June 2024
For many, summer is a time to break free of the typical classroom, to take or teach a new course, to go on an adventure in a far-off place - a time when learning takes on new forms and expanded meanings. This month’s articles are selected around the theme of exploration, new opportunities, and of looking at learning in new ways. We hope they inspire you to go on some adventures of your own this summer!
In this edition:
- What’s the Key to Lifelong Learning? A Good Syllabus.
- Colorado Promise Opens Doors for Middle-Income Students
- Expanding your Boundaries through…Mediocrity?
- Explore our Latest Webinar
What’s the Key to Lifelong Learning? A Good Syllabus.
At Concourse, we’re always interested in new perspectives on what a syllabus is, what it can be, and what purpose it serves. Far from the static, possibly stale document it can become if neglected, we love the idea of it as a vibrant and purposeful guide for learning. Alex Prezeau, a recent graduate of Columbia University, was looking for a way to maintain a focus on learning beyond the university, “in a world where education won’t be our primary focus anymore.” Her quest led her to combine the idea of a syllabus, with key information like a schedule and learning objectives, with a zine - a format that encourages “spontaneity, passion, and freedom.” You can read more about the workshop she created and one student’s experience creating her own syllabus zine on Bwog, a student-led new site for Columbia students.
Colorado’s Promise Opens Doors for Middle-Income Students
When considering a new journey, whether physical or metaphorical, it’s always important to consider the obstacles that come along with it. And with adventures in learning, just like in other types, one obstacle often looms large: money. The Colorado Promise program expands on existing assistance options to provide students with funding for up to 65 credits at ANY state institutions for students at income levels of up to $90,000 per year. This program stands apart for its expanded income cap, its inclusion of four-year colleges, and its innovative use of tax credits to return students’ own money to them, putting their tax dollars to work for themselves in the most efficient way possible. Read more about the new program on Inside Higher Ed.
Expanding Your Boundaries through…Mediocrity?
Expanding Your Boundaries through…Mediocrity?
Samuel Beckett exhorted his readers to “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” As we gain experience and expertise, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be new to something, to struggle with something, or to have to stretch our brains in new directions. Rachel Trousdale reminds us that our students deal with those feelings every time they start a new class. She encourages teachers to tackle new challenges from outside of their expertise to remind themselves how it feels to be new - and maybe not very good - at something, and remember what it’s like to be a learner.
Explore our Latest Webinar
Stuck at your desk? That doesn’t mean you can’t do some exploring of your own. Dr. Ryan Faulkner of the College of Eastern Idaho recently shared CEI’s journey to better syllabi through Concourse Syllabus in an engaging and informative webinar. Take 30 minutes and learn how the right product and the right team are so important to taking your syllabi to the next level.
