25
This groundbreaking collection explores the important ways Jesuits have employed rhetoric, the ancient art of persuasion and the current art of communications, from the sixteenth century to the present. Much of the history of how Jesuit traditions contributed to the development of rhetorical theory and pedagogy has been lost, effaced, or dispersed. As a result, those interested in Jesuit education and higher education in the United States, as well as scholars and teachers of rhetoric, are often unaware of this living 450-year-old tradition. Written by highly regarded scholars of rhetoric, composition, education, philosophy, and history, many based at Jesuit colleges and universities, the essays in this volume explore the tradition of Jesuit rhetorical education--that is, constructing "a more usable past" and a viable future for eloquentia perfecta, the Jesuits' chief aim for the liberal arts. Intended to foster eloquence across the curriculum and into the world beyond, Jesuit rhetoric integrates intellectual rigor, broad knowledge, civic action, and spiritual discernment as the chief goals of the educational experience. Consummate scholars and rhetors, the early Jesuits employed all the intellectual and language arts as "contemplatives in action," preaching and undertaking missionary, educational, and charitable works in the world. The study, pedagogy, and practice of classical grammar and rhetoric, adapted to Christian humanism, naturally provided a central focus of this powerful educational system as part of the Jesuit commitment to the Ministries of the Word. This book traces the development of Jesuit rhetoric in Renaissance Europe, follows its expansion to the United States, and documents its reemergence on campuses and in scholarly discussions across America in the twenty-first century. Traditions of Eloquence provides a wellspring of insight into the past, present, and future of Jesuit rhetorical traditions. In a period of ongoing reformulations and applications of Jesuit educational mission and identity, this collection of compelling essays helps provide historical context, a sense of continuity in current practice, and a platform for creating future curricula and pedagogy. Moreover it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding a core aspect of the Jesuit educational heritage.

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