CCT News
30 October 2009
See also previous news, alum news and exchanges, items for the upcoming news, and CCT calendar.Inform cct@umb.edu if you have news OR want to be emailed when there's a new news compilation (no more than once/month) OR want to be removed from such mailings.
Contents: Student matters, CCT community, CCT events, alums, other events, opportunities, resources, food for thought, humor
Student Matters
Refworks workshop (Advanced), Healey Library fourth floor Center for Library Instruction, room 4/015. Thursday, November 19, 2009 ~ 12:30- 1:30 p.m.- "an online research management, writing and collaboration tool -- is designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies."
WISER will go down from November 23rd, at 9pm and be available again to all users on Wednesday, December 2nd.
late addition Marathon day, Sat. Dec 19, a day to work in the company of peers day for completion of syntheses and other incompletes, and for mid-program check-ins and entrance interviews. At the end of the semester in which students take their fifth course towards the CCT M.A. they should sign up for a mid-program check-in. (If you are beyond this point, a check-in is still valuable.)
CCT Community
"Engaging Colleagues in a Caring University"
Chancellor's Annual Distinguished Teaching "Lecture" (aka interactive session) led by Peter Taylor (wikipage & links, photos)
Tuesday, November 3, 3-4:30 pm in the Alumni Lounge, Campus Center.
- "This session is intended to provide an experience to illustrate what educators and other mid-career professionals get into when they learn and develop in my home program, the Critical & Creative Thinking graduate program. One CCT theme is that participants in any group always already know a lot about the topic at hand, even if that has to be brought up to the surface of their attention. This session will begin, therefore, by acknowledging, then building on, what the audience knows about engaging colleagues in a caring university. The session theme seems pertinent to our own work as we seek to support the inclusion and development of diverse students and colleagues in times of constrained resources and heightened expectations. "
From Gina Dillon Podolsky, CCT student in Texas, reporting to her online CCT602 instructors on her CCT602 project, "Pennies for Pause."
- I wanted to give you an update on the progress of Pennies for Pause. After the semester ended I contacted a professor at West Texas A&M who teaches political science and at the time was the Executive Director for the local Planned Parenthood until she retired a couple of months ago. I forwarded her the project I used for my class final and she invited me to lunch to discuss it. We met and I gave her a little presentation and asked her if she would like to mentor the project.
- I was unaware at the time that she was scheduled to be honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a Hero of Public Health. Apparently every year RWJ grants 10 global awards to people who overcome tremendous obstacles to provide health care to those in need (Planned Parenthood -- Texas, I say no more). The honor also comes with a 100K grant for the recipient to support an innovative project of their choosing. Guess what --- I have been chosen! The best thing about the whole experience, aside from the money, is I am allowed to use the RWJ team as advisors! My mentor is currently in Washington DC receiving the award, the money and the guidelines for project!
- It is absolutely amazing that I went from an idea in May to being awarded a major grant from a world class organization.
Welcome and congratulations to Jeremy Szteiter, who was appointed after a search process to a new position funded by the Division of Continuing Education, as the half-time assistant coordinator of CCT! (See description of responsibilities, which are many.)
CCT is now on Twitter, http://twitter.com/ThinkChngReflct
The new "Science in a Changing World " track is at http://twitter.com/ScienceChanges
CCT Events
Monday, November 9, 2009: CCT Network event, "Deep Exploration/Dialogue: Creativity in Families"
CCT alum/student performances and dialogue on the influence (positive or negative) of families on the development of our creativity.
6:30-9pm, Wheatley Hall 4th floor lounge (room 4-148)
All students, alums, associates, prospective students, and other members of the public welcome. For more information: http://www.cct.umb.edu/CCTNetwork9Nov09.html
Bob Swartz, a co-founder of CCT, will discuss his experiences teaching Critical & Creative Thinking in countries around the world.
Wednesday, November 18, 2:00-3:00pm, Wheatley Hall, W-5-041 (Philosophy Department Conference Room)
Alum and CCT associates Notes
On Sunday, October 25 at Pickman Hall, Longy School of Music, CCT instructor Ben Schwendener, gave a performance based on principles of George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept, along with Marc Rossi on synthesizers and pianos. Ben and Marc continue their improvisational exploration that began in 1999. Visit http://www.benschwendener.com for more about Ben's work.
Events
Tim Miller, gay performance artist, performs excerpts from his new show, Lay of the Land, and discusses his artistic vision
Harvard University, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 11am-noon, Paine Hall, inside the Music Building (adjacent to the Science Center)
PHENOM (The Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts) fall conference, "Expanding Access to Higher Education", on Saturday, November 7, Framingham State College, 9AM to 5PM. Collaboratively explore and seek solutions for barriers to access to higher education in Massachusetts.
PHENOM is a multi-constituent grassroots organization of faculty, staff, students, and alumni that advocates on behalf of public higher education in the state. http://www.phenomonline.org
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| Grad Showcase |
- If you’re looking for in-depth information on a UMass Boston graduate program, this is your opportunity to meet faculty and talk about what we have to offer. There will be a workshop on the graduate admissions process to help you understand application requirements and financial aid representatives will be available. Click Here to Register Now For more information on this event, please call 617.287.6000.
Sharon Lamb, the new Chair of Counseling and School Psychology will give a reading of her book, Packaging Boyhood, at the UMB bookstore on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 12noon.
Opportunities
Resources
Deep Dish TV announces the completion and release of its landmark, four-part series, DIY Media: Movement Perspectives on Critical Moments. Eighteen months in the making, this DVD series depicts the history of recent social movements in the United States from the perspective of participants in those movements; a history recounted through the words of activists that have sought equal rights for gays and lesbians, waged campaigns for environmental justice; struggled to curb corporate power, and fought against unjust, destructive U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.Food for Thought
Lyre birds mimic human sounds
Apocalyptica, 4 wild cellists, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnAzkh9kn0
Hub schools get $750,000 arts grant from the Wallace Foundation to help retain elementary and middle programs
- “Arts programming is such a crucial component to a child’s educational success because they connect all that we are trying to do for our children, both in and out of school, by teaching them to think creatively and to express themselves in a healthy manner,’’ Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
5 Creative Uses for CDs
Some ideas from AltUse and Squidoo:
1. Make a coaster. Decorate it...or for a music-themed coffee table simply plop it down.
2. Scare off birds: Take old CDs and hang them with fishing line. As they twirl in the breeze, they shoot small reflections around your garden. These reflections scare off the birds.
3. Bike safely: Tape a CD to your bike wheel as a reflector.
4. Create Christmas ornaments or party decorations: Take two CDs of the same size, put the printed sides together, tie them in two-to-four places with pretty ribbon, and hang them outdoors or dangle them from your balcony.
5. Catch candle drips: Place your candle over a CD to save your table. Works well for short, stubby candles that don't fit in holders.
Kiera Butler from MotherJones.com
Humor
From Nina Greenwald: Great "anti-functional fixedness" therapy -- http://thereifixedit.com/
Nora The Piano Playing Cat: The Secret Behind Her Talents Explained
- Like many of you--OK, millions of you--we're a fan of Nora the Piano-Playing Cat, star of YouTube videos. Gray and sleek, she strokes the keys with grace and restraint. She duets with her piano-playing mistress. She appears to be, as one YouTube commenter says, the reincarnation of Meowzart, er, Mozart. (Marc Silver, Pop Omnivore Blog)