UNGoogle

The zoom link is:  https://bigbend.zoom.us/my/rhondak
Also on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/bbcclibrary/  

QUESTIONS 

"artificial intelligence" art ethics

Best roads between yellow springs OH and Wilmington De

Which countries are facing the greatest famine

Wikipedia
List of search engines, their specialty, languages used, and provenance.

Wikipedia
Comparison of Search engines using tables using independent crawlers, owner, questions, digital rights, privacy. tracking, surveillance and more. 

THE THREE BIGS

Google
83% more people use Google than any other search engine. 

Bing
Microsoft affiliated. Has natural language ability. More visual. 

DuckDuckGo
Touts privacy. 

The 8 Best Search Engines of 2024: While you could use Google to find other search engines, here are the ones we think are arguably better
A well organized comparison article with excellent highlights.
 

• Privacy oriented i Alternatives

  • DuckDuckGo

  • Startpage - It provides Google search results without tracking, combining Google's search power with enhanced privacy. /Netherlands

  • Brave Search - privacy and speed. Has it's own index. It isn't impacted by search history. 

  • Qwant - France. Uses Bing  to deliver results but uses its own independent systems. Close partner of Microsoft and has Bin adds. “the search engine that doesn't know anything about you.” 

  • SwissCows - Anonymous search engine that is family friendly. Switzerland. “technology is built in such a way that the storage of user data is not even possible.” However, it has Microsoft ads embedded in search results. 
    Charity Project This is the number of your SwissCows searches. On average, 50 search queries finance a children's meal.

  • Giburu - does not track IP addresses, record searches or place cookies for advertisers. Delivers search results that doesn't always show on Google.
     

• Eco-Friendly and Socially Responsible Options

  • Ecosia - plants TREES! 

  • Yep - gives 90% of ad revenue to content creators. 

• International Search Engines

  • Yandex

  • Baidu

• Niche Search Engines: Specialized Tools for Specific Needs

  • CC Search

  • Boardreader

  • WolframAlpha

• Metasearch Engines: Aggregating Results from Multiple Sources

  • Dogpiel

  • Startpage

  • SearX

  •  

• Decentalized
  • Presearch. It's decentralized and it has a nice UI where you can select alternative search engines to you can instantly check another search engine (or site) with the same query.

AI Based Search Engine

You.com - has AI assistant. Does have a private mode and personal. Relies on Bing, Imagine for AI image generation, and YouWrite text generation. 

Perplexity.ai - Just doesn't list web page and cites sources. It has a smart assistant named Copilot. Natural language ability

Komo - speed and privacy, interactive with follow up question (though...don't they all?) Google Search Generative Experience (SGE). (not rolled out yet in the Labs part of Google)  SGE is available visible on mobile

Notes in progress

1. SearX: This one's unique from the previous two, in that it's actually a "meta-search" engine that combines/ amalgamates the results of Google and Bing's web crawlers, then re-prioritizes them accordingly.

2. Brave: Kind of an outlier here, Bing is a relative newcomer to the scene, being only a few years old. They have both a browser and a search engine. What separates them from the competition, is apparently they're crafting their own independent web results/ crawler, completely separate from Google or Bing. Not sure if they've fully accomplished this by now. They and Duckduckgo are the names I hear come up the most when jt comes to un-censored search results and privacy/ tracking-free.

   1. Like Brave?  

MOJEEK?

How to keep up?

Teachcrunch.com

The zoom link is:  https://bigbend.zoom.us/my/rhondak
Also on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/bbcclibrary/  

Researching The Research 

Source evaluation in research is not a passive activity.  It also requires research and critical thinking. This three lens of information evaluation require that you look at research critically - with research.

SUGGESTED RESEARCH FOR ACADEMIC ARTICLES

Google Search  - Search for information on authors, researchers and/or organization. Search titles of journals, newspapers, and magazines. Read their about statements and mission. Do you find a scandal, retractions, or fact checks related to the authors, publishers, or title of source?

Look at this Google basic search:

"Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Upregulates BDNF-TrkB Signaling" AND retraction.

Google Scholar - Use a title search to find how many times a scholarly article has been cited. Look at the works that cited your source. Do you see a pattern or anything interesting? 

For the retracted article in Google Scholar despite the easy to find retraction it has been cited 20x since 2016.

If we look at all 12 versions of it, we see it lives on Academia.edu. Gale, CUNY's Academic Works, Harvard, and EBSCO. Two of those are library databases. Two of those are well known university's academic repositories.

Google Scholar Metrics . - Use to search the ratings of a scholarly journal.  A scholarly article in a journal with higher metrics is considered to have more authority.

PLOS ONE statistics and details on Google Metrics.

• • h5-index:212
  • h5-median:294

• • #7 Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (general)
  • #8 Health & Medical Sciences (general)
  • #10 Life Sciences & Earth Sciences
  • #10 Health & Medical Sciences

Retraction Watch. - If research or a scholarly article has been found to be wrong, that information is not found in the article you may have found. Check the title, author(s), and title of scholarly article in this database to see if the paper was retracted. Search their database here. 

How to use the Retraction Watch database to search titles and also authors:

Paperity - Useful for finding news, reviews, letters to the editor, and other information about author(s), journals, organizations, and articles. 

Semantic Scholar.- This is an AI powered research tool for scientific literature. It has a more detailed citation analysis than Google Scholar. It shows hidden connections between research. 

NON-ACADEMIC SOURCES

Does the article cite information from other sources? If so, look them up using Google. 

Search for article, author, and title if available. 
Check the context of the information when you find it. 
Does that author cite other information? Review links or search for that information.
Find where the original information exists. Sometimes information and facts may shift when handled by multiple entities. 
Read laterally, that is, search for other sources of the same information. Look for higher quality platforms and outlets. 

This fast practical Buzzfeed fact checker video shows some of these methods.

Media Bias Check Sources. - This is an article describing different ways to find bias in newspapers, magazine articles, and other platforms. 

Search Politifact, home of the Truth-O-Meter. 

Look at Snopes.  In their 20 years, they have become a well regarded go to source for all types of internet truths and untruths. They also show their work. 

Factcheck.org works on statements make in the political sphere. One of their main ways of tracking down information besides transcripts and videos is to contact people. They rely on primary sources. 

RAND has a detailed list of fact verifications including video tools. 

Poetry in the Quad
is a diverse, encouraging, inspiring, supportive,
joyful outside event where we all come together to
CREATE as a vibrant community.
Students, Staff, & Faculty Invited!!

Poetry in the Quad Table Signs (800 x 800 px) by rhondakwrites

Questions?  Ask Rhonda the Librarian 

Poetry in the Quad MAIN Poetry Event Poster by rhondakwrites

You are working through a health challenge that affects about 255,000 women a year and 2,300 men.  Did being a research-oriented academic and role model affect your approach to your diagnosis?  Have you shifted any priorities that might be evident in your work?

Like most patients at the time of diagnosis, panic sets in and you do the thing you should not do: Google. Seriously, I should know better.  But down the rabbit hole I went, and everything I encountered caused me serious anxiety. But after that brief lapse of judgment, being a research-oriented academic greatly impacted my approach to fighting breast cancer.  That, and my husband is a cell molecular biologist who is basically a walking encyclopedia.  There are years of research that have advanced our understanding of the disease and how to most effectively treat it, so information-gathering became a daily ritual.  Researching brought me great comfort.  I felt empowered and it helped me stay positive and centered. 

During treatment, you become a bit of a shell of yourself, bare and a little heartbroken. I told myself when this started that I was going to be as positive as possible, to be vulnerable, and authentic. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I tried to just focus on each little step because thinking about the full path to healing overwhelmed me. And I didn’t want to miss the gift of growth and evolution by wishing the cancer away or feeling negative and angry all the time. Thus, I wanted to continue working during treatment to keep my mind occupied. In a weird and unexpected way, I was secretly thankful for our Covid bubble because it kept me cocooned from the scary outside and normalized teaching online. I also learned to let go – at least partially - of perfectionism, something I’ve struggled with all my life.  Cancer puts things into perspective.  I just couldn’t create the perfect Canvas site or recorded lecture because I didn’t have the physical or mental capacity to dedicate all that energy to a single thing. Now that I’m cancer-free and back in the classroom, I am enjoying myself more because I have less stress and burnout.  I truly feel closer to my authentic self than ever before, both as a human and an educator.  That’s a gift for which I am very grateful.

Jody Quitadamo Quote. 

Do you remember the precise moment, book, or class that history captivated you?  Or was it more of a path?

My journey was more of a path with unexpected turns. And it was very much tied to my passion for teaching, which was also a winding road of discovery. I was largely indifferent to history growing up. It seemed to consist of memorizing “one damned thing after another,” as the saying goes. Like most young people, I was too focused on the future so the past mattered little to me. When I enrolled in college as a single mother with a two-year-old daughter, I would not have considered majoring in history for a second!  But one day, in a British literature course, my professor walked in with a Kodak carousel projector to display images set in Victorian England and provide us with historical context for assigned readings.  And it dawned on me: what I found more interesting was the historical context in which the books were set more than the fictional stories themselves. The next quarter I enrolled in my first college history course, 20^th century China of all things.  My professor was amazing. He made history relevant to my life and taught me that historical knowledge is a powerful currency. We’ve now been good friends for 20 years.  

From that point on, my intention was to pursue a doctorate in Chinese history.  I participated in the McNair Scholars program as a first-generation college student, traveled abroad for research purposes, and participated in whatever experience would help me reach my goals. But I was also a single parent and concluded that pursuing such a lofty degree was a selfish endeavor.  I pivoted and chose, albeit reluctantly, to go into high school education.  I spent the next year working on my secondary social studies teaching certification, only half excited about my career choice. That all changed on my first day of student teaching.  It was like magic! I discovered that I loved teaching and that I was pretty good at it. I poured a lot of love and energy into those 10 years in the high school classroom. That was a very special time for me.  But after a decade, it was time to move on.  Now that I’m at the community college level, I find I have the best of both worlds.  I get to continue teaching and building relationships with students while diving deeper into history in a more scholarly way.   

What journals, listservs, groups, or other sources do you use to keep up with your discipline? 

I consider myself a history educator first, historian second, so most of the groups and sources I rely on focus on pedagogy and outreach in my discipline.  I’m a member of the OPSI Social Studies Cadre, made up of about 35 K-12 and post-secondary educators who serve as a social studies teaching and advisory team for the state. We strive to improve social studies and civics education through curriculum development and outreach.  It’s very exciting work.   I also volunteer annually as a judge for National History Day. For me, it’s an opportunity to support middle- and high-school students who spend months conducting original research on historical topics.  It’s a very formal but supportive competition and the students produce truly remarkable research projects.  I really love the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which includes its own journal, History Now, and provides high-quality educational programs and resources that have been a game-changer in my classroom. I also subscribe to Teaching History: A Journal of Methods, which has become an invaluable resource for the newest ideas in social studies pedagogy. In terms of my disciplinary knowledge, I subscribe to a few journals, like The Journal of American History.  But I mostly rely on monographs and well-researched historical accounts with large scope.  I’m currently reading the book Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America ( Online and Find at Library:  GENERAL HQ 1418 K47 1980), an older publication but a groundbreaking work on American women’s history.

What book, poem, or study have you read that engaged you so deeply you were changed?

There have been so many, and currently Brene Brown is my superhero. As a teenager, I remember reading Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (  Find at Libary PR 9199.3 A8 H3 1998) It was my first encounter with a dystopian novel and themes like misogyny and oppression.  I found the story extremely terrifying yet prophetic. It awakened an early awareness of the power of a woman’s voice as a social justice weapon.  Perhaps without realizing it, that book planted a seed for my future as an educator.

Jody Quitadamo with daughter Lark. 

You have had a varied and interesting life.  Could you give a sort of summary of your pre-BBCC life?​

I'm not sure how far back you want me to go, but here are some of the highlights. I was a percussionist in the US Army band, which gave me the opportunity to live in Germany and play in about 20 countries. I was also a drummer for Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm in California. As a performer, I have run a number of my own bands, recording with various musicians, toured with an OC Punk Rock Band, and was a street drummer in Washington DC for a few years. When I lived in Germany a friend asked me to help with his drummers and at that moment, I knew I loved teaching. Since then, I taught music at St Augustine HS, Page HS, Coconino Community College, Kent State University, and Lake Michigan College. In addition, I served as the music expert for the Department of Defence Education Activity and consultant for the non-profit Little Kids Rock. ​I earned my Ph.D. and Masters in Music from Kent State University. I have also written a number of articles (published internationally), two books, and I am currently completing a book titled Street Beats: The People, History, & Grooves. 

When I first met you, we talked a little bit about the instruments you discovered in the music department. Could you describe one? Have any been brought back into use?
 

There are a few crazy instruments that we have at BBCC, such as an old Fender Rhodes, some cool tube amps, and Mariachi instruments. We have started using some of these instruments, as the tube amps have been used by the BBCC Viking Percussion and there are plans to add Mariachi back into our offerings soon. 

One of your assignments gives students a chance to look at the richness of music history.  Have you ever discovered something amazing in your research? What types of journals, groups, organizations, professionals, or media to you follow to keep up with your work?
 

Interesting question. So, I would say that I discover amazing things all the time. Probably a few times a week. For example, working on my current book Street Beats: The People History, & Grooves, I found a number of historical connections between modern street drumming and musicians in ancient Persian markets and Greek street performers. Likewise, I love ethnography and case study research; so, I am constantly engaging in interviews and observations of musicians in my areas of interest. 

There are a number of academic journals that I find essential to my field and research. In fact, I was an editorial assistant for Contributions to Music Education (music education research journal) when working on my Ph.D., which gave me some insight intothe peer review and editorial processes. Anyways, the journals I use on a regular basis in my research and lecture preparation include The Journal for Research in Music Education; Journal of Musicology; Percussive Notes; Action, Criticism, & Theory for Music Education. ​In addition, I focus a lot of my research source material; so, reading the journals and writings of musicians and scholars is a big part of my research. For example, Beethoven's Heiligenstadt Testament or Plato's Republic, as both provide insights into their views on music and life. 

You have been sharing music out in the community at the farmer's market and you've been hosting events in nontraditional spaces like the library.  How does this fit your mission? What more do you have planned?  

I participate in a lot of music outreach in area schools, as I have provided multiple music workshops at Moses Lake High School, Ephrata High School, Othello High School, Quincy High School, Soap Lake High School, and others. Of course, the BBCC Percussion Ensemble performed an original work in the BBCC Library. I do share music in the community, such as a drum circle I facilitate at the Moses Lake Museum and performances at local venues (Farmers Market, Pirate Regatta, Private Events, Community Events). 

Regarding my mission, I see the Moses Lake Area as a culturally and musically rich area. While there are some traditions that are established, my hope is to fill the gap and enhance what is already being offered, which will strengthen area music programs, musicians, and aspiring musicians. A good example of this was the master sessions we had the BBCC Viking Percussion performance of "Viking War Chant," which featured three musicians in the area. 

Regarding what I have planned, I would say I'm just getting started. I have seen BBCC Viking Percussion improve a lot since its inception; so, that group will continue to push musical boundaries. Likewise, I have plans to increase our offerings and musical activities at BBCC and in the community. 

​What book, poem, or study have you read that engaged you so deeply you were changed?

That is a tough one, as I read a lot and frequently refer to classic literature in my lectures, as music is informed by just about every aspect of society. On a personal level, the two books that I refer to a lot (too much according to my children) are Homer's Odyssey and Thoreau's Walden. Both works are filled with wisdom that I strive to live by. While there is a myriad of profound insights in each work, I personally endeavor to "simplify, simplify, simplify" as Thoreau advised and have the grit, determination, and stoic focus of Odysseus. 

For images, the.  is the most permissive license. Google images are often copyrighted. By deliberately choosing searches that are composed of public domain images, copyright infringement can be avoided.

CCO 1.0 Universal Copyright :  Public Domain Dedication

• The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

  You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. See Other Information.

But remember, in many cases, you will still need to cite it. Sometimes that is a caption below the image. Check your assignment directions, rubric, examples, or the guide of citation and documentation rules used for the work. 

Creative Commons Image Search

You have a rich background of cultures and languages. Could you share some of those places and experiences?

        I was born and raised as a missionary kid in Macau, China.  At that time, it was still a Portuguese colony.  It is right by Hong Kong, so there were some British influences as well.  In general, Macau is a unique blend of East meets West.  At the time, I did not realise that most places in the world probably don't have the juxtaposition of a 2,000-year-old Buddhist temple and a 400-year-old Catholic church being down the street from each other or walking on cobblestone roads seeing a pastel coloured government building next to the historical family home of Dr. Sun Yat Sen.  Culture and language are always intertwined and being a missionary kid in Macau gave me exposure to Portuguese, Chinese, British, Filipino, Korean, Brazilian, and North American (US and Canada) cultures and languages.  You learn to be quite comfortable hearing multiple languages, at once, whether you can understand them or not.  It gave a lot of opportunity to find similarities and differences between the cultures and blend them together into my own personal culture.  For me, it was mainly a blend of Chinese and American cultures, as these were the strongest two in my life growing up.  I could probably talk more about all of this, but let us move on for now.

Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral in Macau. (2009). Wikimedia Commons. https://commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20091003_Macau_Cathedral_of_Saint_Paul_6542.jpg

Almost all academics have personal research projects they sometimes work a lifetime on just as a matter of curiosity or passion.  Do have one or more?

        When I came to the US for university, I made sure to take my English 101 and 201 courses right away.  In these courses, I was given the opportunity to research my own topics much of the time.  I knew I wanted to be a math teacher.  I had experience going to international schools with kids from many different countries and had some idea that math was taught and organised differently around the world.  Pretty quickly I started to consistently research international math education.  Thankfully, at that time the second Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) had just been conducted, and new data and analyses were being published.  The results showed that many of the top-ranking countries for mathematics were in South East Asia.  This of course piqued my interest, having grown up in SE Asia!  Ever since then I have looked at studies and books that have tried to figure out why this is.
​

What do your read, listen to, watch, or do to keep up with your profession?

While there are a bunch of things teachers do to stay current (read books and articles on pedagogy or learning, follow #MathEd on Twitter, be part of National organisations like NCTM, go to conferences, etc.), I think what continually ends up being the most impactful in my teaching are times where I get to meet with my colleagues and discuss conferences or study a book together.  It is here where we get to analyse the research and figure out how to put into action in meaningful and feasible ways for our teaching and students.  Moreover, we continue to then analyse our implementation and work through the cycle of research – implement – analyse – adapt – re-implement to continually improve and grow.  

As a student, when did you know you were more math than English? 

​This is hard to determine.  I never thought of myself as being more math than English until high school.  It was then when studying and learning the two became more distinct.  I think it might be better said I started seeing a distinction between math and language arts.  What I mean is that we could switch to compare any other language besides English and Math and I think there would be similar distinctions.  English as a language in and of itself was not contrasted with math any more than Mandarin, Cantonese, or Portuguese.   

To get to my point, it was in high school that I more clearly noticed how we studied math and language arts.  In math, we used the same foundational truths (axioms) and logical deductions for everything we did.  This meant we could follow each others’ reasonings and follow the math.  Using deductive reasoning it also gave use a logical guarantee and confidence to know what are studying is true and accurate (given the presuppositions).  

However, in language arts it seemed that outside of grammar it was never clear what our foundational truths were nor how to navigate.  Most of what we studied did not have an author’s guide to explain their thinking let alone purpose.  And yet, language arts expected us to figure this out.  Moreover, the strategy to do this mainly consisted of inductive reasoning, a fair amount of assumptions made, and very little explicit teaching of the hermeneutics used.  For me as a student at the time, it came across as we cannot know without a doubt what the author was originally intending but there is an expectation that I must come to the same conclusion as the teacher.  Again, this was my perception at the time.  How was the teacher supposed to be able to know and how could I trust that?  How was I supposed to be able to this independently without the expertise of the teacher?  I am a very literal person, so things like poetry or metaphor were much more difficult to understand, let alone justify.  

To put it simply, math was studied in a way that is universal regardless of my lack of cultural understandings and with quality logic while language arts was studied in a way that seemed sloppy and extremely biased, at the very least, with no guarantees.  So for me, I naturally gravitated and toward that which was accessible to me no matter who I was or where in the world I was learning it.

What book, poem, or study have you read that engaged you so deeply you were changed?​ 

The Bible is the clear and easy answer to this question.  I say this not only from a personal perspective because of the truths that change lives, but also from a more academic perspective.  From the last question, you might notice that studying language arts is not something that I have really enjoyed and have struggled with in my academic life.  As I have gotten older and learned more about determining and using quality hermeneutics, applying these to study the Bible has not only helped me better learn to read and understand it but also better connect to and use the skills of being a mathematician.  Both theology and mathematics are axiomatic systems and can be studied systematically. 

Explain the range and type of art you create and show. Do you have an artist's statement?

I am a painter. I paint in oils and mixed media drawings. I do paint on different surfaces such as canvas, paper, frosted Mylar, copper, and wood. I paint in realism mostly from nature. I do have an artist’s statement that I submit for competitions or grants that I apply for. Here’s an excerpt:

The Japanese aesthetic ideals of suggestion, irregularity, simplicity, and perishability are the underlying principles that guide my painting and drawing.  These four basic principles guide my efforts to explore the link between art and nature that ebbs and flows much like nature itself wanes, dies, then rejuvenates to live anew.

The integration of Japanese aesthetics into my art making is an expression of dealing with the dualities of my identities. My father was an Irish-American from West Virginia and my mother was from Okinawa.  The tension of being neither Japanese nor American and yet being both is symbolized in my artwork by the ambiguities in space of the image.  The images are tentatively floating in space creating an anti-gravitational buoyancy for the viewer.  The compression of space evokes a sense of not knowing whether the image is receding or advancing.  This feeling is a good analogy of wavering I have felt and continue to feel.  It is an unsettling feeling of never feeling a part of your environment.  

Because of that unsettledness, I focus on the flora and fauna of the area where I currently live. I am also a huge fan of gardening, so plants take up a good deal of my imagination. I do tend toward the sharp, prickly sorts of plants that look ambiguous and can be mistaken for bugs or animal life. It reminds of a common question I have heard, “What is your ethnicity or where are you from?”

What research informs your work? Have you ever done a great deal of background work on a piece or a show?

I am a voracious reader and feel that it all informs my artwork. I love to read the memoirs or journals of artists and writers for a view into process. For the last several years I have been heavily researching the Northern Renaissance artists like Jan van Eyck, Hugo van der Goes, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hans Memling. The Northern Renaissance painters focused on a hyper realism that is so beautiful and wonderful and showed the wondrous textures of fabric and fur, metal and glass, and so on. I can get caught up in that level of realism in my own work but like the addition of abstract elements, too. 

As a working artist are there magazines, books, creators, or events that fuel your work and/or engagement in the art community?

I have felt very isolated as an artist living here. We came from a close-knit artists’ community in New Mexico before we moved here. Everyone we knew was basically an artist of some kind. Getting feedback is an important part of making art for me and we had a wonderful group. We worked together and played together.  We are still close with many of those people and use social media for feedback and support. When we got to travel we met up every year or so to have some fun. One of my favorite memories involved some friends coming to visit. They are both painters and we set up four sheets of paper in the studio with materials, cranked the music loud, and played musical easels. We moved to each piece of paper and did our thing and moved on to the next after 15 minutes with no preset plans. The pieces are wild and colorful with energy. Such a great time! Later we sat around the fire pit and listened to our friend, Raul, read new poems he had written. All these kinds of events are not difficult but do involve action. It is too easy to get bogged down in theories without doing anything meaningful. But the meaningful does not have to be complicated. Art is not separate from life. It is such an integral part if we choose to acknowledge it. I read Homo Aestheticus Where Art Comes From and Why by Ellen Dissanayake some time ago. She posits the reflection that Art has been part of human life from the very beginning. Ancient humans painted on cave walls as well as found shelters and grouped in families. For some reason, Art was and is important and inherent in humans. 

Is there an artist(s) or person(s) that have served as an inspiration to you?

That depends on the day! I dearly love the work of German artist Anselm Kiefer. We saw a solo exhibition of his in San Francisco a few years ago. I walked around the museum crying it was so beautiful. He took salvaged material from bombed out Dresden from World War II and made giant books with wings and shelves that look like they are from God’s waiting room. He referenced the constellations and ancient myths. His work is so opposite from what I do and yet I love it and am so inspired by it!

I also love the work of Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa. She made hanging wire sculptures that were woven in organic forms. When hung with spotlights they cast wonderful shapes on the walls that change as you walk around them. 

These artists work in entirely different ways from the way I work but serve to inspire and fire my imagination in huge ways. It is so good to look at a variety of things. You don’t want to eat the same food all the time but need to change it up.

​What book, poem, or study have you read that engaged you so deeply you were changed?

I started going to college when my children were small (ages 4, 6, 10) and I was 28 years old. The more I learned the more I wanted to learn. And the more I learn the more I know that there is so much out there. I read everything I could. I found the poem by Mary Oliver called The Journey. She has been my guide for so many years with other poets. Poetry is an ancient art, too, and very much a deep part of human nature. Other than the new friends I made at school I had no support at home. I had to dig down deep to who I was to continue my education. My determination to finish my education grew stronger each time I took a class. I remembered my father’s advice to get as much education as possible. And I am still in school.

Follow Rie on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/riepalkovic/

POEM:  The Journey by Mary Oliver
 

SELECTED SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITION

August 2016 Between Shadow and Space, solo exhibit
Unsettled Gallery
Las Cruces, New Mexico

November 2015 Casting Indra’s Net, Six artists group show
Moses Lake Museum and Art Center(MAC)
Moses Lake, WA

May 2014, 2015, Featured Artist for Cellarbration!

BBCC Foundation fundraiser
2016

June 2013 Betwixt and Between, MAC
Solo exhibition
Moses Lake Museum 
Moses Lake, Washington

April 2011 Medicine Show invitational, SLAM
Soap Lake, Washington

January 2011 MAC juried show, Moses Lake Museum
1st Runner up People’s Choice
Moses Lake, Washington

December 2010 Winter Show, Soap Lake Art Guild
Best Painting Award
Soap Lake, Washington

December 2009 Holiday Show, Imbibe
Moses Lake, Washington

August 2009 solo exhibition
Soap Lake Art Museum
Soap Lake, Washington

July 2009 Yin/Yang
Garage Gallery
San Francisco, California

June 2009 Solo Exhibition, Imbibe Gallery
Moses Lake, Washington

April 2008 Shouts and Murmurs Solo Exhibition, Tilde 
Portland, Oregon

Oct 2007 Waterline, a group show about fish
Crossing Tracks Gallery
San Diego, California

Oct 2006 Solo Exhibition
Seven Muses Gallery
Tacoma, Washington

April 2006 New Work, solo exhibition
Soap Lake Art Museum
Soap Lake, Washington

April 2006- River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia

Sep 2008 Curators: William Layman and Terri White
Traveling exhibition to Wenatchee, Tacoma, Spokane, WA; Nelson, Victoria, BC; Pendleton, OR

Jan 2006 MAC Annual juried exhibition, 3rd Place Award 
Juror: Scott Bailey, Art Dept. Chair at Wenatchee Valley College
Moses Lake Museum & Art Center
Moses Lake, Washington

Jan 2006 Ink and Clay 32, Kellogg University Art Gallery
Jurors: Marilyn Zeitlan and Peter Held
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California

Feb 2005 Gallery 76, 21st National Juried Exhibition; 2nd Place Award
Jurors: Carol Hassen of Larsen Gallery and Robert Fisher of Yakima Valley Community College
Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, Washington

Jan 2005 Moses Lake Museum & Art Center Juried Exhibition
Moses Lake, Washington

Sep 2004 Seven Muses Gallery, Dual Exhibition with Francis Palkovic
Tacoma, Washington

Apr 2004 Gallery 76 National Invitational, Gallery 76
Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, Washington

Feb 2004 Art, Technology, & Culture, Gallery 76, Dual exhibition with Paul Stout, sculptor
Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, Washington

Jan 2004 Columbia Basin Invitational,  Moses Lake Museum & Art Center Moses Lake, Washington. Award: Honorable Mention

Jan 2004 Greater Midwest International Exhibition XIX, Central Missouri State University Art Gallery, Warrensburg, Missouri, Juror: Douglass Freed, Director, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art

Jan 2004 Ink & Clay 30, Kellogg Art Gallery, California Polytechnic University

Pomona, California, Juror: Hollis Goodall, Curator of Japanese Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

March 2003 Okinawan American Princess Diaries, Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, Moses Lake, Washington

Apr 2002 18th National Juried Exhibit, Gallery ‘76, Juror’s Award
Wenatchee, Washington

Jun-Jul 2001 Forms 4, Chase Gallery
City Hall, Spokane, Washington

Mar-Apr 2001 17th National Juried Exhibit, Gallery ‘76
Best of Show Award, People’s Choice Award
Wenatchee, Washington

May-Jun 2000 Conversations from the Garden, Moses Lake Museum & Art Center
Solo Exhibition
Moses Lake, Washington

Jan-Feb 2000 Two Central Washington Ladies, High Spirits Gallery
Wenatchee, Washington

Jan-Feb 2000 Baked, Mashed, & Fried, Moses Lake Museum & Art Center
3rd Place Award, Potato Commission Purchase Award
Moses Lake, Washington

June 1999 Columbia Basin Invitational, Adam East Museum & Art Center
Moses Lake, Washington

Mar-Apr 1999 Group Exhibition, High Spirits Gallery
Wenatchee, Washington

Dec 1998 Solo Exhibition
Wallenstien Theatre, Columbia Basin Allied Arts
Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, Washington
 

Nov 1998 43rd Annual Central Washington Artists Exhibition
Larson Gallery 
Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, Washington

Mar 1998 The Many Lives of Women, Kent Hall Museum
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

Feb 1998 Hanging Around, Faculty Exhibition
El Paso Community College

The People’s Gallery, El Paso City Hall, TX
Sep 1997- Arte Sin Limites: Exposicion Fronteriza

July 1998 (Invitational; one of twelve artists representing Las Cruces)
Traveling Exhibition to Four Cities:
Museo de Arte, Juarez, Mexico, Centro de Arte Contemporaneo de Chihuahua ,Chihuahua City, Mexico, the Las Cruces Museum of Art and Culture, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and the Chamizal Gallery, El Paso, Texas

Sep 1997 Contemporary Asian Artists in America
Smithtown Township Arts Council
Mill’s Pond House Gallery, St. James, NY

Mar 1997 At Random, Faculty Exhibition
El Paso Community College
The People’s Gallery, El Paso City Hall, TX

Dec 1996 December Group Show Invitational
Galeri Azul, Mesilla, NM

July 1996 Border Artists and Friends Invitational
Adobe Patio Gallery, Mesilla, NM

Nov 1995 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
Kent Hall Museum, New Mexico State University, NM

June 1995 Image and Icon Exhibition (Invitational)
University Art Gallery, New Mexico State University, NM

April 1995 Solo Exhibition, 
Galeri Azul, Mesilla, NM

Feb 1995 Annual Juried Student Exhibition
Juror’s Choice Award
College of Arts and Sciences Award
University Art Gallery, New Mexico State University, NM

Oct 1994 2 x 4 Faculty/Alumni Invitational
Todd Madigan Gallery, Cal State University, Bakersfield, CA

June 1994 Close to the Border, Bi-annual juried exhibition
University Art Gallery Award
University Art Gallery, New Mexico State University, NM

Video

eZine

Rhonda The Librarian's Reading & Research Review March Weather by rhondakwrites

Shakespeare’s representation of weather, climate and environment : The early modern “Fated Sky”.

"While ecocritical approaches to literary texts receive more and more attention, climate-related issues remain fairly neglected, particularly in the field of Shakespeare studies. This monograph explores the importance of weather and changing skies in early modern England while acknowledging the fact that traditional representations and religious beliefs still fashioned people's relations to meteorological phenomena" (Chiari, 2019).

Necroclimatism in a spectral world (dis)order? Rain petitioning, climate and weather engineering in 21st century Africa. 

"Deemed to constitute disposable bodies, disposable cultures, disposable polities, disposable societies, disposable epistemologies, disposable religions, disposable laws and disposable economies, the sacrificed are, in the age of climate catastrophism, once again reminded that they 'have duties to die', to become extinct in order to save the global spaceship that is sinking due to climate change and global warming." -- Project Muse

Variability of the sun and sun-like stars : from asteroseismology to space weather.

"However, we are still far from fully understanding what and how causes this variability. Why does the Sun continue to go on, on a rhythmic scale, the so-called solar cycle, without damping? How to better understand the complicated relationships between the Sun, the heliosphere and the many proxies of long-term solar activity?" - From Publisher

A hard rain: America in the 1960s, our decade of hope, possibility, and innocence lost.

"In the end, there is the disastrous Democratic National Convention of 1968, the driving from office of Lyndon Johnson, and the election of Richard Nixon. Gaillard quotes historian Todd Gitlin in commenting on the rise of violence and disenchantment as the decade dragged on: 'Rage was becoming the common coin of American culture (Esposito, 2018).
 

Rain shadow.

"Your heart traps mine as summits catch storms. Call this to calm the rain shadow. What will remain?" From poem The Same Mountain Twice.

A storm of witchcraft : The Salem trials and the American experience.

"Beginning in January 1692, Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts witnessed the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in early America. Villagers--mainly young women--suffered from unseen torments that caused them to writhe, shriek, and contort their bodies, complaining of pins stuck into their flesh and of being haunted by specters." Publisher

References 

Baker, E. (2015). A storm of witchcraft : The Salem trials and the American experience. Oxford University Press.

Read Online.

Bradley, N. (2018). Rain shadow. University of Alberta Press.

Read Online.

Chiari, S. (2019). Shakespeare’s representation of weather, climate and environment : the early modern “Fated Sky”. Edinburgh University Press.

Read Online.

Esposito, J. A. (2018, December 18). A hard rain: America in the 1960s, our decade of hope, possibility, and innocence lost [Book review]. Washington

     Independent Review of Books. 

Read Online.

Gaillard, F. (2018). A hard rain: America in the 1960s, our decade of hope, possibility, and innocence lost. NewSouth Books.

Read Online.

Mawere, M., & Nhemachena, A. (2019).Necroclimatism in a spectral world (dis)order? rain petitioning, climate and weather engineering in 21st century

     Africa. Project Muse.

Read Online.

Rozelot, J., & Babayev, E. (2018). Variability of the sun and sun-like stars : from asteroseismology to space weather. EDP Sciences.

Read Online.

Ancient and Medieval History

"Ancient and Medieval History provides thorough coverage of world history from prehistory through the mid-1500s, with special Topic Centers on key civilizations and regions, including the ancient Near East, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, ancient and medieval Africa, ancient and medieval Asia, the Americas, medieval Europe, and the Islamic World. Each civilization’s history is brought to life through articles, videos and slideshows, primary sources, and more." - Infobase

Rhonda The Librarian's Random Reading & Research Review

February 2021

Text and References Below Images.

This eBook is best viewed full screen.

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Atomic habits: Tiny changes, remarkable results: An easy and proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. By Clear, J. 

"Meanwhile, improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done." Clear

Modern food, moral food: Self-control, science and the rise of modern American eating in the early twentieth century. By Brody, A. S. 

As Veit suggests, nutritional literacy, refrigerators, changing shopping habits, all became markers of the middle class. She notes further, that “of all the changes in American food culture forged in the era of the Great War, perhaps the most extreme and lasting is in American’s attitudes towards their bodies” (186). In the political realm, foreign food aid would go on to become a hallmark of American foreign policy." Journal of Social History

Healthy habits suck : How to get off the couch and live a healthy life… even If you don’t want to. By Lee-Baggley, D. 

"Perhaps you’ve heard that it takes twenty-one days to build a habit. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to back this up (Clear 2014). It actually takes more like two to three years to build a healthy habit." Lee-Bagley

The way of the woman writer. By Roseman, J.

Writing perfect prose effortlessly does not usually occur for most writers. Give yourself permission not to be perfect. Trust that your writing will evolve, and the more time that you spend in the habit of writing, the more comfortable you will be." Roseman

Of Habit. By Ravaisson, F.

"Félix Ravaisson's seminal philosophical essay, Of Habit, was first published in French in 1838. It traces the origins and development of habit and proposes the principle of habit as the foundation of human nature." Publisher

In the glass darkly. By Le Fanu, S. 

"Carmilla is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years." Wikipedia

References

Brody, A. S. (2015). Modern food, moral food: Self-control, science and the rise of modern American eating in the early twentieth

century [Book review]. Journal of Social History, 48(4), 958–959.

ONLINE

Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits : Tiny changes, remarkable results : An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones.

Avery Publishing.
Request Curbside Pickup

Lee-Baggley, D. (2019). Healthy habits suck : How to get off the couch and live a healthy life… even If you don’t want to. New

Harbinger Publications.

ONLINE

Le Fanu, J. S. (2009). In a Glass Darkly. The Floating Press."=

ONLINE

Ravaisson, F. (2008). Of Habit. Continuum.

ONLINE

Roseman, J. (2003). The way of the woman writer. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315785936

ONLINE

Veit, H. (2013). Modern food, moral food: Self-control, science, and the rise of modern American eating in the early twentieth

century. The University of North Carolina Press. https://doi.org/10.5149/9781469607719_veit

ONLINE

In your last job at Central Washington University (CWU), you were working on a research project.  Tell us about it. How many people were involved? What was the topic? Where are you at with this research? Did you discover anything interesting or find more questions?

I worked as a Research & Instruction Librarian at CWU for about two and a half years. It was my first full-time job out of grad school. In that position, I had faculty status, and part of my professional development involved doing my own research and getting peer-reviewed articles published. For the last such project I undertook at CWU, I teamed up with a couple of my colleagues, Elizabeth Brown and Lauren Wittek. Since we all taught library research skills, both in credit-bearing courses and one-off lectures, we were interested in finding out how much of an impact our teaching, and exposure to library services in general, had on students’ command of these skills over the course of their studies at CWU.

To this end, we sent out a survey to the whole student body. It’s difficult to sum up the results in a paragraph or less, but we did find evidence that students typically had more confidence in their research skills the higher their class standing was. It was hard to tell how much credit we ourselves could claim for that improvement. If nothing else, though, our instruction of first-year students in introductory classes gave them a place to start by demystifying some of the multitudes of resources at their fingertips.

I’ve moved on to other projects here at Big Bend, but Lauren and Elizabeth can use the results of the survey to further develop library programs and services at CWU.  This is the nature of academic research – it often does not produce earth-shattering conclusions, but it’s still worthwhile if it produces evidence on which we can base decisions, as well as spur future research, either by ourselves or others who read our work.

As a Librarian, what is the hardest question you have ever been asked.  How did you solve it?

I can’t recall a particular “hardest question” I’ve been asked. As a rule, though, the more challenging reference questions are the half-formed ones. Sometimes patrons aren’t really sure what they’re looking for or have a hard time putting it into words. Good reference librarians learn how to help patrons flesh out their research topics/questions, partly by teasing out what the patron really is and isn’t interested in. If you have a choice in the matter, there’s not much point in writing a research paper on something you find boring.

In your off-work life, do you have an area you casually research as more of a hobby and intellectual interest?

There are many such areas for me. I love history, and there are some historical topics I’m passionate about to the extent that I’ll willingly read dense textbooks on them, such as modern German and Russian history. Partly, I do this to better understand how human societies evolve, rise, fall, and recover; but also because history contains endless stories of triumph and tragedy that can be more thrilling than fiction.

I also have more obscure interests. Since I was a kid, I’ve enjoyed watching hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey. At the moment, I’m obsessed with observing golden eagles, which are much more reclusive than the magnificent baldies I grew up seeing in Western Washington. I use maps and information from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Nature Conservancy, and other agencies or organizations to know where to look for them. Watching falconry and rescue videos on YouTube has helped me identify the few goldens I’ve been lucky enough to spot so far.

What book, poem, or study have you read that engaged you so deeply you were changed?

One of the most interesting books I read in the last couple of years was Lying About Hitler, by Richard J. Evans. It was about a Holocaust denial-centered libel case at which the author, a distinguished British historian, appeared as an expert witness. The testimony of Evans and his fellow historians were critical to winning the case, as it proved both that the plaintiff (writer David Irving) was a Holocaust denier and that there could be no honest, reasonable basis for Holocaust denial. They made a powerful statement about the importance of serious, truth-seeking, evidence-based research.

This book didn’t change me per se, but it confirmed my respect for history as an academic discipline. Before getting my Library & Information Science degree, I earned an MA in History. While I am on a different career path now, I remain proud of that accomplishment. 

What is one of the most beautiful things you have ever discovered at the end of a lengthy research process?

In science, observing is an integral part of the research process.  When we look closely at anything, we often notice qualities or characteristics that we had overlooked or just never paid attention to.  A few years ago when I taught Field Botany each spring, I would take students out to different sites throughout the Columbia Basin to collect native plants.  On these Friday field trips, we tried to be good stewards of the native habitats that we visited.  Students would collect plants that were plentiful in each habitat as they were instructed. On Monday the students would bring a sample of each plant they collected to the lab.   

This is when the real observations began.  Sometimes the flowers of the plants contained very tiny parts so we would use dissecting scopes to magnify the flowers to see and count all of the little details.  Sometimes the leaves were a funny shape or the stems of the plant had fine hairs that pointed in a certain way. In the process of looking at each collected plant, we would determine its name and its plant family.  Students would study those plant and family names so that when they saw the plants on another field trip, they would know them.  On field trip after field trip, the students continued to collect new and different plants. By the end of the seven field trips, each student had usually collected over 80 different native plants.  

Every spring, students would tell me that they no longer looked at the lands around the Columbia Basin in the same way. Now as they looked over the sagebrush landscape, they saw all of the beautiful blooming shrubs and wildflowers that they had previously overlooked.  It is not that the sagebrush lands had changed, but the change was fashioned in the eye and the mind of the observer. So, at the end of a lengthy research process, one of the most beautiful things that we can discover is something new about ourselves – what we have learned, how we have grown, what we would do differently the next time. 

What journals, conferences, periodicals, podcasts, or other sources do you read/follow to keep up with your work?

For 23 years I taught science at Big Bend Community College (BBCC).  During those years I would read science magazines like The Scientist and Scientific American. I would watch nature and science-themed shows on TV like NOVA and listen to PBS Science Fridays on the Radio.  I would attend NWBIO, a conference of my peers – Northwest biology teachers, and we would share ideas. I would use one of the Library’s search engines, ProQuest, to find journal articles on science topics of interest. 

Making the job change from faculty to dean after so many years was a big leap for me.  Now I read different books – books about leadership skills that I need to develop.  Currently, I am reading Brene Brown’s books – Daring Greatly, Dare to Lead, and The Gifts of Imperfection.  I have a stack of related books that gets taller and taller, my future reading.  I have a goal to start listening to podcasts and have a list of those I want to follow, but I am not quite there yet. 

Another resource I use to keep up with my work is talking to my colleagues and peers.  When I was a faculty member, I would talk with other faculty members about their teaching.  This started for me when I was a new part-time faculty member, and a group of faculty were meeting on selected Fridays to discuss active-learning strategies.  Jim Hamm invited me to participate in that group.  Over the years I shared office space with Brinn Harberts, one of our past Math faculty, and shared lunch times with Rie Palkovic.  In the process of sharing our teaching practices, I gleaned great ideas that enhanced my teaching, and I gained dear friends that I still keep in touch with.  Now as a dean, I have another set of peers and colleagues that are great resources for me; the other deans at BBCC as well as transfer program deans at other community colleges across the state can provide insights to me and answer questions that may come up. 

What practice in Botany informs your way of looking at information?

When I was doing research for my Master’s thesis, I performed experiment after experiment, and then I would go back again and repeat the same experiment.  In order for experimental data to be valid, it needs to be reproducible.  This establishes accuracy in the data and allows scientists to possibly draw conclusions from the data.  When I read something, I want to know about the source of that information.  I love it when someone writing an article cites their sources clearly so that I have the option of reading those sources.  

I have a second answer to this question.  When we think of the human body, we all have a general idea of how human bodies work.  We use our lungs to breathe in fresh air for oxygen and breathe out air laden with carbon dioxide.  Our heart pumps blood throughout our bodies to carry that oxygen to our cells and to pick up and carry away the carbon dioxide that eventually gets expelled with each exhale.  Plants move air in and out of their plant bodies, but they don’t have lungs. Plants move water and dissolved sugars throughout the plant, but they don’t have a heart to pump it around.  Plants can do many of the same things that our human bodies can do for us, but they do it in a completely different way.  When I am researching a solution to a problem, I may have found one solution, but there may be more than one valid approach, just like plants and humans. I often need to keep an open mind to other possible and perhaps better solutions.

Tell us about one of your most important presentations. How did you research for it? 

When I did the research for a literature review for my master’s thesis, this was a long time ago – before the days of the personal computer and the smart phone.  I had to pay my college library $50 and give them five or six keywords to feed into their big room-size computer so the computer would search the periodical indexes for me.  Hopefully, the computer would provide me with enough relevant articles to look up and use for my literature review.

Now we just get on ProQuest and enter our own words; then we sift through the list of article sources that ProQuest or another search engine generates.  The ease with which we can search the Internet and the vast amount of information at our fingertips can be a different type of challenge.  What do you do when you have too much information? You will need to figure out a way to narrow your search or to efficiently sift through the excess information.

That was the situation I found myself in back in the spring of 2017 when I was preparing for a presentation as a candidate for the dean’s position I now hold.  When a dean is hired, candidates are brought to campus for an interview and a forum.  During the forum, the candidate sits at a table upfront in a big room and anyone from the college can ask the candidate any question they wish.  There are two forums scheduled on a particular day and each forum lasts about an hour, so that adds up to two hours of questions.  How does a person prepare for that experience?  I went back to all of the resources I had – my job application, my cover letter, my resume, and the original job posting.  I studied those resources and then started making notes about my experiences at the college over the previous 23 years. I made lists about what experiences I thought that I would want to share if I were asked. I could have rationalized that there was no way to prepare and resigned myself to just wing it.  This forum, though, was too important so I prepared the best that I could.  The research process was really no different than research for a term paper, but this time I was digging into the memories of my work at BBCC to prepare to answer those questions.   

Database of the Month: Business Source Elite

Tell us about your biggest, deepest dive into research.  This could be personal or academic.

Most of the academic papers I've read either deal with statistics or game theory. For the former, I feel strongly that using real-life data is more meaningful and more interesting. It's often difficult to find the exact parameters and information that I'm looking for—and to "digest" the data to suit the points that I'm trying to make in class—but it's worth it when I see students show genuine emotions in reaction to the real-life information that they're learning!

The latter is a fascinating field of math that could potentially help explain why human beings make the decisions that they make.

When I was a kid, my dad would tell me stories of Middle Eastern historical figures. One was Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād, the Umayyad general who initiated the Conquest of Hispania. Legend has it that when Tariq's forces invaded the Iberian peninsula, the first thing he did was burn all his own boats! That just seems like a silly thing to do, but it left his soldiers with no choice but to fight. That's where game theory gets fascinating when what's best for us can take all sorts of different forms!

​

What sources do you rely on to keep you up on your field?

When I teach statistics, I look at news articles on Gallup and the Pew Research Center almost every day to gather interesting data. I try to keep up with mathematics news as I encounter it, but I tend to have more interest in teaching and the neuroscience behind learning. I like to read textbooks to find alternative ways to explain concepts and different lenses to look at the same concept. I often tell my students to think of math as the old fable of the blind men and the elephant. The real goal isn't to memorize the part in front of us but to the best, clearest idea of what an elephant is!

What is the most amazing book you've ever read?  Runner ups are also OK.

Sarah Bauer recommended me this book called Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C Brown, Mark A. McDaniel, and Henry L. Roediger III. I'm not even all the way through it yet but it's changed everything I thought I knew about how the brain learns! As a student, I did a lot of what my own students do: a Sisyphean cycle of cramming and reciting. I want better for my students, and this book has given me a lot of ideas to make that happen.

My favorite fiction book is The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. It's funny, it's weird, it's irreverent, and best of all, one of the supporting characters is a six-foot-tall black cat named Behemoth!

You always bring new things and thoughts to the table.  Where do you pull these from?  Organizational membership? Journals? Social platform groups?

I appreciate that! In practice, I mostly just listen to the people who have the fewest opportunities to get listened to. Then I investigate their ideas and theories on my own and go from there. For example, I read this piece a while back by a researcher named Jessica Calarco. She mentioned her book, Negotiating Opportunities, where she chronicles her field study of middle school students and the various advantages that she observed certain students receiving because they were trained to game the system. I haven't finished that book yet either, but I strongly recommend it! When I was a student, it seemed like there was a whole body of knowledge that successful students had that had nothing to do with the classroom material. I'd like to change that.

If you could spend the rest of your life free and supported to research one topic, what would it be?

I would never have the ability to stick to just one topic! Being a mathematician has given me several habits of mind that I use every day. Perhaps the most useful has been not to take things at face value; we only know something is true for certain if we can prove that it's true. I could spend the rest of my life taking things that we (think we) know are true and figuring out why!

Many of the Library's subscription databases now have a security screen that comes up to prevent users from going any further.  Once the user overrides the warning, that link is added as OK.  

However, for many users, the warning is frightening. We have a warning on our Databases A-Z page, but many users do not see it.

We thought this was a user side browser error, but have found we need to invest in a new level of authenticating service.

Meantime, please communicate to students it is safe to override, bypass, to go to these sites.

Google Chrome Warning

Select Advanced and proceed to the site. 

Firefox Warning

Accept Risk and Continue.

Another Example

Go the SHOW DETAILS and select the link to the database. 

Reader:  Sasha Haechler

Book:      Regretting You

Author:   Colleen Hoover

Regretting You is written in the perceptive of Morgan and Clara, who are mother and daughter. The book takes you on a journey of their relationship when dealing with a family tragedy. As a reader, I enjoyed how each chapter was written from a different point of view of the main characters. This book deals with sadness, betrayal, love, and finding a common ground. I read a lot of Colleen Hoover’s books and love the stories she creates.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context is one of the most assigned, most suggested, and most used databases.

Why?

And did you know there are six other databases in the series?  If you know how to use Opposing Viewpoints, you also will have no problem with:

Global Issues in Context

Biography in Context

Science in Context

Student Resources in Context

U.S. History in Context

World History in Context

This is a ten-minute overview of how to find the library, where to find
Opposing viewpoints, how to use it, and more.

This database is hand curated for your success. 

Poetry & Short Story Reference Center

"Poetry & Short Story Reference Center is a rich full-text database of hundreds of thousands of classic and contemporary poems, plus thousands of short stories, biographies, essays, lesson plans, and learning guides. It also includes high-quality videos and audio recordings from the Academy of American Poets and other sources." 

Your Librarian Rhonda Kitchens does a brief demo.  Have more questions?  Ask your Librarian!  

FROM: Mattias Olshausen
BOOK:  A Gentleman in Moscow
AUTHOR: Amor Towles

This book is about a Russian count, Alexander Rostov, whom a Bolshevik court sentenced to permanent house arrest in 1922. The catch is that Rostov is living in an upscale hotel near the Kremlin. He spends the next 30 years of his life there, witnessing a great societal change from a unique vantage point. A Gentleman in Moscow is an excellent read for the times we live in. It serves as a reminder to make the most of one's circumstances, rather than to live in bitterness or regret. Perhaps the most central theme, though, is the value of unexpected and unlikely friendships. Rostov's open and accepting nature is the greatest asset in his confinement, as it leads him to establish close relationships with the hotel's employees, an inquisitive nine-year-old guest, and even a Soviet commissar. I recommend this book to anyone who needs a break from the news and wants to believe in the best in humanity.

Want to tell us about a book?  Enter it here!

Submit #BigBendCCBookChallenge

You have had an amazing range of studies, professions, and successes. Not everyone has been a heavy wheel diesel mechanic and also attended Yale Divinity School. Your range is breathtaking. You've worked on issues of justice, reform, LGBTQI, and education. Your tagline "See you around the Bend" has also been attention-grabbing.  It seems in addition to the range of studies and experiences you may also have some promo mojo.  Through these years, what have been your go-to texts, journals, magazines, and/or online resources?  Do you have gurus, mentors, or writers/researchers that serve as your inspirations?

I can’t resist saying that the question implies that I took a well-thought-out path through life. I definitely did not. Life has invited me to embark on interesting journeys and I have taken a variety of different trails getting stronger and more confident on each adventure. Maybe the universe has this well-laid plan, but I am not privy to the plan. Whenever life tempts me with a new adventure I just keep saying, “Yes!” I want to learn and grow as a result of the places life takes me. 

In college, I was introduced to the advocacy and writings of incredible people like Audre Lorde and bell hooks, who shared a perspective and a vision that really pricked my conscience. I also was fascinated by Eleanore Roosevelt who used her position of privilege to advocate for equity. From then on, I read voraciously—books, magazines, journals—and listened carefully to others about their lived experiences. My go-to writings are the biographical stories of individuals who pursued a fairer, more equitable world enduring great risk, ridicule, and harm.

What kind of research did you do to prepare for your interview at BBCC?  What sources did you consult? Did you use social media or another other digital media? Is there a story about a place or event in the area that intrigued you?  

My research on BBCC began before I even applied for the presidency. One of my make-or-break criteria is related to diversity. Because Big Bend is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS), I decided to learn more. I read the college’s strategic plan, the Academic Master Plan, the Campus Climate Action plan, Board of Trustees Minutes, and other publicly available information such as completion rates. I studied the organizational structure, read the local newspaper, and researched all things Moses Lake and Big Bend. I also spoke to people who live in Washington and work in the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges (WACTC) system. As I progressed in the search process, I returned to those sources and individuals and kept digging deeper. 

Your dissertation: Tweedy, S. T. (2018). More than Just Numbers: Strategies for Improving the Use of Data to Increase Community College Student Progress and Success (Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland University College), includes in the acknowledgment a small anecdote about your sons who wanted to play soccer, but you were busy researching, writing, refining, and completing your dissertation. We have many student parents on our campus.  Do you have any research advice for them and their unique challenges?

My most important piece of advice, GET HELP FROM LIBRARIANS! They know their way “around the stacks.” They’ll save you a lot of heartaches trying to figure out a research approach on your own. 

In addition, I deployed two strategies that served me well. You may know the old adage, “How do you eat an elephant?” Disgusting, but useful imagery that encapsulates one of those strategies—one bite at a time. Being a mother of two, a professional with great responsibility and a part-time doctoral student meant that every single day was chock full of things that I needed to do, places I needed to be, and people to whom I needed to attend. If I did not take my research in bite sizes, I could be overwhelmed quickly. My first piece of advice: Break the assignments down into smaller actionable steps and the first step in that process is… wait for it… talking to a librarian. Accomplish that step!

Lastly, keep the goal in mind. When I wanted to cry and tear my hair out, I took a mental break to imagine that moment when my sons would ask me to play soccer on some Saturday afternoon and I would be able to say, “YES!” (When they read that statement in the acknowledgments, they held me to it too!) Another was imagining graduation day when my sons would also see their mother at the hooding ceremony with all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with it. While they may have been too young to fully understand all the implications, I know they will in time. 

Tell us about one of the biggest or the most important presentations you have ever done.  What was your research approach? How far did you go with audience research?  What type of feedback did you get?  Did you use any unique sources? 

Presenting myself as a candidate for president at Big Bend was my most recent high stakes presentation! I was so honored to progress through each stage of the process, but I had to check my ego that I was not in this process to get the job at all costs. I wanted to present an authentic version of my vision so that there would be no question about who I would be as president—a student-centered, approachable leader with heart and passion for the justice mission of community colleges. While I was reading cues that this vision was resonating with the BB community, I could not venture into guessing what someone might want to hear which could result in a poor match. When I was offered the position, that was the ultimate feedback that there was a like-minded college locked in the same pursuit to use education to uplift socio-economically marginalized persons. The commitment to students was palpable and I wanted to be part of Big Bend.   

We started a tradition of Holiday Haikus at BBCC last year. Do you have any poetic interests or writing you might share with us this year? On the scale of "poet and I know it" to "Haikus?"  where does your wordsmithery fall? 

I have dabbled in writing poetry, but my craft is the spoken word! I love to bring written words on a paper to life for an audience. I get chills when I can see my words landing on others in a way that resonates with them, inspires them, and/or humors them. I experience great fulfillment from introducing ideas in ways that provoke thought and deep consideration. In that sense, I do consider myself “a poet and I know it.”

Interview with Lindsay Groce, Chemistry Instructor at Big Bend Community College. 

What is your mental space when it comes to research?  Do you have a plan? Are you random?  Is it a research rabbit hole or a carefully planned expedition?

I did a presentation one time that was an attempt at inspirational and I talked about how most people think of success as linear.  You learn the things, you earn the piece of paper, you get the job, etc.  My trajectory has always been a little on the non-linear side…in life, so too with research.  Well, it might be linear, but on some sort of wacky 2-dimensional surface – I am picturing, like, a Möbius strip, or an M.C. Escher drawing.  I try to approach research with the same curiosity that draws me to science.  I like to put myself in the mindset of a scientist, which I think in our heart of hearts, is really the mindset of a child, wondering at the world around us.  “I wonder why…” is an expression that never ceases to excite me.  From there, you springboard into resources – What all can I learn about this?  What background info do I need to better understand the mechanisms for why this happens?  This leads to some answers, but usually more questions and then you just go from there.  I can be more disciplined in my approach, but I usually choose not to.  I am a big fan of the research rabbit hole – there is joy in the journey.  

To keep up with your profession, what are your go-to books, blogs, journals, social media follows, and/or people?

I have been a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) since I was an undergrad.  I keep up-to-date on chemistry stuff there – Journal of Chemical Education is one I have spent time wading around in lately.  I follow a lot of the pop-science Instagram and Facebook pages – IFLS, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Crash Course, Scientific American, Popular Science, and of course ALL of the science memes.  I participated in the March for Science a few years ago in Seattle, so there is a group of scientists from a variety of disciplines that have an active Facebook page I like to follow (March for Science – Seattle).  In terms of authors and personalities, I will forever love me some Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Carl Sagan, Hank Green, Bill Bryson, Michio Kaku, Sam Kean – I tend toward the scientists that also take seriously their role of public educator…they also tend to be the best storytellers!  I love books about the history of science, in general; chemistry, specifically; and the periodic table – The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean, I just read The Pluto Files by Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Elements by Theordore Grey (which is visually stunning along with interesting facts).  Part of my teaching style involves telling stories about the personalities, embedding discoveries in their historical contexts, and trying to put real faces and circumstances to the science.  

What's the best presentation or workshop you have ever pulled together in the name of science excellence?

It took me 5 years to do what is traditionally a 2-year Masters program because I was working on it part-time while I was working full-time.  In the summer before my last year, I went into my advisor’s office and said, “I know that you will be invited to speak at an international conference next year [he always got international invites – he is kind of a big deal].  I want you to pick one and take me with you.”  That was how I got to go to Japan.  My research was in its final stages, but the story the data were telling was not coming together the way we hoped.  I had to put together a poster with the data we had and our best ideas as to what it all meant.  I gave the poster presentation on my research during my allotted session and was selected for one of three Outstanding Student Poster awards that were given based on votes and feedback from the conference attendees.  It was a huge honor.      

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I think that people might be surprised to know that I was not originally interested in teaching.  It is so much a part of who I am now; it is sometimes hard for even me to believe that.  My plan when I graduated was to work in a lab somewhere and be a scientist.  I was not picturing having the opportunity to train future scientists.  I feel very fortunate that Big Bend took a chance on me so that I could try it out and experience the elation of watching light bulb moments, being present for important milestones for the students, and help guide them towards whatever all comes next academically and life-wise.

How do you approach the finding sound answers in what seems like a whirlpool of pseudoscience?

First of all, I love this question.  It is so timely and important.  When I start any class at the beginning of a quarter, we go back and talk about the scientific method.  All of the students can go through the rote, monotone recitation of the scientific method, but I try to get them to really start using it - to start thinking like scientists.  This involves being skeptical, asking questions, and being curious.  We can apply this to finding sound answers in the wonderful and terrible thing that is the internet.  We find a claim, whether it is something about the utility of masks for preventing the spread of COVID-19, or the current record high temperatures in Siberia and then it is the 5 W’s.  

Who: Who is telling the story and what do they have to benefit from telling it that way?  Do I trust the source that the information is coming from (and we could get into what all would go into earning that trust – peer review, scientific track record, qualifications, who paid for the study?, etc.)?     

What: What are the data telling me?  Go straight to the graphs.  Analyze the axes.  Look at the scope and scale of the collection of the data – Is it a big sample size?  Does it represent the population it claims to?  How was it collected?  Is there a valid trend?

Where: What is the source of this information/claim?  Who is the intended audience?  Where is the information published?  Why is it coming from this source in particular?  

When: Why is this being presented at this way at this time?  Is the storytelling political?  Is it urgent?  Is it even current?  Check the date.  

Why: The why part is encompassed in some of the other W’s, but ultimately, why is this claim being made?

So, really, there are a couple of pieces to this.  First, you have to do some critical thinking about the claims that you see.  Second, you have to understand that science is a process.  Science is a method by which we know things about the world.  As such, when you are in the middle of an experiment, or an experience that is being studied, the models created to explain the various phenomena are subject to change. 

It is hard to make valid conclusions in the middle of collecting data.  As scientists, it is our role to interpret and report findings to the best of our ability with the data that are available.  That does not mean that things will not change in the next week or the next year or the next decade.  That is the beauty of science, its fluidity.  The value of the scientific method is in the way we can change our minds and models as new information becomes available.  When we are researching claims made on the internet, or even just reading headlines on the internet, we have to be scientists. 

Everyone could use a little more science these days.    

#BigBendCCBookChallengeBookTalk.

Month: March
From: Amanda Miller
Book Title: The Queen of the Tearling, by Erika Johansen

"Kelsea Raleigh Glynn is 19 years old and uncrowned queen of the Tearling. She is an orphan raised in isolation, a lover of books, and social justice. Around her neck sits the royal jewel that marks her as the heir-apparent, known as the Tearling Sapphire. On her 19th birthday, a group nine armored knights arrive at her guardians' cottage to escort her to New London and her throne. Once there, Kelsea must depose of her uncle, the regent, and begin the process of bringing her kingdom back from the brink of destruction. This formidable task takes on new meaning for her when she realizes that the kingdom's enemies are both within and without the borders.  kingdom's enemies are both within and without the borders. Slave traders who have profited from the dubious truce her mother agreed to and the Red Queen of Mortmesne, a seemingly immortal sorceress. As Kelsea discovers the magic that lays within her and the sapphire she wears she begins to question what events in the past led them to this self-destructive road. She seeks answers to the beginning of the Tearling history, the crossing from the old world to the new one. And what went wrong with the founder's dream of a "better world." I listened to the unabridged audiobook read by Katherine Kellgren. This is an unforgettable tale, both written and narrated, of destiny, magic, and the fight against malevolent forces bent on dominating the world.   As the first book in this trilogy wrapped up questions remained... what is the crossing? What were the original settlers running from? What happened to the dream? "

Join our read a book a month challenge.  Have you read a

good book lately?  Tell us about it.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjyD7PG8C4REqxiG99Z3sT26a0LDiUnHw9oX8zBAbFTAkngA/viewform?usp=sf_link

#LifelongreadingIsLifelongLearning #ReadOn #ShareReading #NewYearsResolution #12in12

The Library has doubled its digital holdings.  in May, we are going to share a Database A Day to share the wonderful new holdings!

How do you find these databases?  Go to the Library. Select Databases A-Z. Find them by subject or title. 

May 1: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection | EBSCO

"Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection is an essential full-text database for psychologists, counselors, researchers and students. It provides hundreds of full-text psychology journals, including many indexed in PsycINFO. It offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and counseling.
-Nearly 480 full-text journals
-More than 290 full-text journals with citations in PsycINFO 
-Anthropology
-Emotional and behavioral characteristics
-Mental processes
-Observational and experimental methods
-Psychiatry and psychology
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection provides access to hundreds of full-text journals and offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and various areas of counseling." - From EBSCO​

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May 2:  African American History Database

Covering more than 500 years of the African-American experience, African-American History offers a fresh way to explore the full spectrum of African-American history and culture. Includes articles, sharable slideshows, videos, primary sources, and more—that provides a study guide for a particular subject or era. -- From Infobase

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May 3:  Gale in Context: World History

"Gale In Context: World History reaches back to the ancient world—and forward to today's headlines—to deliver a chronicle of the people, cultures, events, and societies that have formed the history of the human race. A range of topics such as Aztecs, Industrial Revolution, Silk Road, the Buddha, Space Race, and more provide a wide perspective across the globe. Rare primary sources, reliable reference, and multimedia content are aligned to curriculum and put this vast subject into context for students. World History is cross-searchable with Gale In Context: U.S. History for users with access to both resources."-From Publisher

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May 4:  Vocations and Careers | Gale One File

"OneFile: Vocations and Careers provides access to journals and magazines that aid users in researching a vocation, finding an appropriate institution of learning, job searching, and maintaining a career. The database offers hundreds of current and applicable periodicals, from general career guides to highly specialized industry journals."- From Publisher

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May 5:  Legal Collection | EBSCO

"Containing full text for hundreds of the most respected scholarly law journals, Legal Collection is a valuable database of information on current issues, studies, thoughts and trends of the legal world.

Legal Collection offers information centered on the discipline of law and legal topics including criminal justice, ethics, federal law, international law, labor and human resource law, medical law, organized crime and the environment." - From Publisher.

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May 6:  Health Source: Nursing Academic | EBSCO

"Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition provides researchers, allied health professionals, nurses and medical educators with access to full-text scholarly journals focusing on many medical disciplines. It provides indexing, abstracts and full-text for hundreds of nursing and allied health journals, many of which are peer-reviewed. "

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May 7: Gale Access - One Link to All Gale Databases

"It’s important that today’s researchers access complete, credible, and up-to-date content. From student favorites like Gale’s In Context suite to our flagship InfoTrac databases, we offer dozens of powerful research platforms to put vetted sources right at your users’ fingertips."

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May 8: EBSCO eBooks - Better than EVER!

"EBSCO eBooks are online versions of print books that your library has either purchased with a perpetual license or via an annual subscription. eBooks that are owned will be available to the library in perpetuity, with provisions being made for long term access and preservation. eBooks available via subscription are renewed annually for the library to retain access. EBSCO eBooks are available from all major academic publishers in virtually all academic disciplines."-From Publisher

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May 9: Diversity Studies "Culture in the Global Community" | Gale

"A must-have for social science, history and liberal arts coursework, the Gale OneFile: Diversity Studies explores cultural differences, contributions and influences in the global community. This collection includes more than 2.7 million articles from 150 journals, updated daily.

Exclusive features, including Topic Finder,and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience." - From Publisher

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May 10:  Core Math & Science Skills | PrepStep | EBSCO

"A must-have for social science, history and liberal arts coursework, the Gale OneFile: Diversity Studies explores cultural differences, contributions and influences in the global community. This collection includes more than 2.7 million articles from 150 journals, updated daily. Exclusive features, including Topic Finder,and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience." - From Publisher

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May 11: eHRAF (Human Resources Files) World Cultures

"eHRAF World Cultures contains ethnographic collections covering all aspects of cultural and social life. eHRAF is unique in having subject indexing at the paragraph level. This allows detailed and precise searching for concepts not easily found with keywords." - From Publisher

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May 12: American Indian History | Infobase

"Offers fast access to more than 15,000 years of culture and history, covering more than 600 Native American groups, through tablet/mobile-friendly videos and slideshows, images, biographies of key people, event and topic entries, primary sources, maps and graphs, and timelines. With a user-friendly interface, this award-winning database allows for an interactive, multifaceted look at the indigenous peoples of the Americas. An important feature is full cross-searchability across all the Infobase history databases for an even more comprehensive view of history." From Publisher

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May 13:  Articles First - Not Full Text - Use to Request Full-Text Articles
 

Use this to request articles you cannot find in full text. "The ArticleFirst® database describes items listed on the table of contents pages of individual issues of over 12,000 journals, describing one article, news story, letter, or other item from a journal." From Publisher.

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May 14: Biography in Context | Gale

"Gale In Context: Biography is an engaging experience for those seeking contextual information on the world's most influential people. Organized into a user-friendly portal experience, it merges Gale's authoritative reference content, including Lives & Perspectives, with periodicals and multimedia. Users can browse to find people based on occupation, role, or historical period, or search based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, or gender, as well as by keyword and full text." -From Publisher

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May 15: Britannica Encyclopedia Academic

"Online Encyclopedia. Explore the fact-checked online encyclopedia from Encyclopaedia Britannica with hundreds of thousands of objective articles, biographies, videos, and images." From Publisher

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May 16: Computer Source | EBSCO

"Computer Source EBSCO is a full-text database covering computing, technology and engineering disciplines." From Publisher

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May 17: Environmental Issues & Policy | Gale
 

"Gale OneFile: Environmental Studies and Policy answers inquiries about environmental concerns with coverage journals and reference content from Delmar and diverse perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policymakers, and corporate interests." - From Publisher

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May 18: eHRAF Archeology| Yale

"eHRAF Archaeology focuses on in-depth descriptive documents of archaeological traditions from around the world. eHRAF is unique in having subject indexing at the paragraph level. This allows detailed and precise searching for concepts not easily found with keywords." From Publisher

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May 19: Points of View | EBSCO

"Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue, this database provides rich content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills."--From Publisher

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May 20: Poetry and Short Story Reference Center | EBSCO

"Poetry & Short Story Reference Center is a rich full-text database of hundreds of thousands of classic and contemporary poems, plus thousands of short stories, biographies, essays, lesson plans and learning guides. It also includes high-quality videos and audio recordings from the Academy of American Poets and other sources."- From Publisher

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May 21: Legal Information Reference Center | EBSCO

"Legal Information Reference Center is an online database designed to assist the general public in legal matters of all kinds. It includes exclusive full text for many top consumer legal reference books, as well as thousands of legal forms." - From Publisher

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May 22: Google Scholar Set Up To Find BigBendCC Full Text

Our link in Databases A-Z sets you up for a full-text search. Look for BigBendCC Full Text in the right margin. "Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other web sites."- From Publisher

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May 23: Biomedical Research | EBSCO

"Biomedical Research Database is designed for doctors, research scientists, students and clinical specialists, Biomedical Reference Collection: Basic Edition provides full-text, indexing and abstracts for top biomedical journals. It covers a range of subjects, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pre-clinical sciences.:-from Publisher

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May 24: Business Insights : Global | Gale

"Overall, Business Insights: Global is a good resource for both undergraduate and graduate business-school students. The site offers plenty of unique features, such as the six-item comparison, and an impressive number of graphing and data-conversion options. Case studies add extra depth. Gale Business Insights: Global is recommended to libraries serving business-school students."-From Booklist

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May 25: Statistical Abstract | Proquest

"Published annually by the federal government since 1878, the Statistical Abstract of the United States is the best known statistical reference publication in the country, and perhaps the world. You’ll find it behind nearly every reference desk in U.S. libraries as the authoritative go-to source. Librarians value the Statistical Abstract as both an answer book and a guide to statistical sources. As a comprehensive collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States, it is a snapshot of America and its people."-From Publisher

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May 26: General Science | EBSCO

"General Science EBSCO: This database provides full-text articles from a wide range of publications — from specialized to general interest periodicals — covering science-related questions, topics and subjects."- From Publisher

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May 27:  Gardening, Landscape, & Horticulture | Gale

"Gale OnFile: Gardening and Horticulture serves horticultural enthusiasts of all levels with more than 3.6 million articles from more than 100 journals, as well as more than 20 reference titles from Delmar, including Handbook of Flowers; Foliage and Creative Design; Computer Graphics for Landscape Architects; and more. Exclusive features, including Topic Finder, InterLink, and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience." - From Publisher

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May 28:  AGRICOLA

"Containing bibliographic records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library, AGRICOLA provides millions of citations relating to the field of agriculture. Citations are comprised of journal articles, book chapters, theses, patents, software, audiovisual materials and technical reports to support agricultural research." From Publisher. To find full text that's available in this extensive records, select Linked Full Text on the left.

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May 29:  Family Studies Abstracts | EBSCO

"With bibliographic records covering family dynamics topics, Family Studies Abstracts is an excellent source for family studies researchers. Scholars can access unique content and highly regarded works. Subjects include: Divorce , Family therapy. Marriage, and Family dynamics." - From Publisher. To find full text, use LINKED FULL TEXT to the left of search results.

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May 30:  Faculty Select | EBSCO Trial Until June 30, 2020

We only have a trial on this until June 30.! "EBSCO Faculty Select empowers academic libraries to directly support textbook affordability efforts. Through a single interface, faculty can search and access quality open textbooks, Open Educational Resources (OER), and request access to unrestricted library e-books from top academic publishers. By leveraging free open materials and low-cost library-licensed resources, faculty can transform their courses and reduce the cost burden for students. " By Publisher

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May 31:  New York Times 1980-Current | PROQUEST

"The New York Times (sometimes abbreviated as the NYT and NYTimes) is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership.[6][7][8] Founded in 1851, the paper has won 130 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other newspaper.[9][10] The Times is ranked 18th in the world by circulation and 3rd in the U.S.[11] Nicknamed "The Gray Lady",[12] the Times has long been regarded within the industry as a national "newspaper of record".[13] The paper's motto, "All the News That's Fit to Print", appears in the upper left-hand corner of the front page." From Wikipedia

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Is there a book, a movie, or something in particular that drove you to your studies in Philosophy & Religion?

The Fabric of the Heavens: The Development of Astronomy and Dynamics by Stephen Toulmin and June Goodfield (Harper & Row, 1965) was the first assigned college text that I absolutely devoured and was excited to discuss in class. I was an engineering student in my hometown Wichita State University and taking philosophy courses on the side because I was an atheist in a town full of Baptists and I enjoyed reading Nietzsche’s critiques of religion and finding Christianity’s origins in Plato. Ben Rogers’ course “Science and the Modern World” introduced me to the history and philosophy of science which showed me that my knowledge of math and physics could be connected to my interest in historical philosophers.

What's your approach to research?  Do you go in with a plan or are you random?

I use it as an excuse to go to experts. When I wanted to write about Aristotle’s theory of catharsis, I found a recent collection Essays on Aristotle’s Poetics by Amélie Rorty and the essays about catharsis were all discussing Martha Nussbaum’s theory. That gave me a good excuse to finally read her famous book The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy. Sometimes it’s a good excuse to talk to someone I know about something they know a lot about. When I wanted to know more about the variations of Superman or the Greek mythology in Wonder Woman, I talked to Eric Van Woert at Olde World Trading Company in downtown Moses Lake where we spent hours looking at old comics. Cara Stoddard, a former BBCC English Instructor, encouraged me to read more Slavoj Žižek. Thinking about the travels of Bilbo Baggins gave me the excuse I needed to read Cosmopolitanism by Kwame Anthony Appiah.

Do you have a set of "go to" journals, authors, blogs, databases, or websites you use to keep up to date in your field?  And also - as your field is inherently cross-disciplinary - anything else you use to keep intellectually tuned up?

My dissertation was on Charles Sanders Peirce and so for many years, I subscribed to The Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society. I achieved a life-goal by presenting an essay at The Charles S. Peirce International Centennial Congress in 2014 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

I try to regularly attend local philosophy conferences such as PLATO-WA and the Northwest Philosophy Conference. I have a huge backlog of philosophy books that are waiting for me to read including a new translation of the Bhagavad Gita. And I’m always on the lookout for online resources for my students such as this YouTube cartoon presentation of The Trolley Problem narrated by Harry Shearer. 

You’ve caught me at a funny time in my life because I’ve put my research projects on hold. I’ve got about three or four essay ideas in my head but I’m waiting until I can take a sabbatical to pursue them. Instead, I’m using my brain to be a Dungeon Master to play Dungeons & Dragons. I’m more likely nowadays to be reading Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes to research the Blood War between the chaotic evil demons from the infinite Abyss and the lawful evil devils of the Nine Hells. Writing is such a private occupation while DMing is a way that I can obsessively research and use it to play a game with others.

You recently hosted a philosophy conference in Moses Lake.  What were some of the hot topics covered? Also, which topics were most robustly - and maybe most loudly - discussed?

PLATO-WA is the Philosophy and Logic Associated Teachers of Washington. We are a group of philosophy instructors at community colleges in our state. Basically, this is my peer group. My friend Paul Herrick organized us in a successful effort to keep the SQR status of PHIL&120 Symbolic Logic. We’ve kept it going as a place to discuss teaching philosophy and logic in community colleges. Paul likes it when we meet east of the mountains and so I hosted the 2020 event.

All of our presentations were about how to explain difficult philosophical ideas to introductory students in freshman-level courses. There were presentations on the Socratic Method and on using open educational sources, but there was also an emphasis this year on non-Western ideas with presentations on Brahma in Hinduism and how to lead a discussion on Taoism given that the Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao.

However, I like to think that my presentation caused the most discussion. I spoke about teaching Marshall McLuhan’s The Medium is the Massage and I shared about ninety examples of memes that my students had submitted on a variety of philosophical topics.

Dennis Knepp list of Pop Culture Publications, April 2020.

I’ve long been interested in presenting philosophical ideas to a broader audience and so this is a list of my publications that were meant for the public. I challenge myself to write about a different topic each time. Most of these are published by John Wiley & Sons or the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series edited by William Irwin.

“A Phenomenology of Christmas,” a five-part series, Columbia Basin Herald, December 2004. Each essay was an examination of Christmas through one of the five senses.

“Bella’s Vampire Semiotics” in Twilight and Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians, and the Pursuit of Immortality, John Wiley &   
            Sons, Inc., 2009. I use Bella’s discovery that Edward is a vampire to introduce the triadic semiotics of Charles Sanders 
            Peirce.

“’You’re Nothing But a Pack of Cards!’: Alice Doesn’t Have a Social Contract” in Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy:
            Curiouser and Curiouser, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010. I justify Alice’s rejection of the guilty verdict of the sham trial
            using the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.

“Why We Enjoy Reading about Men Who Hate Women: Aristotle’s Cathartic Appeal,” in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and
            Philosophy: Everything is Fire, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012. I use Martha Nussbaum’s interpretation of Aristotle’s
            theory of catharsis to understand why we enjoying reading violent stories about abused people rather than stories of
            nice people doing nice things.

“Bilbo Baggins: the Cosmopolitan Hobbit,” in The Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You’ve Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard,
            and Your Way, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012. I use Biblo’s appreciation of other cultures outside the Shire to introduce
            Kwame Anthony Appiah’s theory of cosmopolitanism.

“Gods, Drugs and Ghosts: Finding Dionysius and Apollo in Black Sabbath and the Birth of Heavy Metal,” in Black Sabbath and
            Philosophy: Mastering Reality, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2013. Series editor William Irwin requested that I write about
            drugs and Black Sabbath and so I used it to introduce Nietzsche’s analysis of Apollo and Dionysius in the birth of       
            ancient theater. This is my most experimental published writing.

“Superman Family Resemblance,” in Superman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of Steel Do?, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
            2013. I use the different variations of Superman to introduce Wittgenstein’s concept of a family resemblance.

“’We have an indigenous population of humanoids called the Na’vi’: Native American philosophy in Avatar,” in Avatar and
            Philosophy: Learning to See, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014. I use the Na’vi to introduce contemporary Native
            Americans philosophers and Scott Pratt’s Native Pragmatism.

“Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication,” in Steve Jobs and Philosophy: For Those Who Think Different, Carus Publishing
            Company, 2015. I use Steve Jobs’ theory of design aesthetics to introduce Slavoj Žižek’s interpretation of the Hegelian
            dialectic.

“The Mind of Blue Snaggletooth: The Intentional Stance, Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, and the Origins of Religion,” in The
             Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy: You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016. I use
             playing with action figures as an introduction to Daniel Dennett’s philosophy of mind and his speculations about the
             origins of religion.

“Merciful Minerva in a Modern Metropolis,” in Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique, John Wiley & Sons,
             Inc., 2017. I use the Greek mythology found in Wonder Woman to introduce Hegel’s philosophy of history. This
             became the basis for a public lecture at the Salon Series at the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center.

“Remembering, Reminding, and Forgetting with Leonard Shelby, in The Philosophy of Christopher Nolan, Lexington Books,
             2017. I use Leonard Shelby’s tattoos in Nolan’s Memento as an introduction to the triadic semiotics of Charles Sanders
             Peirce as a means of finding knowledge but then undercut that search with Plato’s critique of writing found in
             his Phaedrus.

Interview with:  Dr. Allison Palumbo, English Instructor, Big Bend Community College

Tell us about your new book that is coming out.  When did you first become fascinated heroines in mass media?

Love and the Fighting Female:   A Critical Study of Onscreen Depictions ISBN: 9781476677392

It’s my first book, and I am very excited and a little nervous to be putting my ideas out into the world.

When I first began to understand the idea of a hero, I was a child of the 70s and early 80s, and I didn’t really differentiate between male and female heroes. I just loved heroism and all the heroes on film and television at the time (particularly Wonder Woman and Superman and Luke Skywalker). It wasn’t until I started to get older and notice a distinct difference in how male-bodied and female-bodied heroes were portrayed and that there was a pattern. The male was always stronger, always the one to do the final rescue, and let’s face it, there were at least 20 or more male heroes to every 1 female, especially back then. The female-bodied hero almost always had to be saved, still, and she had to wear ridiculous clothes that were not appropriate for a fighter (still a problem), which made me dissatisfied.

Dr. Allison Palumbo, 4, with brother Eric, 8. Palumbo's personal collection.

When I first began to understand the idea of a hero, I was a child of the 70s and early 80s, and I didn’t really differentiate between male and female heroes. I just loved heroism and all the heroes on film and television at the time (particularly Wonder Woman and Superman and Luke Skywalker). It wasn’t until I started to get older and notice a distinct difference in how male-bodied and female-bodied heroes were portrayed and that there was a pattern. The male was always stronger, always the one to do the final rescue, and let’s face it, there were at least 20 or more male heroes to every 1 female, especially back then. The female-bodied hero almost always had to be saved, still, and she had to wear ridiculous clothes that were not appropriate for a fighter (still a problem), which made me dissatisfied.

So, I started trying to find exceptions to what seemed like an unspoken rule that heroic women onscreen couldn’t be as badass as heroic men. It was something of an obsession, and that stayed with me over the years. And I found them. And I noticed that more of them emerged in popular culture starting in the 1990s, and they have only increased since. And I began to notice that even though these fighting female characters (as I call them in the book) were doing things no one had seen women do onscreen, there were still many ways that their strength and independence were attenuated—always reduced in some way in the narrative. Particularly if there was a romance involved.

Why romance? Because at the same time I was seeing patterns of female heroes being restrained or limited in some way that male heroes weren’t, I was seeing story after story of women giving everything up for love, of changing themselves in some drastic way and, frankly, losing themselves. I wanted to explore the negative implications of both issues at the same time. So, an idea was born. And that idea led me to a paper I wrote when I was completing my Ph.D. coursework at the University of Kentucky, and that paper became the basis of my dissertation and then book.

What kind of research does it take to pull together a book?  What was the hardest resource to find? How did you manage your citations?

I was very fortunate that I was studying at a university with one of the best-endowed libraries in the country, so I never had trouble finding resources. Libraries matter! And how well-funded a library is has everything to do with how much it can provide students. Anyway, I had to read books and academic journal articles on so many topics: violent women, male and female heroes, gender and race ideologies, feminist theories on popular culture, film, and television, autonomy, romance. I basically had to become familiar with every credible source (and some not-so-credible) I could find that had anything to do with my topic, so I could be sure that my work 1) contributed new perspectives and information to what was already available and 2) speak to or relate my work to relevant work others were doing. The only resources I had to struggle a bit to find were recordings of some earlier TV shows from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s like Honey West and Get Christie Love and McMillan and Wife (and that show was TERRIBLE—so hard to watch, as was the 1990s TV version of La Femme Nikita…ugh, so many hours).

As for my citations, I used standard MLA documentation for my work, which is typical for my field, though I also used Endnotes, which aren’t as standard except in longer works. I made sure that I took really good notes as I read from the works I used, identifying when I would write quotes and paraphrases (what page it was from and the author). I had to be particularly careful because evidence of plagiarism in my book—even accidental plagiarism—would basically keep anyone from even reading my scholarship after that because I would have lost all credibility. But I am not worried because I took such careful notes.

What is your mental space when it comes to research?  Do you have a plan? Are you random?  Is it a research rabbit hole or a carefully planned expedition?

Great question! When I was an undergraduate, I always started with a plan, but the longest paper I wrote then was only 40 pages for my senior thesis. It’s a lot easier to envision an idea that size—I could wrap my head around the whole construct and build from there. I was very organized then—note cards and number systems and outlines.

As my studies continued and the ideas I engaged with and created became more complex, my carefully crafted plans for approaches were replaced by random rabbit holes. I would just pick a topic related to my general ideas and then start reading until I started to get a sense of that topic’s complexities and nuances, so then I could start to see if it related to my idea or if it helped me construct my idea more. Some reading just led me to more reading. I read a lot of work that I didn’t technically use in the book but that made me understand the field and disciplines I was engaging with enough that I could be conversant in them and fit with expectations. After I did that long enough and on enough topics, then I could start to think about what was missing, or what was wrong, or what had been overlooked in what others said, so I could figure out what I had to say, what my contribution could be.

As I often tell my ENG 101 students, crying is a big part of my research process now when I sit down to start the writing, mainly because my work at this point in my writing abilities has to be so well-developed and aware of what’s out there. I will often get overwhelmed at the beginning, worry about how on earth I can accomplish this project, fear that I will not have anything interesting or useful or intelligent to say, and then the tears. This is after hundreds and hundreds of pages of formal writing experience. This is after even reminding myself I’ve done it before and can do it again.

But as I also tell my students, once the crying ended, I had so many notes from my reading and watching that I didn’t have to stare at a blank page—I had already been writing for months! All I had to do was pick a note I had written and use that to answer the question “what does this have to do with anything?” In writing through that, to explain it to myself, it helped me start to see the shape of my idea form. If that note didn’t go anywhere, then I would pick another one and do it again, until I could focus on a thesis—my main point. Then, the shape would become more clear and the work a little more narrow.

Writing should always be a little hard for people because it means that they are challenging themselves with what they are saying. Just because I freak out, in the beginning, doesn’t mean I won’t finish it. I have accepted it will happen and that, when I’m ready, I will move on and be fine. Every new chapter, the process would start again, but I didn’t and I don’t fear the fear anymore, so to speak. It means I am going to do more and better because I care about succeeding.

So I now embrace the fear and also failure—my book is something like 350 pages, but I also have about as many pages of notes that I didn’t use, thoughts that I didn’t pursue, and I even at one point had half of a chapter written before I realized that it wasn’t where I wanted to go, so I stopped that train. But I kept it all in files with my drafts because one never knows where the next project will lead.

Much of your research involved film and video. How did you approach and manage this?

At one point, in my deepest research phase, I would read some books and articles for a few hours and then watch 6-8 hours of TV and films a day. I was the master binger. It might sound easy, but it was not. Trying to maintain close attention to anything that long is difficult, much less to be analyzing it at the same time. My process was similar to a process I show my ENG 102 students when we practice visual analysis using a Key and Peele sketch, “Substitute Teacher”—with lots of pauses and time for gathering ideas about moments, scenes, dialogue, settings, sounds, etc. So, in my research, I would watch a bit, pause, take notes, rewind, catch quotes, pause, rewind again. I had to be very careful because I can reread passages and a whole book more easily and quickly than I can watch 5 seasons of a broadcast show with 23 episodes. There was no time to watch them all again, so I had to get it right the first time and then go back for selective episodes or moments. (My spouse stopped watching the shows with me very early on because it was so annoying for him to have the story interrupted all the time.) I needed to make sure I had heard correctly and quoted correctly, again, so my work would be credible for the kind of skeptical audiences who read scholarship. It was mentally exhausting and also very sedentary, so I had to make sure to get off my butt every day for at least a walk to stay sane.

EBSCO is providing free access to Faculty Select until June 30, 2020.
 

We chose this as Database as the Month for April as we all have experienced some upheavals that have often left us with more questions than answers. This database indexes and provides OER links to eBooks, and more to support staff, students, and faculty. While these resources can support learning, they may also support online learning components by providing readings on specified topics. 

We have listed Faculty Select on the library's website under Databases A-Z under our trial database section. 

To find full OER text that is immediately available, select for OER in the limiters on the left. OER books have a link in the record to take you to full-text work.

What is Faculty Select?

"To support distance learning at institutions impacted by COVID-19 closures, we have created a simplified version of EBSCO Faculty Select to help faculty easily find Open Educational Resources and DRM-free e-books to support remote classroom needs."

Faculty Select is a single interface where faculty can easily discover and access Open Educational Resources (OER), as well as find and request access to unrestricted, DRM-free e-books from top academic publishers.

With this option, EBSCO is offering a simplified version of Faculty Select that includes access to OER material as well as the option to discover more than 225,000 DRM-free EBSCO eBooks™ in one place, available at no charge for faculty to use through June 30, 2020" -- from Publisher. 

Examples of Resources:

OER eBooks:

Bennet, T. (2017). Writing and Literature : Composition as Inquiry, Learning, Thinking, and Communication. University of North Georgia Press.

Crosslin, M. (2018). Creating Online Learning Experiences. Mavs Open Press.

Heikka, J., Hujala, E., Rodd, J., Strehmel, P., & Waniganayake, M. (2019). Leadership in Early Education in Times of Change. Verlag Barbara Budrich. https://doi.org/10.3224/84742199

Olmsted, J. (2019). Tools for Podcasting. American University.

Pence, A. R. . 1948-, author. (2015). Complexities, capacities, communities : changing development narratives in early childhood education, care and development. University of Victoria.

Wikström af Edholm, K., Jackson Rova, P., Nordberg, A., Sundqvist, O., & Zachrisson, T. (2019). Myth, Materiality, and Lived Religion. Stockholm University Press. https://doi.org/10.16993/bay

FROM: Jennifer McCarthy, French & German Instructor 
BOOK:  The Water Dancer
AUTHOR:  Ta-Nahisi Coates

Literary criticism uses the word defamiliarization to describe the author’s ability to render the familiar unfamiliar, and the normal strange, by simultaneously interpreting, re-imagining and re-presenting the world to the reader.  Ta-Nahisi Coates’ wondrous 2019 novel The Water Dancer presents the hopes, memories, dreams, and aspirations of Hiram Walker in gloriously lyrical language that has been freed of conventional meaning through defamiliarization  and a touch of magical realism. The people enslaved are the “Tasked.” The white owners are the “Quality.” Hiram possesses the supernatural gift of “Conduction” just as his great-grandmother Santi Bess also possessed and which legend says she used to ferry a number of the Tasked to their freedom across the ocean and to the continent of Africa. Coates’ vocabulary seems at the same time as the 19th century and apart from it: it exists only within and throughout the novel itself. -- Jennifer McCarthy

Get a live, online orientation to Canvas.  Ask questions. Attend more than one. Find support. 

Canvas training will be offered in the form of Zoom webinars this term. Each of these will consist of a one-hour session on the basics of Canvas, including how to change your personal settings, how to navigate your courses, how to communicate within Canvas, and other key aspects of the platform. Here is the schedule:

March 31 - 10-11am (Mattias Olshausen, eLearning Coordinator): https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/178343018 

March 31 - 2-3pm (Jenn de Leon, Advising Coordinator): https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/223242690 

April 2 - 10-11am (Mattias Olshausen): https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/155265487 

April 7 - 10-11am (Mattias Olshausen): https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/971201677 

April 7 - 2-3pm (Jenn de Leon): https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/657252558 

April 9 - 10-11am (Mattias Olshausen): https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/801370026

To join one of these webinars at the listed time, copy and paste the appropriate link above into your browser. If you have any questions about what will be covered, please contact Mattias Olshausen at elearningadmin@bigbend.edu

The library is available to students 23/4/7 365!

• Use Databases A-Z.

• Read eBooks.

• Ask a Librarian for help! Use tab that is available on every Library website page!
   

Emerging Technology: Five New Tools to Try

A live introduction to educational emerging technology.  Have some to share? Please do! Great for education students, staff, and faculty. 

ThingLink

Example: https://libguides.bigbend.edu/Scholarly_Articles

​Scrumblr

Example:  https://libguides.bigbend.edu/ENG_101_Gutierrez_databases

Google forms to Visualizations or Spreadsheets

Google.com – Sign In – Google Drive

Screencast-o-matic

Canva

Example:  https://libguides.bigbend.edu

HERE: Share Book and Book Talk

REFERENCES:

"2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s"
"...reading reduces stress by 68 percent"
Book and Reading Statistics

Leads to Clarity & Clear Thinking
Opening the Closed Mind: The Effect of Exposure to Literature on the Need for Closure

Be Resourceful
Goal Setting is Linked to Higher Achievement

Builds Resilience
5 Steps to a More Resilient You

Month: February
From: Cassie Torres
Book Title:  Dear Evan Hansen 
Author(s): Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, & Justin Paul

"Have you ever told a lie? Not just a little white lie, a huge lie that consumes you to the point where it becomes your truth. No matter how much you want to break free from it there is no escaping without hurting so many others. 

Dear Evan Hansen is about a lie. A lie that escalates to the point where Evan has no idea how to stop it. All of a sudden, Evan is not just another nobody; he was Connor Murphy’s best friend. Connor Murphy, who took his own life and did not have friend in the world, or so everyone thought.  

The answers are in Evan’s hands. What made Connor take his life? Was it drugs? Why did no one know about this secret friendship between Evan and Connor? It becomes easy for Evan to fabricate this fake friendship and in a way you kind of root for him. He is not going along with this because he wants attention (well maybe a little), but because he wants to give Connor’s family some sort of solace during a difficult time. 

I enjoyed this book because even though what Evan is doing is wrong, so much good comes from his lie. Not without destroying him first though. Sometimes we need to break down to rebuild and that is just what Evan does. "

#BigBendCCBookChallenge #12in12 #NewYearsResolution #WhiteLies 

"NewsBank provides a comprehensive collection of reliable news sources covering a wide array of topics and issues..."

Review this video on Newsbank's research-ready features.

Interview with:  Sarah Bauer, Chemistry Instructor, Big Bend Community College

Do you remember the precise moment, book, or class that cognitive learning captivated you?

I have always really loved learning about the science of just about anything: the science of habit formation, the science of willpower, the science of memory, etc.  I love to know the “why?” and the “how do we know that?” about things. My favorite things to read tend to be along these lines: "The Science of..." books.  And of course, as a teacher, I have always been interested and in love with learning. The precise moment when I realized that I could merge those two interests into one passion was when I read Teach Students How to Learn by Saundra McGuire.  It really inspired me to want to become a resource for students and faculty on learning and I have been captivated ever since. 

In your educational research, you have found frustration to be more of a happy place than how many of us might describe frustration.  What advice do you have for learners that hit that wall?

Oh heavens, I hate being frustrated and I have had to come a LONG WAY in this.  In the past, my tolerance for mistakes and frustration was pretty low; it did not take much struggle before I was devastated, probably in tears, and convinced that I couldn't do it and never would. If I stuck with it, I eventually would see progress and feel better and keep going. I've experienced this "despair/elation" cycle enough to realize that the messy "middle act" is part of my journey and I have to accept it and walk through it to get to the part that feels good again.  I also read Mindset by Carol Dweck and had to really face the way my mindset and fear of failure were limiting me and also making me rather miserable and obnoxious.

My advice for learners (which is all of us) is going to sound pretty Pollyanna-ish, but I mean it with every atom in my body.  (It's also research-based too, of course!):

Remember that mistakes, frustration, and struggle are an absolutely critical part of the learning process.  It’s the messy, middle act. They mean you are trying, that you are challenging yourself, and it is frustration that triggers the brain to engage in the hard work of long-term learning. Frustration means you are on the right track.

• Watch your self-talk; do not let the mean voice in your head have a megaphone; remember to argue against it.  Only talk to yourself the way you would to a friend in a similar situation.
• Give yourself permission to make mistakes and not be perfect.  Let go of your 4.0 and focus on learning.  I mean this.  Write yourself a literal permission slip if you have to.
• When the frustration feels too big, take a break.  Go for a walk, do some mindfulness etc.  Frustration can lead to cognitive tunnel-vision, which can block the creative process.  Step away and do something else for a while. 

What is something people are surprised to learn about you?

Probably that I really struggle with imposter syndrome sometimes, with the deep-down feeling like I do not belong here; that I am a fraud, a charlatan, that has tricked everyone into thinking that I am intelligent, that I know things, that I am a good teacher; and the fear then that someday people will figure it out.  I’ll do or say something, fail at some project, and everyone will suddenly realize the truth: that I am just a country bumpkin who received free lunch in school and never really left her hometown, who pretends to know things but actually just knows a few things and says them with confidence, who is embarrassingly directionally challenged, cannot remember names to save her life, and really isn’t that special after all.

However, I believe in the importance of wrestling with our demons, naming our struggles, and removing their power by confessing them out loud; and so while I do scuffle with these feelings often, they are not currently winning or defining me.  One of my favorite quotes of all time (which I have framed in my office as a reminder) is from the author Neil Gaiman:

"Some years ago, I was lucky enough invited to a gathering of great and good people: artists and scientists, writers and discoverers of things.  And I felt that at any moment they would realize that I didn’t qualify to be there, among these people who had really done things.

On my second or third night there, I was standing at the back of the hall, while a musical entertainment happened, and I started talking to a very nice, polite, elderly gentleman about several things, including our shared first name. And then he pointed to the hall of people, and said words to the effect of, “I just look at all these people, and I think, what the heck am I doing here? They’ve made amazing things. I just went where I was sent.”

And I said, “Yes. But you were the first man on the moon. I think that counts for something.”

And I felt a bit better. Because if Neil Armstrong felt like an imposter, maybe everyone did. Maybe there weren’t any grown-ups, only people who had worked hard and also got lucky and were slightly out of their depth, all of us doing the best job we could, which is all we can really hope for.

                It reminds me that we are all imposters, which means of course, that none of us really are." (Alan Baxter Tweet)

 A suggested reading list of 3-5 things including cognitive learning passion and anything else.

Everything.  Read it all.  Read as much and as often as you can.  I love audiobooks for this reason so that I can be “reading” while I am driving or cleaning or running.  I take breaks from reading too much and am always happy to remember how much I love it when I do again.  Here are a few that you must:

• Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carl Dweck et al.
• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
• Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live by Brené Brown (actually, just read anything and everything written by her)

Notable Websites