text:
Teaching Large Classes in the Field
Jane Francis (University of Leeds)
Teaching the Open University Way - Ideas for Adaptation
Glynda Easterbrook (Open University)
Teaching Introductory Geological Mapwork Using Workpacks
Mike Bell (Cheltenham & Gloucester College of HE)
A Basic Skills Course for Geoscience Level 1
Brian Whalley (Queen's University of Belfast)
How to Cope with Large Numbers at Level 3
Andy McCaig (University of Leeds)
Preparing to Teach Large Classes: Strategies to Promote Active Learning
R. Heather Macdonald (College of William and Mary, USA)
Geological Hands-on Activities for Large Classes (100-250 students)
Randall M. Richardson, (University of Arizona, USA)
Using Seminars to Introduce Small Group Teaching into Large Classes
Nick Henry (University of Birmingham)
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Jane Francis (University of Leeds)
At the University of Leeds the numbers of students in Earth Science classes has increased to around 100 in each year and encompass four different degree courses: Geological Sciences, Geophysical Sciences, Environmental Geology and Geology-Geography. The staff in the department have coped with this situation by developing a system with emphasis on better preparation, focus, student motivation and staff efficiency. For example, at the beginning of each module the student is provided with a detailed and informative handbook to guide them through the course. Small group tutorials are still thought to be vital but they are now better structured with exercises devised to provide study skills and preparation for project work. Core Skills modules help provide students with study skills, self-appraisal and career preparation. And more efficient use is made of staff time (with the hope of trying to allow them to reserve more time for their research) by introducing class peer assessment and group presentations.
All first year students go on the same field trip to Pembrokeshire during the Easter vacation. The aim of the trip is to:
The students divide themselves into groups of 5-6, the group will share a caravan together as well as working together throughout the trip. The division of 100 students into 20 groups provides a much more manageable number to deal with. Two coaches are provided to transport the groups to the field sites, each group remains on the same coach for the whole trip and all the groups visit the same sites but on different days. The groups are supervised by 12 members of staff including post-graduates.
Group Posters: each group of students is required to produce two posters during the trip. Each poster is expected to summarise the geology on a theme (usually the previous two days' fieldwork) and the groups have around 5 hours to produce them using field sketches, data, logs, stereonets etc. The posters are marked and returned, with feedback, the next day. Marking all the posters takes about 2 hours. The posters are displayed the next day (with the marks hidden) and the students are asked to perform a peer assessment. The top three posters, as judged by the students, are compared with those judged by the staff - this provides a good learning experience as the students tend to over assess presentation. A prize is given for the best poster. The second set of posters are marked by the staff (but not peer assessed to save time) and a prize is given for the most improved poster as well as for the best. The marks for the posters are 20% of the total.
Individual Posters: the final day of the trip is to a mystery location, the students work in groups but have to produce individual posters. This individual poster counts as 30% of the assessment total.
Field notebooks: the mark for the field notebook is 50% of the total. Each evening the staff sit down with some of the groups and talk through their field notebooks, this way the students have continuous feedback and can improve their record taking skills.
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Glynda Easterbrook (Open University)
The Open University relies almost entirely on distance learning, the students work at home and if any group work is required it is either done at local tutorials or residential schools. Teaching is mainly through text, audio and video materials. The students come from a variety of educational backgrounds, many haven't been in education for over 20 years and some have no previous school qualifications at all.
Study Calendar: each course unit takes 9 months to complete and each student is equipped with a study calendar in order to help them with their time management. The calendar details which text to study with which video/audio cassette and notes all assignment deadlines.
Study Guide: this is in the form of a booklet or folder and provides a more detailed guide to the time management of the course.
Literature: the teaching texts are interactive involving reading followed by an activity or test. The style enables the face-to-face tutorial to be substituted by text. There are 6 interactive texts relevant to the Earth Sciences:
As students do not necessarily have access to comprehensive libraries, they are supplied with copies of all the important reference material they may need.
Video: some of the OU programmes are shown on television but unfortunately the BBC are devoting less time to their broadcast and so the students are mainly provided with videos. The video is enhanced with an accompanying text and post-programme notes.
Audio: audio cassettes are reasonably cheap to produce and are a useful medium for transferring information. They are usually in the form of a lecture or discussion and accompanying notes are provided.
Computer Aided Learning (CAL): this is a fairly new teaching technique. The students are given discs or CD-ROMs, as not all students own or have access to a computer this method is of limited use at present. Some students buy Earth Science Courseware Consortium CD-ROMs and are guided in the use of such material, however, it is vital that those students without access to a computer are not disadvantaged in any way.
Home Experiment Kit: each student is supplied with a home experiment kit which must be returned at the end of the year. For example, the Evolution kit contains plaster casts of fossils (and three real ones), the student undertakes a fossil measuring exercise which includes statistical analysis. The student also has a choice of project which can be entirely based on the kit or can involve objects from their own local surroundings (leaves, pebbles etc.). The Geology kit includes:
Tutorials: foundation level courses included a face-to-face tutorial once a fortnight. Other courses don't have them so frequently.
Each year there is a one week summer school which gives the students access to more conventional teaching media.
Tutor Marked Assessment (TMA): each student is assigned a tutor who marks their assignments and provides comprehensive feedback. The deadline for assignments is strict and no allowances are made for late submissions.
Computer Marked Assessment (CMA): these are in the form of multiple choice paper exercises. The students are encouraged to interact with each other and discuss the exercises. The feedback to these exercises is returned to the student within a few days and is very detailed with reasons given for why one answer was right and the others wrong. It takes some time to write material for these type exercises but once a course has been running for a few years the questions can be recycled. Some students will return their assessments before the deadline and these can be marked and used as an early warning test for ambiguous questions etc.
Develop a resource based supply of materials
This could include text-based material such as study guides to wrap around published material, self-teaching texts ('tutorials in print') or workbooks to use with videos/audios. The problem with introducing this into teaching at conventional institutions is that it takes a long time to write initially, hence the need to use existing resources such as that supplied by the OU.
Guided field notebook
These notebooks supplement staff teaching in the field by asking questions about the site as well as providing space for the students' own comments and observations. As most institutions revisit sites many times it would not take too much extra work to devise suitable questions for such an exercise.
Student Proposed Projects
A different slant on project work might be to ask the students to write proposals for their desired topic. This would involve some research into the background of the project and would help build up written presentations skills and evaluation skills (weighing up one project against another). This would also be beneficial to the student as half the project would have been written up prior to the work being undertaken. To turn this into an exercise for large classes, students could be asked to 'collaborate' with each other.
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Mike Bell (Cheltenham and Gloucester College of HE)
The method, used by Mike Bell to teach introductory mapwork, involves providing each student with a kit which can be worked on at home or in the laboratory. The course is designed to help the students to develop certain mapping skills:
The aim of the course is to provide all students with skills they can take on into their careers even if they do not continue with geology. It has been found that standard exercises are often too complicated and detailed and so the department invested in kits that could be used year after year. In order to produce an effective learning tool two full time staff were employed to look at the teaching in the department and to canvas the academic staff on their opinions of what the packages should include.
Each kit contains three exercises each accompanied by a geological map, the entire package is designed to replace a 5 week course (2 hours per week):
1. Local geological map
Accompanying booklet
Assessment: self-assessment - student writes answers in booklet (with the correct answers provided)
2. More complicated map (of Tewkesbury), includes Bouger and magnetic anomaly
Accompanying booklet
Assessment: students submit answers for assessment
3. Leeds geological map, more complicated with more structural features
Geological time scale
Accompanying booklet
Assessment: students submit answers for assessment
Initially the students were left to work entirely independently, however, some students missed tutor interaction and the classroom environment. Now surgery sessions are held for one hour once a week, additionally those students who do not wish to pay the Ł50 deposit for the kits can use ones available in the laboratory.
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Brian Whalley (Queen's University of Belfast)
The Level 1 Geoskills Module is due to start at Queen's University in September 1997. A successful pilot was run for 6 weeks to test some of the ideas and proved that the teaching/learning style works. The module is student-paced and mainly involves independent learning, though 2 hours of lectures and 3 hours of practical work are also provided.
The lecture time is used to allow students to get to know one another (bearing in mind that they are first years), they are sub-divided into groups and given skills based tasks. In the practical classes the emphasis is on sharing of resources (computers, microscopes etc.), this not only saves on resources but gives students the opportunity to discuss their work.
Students are assigned projects which allow them to interlink various skills, for example they might be asked to search the library to find books that help in writing CVs.
All the course information is also provided on the WWW and students are encouraged to look at their own learning skills by providing and receiving continuous feedback (via WWW-based forms). The WWW is also used to provide answers to frequently asked questions.
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Andy McCaig (University of Leeds)
A third year core course on Global Cycles and Earth History is provided to explicitly provide transferable skills and teamwork, non-geologists may also take this course as an option. The course preserves the need for high level scientific activity whilst introducing various skills.
·Groupwork: the students are split into groups and each group is given a separate topic to study, they are provided with about 30 references on the topic and are also asked three questions which must be answered in their final presentation.
Assessment: each group must produce a poster outlining the details of their topic and answering the 3 questions posed by the tutor. The posters are assessed by the tutor, the time it takes to assess 10 posters is equivalent to the time taken to mark one individual's practical work. The posters are then displayed and each group is required to look at all the posters and write summary sheets on the other topics. A handout at the final lecture also provides summaries of each topic. The final exam is designed to reflect the fact that each group only did one topic in detail.
Student Opinion: a student (Helen) was invited to talk about her experience of this course. She felt that it was a very beneficial exercise, useful for learning to read papers and assimilate information.
·1. Do you prefer to choose your own group?
Most people don't mind either way, however, if you choose your own you tend to select people of the same standard as yourself and so there are more extremes of good or bad groups.
2. How efficient are posters as a learning method?
An oral presentation is often better as you have to sit there and listen whereas you can often chose whether to look at posters or not. However, in this particular course each group had to write a summary of the other posters.
(Comment from A. McCaig - when students are learning from other students errors can creep in and so the exercise is more beneficial to the presenter than the viewer. Staff must provide support and feedback to eliminate factual errors)
3. Do you enjoy this type of learning method?
Yes, up to a point. You do tend to get fed up if you have to produce too many posters. Maybe one a semester would be enough.
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R. Heather Macdonald,
Department of Geology,
College of William and Mary,
Material from Poster Session, San Francisco AGU, 1996 (pers. Comm)
ABSTRACT: Instructors who teach large classes commonly use lectures even though the
traditional lecture format is more likely to promote passive listening than active,
independent learning. However, several strategies can be used in large lecture-based
courses to increase student involvement in learning. 1)Modify the lecture by adding short
"spaces" between mini-lectures to give students an opportunity to process the
material. For example, ask a question, then use think-pair-share, an activity in which all
students in the class share their responses with a classmate. When using visuals or doing
demonstrations, involve students by asking them to describe, explain, predict, summarize,
or interpret. 2) Give out-of-class assignments such as homework, questions for discussion,
or short writing assignments. 3) Get feedback from students about the class. For example,
have students write about the most important point of the lecture or ask a question about
the lecture. 4) Provide opportunities for student-faculty and student-student interaction
such as personalized responses on tests, study groups, various types of electronic
communication, and opportunities for interested students to participate on projects.
Graduate students interested in a teaching career can learn about various teaching
strategies in a variety of ways (observation, departmental discussions, campus teaching
centers, science education journals, and workshops) and can use them in various teaching
settings (as a teaching assistant, discussion leader, guest lecturer, and classroom
[All too often,] lecturing is a process by which information is transfered from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without touching the brain of either. (modified from Sisteck, 1986)
"Studies on attention span....shed light on why students have difficulty with the traditional lecture format. Adult learners can keep tuned into a lecture for no more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and this at the beginning of the class. After three to five minutes of "settling down" at the start of class, "the next lapse of attention usually occured some 10 to 18 minute later. Students recalled the most information from the first five minutes of the presentation. Given that students have an attention span of around 15 to 20 minutes and that classes are 50 to 90 minutes, instructors must do something to keep their students' attention. (from Middendorf and Kalish, 1996)
1. Punctuate the lecture
Break up the lecture by adding short activities between mini-lectures to give students an opportunity to process the material.
Ask a question, but instead of letting one student answer, use think-pair-share
Can be modified by having students first write their response on an index card or piece of paper (write-pair-share).
Have students
An example: After showing a digital image of the state of Virginia and discussing with them the topography and what can be determined about the structure from the topography, show the next slide, a similar image of the state of Pennsylvania, and ask students to write down their observations about the topography and their interpretations about the structure. (Christopher Bailey, College of William & Mary)
Numbered heads together:
another format for having students answer questions posed in class:
STUDENTS ARE ACTIVE LEARNERS Other lecture breaks:
free-writing-responses - 2-5 minute responses at the beginning (or middle or end) of class, in response to a prompt. These focus student attention and give more timid students a written text on which to rely.
2. Out-of-class assignments
To promote more active learning throughout the term (rather than the night before the exam), give out-of-class assignments such as homework, problem sets, questions for class discussion, or short writing assignments.
These assignments can involve students in asking and answering questions, collecting and interpreting data, making interpretations, and developing writing and quantitative writing skills.
One difficulty is the time required to grade assignments - in a large class, it can be significant.
Example: Homework on evidence of life on Mars! Students read several short articles and get information on the internet, then answer several questions ranging from factual questions to those requiring analysis and interpretation. After completing this assignment, students will be able to: a) describe the evidence that life existed on Mars; b) list arguments used by scientists who do not agree that the evidence demostrates life on Mars billions of years ago; c) relate the probability of conditions necessary for life to the history of planets, particularly the plate tectonic cycle; d) identify important questions not answered in the popular literature; and e) evaluate the impact of this discovery on the future of space exploration and society. (Molly Miller, Vanderbilt University)
Short papers
Reaction paper
Attend talk given by visiting speaker
Write a short reaction paper
(can be graded credit/no credit)
3. Solicit feedback from students about the course
Classroom assessment - ways of students providing instructors iwht feedback. Angelo and Cross (1993) describe assessment techniques that promote involvement in class and provide information that the instructor can use to improve his/her teaching.
the "one-minute" paper
Students write for a few minutes at the end of the class period and turn in for the instructor to review. Some instructors use this as a way to check for attendance, others have students turn them in anonymously. It is important to respond to information solicited from students. If many students missed an important point, the instructor could review it at the beginning of the next class period.
Student management teams
the professor and several students from a class meet regularly for the "specific purpose of improving the classroom teaching and learning environments".
(Nuhfer, 1996)
4. Make the class more personal
Students may feel isolated in large lecture-based courses. Provide (more) opportunities for student-faculty and student-student interaction.
Learn more about it
Graduate students (and faculty members) interested in teaching can learn more about
various teaching strategies:
Graduate students can gain experience teaching as a teaching assistant, guest
instructor, discussion leader, mentor for undergraduate researchers, field trip leader,
partnering with a faculty member or K-12 teacher, doing presentations in the community,
Subscribe to a periodical such as:
Journal of College Science Teaching
Journal of Chemical Education
Journal of Geoscience Education
The Physics Teacher, or others
Participate in electronic discussions on issues related to geoscience education - subscribe to the geo-ed list. [send email to email@example.com. Your email message should contain only one line: subscribe geo-ed Your Name <your.email.address>. If your mailer automatically appends a signature file, you can place an end command on a second line of the message so majordomo will ignore the signature. If you have any questions about the list, please contact Bryan Tapp at: firstname.lastname@example.com]
Some (selected) more general references
Angelo, T.A., and Cross, K.P., 1993, Classroom Assessment Techniques
Brown, G., and Atkins, M., 1988, Effective Teaching in Higher Education
Davidson, C.I., and Ambrose, S.A., 1994, The New Professor's Handbook: A Guide to Teaching and Research in Engineering and Science
Davis, B.G., 1993, Tools for Teaching (I have found this to be very useful)
Johnson, G.R., 1995, First Steps to Excellence in College Teaching
Lowman, J., 1995, Mastering the Techniques of Teaching
Weimer, M.G., 1987, Teaching Large Classes Well
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Randall M. Richardson, Dept. of Geosciences, University of Arizona,
Tucson, AZ 85721
Prepared for Carlton College, 17 February 1997
I break the class into groups of about 15. I have them calculate their ages in seconds, write it down on a piece of paper, and put it in a bag. I add my own age in seconds to the bag. We hypothesize that they can tell when my age is drawn from the bag. We pull one out. It may be some number like 599, 184, 000 seconds. I ask them, "When you tell someone how old you are, how many significant digits do you use?". The typical response is something like, 'two' (in this case the student was 19). We talk about giving our age as 19.4397 (also six significant digits), and they typically laugh. Thus, we learn about significant digits. Then I ask if the number drawn is mine. Most say it is not. "How come?", I ask. "Because it's too small". I use this to help them see that they have an expected result in mind when they collect the data. Then we continue pulling numbers until mine is pulled. They are all very happy when they can distinguish mine (it is at least a factor of two bigger). Then we draw the rest and in most cases there is at least one mistake. Sometimes the mistake is enough to make it difficult to distinguish the 'noisy data' from my age. We then talk about the quality of data, and how noise in data can lead to erroneous conclusions.
After having talked about the geologic time scale (Precambrian: prior to 570 Ma; Paleozoic: 570-245 Ma; Mesozoic: 245-65 Ma; Cenozoic:65 Ma - present), I ask for two volunteers from the class to hold a rope that is about 15 feet long. I say that one end is the beginning of the Earth (4.6 billion years ago), and the other is today. I then give out about 10 clothes pins and ask various students to put a clothes pin on the 'time line' at various 'geologic times'. For example, I ask them to put one where the dinosaurs died out (end of the Mesozoic). They almost invariably put it much to old (65 Ma is less than 2% of Earth history!). Then I ask them to put one on their birthday (they now laugh). Then I ask them to put one where we think hominids (humans) evolved (~3-4 Ma), and they realize that we have not been here very long geologically. Then I ask them to put one at the end of the Precambrian, where life took off in terms of the numbers of species, etc. They are amazed that this only represents less than 15% of Earth history. Finally, I ask them to think of the time line as their own age, and think about how long ago, on a comparable time scale, the dinosaurs died. It is only about two 'months' ago! The exercise is very effective at letting them get a sense of how long geologic time is, and how 'recently' some major geologic events happened when you consider a time scale that is the age of the earth.
I have the class leave their seats and form a circle around the edge of the classroom (if necessary, they could make a double loop). I then ask them to do The Wave, as seen at football games, starting with a volunteer student. Then I ask them how long it took. To get data, they do it again, and measure the time (let's say 10 seconds). I ask them how many cycles they completed in the 10 seconds (one). "So, it's 'one cycle per ten seconds'. What was the frequency of your wave?" They work together and come up with 0.1 Hz. I ask them the distance around the circle (i.e., the wavelength; let's say it's 30m). "So, how fast did the wave go?" Again, in groups, they figure it went 30m in 10s, or 3m/s. I ask them to do The Wave again in 5 seconds. They do, almost invariably laughing at the effort to speed it up. I ask them what frequency the wave had this time, and they figure out it is 0.2 Hz. "How fast did the wave go?" They realize it's 6m/s, or twice as fast when the frequency is doubled. I ask them to work out a relationship between frequency (Hz, or 1/s), velocity (m/s), and wavelength that works out unit-wise and is consistent with their observations of the velocity doubling when the frequency is doubled (velocity = wavelength x frequency). I let them design further Wave experiments to verify the relationship.
An important concept for students to learnis the difference between longitudinal (or compressional) waves and transverse (or shear) waves. I ask them to do The Wave again, and ask them to notice how their hands move as the wave passes. They realize that The Wave moves horizontally from person to person, but their hands only move up and down, at right angles to the motion of The Wave. This is a transverse (at right angles) wave. Then I ask them to generate a longitudinal wave.They usually come up with something along the lines of stepping left or bumping shoulders, or (gently!) pulling on each other. They do this kind of a wave, and realize that their motion is horizontal, or aligned with the direction the wave moves. Then I tell them that sound waves are longitudinal waves and that water waves have a transverse component (an oversimplification). Longitudinal and transverse (P and S) waves in the Earth travel at different speeds, and hence give us different information about Earth structure.
Another concept I want them to learn is that energy is transported in waves without the medium actually moving the distance the wave travels.In their longitudinal wave I ask them if any student went all the way around the circle. "Of course not!" But it's clear that the energy did!
Finally, I play with waves reflecting off of boundaries by having one student 'bounce' the wave back when it gets to him/her, so that they can see it 'reflect' off a boundary and travel in the other direction. I also let part of the wave be transmitted through the boundary and part reflected, and they have a lot of fun trying to have the wave go both waves.
There are probably endless variations on this, but I've never seen students come away with a better understanding of the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves, or the relationship between velocity, wavelength and frequency, than when I've used this activity.
Divide class into groups of 4 as they enter class. I have each person take a card upon entering, which gives a Group #, Role #, and Seat #. I do not tell them what the roles mean at this point. I ask them to take their assigned seat, take out a piece of paper and write their name and the information from the card on it (I don't want them later changing roles to something they are more comfortable with). An example of a card follows:
Group #7
Role #2
Seat #48
Sometimes in a 1.5 hour lecture, I have lectured on Oil, using overheads, for 20-30 minutes. Other times I have handed out the lecture notes a day in advance and had read them before class. Then I start with the exercise at the beginning of class.
First, I have all the Role #1 students (ardent supporter of oil exploration) take 2 minutes, uninterupted, to present their case for why we should continue an aggressive exploration programme, in as flamboyant and convincing as case as possible, to the other students. If it doesn't sound like pandemonium, I tell them I can't hear them!
I tell the mediators (Role #3) to make sure that Role #1 isn't interupted, and that he/she sticks to the issues (no name calling, etc.).
Then I have Role #2 (ardent opponent) take 2 minutes to present their case for why we should cease and desist with oil exploration immediately. I have the mediator (Role #3) play the same role as before.
I have the reporter (Role #4) take notes during both presentations. I tell them that they will have to provide a one paragraph 'story' at the end summarizing the entire debate, and that some of them will be called upon to give a 90 second 'sound bite' at the end as if they were giving a news conference.
The, I break the class into four corners, with all the Role #1's in one corner, etc. I have each group talk amongst themselves. I tell Roles #1,2 to see if they come up with any more arguments as a group for their position that they were able to as individuals. I spend quite a bit of time with the mediators (Role #3), who often aren't sure what they are supposed to be doing. We talk about their feelings about being in the middle of a conflict. Do they feel 'safe'? Are they uncomfortable in that situation. Do they feel they have to 'solve' the conflict? I tell them that conflict is natural, that conflict resolution is an important skill, that their role is to see that the other presenters play fair, not necessarily try to get them to agree with each other. We talk about what qualities a mediator should have (fair; trustworthy to both sides; keeps own opinion to themselves; other?). I ask the reporters (Role #4) what it feels like trying to be an acurate reporter. What do they do with their own opinions? This whole part of the exercise takes about 10 minutes.
Then I have them return to their original groups of four and continue the debate. Only this time, they don't have to be rigid or flamboyant. They can see if they can reach any concensus (not a requirement).
The I ask one or two of the reporters to 'report' to the class the resutls of the exercise for their group. I only give them 90 seconds each.
Then I have each one do some writing. I ask Role #s 1 and 2 to put down the arguments they came up with by themselves first, followed in a second paragraph by any more that came up in the larger groups. For the mediators (Role #3), I ask them to list some skills a mediator should possess. I ask the reporters to write, in less than one page, a summary of the debate. I then ask all of them to finish by writing about whether or not their appreciation for the problem (i.e., its complexity in terms of societal and personal changes required to significantly reduce our dependance on oil) changed as a result of this exercise, and whether their own position had changed.
I have them turn in these reports, and either grade them as a quiz (separating all the roles so they can be compared to each other), or simply make comments on them before returning them.
Some of the points raised by those with various roles follows:
Role #1 (ardent supporter):
Society needs oil for transportation, life style, etc.
Enough oil for decades, at least. Why disrupt society now?
Large parts of the economy are dependent on oil exploration, production.
No other option is currently available for cars on societal scale.
When oil becomes scarce, prices will go up until it is economically feasible to pursue other energy sources.
Role #2 (ardent opponent)
Major source of pollution and a continual risk to habitats.
Cleaning up pollution is very expensive.
We need to slow down using our limited natural resources.
Global warming related to CO2 from burning fossil fuels; we must curtail our usage or face possible global consequences.
If we don't develop other sources now, then when oil becomes scarce, it will be very disruptive to society. Better to prepare now.
Role #3 (mediator)
Skills of mediator include: flexibility, diplomacy, open mind (don't impose your own opinions), the ability to see both sides of an issue clearly and without bias, and the ability to allow both sides to communicate freely.
The entire exercise can be done in 1.5 hours, although sometimes it seems rushed. It's important to tell the students that they do not have to actually believe the position/role I've asked them to take. After all, they don't have a choice about roles! I tell them that it is role playing, and an opportunity to explore an important issue that may well be pivotal in their lives.
Student response is very positive. The exercise is often mentioned in course evaluations as one of the most positive experiences in the course. Even a year after this exercise, I sometimes see students who not only remember the exercise, but the issues. Thus, this seems a very effective way to improve retention.
The exercise can be generalized to a wide range of topics. Ones that come to mind immediately are global warming, use of any natural resource (say, water, for example), urban development, use of pesticides/fertilizers, etc.
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Nick Henry (University of Birmingham)
Summary (By Helen Desty, Workshop Secretary)
As part of the ongoing curriculum development at Birmingham University, a second year module was created and designed to introduce seminar teaching during the second year. This is to enable students to learn certain skills (prior preparatory reading, engaging in and managing a debate, the ability to summarise and assimilate key points) prior to commencing the critical third year of their course. Seminar teaching is introduced to classes of 80+ students, rather than the previous smaller groups of 35 students. Initially a 'mini Course Team' was created consisting of four members of staff who could organise and deliver the generic course to a higher standard than one person alone. Additionally, this allowed the workload to be spread four ways.
The first nine weeks of the module consists of 2 x 1 hour lectures with two videos interspersed. In week 10 the seminar is introduced and in week 11 the students attend an hour long seminar in groups of 8-9. The seminars are run as open discussions rather than one person 'presenting' to the rest of the group. These events are 'managed' by a member of staff ensuring that each participant contributes to the proceedings. In each of the groups one person is given the role of producing a list of points discussed and is requested to have three questions to ask should the seminar begin to flag. A copy of each of the list is then provided as a handout for all the students in the following week. Thus, each student is aware of which topic had been discussed, together with points that were raised. In total,10 seminars are run, with 5 running at the same time and then repeated for the second hour. The final week of the module consists of a one hour lecture and a module overview.
Introducing the module required a substantial amount of organising for a group of larger size. Multiple copies of readings were produced, these ranged from book chapters to newspaper cuttings. Students were split into pairs and provided with copies of readings to be studied. Prior to the first session a double-side A4 handout was created explaining how each seminar would be organised.
It was concluded that this 'innovation', if suitably organised and run, would make seminars a highly effective teaching method.
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text:
800 University WaySpartanburg, SC 293031-864-503-5000
Michael Buchanan - 44Team: Basketball
Kayla Eversgerd - 13Team: Volleyball
Do you know any Alumni that are outstanding in any (or all) of the following areas: career accomplishments, civic service within their local community, and service to the University? Now is your time to nominate them for our Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. Submit your nominee »
Counseling Services offers psychological testing on a limited basis. Testing is available for students who may have a learning disorder or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The cost of the evaluation is $100. The full fee for the service will be due before actual testing will begin. Some students may be interested in being tested for either a learning disorder or ADHD in order to receive accommodations from the University's Student Disability Services, obtain accommodations on a nationally standardized test such as the GRE, LSAT, or Praxis, or gain access to appropriate ADHD medications. The student should call Counseling Services at 503-5195 to set up an initial evaluation appointment.
Personality TestingUsing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2), Sixteen Personality Factors (16PF) and the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Students can gain valuable information about themselves to aid in making important life decisions.
Psychological TestingPsychological testing is also utilized in personal and Career Counseling. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test –IV (WAIS-IV) and Woodcock – Johnson III Test of Achievement (WJIII) may be used to assess student's academic strengths and weakness. These tests are helpful in directing students to appropriate resources on campus such as tutors, writing labs, Supplemental Instruction and Study Groups. The Sixteen Personality Factors Test (16PF) and the Self Directed Search (SDS) are often utilized to help students identify appropriate majors and clarify career direction.
Graduate School Admissions and Specialized TestingCounseling Services is recognized as an established testing site for students needing to take the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). This test is offered several times throughout the year. Counseling Services also offers the DANTES exam for students wishing to test out of the course entitled "Human Growth and Development."
Office HoursSpartanburg (main campus)Monday - Friday8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Greenville campusThursdays and Fridays9 a.m. - Noon
Counseling ResourcesMission StatementConfidentiality AgreementMeet Our Staff
WorkshopsEducational WorkshopsRequest a Workshop
Additional InformationOff-Campus Resource GuideRecognizing Emotional Distress in the College Student
Contact Us Frances Jarratt-HortisDirector of Counseling Services(864) 503-5195Campus Life Center, Suite 224
USC UpstateCounseling Services800 University WaySpartanburg, SC 29303 Faculty/Staff Directory
The University of South Carolina Upstate is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and masters degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of USC Upstate. Comments or Complaints?

subset: commoncrawl


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4626 N. Federal Highway
Lighthouse Point, FL 33064
Category: Restaurant > Bistro
Region: Pompano Beach
Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point will host a classic French dinner cooking class from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 19. The cost is $50 per person, which includes lunch and the class. Add a $30 optional wine flight. Reserve a spot by calling 954-946-9240.
Sat., Jan. 19, 12-3 p.m., 2013


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Darren Young received quite a bit of media attention in 2013 when he revealed that he was gay, marking the first time a WWE star has done that. He even made an appearance on Ellen to discuss the situation. By doing that, he has been nominated for a GLAAD award.
While WWE has opted against honoring her career, Alundra Blayze has cemented her place in professional wrestling history. Also known as Madusa Miceli during her career, she became the first woman to be ever win the PWI Rookie of the Year award.
While he is currently out of action due to another concussion, Dolph Ziggler is occupying his time with other activities. The WWE star wa spotted in Las Vegas this week, attending the Adult Video News convention. Ziggler has been romantically linked to a porn star in the past.
Brie Bella and Nikki Bella were chosen by WWE to represent the company at the Critics Choice Awards for movies, and a picture of the two WWE diva on the red carpet was uploaded to Twitter.
Sarah Stock, formerly known as Sarita in TNA, was recently named the best foreign perormer in Mexico by Boxy Lucha. She often works as Dark Angel while working in that country.
While his cohorts were in Las Vegas unveiling the new WWE Network, David Otunga represented the company in Los Angeles at the People's Choice Awards, where the movie "The Call", starring Halle Berry, was nominated for Best Thriller, which was won by Now You See Me.
Shawn Michaels will be returning to Monday Night Raw this week, where the WWE legend is scheduled to present the Superstar of the Year award to someone.
John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Big Show and Brock Lesnar have all been announced as nominees for Superstar of the Year. The Slammy Awards are taking place on Monday Night Raw this week.
Eve Torres has signed on to return to WWE next week on Monday Night Raw to present the winner of the Diva of the Year award.
WWE has announced the nominees for the Diva of the Year award, and the list includes AJ Lee, Bella Twins, Funkadactyls, Natalya Neidhart, Kaitlyn and Eva Marie.
WWE has appointed the Shield as their rookies of the year. Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns beat out the Wyatt Family, Fandango, Curtis Axel and Big E Langston.
Stephanie McMahon was honored by CableFax again this week. She attended the breakfast event with her mother, Linda McMahon, and also gave a speech to accept her award.
Prior to taping Smackdown on Thursday, Booker T is being honored by the city of Houston, where the mayor has declared it to be "Booker T Day".
Christina Vargas spent less than a month training at the WWE Performance Center before quitting the company, and the developmental diva has now explained that the biggest reason why she asked for her release was because she felt unwanted there.
It was revealed earlier in the week that TNA had signed Alpha Female, a wrestler who is known in Europe. Management has decided to pair her up with Chris Sabin, who recently broke up with Velvet Sky on screen. The relationship is designed to be a focal story line point for the Knockouts division.
TNA taped the hall of fame induction ceremony for Kurt Angle at Impact Wrestling today. After delivering an emotional speech, Ethan Carter interrupted the segment, which led to a match between the two at TNA Lockdown being announced.
While there are some fans who are under the impression that he has really left the compny, Jeff Hardy will be returning to the company in March. He has already been announced for TNA Lockdown 2014, where is scheduled to be a part of the Lethal Lockdown match.
There will be a Lethal Lockdown match at TNA Lockdown 2014 this year. Team Dixie will consists of Ethan Carter, Bobby Roode, James Storm and Rockstar Spud. They will face Team MVP, which will include MVP, Gunner, Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards.
After weeks of teasing the move, the James Storm heel turn has finally happened. Impact Wrestling is being taped right now, and the long time TNA star turned on Gunner as he was challenging Brutus Magnus for the world heavyweight championship.
Many are wondering who will be the first opponent for MVP in TNA will be, and it looks like Rockstar Spud has been given that honor. Earlier today, the two of them filmed a match for the episode of Impact Wrestling set to air on February 13.
While he denied the rumors all week long, it has now been confirmed that MVP is indeed the new story line investor for TNA. He is making an appearance on Impact Wrestling tonight, where he was accompanied by Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. All three were wearing suits.
Since the start, Bray Wyatt has done all of the talking to the Wyatt Family. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan generally just stand to the side and in the background during the interview segments. On Smackdown this week, though, Harper actually says a few words.
A shocking heel turn took place in WWE at the Smackdown taping tonight. Titus ONeil turned on his Prime Time Player teammate Darren Young during a match against Curtis Axel and Ryback. ONeil turned heel and vicious assaulted Young after proclaiming that he was tired of losing all the time.
In a rather pleasantly surprising move, Antonio Cesaro has earned himself a main event spot at Elimination Chamber 2014. Despite being stuck in a mid card tag team with Jack Swagger, he defeated Dolph Ziggler in a qualifying match on Smackdown this week.
Not only does Christian make his return to WWE on Smackdown this week, but the former world heavyweight champion is actually going to be receiving a nice push right off the bat. By defeating Jack Swagger, Christian earns himself a spot at Elimination Chamber 2014.


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Blog Archives
AC 130U Spooky: Jam packed with democracy
You can say what you like about the military industrial complex, but being that they are spying on every bit of data in the world and always keen to make a dollar, they have a great marketing department.
So they sent me this video with a rather persuasive note.
Dear occupymelbourne.net,
It appears that democracy has failed in your region and peaceful protest seems to only attract brutal crackdowns.
For the regime change you require you need a game changer, we introduce the AC-130U.
For just $190 million USD we are offering you a AC-130U 'Skooky' gunship- Jam packed with democracy.
The AC-130U is also extremely good at remote demolition of mosques and other offending fortresses.
If you purchase in the next 14 days well supply you will a voucher for 38,000L fuel refill normally valued at $50,000.
Yours sincerely,
Raytheon and Locheed Sales department
Sounded pretty convincing, he also specified we would need a piece of flat land about one kilometer long for a landing strip.
So if anyone can help us by donating DOGE coins or can offer us land to use for a landing strip please leave a comment and well get in touch soon.
P.S. We are willing to have a working bee to mow the airstrip, so you don't have to worry about that.
Censorship frenzy Bendigo mosque debate
The huge controversy over plans to put a mosque in Bendigo have caused a Facebook page opposed to the plan wiped out literally overnight.
In case you are wondering why this site is not taken down, its because its hosted in Texas where people are armed to defend freedom of speech.
This is why Islam is the enemy, an enemy of free speech an enemy of open debate, an enemy of freedom.
The funniest thing is our critics cant decide whether to call us right wing or left wing.
We are accepting all content opposed to the building of Mosques in Australia.
Bendigo City Council approve Islam fascists fortress (Mosque)
Bendigo City Councillors, despite overwhelming public opposition , approved the building of a mosque in Bendigo. This vote was followed by a vote of no confidence in the council (with quorum) and passed unanimously. City of Bendigo now operating illegally.
Cringe a facebook link
Facebook may be Viagra, but a blog is Cialis think about it.
Interested in ISLAM? Find out about TAQIYYA.
In Islam its OK to lie to infidels about what Islam actually is, as long as it benefits Islam.


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Camarillo, Calif., April 28, 2011 – Sean Anderson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at CSU Channel Islands (CI), will be recognized at CI's Honors Convocation on Friday, May 6, and receive the President's Award for Innovations in Teaching and Learning. The award is given in recognition of an individual who has made unique and significant contributions to the teaching mission of the University.
To be eligible for the award a nominee must have taught at least two years at CI and be full-time faculty, either tenure-track or lecturer. The application packages are judged by reviewers from outside CI on the applicant's impact on and involvement with students; his or her scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contributions to undergraduate education, community and profession and support from colleagues and students.
Anderson was selected for his use of innovative strategies in teaching by using technology and service learning projects, such as the use of the iTunesU application, podcasts and lab exercises including conservation role playing. He has engaged his students extensively in service learning projects in his course "Restoration in New Orleans," giving his students the opportunity to travel to New Orleans to engage in ongoing research, construction and cultural activities. The course also deals with environmental justice and policy. Anderson's course "Ecological Restoration Design and Construction" is taught in partnership with the National Park Service where students are given extensive hands-on experience. His work with his students is characterized by classroom components, coupled with strong real world experience to illustrate the academic principles.
Anderson, as a teacher-scholar, has published in the field of ecological restoration and has also contributed to the scholarship of teaching and learning, describing in various articles his efforts to design innovative leaning opportunities for his students.
Anderson will receive not only the President's Award but will also be nominated by CI for the Carnegie Foundation's U.S. Professors of the Year Award, which honors those who excel as educators and influence the lives and careers of their students. Sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.
President Richard R. Rush stated, "Dr. Anderson is an outstanding educator whose efforts in support of the mission and goals of the University have resulted in phenomenal student success. His enthusiasm for both his students and his academic field has been recognized both on and off campus, providing leadership for his colleagues through his innovations in teaching and practice."
# # #
About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI's strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master's degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI's Social Media.
The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world's largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/


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- Address:
31781 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675Neighborhood:
San Juan Capistrano
- Cuisine:
Contemporary ItalianPrice: $30 and under
- Dining Style: Casual Dining
- Website: http://www.fianosrestaurant.com/
- Phone: (949) 481-8300
- Hours of Operation:
Sunday through Thursday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
- Payment Options: AMEX,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
- Cuisine: Contemporary Italian
- Dress Code: Casual Dress
- Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
- Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
A word from Fiano's
Providing the finest food, wines, atmosphere, and hospitality. Let us serve you in our dining rooms or our beautiful patio. Visit us at www.fianosrestaurant.com and Like us on FacebookContinued
Foodspotting photosSee all photos
Fiano's reviews from OpenTable diners
10 reviews since July 31, 2014
- Food3.7Service4
- Ambiance3.6Noise LevelModerate
neighborhood gem (6)good for groups (3)great for outdoor dining (3)fit for foodies (3)hot spot (2)vibrant bar scene (2)great for lunch (1)kid-friendly (1)late-night find (1)notable wine list (1)Show More
- Terrible ServiceFoodloverDined on 11/8/2014The restaurant was not busy on a Sat night and we had a party of 10. Took 20 min to get half our table water and 10 min more for the other half. We selected a bottle of wine and the server told us they were out of wine classes and she would have to use champagne flutes. We told her we would wait and she brought the flutes anyways. My husband said he would be back and got some from the bar. The server couldn't open the bottle of wine, so my husband did it and poured for our table. We had to flag down the waitress for every request. She seemed totally overwhelmed and she only had 3 tables in her station. The table behind us were ticked off too. What made me really mad is how we were locked in to the 18% gratuity because we had a large party.
- WonderfulTipofTheTongueDined on 11/7/2014Sat outside. Very friendly server. Bottle of wine during happy hour gets you a cheese plate. Nice - not outstanding. Ordered a 6" appetizer pizza -WAS outstanding. We had the Seafood Brochiette and Lobster Ravioli-both excellent and decent portion sizes. As the evening got busier, we had much less access to server. Not her fault, maybe because she was training someone, maybe the restaurant needed to schedule an additional person. We came early enough that most of our meal was done before the heaviest crowd was there. Inside seemed very noisy, especially near the bar which was packed. Would definitely come back.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Just O.K.limeypDined on 11/6/2014We have visited Fiano's a few times & always been pleased with the food, on this visit we were celebrating friends birthday's, two friends ordered Panini's, both were disappointed with the way the Panini was served on a seeded, wheat bread, not the correct bread for an Italian dish! My pasta dish was O.K. but nothing special. We would not return to this restaurant in the near future. The only good thing I can say about our experience is that our server was really good, very pleasant & efficient, maybe the Restaurant needs a new Chef or maybe one that is trained in Italian cooking.
- Fiano's is a Must Go To!!DinerDined on 8/30/2014The food is EXCELLENT! Service always top-notch. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. This is where we come for great food & fabulous pizza.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- The following 28 reviews are from the Fiano's reviews archive.
- DeliciousDined on 5/24/2014First time to Fiano's and it won't be our last! Outstanding food and service. Our server was great and very helpful. Had the best burger EVER. My daughter had the pasta with seafood and it was delicious. The portions are big. We ended up taking much of it home. Will be back.Special Features:
- DinerVIPDined on 5/18/2014Salmon and lasagne excellent. Food is the highlight at this neighborhood establishment.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Good Italian bistroTeacherVIPDined on 5/11/2014One of the best in town. I do suggest they expand their menu.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Mother' DaytmillDined on 5/11/2014I brought my mom and brother here for mother's day lunch. I did not know it was going to be a specific brunch only menu as I was looking forward to the regular menu but my family seemed to enjoy it. I just had some Ceviche and a few cocktails. :)Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Poor food, tiny portionsOpenTable Diner Since 2009Dined on 5/11/2014We visited for Mother's Day Brunch. We expected a good meal considering the premium location by the SJC train station. Instead, the brunch was pretty close to what you would get at a Holiday Inn Express -- pancakes that tasted like they came from a machine, overcooked eggs and tiny portion sizes. Even my children did not fill up ordering off the adult menu. The menu was very simple and just one page. The service was slow, and we had the feeling that this restaurant has never served brunch or a holiday meal before.
- Good Italian bistroTeacherVIPDined on 4/27/2014Our meals were excellent. I had the eggplant parmeggiana and my friend had the chicken parmeggian. We started off with the stuffed mushrooms which were great. I recommend Fiano's.Special Features:
- LunchLMSDDined on 3/25/2014Fiano's is a wonderful and very special place! Request a table by the window, have them open it and watch the world go by. We would definitely return.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- fianno's - chow bella!edbykerDined on 3/24/2014i like the eclectic mix of appetizers & entrees mixed with traditional italian. i've dined here twice & not been disappointed. - blessingsSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Excellent FoodDesireeDined on 3/23/2014We happened to be brought here as a fundraiser to a group. So glad, or we never would had gone. I thought it was a wine bar - but the food was outstanding and great kid menu. We were well taken care of by two staff members.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Fiano'sTomLDined on 3/22/2014Always enjoy the food, service and convenience. Love their bread and calamari. Often get the filet and it's always great.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Excellent FoodSJCLocalDined on 3/21/2014At Our most recent visit to Fiano's, we were extremely impressed with the food. Everything we ordered was beyond our expectations. The Bruschetta choices were very unique and delicious. The fig appetizer (which I did not think I would like) just melted in our mouths. The Chicken Berry Salad was a delicious entrée salad. The Lobster Ravioli was rich, creamy and filling. The Beef Stroganoff was the best my husband has ordered, and he tries this at many restaurants. I HIGHLY recommend Fiano's for the outstanding food, great service and fun atmosphere. I will be back again soon!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- The food is wonderfulNeighborVIPDined on 3/15/2014We have gone during the week for the $12 dinners which are perfect portion and very yummy. The service is personable, attentive, friendly, and remembers us. My husband claims they have the best pizza anywhere. They make all their own pastas!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Food was very good, my husbandJewellDined on 2/15/2014Food was very good, my husband had lamb chops and said they were the best he ever had..Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- We had an enjoyable eveningSeamusDined on 1/4/2014We had an enjoyable evening at Fiano's last weekend. The service was excellent. We chose chicken piccata, lobster ravioli, pasta with chicken and fresh mozzarella, and pasta with chicken and pesto. it tasted good but very salty, hence the 3*rating. we were miserable the rest of the evening. Everything appeared to be freshly prepared with quality ingredients, so excessive salt was unnecessary! The dining room was loud at half full. We all wondered if we would have had a pleasant experience on a busy night. The patio looked like a lovely place to spend a summer night! While their wine list wasn't extensive, it offered a good selection. The menu had a diverse selection.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Amazingly great foodsanclemcjVIPDined on 1/3/2014Quality, fresh food. Every entree our group of 4 ordered was remarkably tasty and beautifully presented. Friendly service. We'll return!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- neighborhood gemSandim25VIPDined on 12/31/2013Great everything. If we lived in the area, we'd go regularly.Special Features:
- Great neighborhood findmikelirDined on 12/24/2013We have been here twice and had a great experience both times. The food, service and ambience are all great. This could become easily become our "local" spot. If you're in the neighborhood I highly recommend it.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Very friendly and great food!sanclemcjVIPDined on 12/20/2013We knew the chef from his previous restaurant and he did not disappoint in his new place. Very fresh ingredients, friendly accommodating staff. And good live music.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Nice Discovery in SJCmikelirDined on 12/5/2013My wife and I decided to try Fiano's after having driven by on several occasions. We went there on a Thursday night and were pleasantly surprised. The restaurant has a warm but spacious layout. The staff - without exception - was very friendly. We enjoyed a cocktail in the bar and then had dinner in the restaurant. The food was very good. It felt a little expensive, but we had such a good time and enjoyed the food - so it was worth it. We've heard the pizza is supposed to be pretty good, so we look forward to taking the whole family back to confirm.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Surprisingly decent foodPicklesDined on 11/3/2013I was surprised the food was pretty good after trying the bar fare a few weeks previous with my sister and not find it palatable at all. We took a group there because there were no other restaurants in SJC with a room large enough and quiet enough to accommodate our party server said the menu had just been changed and IMO the change was needed. dressing on Caesar salad was horrible, but the beet salad I ordered was good. server mixed up orders and 2 guests had to wait while they sent back their dishes.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- In townSjcjoVIPDined on 10/26/2013Food was good, service was attentive but our server could not tell us how the fish special was prepared.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great new place in townOpenTable Diner Since 2011Dined on 10/25/2013We had such a great experience at Fiano's recently. They were able to seat our party of 12 without hardly any notice. The owner Sid greeted us like we were family coming into his home for a meal. Food was outstanding quality. Portions on the children's menu were nice size. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered it for delivery the following night. Great to have a place like this in San Juan. We will go back for more.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great Downtown San Juan RestaurantSJCLocalDined on 10/4/2013We stopped at Fiano's for dinner before going to a show. The Food was excellent Italian, and the atmosphere was great. There was a lot of people mingling at the bar, and the restaurant was active. The management was very friendly, and the service was great. All four of us enjoyed our food. I had the Chicken Marsala, there was just the right amount of pasta, the sauce was delicious and the chicken was cooked perfect. It wasn't too heavy, and tasted great. You can't miss the Fiano's size wine, if you order a glass. And the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding was outstanding!Special Features:
- FANSTASTIC!!!! Much luck tolynnVIPDined on 9/27/2013FANSTASTIC!!!! Much luck to the new ownership!!!! Keep up the wonderful work!I would recommend this to a friend.
- On our first visit to Fiano's,SusanVIPDined on 9/10/2013On our first visit to Fiano's, we were quite disappointed to find that the delicious wheat crust pizza Vito's featured was off the menu. We tried the regular pizza & didn't like it. We came back a few weeks later, & ordered from the new menu. Our table was reserved in a location that we like, & we were made to feel very welcome. Our waitress said that she'd only been there for about a week, but she was really nice & helpful. We especially liked the garlic toast & the risotto. Although we'll miss the great pizza, we are glad that we gave it a second chance.
- Good service average foodKNNNDined on 8/10/2013The food in the restaurant was average however the service made up for it. I know this is a new place but they really need to work on the menu. The worst part of the experience was seeing what seemed to be the owner and manager fighting at the front entrance to the restaurant. come on we dont need to hear that. take it to the back. for prime time during dinner this place was not crowded like all the other restaurants around so Im sure others have the same opinion about the food as I did.
- I requested a quiet boothJFredVIPDined on 8/9/2013I requested a quiet booth or table. Because they had a large group of 60, they first put me in a side room in the doorway to the noisy bar. I asked to be moved to a quieter location; so, they put us next to the window on the main street. Also too noisy. The patio might have been an option but it was cool that evening so we declined that option. We left without eating.
- Vito's Italian Ristorante & PizzeriTeacherVIPDined on 7/28/2013I was confused with the name of the restaurant as on the building outside are 2 names Fiano's & Vito's. The photos on the Open Table website listed, under the name of Vito's shows 1950 style red booths, a counter bar to eat at if you are alone. I was greatly surprised. It must have been redone recently. I had the Veal Piccata, with pasta & marinara sauce in a separate dish. It was very good. The sauce however, had seeds in the tomato. It needs an extra straining so pure sauce comes out! My friend had the chicken cutlet parmeggiana & enjoyed it. Happy Hour was going on when we were there. Martinis are $6. I ordered the lemon drop & the waitress charged us $11 instead of $6. All Open Table listings should state where the parking is.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.


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Search Result
Search Tags: shark tank
Cycloramic app takes hands-free 360-degree imagery (Video)
Cycloramic just may be the app that you never knew you needed. See video of how it works to give you 180-degree or 360-degree panoramic photo images or video, hands-free.
Tags: Dick Uliano, cycloramic, ego ventures, apps
An inside look: Entering the 'Shark Tank'
If you are facing the sharks, you had better be prepared. ABC's "Shark Tank" has opened its reality show doors to budding entrepreneurs in hopes of getting funding for their ideas and products.
Tags: entrepreneur, investor, shark, Randi Martin
Md. entrepeneur's baby mats an instant hit
Robin Tacchetti came up with the "Biddy Belly" to help infants develop their rolling and crawling muscles while laying on their tummies.
Tags: biddy belly, tacchetti, Amazon.com, anderson cooper,
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Community Discussion Forum
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Feeling disconnected from people...
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Discombobulated Cave Girl
Joined: Mar 27, 2011
Posts: 3112
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:02 am
Post subject: Feeling disconnected from people...
This a cross post that I have also posted on a depression forum as well as I am trying to further understand it and am not sure of its origins or cause, but:
I am a very lonely person most of the time. This is not because I need people around me every minute of every day, in fact I have a somewhat lower need for socialisation than most people I meet. My loneliness stems from an inability to be able to connect with people.
I can, and have, formed bonds so I can love and care about people but even then there is a feeling of not being able to connect on some levels.
I can't walk into a room full of people, start talking to someone, find we have a common experience and connect with the person. I can connect with the experience and understand it through my own perspective but not with the person themselves. I think that I understand how they are feeling or what they are thinking but then it becomes apparent that myself and the person are having two completely different conversations because their experience of something was different to mine in terms of how they responded to it emotionally etc. So again the disconnect becomes painfully apparent to me and my loneliness increases.
To give an example I will often talk openly about my suffering from anxiety and depression and whilst I do have moments of self pity (if I am feeling hurt over something that has recently happened), in the most part when I talk about it I do not feel shame or self loathing because I suffer from these things. They are just a fact of my life right now. I can, when I am not recently hurt, talk about them without any emotion at all really. Its more of an analytical approach my brain is taking than an emotional one. Yet when I talk about these things people will attach a whole load of meaning to it that is not there...such as feeling sorry for me, assuming that I must be emotionally distressed, assuming that I must loathe myself or hate myself or feel shame...
If I continue to analyse my issues in order to be able to further understand them and how they work people will say that I am emotionally draining.
Firstly I do not understand why taking part in analysis is emotionally draining...I am not experiencing emotion at those times, I am analysing. So the emotion is being felt and generated by them, not by me. However, I assume that because I am not feeling emotional about my issues they will not be feeling emotional about my issues either. I seem to think they are analysing along with me lol.
Secondly I do not really understand why I should feel shame or self loathing? On an intellectual level yes in terms of society teaching people that that is how they should feel and in terms of society and the stigma associated with mental health issues (or so the theory goes), but on an emotional level no...I have never experienced the feeling of shame because I suffer from depression etc
That is just one example but it can be applied to other contexts as well. Regardless of how I try to word something or explain it, the disconnect is still there and leads to my feeling even more disconnected. Even when I think people understand me it seems they do not. People attach a whole host of meaning to things when to me that meaning is just not there!
I do find this frustrating as it causes me many problems socially.
I am also beginning to wonder if 'empathy' is really nothing more than an illusion created by people so that they can fool themselves into believing that they understand or know how someone else is feeling. Especially as the feelings they attach to me at times are of their own making and do not exist in my world at that moment in time lol.
Has anyone ever experienced anything similar?
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at first im like no way this shiit is legit, but ive never seen any of the girls on there more than once. anybody now if its real or not?
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Web Id: P000279108
Fashionable layered or alone, this sleeveless top by Nue Options features a soft sweater knit and ribbed hemline. This essential piece can be matched with all collections. Sweater shell length is approximately 25 inches from a 1X.
Bealls is a privately held company, rich in tradition, owned by the founding family and its employees. Founded in 1915, Bealls Department Stores now operates 80 store locations in the state of Florida in addition to BeallsFlorida.com. Bealls Department Stores and BeallsFlorida.com are owned and operated by Beall's Department Stores, Inc and Beall's Westgate Corporation.
Copyright 2014 Bealls, Inc. All rights reserved.


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For the first time in decades, HLS has changed the basic structure of its first-year experience, and students and
The New 1L
When members of the Class of 2004 look back on their first year at Harvard Law School, maybe they'll recall their first case or last final exam.
Or perhaps some will remember joining Professor David Westfall '50 in singing "California Girls" to their visiting professor from UCLA at a karaoke night. And then there was the baby shower students organized for Assistant Professor Heather Gerken, complete with stuffed animals and a baby-shaped cake.
Welcome to the new 1L, where the seven smaller sections look like a cross between an intellectual salon, a social club, and a summer camp.
Equally important, though, is what's going on inside the classroom. Class sizes slashed nearly in half. Written feedback guaranteed well before finals. More freedom to choose faculty advisers and spring electives.
"The real thrust of the 1L restructuring is to improve the students' educational experience," said Dean Robert Clark '72. "It is a pedagogical shift that will help build up their analytical skills, which are really important to the practice of law."
Taken together, the most striking changes in decades have transformed the gateway into Harvard Law. Student satisfaction has never been higher, but The Paper Chase's Professor Kingsfield would probably roll over in his grave.
It's certainly not the same law school where deans once reminded entering students that one-third of them wouldn't be around in a year. Now, a professor is more likely to serve them brownies in his or her living room.
So can Harvard Law still be as rigorous a school if it no longer terrifies students while educating them? And what happens when the high wall of formality separating professors from their prey finally tumbles for good?
That's what I wondered as I watched my former criminal law professor, Daniel Meltzer '75, schmooze with his section while sipping a bourbon on the rocks in a basement bar.
Meltzer long ago earned a reputation for caring, advising what courses to take, and providing written feedback before it was required. Yet he still didn't smile much before Christmas, and most contact generally ended at the edge of campus.
This year, Meltzer's students visited his house twice--and that was even before he started teaching their class in February. It was just one piece of a schedule of activities designed to ease students into their first semester.
He calmed students' first-day jitters with a mock class and organized a mixer where each of their professors introduced themselves. Midway through the semester, they talked about career aspirations with career counselors and what courses to pick in the spring.
They ate fajitas and played charades at a Christmas party in the Hark (Meltzer had the word spank). And when grades were mailed, he gathered students at a breakfast where he tried explaining why grades didn't matter as much as they feared. "If you take 100 people who won the Nobel Prize in physics and rank them on a bell curve, someone would be ranked 100," Meltzer told them. Few, though, seemed convinced.
When they entered the classroom for the first time, both Meltzer and his students felt more at ease together, they say. "After you get to know your professor is a person rather than just somebody who tells you information, it makes the interaction easier," said 1L Alex Venegas.
Two months into the spring semester, they gathered on a school night at the Lizard Lounge, a basement bar next to the law school dimly lit red like a submarine.
In the morning, Meltzer will gently drill his students about search and seizure warrants. Tonight, they tell him about summer jobs and spring break plans. One recommends the margaritas. Another asks if his federal courts class really is the hardest course at the school. "People feel like they're getting their four credits' worth," Meltzer said.
Many students say such interactions were downright awkward at first. "When we first got here, we had no idea what to talk about," said Dave Dorfman. And students say they realize there's a limit to the chumminess. "There's still a distance," said Anna Lumelsky. "They're professors and we're students--we speak to them as people who will be grading us."
Others found it less difficult to mellow in the presence of their professors during karaoke nights and other social events. At a Boston piano bar one night, most of one section swayed to "We Are the World," seeming not to notice that Professor Randall Kennedy sat chatting with a few students at the front table.
Professor Martha Minow said becoming buddies was never her goal. "What I can offer that's distinctive is a window into the intellectual life of the profession," she said.
Each section was scheduled a block of time every week when students had no other commitments. Minow invited a South African Supreme Court justice to talk about serving on the Rwandan war crime tribunal and had Professor Richard Fallon Jr. debate the merits of military tribunals with Professor Alan Dershowitz.
Four decades ago, when Professor Frank Michelman '60 entered Harvard Law, even approaching a professor outside of class was simply unimaginable. "During my first year of law school, I did not set foot in a professor's office--it would not have occurred to me to do so unless summoned," he said.
In March, Michelman sat at the Boston piano bar with his students, raising a glass to John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane." Much has changed in the intervening decades. Younger generations of students and their professors have brought different expectationż about how to relate. "The mores surrounding education have changed," said Dean of the J.D. Program Todd Rakoff '75. "Students are motivated by friendliness and less motivated by formality."
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Liebert GXT3 true on-line uninterruptible power system (UPS) combines low cost of ownership with rich functionality, small size and high capacity. The UPS offers internal batteries, optional external batteries, and internal bypass capability, resulting in continuous uptime for the connected equipment.
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Wayne Rooney is hoping for a special night when Real Madrid come to Old Trafford for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
The United striker enjoyed the intensity of the first game at the Bernabeu and, with the tie evenly balanced after a 1-1 draw, he is under no illusions about the task facing Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
With such small margins likely to make a difference, Rooney is calling upon the crowd to roar the Reds on to a famous victory.
"The fans are great," he told MUTV. "Especially for the Champions League games. The night games always seem to be a bit more special and I think the crowd always sense when it's a big match and when the players might need the crowd more than in other games.
"The crowd always play their part and, with the atmosphere, it's fantastic to play in so it is a special night."
Rooney will come face-to-face with former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo again and is sure the Portugal international is guaranteed a warm reception.
"It's a massive game for both teams," he stated. "The last game was the first time I've ever played against Real Madrid. To play against them at home with our crowd and with what's at stake, it's going to be a great night and something I really look forward to.
"[Ronaldo] will get a great reception for us. He did so much for United when he was here and helped us with the


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Q&A: Where do Libertarians fall on the political spectrum?
The short answer—the answer that plays along with the idea that there is such a thing as a one-dimensional "political spectrum"—is that Libertarians hold many positions that journalists would place to the "left" of the Democrats, and many other positions that journalists would place to the "right" of the Republicans.
For example, Libertarians want to end to the war on drugs. We want to rein in presidential power to commit us to undeclared wars. We stand up for civil liberties that have been violated in the name of the "war on terror." In newspaper-speak, these positions are "left" of the Democrats, at least in practice. Consequently, many voters who think of themselves as Democrats but who are dissatisfied with their supine representatives in Congress should give the Libertarians a careful look.
At the same time, however, Libertarians oppose government interference with free markets, including many kinds of interference supported by Republicans in recent years. We oppose not just Obamacare but also the Bush expansion of Medicare entitlements. We oppose not just the Obama stimulus and bailout legislation of early 2009 but also the Bush stimulus and bailout legislation of early and late 2008. We favor the wholesale elimination of federal programs in areas like agriculture and energy that should be handled by private markets. In newspaper-speak, these positions are to the "right" of the Republicans, and many voters who think of themselves as Republicans could send a much clearer message about their preference for smaller government if they were to vote Libertarian.
The main reason Libertarian positions don't fall neatly along a left-right "spectrum" is because Libertarians apply a consistent philosophy of maximizing personal liberty, not only in economics but wherever civil liberties are concerned. By contrast, Democrats and Republicans take inconsistent positions about the extent to which government should interfere with personal liberty. Democrats make a big show of staying out of your bedroom, but they want to micromanage the way you earn a living, tax you heavily on whatever you earn, and place massive bureaucracies in charge of fundamentally personal issues like medical care and retirement. Republicans claim to be pro-business, but in practice they express this by giving tax breaks to special interests instead of simply staying out of the way and letting markets work. And despite the way Republicans disparage federal bureaucracy on the campaign trail, they seem all too happy to treat government as practically omniscient when it is accusing people of crimes, operating "no fly" lists, or deciding who should rule Iraq.
For better or worse, then, the left-to-right "spectrum" metaphor isn't a very useful guide to contemporary American politics because there is no single political value according to which the positions of Democrats and Republicans can be compared in a straight line from left to right. It would be more helpful to say that Libertarians consistently oppose interference with personal liberty, whereas Democrats and Republicans often favor large, powerful, and intrusive government at the expense of personal liberty, albeit in different areas. Anyone who is consistently in favor of smaller government and greater personal liberty should be voting Libertarian.
(As always, I welcome comments on this post at my campaign blog, where the same piece is cross-posted.)


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The pilot was landing on a gravel bar of a river. He made one full-stop landing, and took off for a second landing. The winds were light and he attempted a shorter landing. The wheels contacted the 1-foot-deep water about 30 feet before reaching the landing zone. The airplane pitched forward and in response he applied full back stick pressure and added power. The airplane continued pitching and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Index for Jul2008 | Index of months


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Posted by: quanto_the_mad
Search results in bold - 05/21/03 09:13 PM
I see that word search results are now in BOLD so you can find them. But it only shows case sensitive matches in bold; if the case is different, then it's not in bold. It'd be good to have all the matches bold regardless of case.


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2011 Quadri Latero Cabernet Sauvignon
"Intense red with violet reflexes. Winy, with intense red fruit hints. Long, soft, sweet tannic flavour."
Reviewed by: Producer
Limited Please Call - Check All Stores »
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Weather Links
Humidity 86%
Winds 0.0mph
Sponsored by: Arceneaux Ford
Humidity 86%
Winds 0.0mph
Jul 15, 2011 10:19 AM by Lauren Wilson & AP
DEQUINCY, La. (AP) - City officials say a taxiway extension at DeQuincy International Airpark could pave the way for larger airplanes and new business opportunities.
City Planner Mary Jo Bayles tells the American Press federal and state grants have made this major improvement a reality sooner than expected.
She said the project is fully funded through grants, and no city money will be used for the project.
She says once completed, the $2.5 million project will double the length of the airport's taxiway, which now runs from the south end of the runway to the mid-apron area.
Sameh Maximos, an engineer working on the project, said the job should take six months.
5 hours ago


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Top tier industrial and strategic investors participated in the latest round of financing. Led by T. Rowe Price and three other top-tier public market investors, names like Google Ventures and an affiliate of MSD Capital, L.P., the private investment firm for Michael S. Dell and his family, were on the list.
"Cloudera is successfully helping enterprises exploit big data and manage the transition to becoming more data centric," said Henry Ellenbogen, portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price New Horizons Fund. "With strong leadership, an ability to innovate, a satisfied customer base, and a large partner community, we believe Cloudera is well positioned to build a durable and leading company in this space."
How Cloudera Will Use the Money
Cloudera will use the funds to drive growth in the months and years ahead. Specifically, the company will invest venture capital dollars to evangelize the enterprise adoption of and innovation in Hadoop; to promote the enterprise data hub market; to support expansion into Europe and Asia; to expand its services and support capabilities; and to scale the field and engineering organizations.
The Apache Hadoop software library is a framework that allows for the distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of computers using simple programming models. The software is designed to scale up from single servers to thousands of machines, each offering local computation and storage.
Data is not only strategic, it's mission-critical to enterprises in an information-driven era. Hadoop has emerged as the go-to option for underlying data management because it makes it possible to store, process and analyze larger and more complex data sets than many alternatives.
"We see broad demand from enterprises who want a flexible approach to handling large amounts of data, and we expect this market to continue to grow rapidly," said Google Ventures General Partner Karim Faris. "Cloudera is dramatically lowering the cost of reliable storage for the enterprise and is enabling the analysis and mining of large data sets in a way that wasn't possible before."
The Future of Data Warehousing?
Cloudera brings unique features to the Hadoop world, such as real-time query with its open-source Impala, real-time search support via Lucene and Solr, security through its Apache Sentry project, and integrated governance, compliance, reporting and disaster recovery. Cloudera has also won attention for its enterprise data hub, which the company said lets enterprises take on large-scale, more advanced and diverse workloads. (continued...)
2. Dell's UC Suite Aids Better Biz Insight
3. Adobe All-In with Location Marketing
4. Better Watch What You Tweet
5. Facebook Launches App for Groups


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In this file photo, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann talks about his first 100 days in Congress as he meets with reporters in his office in the Solomon Federal Building in downtown Chattanooga.
Photo by John Rawlston /Chattanooga Times Free Press .
published Monday, April 18th, 2011
Stories this photo appears in:
NASHVILLE — U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said today he is voting for the Budget Control Act of 2011, Republican House Speaker John Boehner's answer to Democratic President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats on lifting the debt ceiling and cutting federal spending.


text: Photos (0) Map & Directions Street View Driving Walking Transit Get Directions Close Directions No driving directions were found. Please adjust your search. To: 2571 Foster Ave, Grand Rapids, MI From: Via: Directions turn left on street 4 minutes 2.5 miles Driving Directions - View this Property Today 2571 Foster Ave - RIVERSIDE GARDENS VALUE - all brick ranch, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 fireplaces 2 car att. gar., large lot. Close to Cheshire Village, Knapp water park, Vets home & Medical clinic, Burger King, and schools. The home needs a little TLC, but priced to sell. Listing information MLS ID: 11048426 Bedrooms: 3 Total Rooms: 7 Parking Type Description: 2 cars Above Ground Sq. Feet: 1,270 Lot Size: 80x150 County: Kent Elementary School: Grand Rapids Style: Ranch Bathrooms: 2 (Full: 2 3/4: 0 1/2: 0 Other: 0) Stories: 1 New Construction: No Below Ground Sq. Feet: 1,270 Estimated Annual Taxes: $1,850 High School: Grand Rapids School District: Grand Rapids Year Built: 1952 Status: Sold on 10/14/2011 Fireplaces: 2 Total Square Footage: 1,270($65.35 per sq. foot) Acreage: 0.275 Tax / Property ID: 411407230025 Middle School: Grand Rapids Property Features Additional Items Gar Door Opener Exterior Material Brick Fireplace Wood Heat Source Gas Heat Type Forced Air Kitchen Features Eating Area Roofing Comp Shingle Sewer Public Street Type Paved Substructure Full Bsmt Water Public Windows Screens, Storms Listed by Dan Carlson of Coldwell Banker Schmidt REALTORS 616-949-9400


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BOSTON - A 63-year-old New York man has been indicted on extortion charges.
The indictment of Oreste Abbamonte, of Port Washington, alleges that between January 2006 and January 2011, he attempted to, and did, obtain property by extortion in excess of $1 million from Company A.
If convicted, Abbamonte, faces up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura J. Kaplan and Timothy E. Moran of Ortiz's Strike Force Unit.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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