GWSS Community Blog

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) has constructed two pilot project classrooms that are designed as student-centered, integrated, flexible, active learning spaces. The two classrooms are Electri­cal Engineering/Computer Science 2-260, which seats 45, on the East Bank and Biological Sciences Center 64, which seats 117, on the St Paul campus.

These pilot classrooms are intended to stimulate interest in new and innovative classrooms, to demonstrate new flexible classroom construction techniques, and to allow faculty and student assessment of new classroom designs and pedagogy.

The Active Learning Classrooms feature large round tables that seat 9 students each, switchable laptop based technology, multiple fixed flat-panel display/projection systems, a centered teaching station which allows the instructor to select and display table specific information, and a 360-degree glass-surface marker board around the circumference of the classroom. The classrooms are designed to foster an interactive, student centered learning experience. These rooms operate using student-provided laptops. Laptops in ALC Pilot Rooms.

Both classrooms feature reconfigurable low-profile flooring with internal power and cable management. Bio­logical Sciences Center 64 features demountable wall systems, which will allow the room to be reconfigured, or flexed, on an annual basis to meet changing room size or pedagogical requirements. The 117-capacity room has the ability to flex smaller into 2 Active Learning Classrooms (72 and 36 capacity), 2 traditional seating table/chair classrooms, or 1 Active Learning Classroom and 1 traditional classroom.

Bio Science 64 (Flexed up) Bio Science 64 (Flexed down)
Bio Science 64 (Flexed up) Bio Science 64 (Flexed down)

These future-oriented flexible classrooms are envisioned as companions to other room types that make up the diverse landscape of instructional spaces in the U of M Twin Cities central classroom inventory.

Reasons for Active Learning Classrooms:

* Offers instructors another choice for teaching
* Enables instructors to better interact with students
* Furniture and technology set-up allow students to work in small groups of 3 students, which takes advantage of cooperative learning techniques and helps students form learning groups
* Creates a cooperative learning environment that encourages students to collaborate with peers by questioning and teaching one another
* Allows instructors to coach students during activities by assisting them in answering their own questions
* Allows students to present their results to the class for review by peers and instructors

Reasons for Flexible Classrooms:

* Flexible room design allows classrooms to keep pace with changing course requirements and pedagogy
* flexibility in room size and capacity
* flexibility in classroom technology
* flexibility in furniture

* Classrooms can be “flexed� on a semester-by-semester basis
* Major classroom renovation costs can be avoided over the life cycle of the building

OCM is excited about the new pilot classrooms and has partnered with the Digital Media Center, OIT for faculty development and student/faculty assessment. OCM is interested in students and faculty feedback about the Active Learning Classrooms. If you are interested in learning more about Active Learning Classrooms or in teaching in the classrooms next Spring, please contact OCM Classroom Planner Jeremy Todd at 625-5379, OCM Scheduling manager Nancy Peterson at 625-6089 or OCM director Steve Fitzgerald at 626-8677.

Posted by Rae at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a resource list for GWSS community members, produced for the Feminist Teaching with Technology workshop conducted by Rachel Raimist on January 30, 2008 in the Feminist Media Center (FMC), 468 Ford Hall.

Course Website Tools:

WebVista (formerly WebCT): http://webvista.umn.edu/
- request a WebVista Site: http://webvista.umn.edu/forms/request-site.shtml
- most widely used course website system on campus

Moodle: https://moodle.umn.edu/
- course website tool that has simple interface for students

UMN Supported Technologies:

Web Mail: http://mail.umn.edu
- interface to check email from any computer connected to the Internet

MyU Portal: http://www.myu.umn.edu
- your information and technology gateway at the U
- MyU Portal Tutorial: http://uttc.umn.edu/training/resources/portal/orientation/index.html

UMConnect (formerly Breeze): http://umconnect-support.umn.edu/
- on-demand and live communications over the web for classes, conferences, and presentations
- Example of Breeze Project for GWSS 3307 Feminist Film Studies - https://umconnect.umn.edu/gwss1/

UMChat / Jabber: jhttps://chat.umn.edu/
- campus chat tool

UMCal: https://umcal.umn.edu
- university calendaring system, great for booking group meetings

UMN Wiki: https://wiki.umn.edu/view/Main
- editable webpages

CLA Netstorage: http://netstorage.cla.umn.edu/
- storage system; great for file backups

Electronic Portfolio: https://portfolio.umn.edu/portfolio/index.jsp
- secure web site at the University of Minnesota for entering, saving, organizing, viewing, and selectively sharing personal educational records

Personal Webspace: http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/webpage.html
- your free space on the web

CLA Media Mill: http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/
- site to help you convert, compress, archive and distribute video and audio content on the web
- overview video is here

Blogging at the University of Minnesota:

UThink Blog Homepage: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/
- Start your own blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/uthink/start.phtml
- Learn about ways to use blogs: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/uthink/ways.phtml

Examples of GWSS Course Blogs:
GWSS 1001 - 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
GWSS 3302 - 1
GWSS 3306 - 1
GWSS 3307 - 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
GWSS 3390 - 1
GWSS 4103/5104 - 1
GWSS 4403 - 1
GWSS 8490 - 1

Examples of UThink Feminist Personal / Community Blogs:
GWSS Community Blog - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/gwss/blog
Rachel's Spot - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/raim0007/RaeSpot/
Feisty Femmes - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/women/feistyfemmes/
UofMFeminist - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/englu057/gwss3307/
CyborgsDoDance - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/doer0026/cyborgs/
Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/perry032/impossible/

Technical Training:

University Technology Training Center:http://uttc.umn.edu/training/

UTTC CLA Get Wired FREE classes: http://uttc.umn.edu/training/GetWired/

Self-paced CD-Rom Tutorials (FREE!): http://uttc.umn.edu/training/tutorials/tutorials_list.jsp
Online Tutorials: http://uttc.umn.edu/training/tutorials/index.jsp

Teaching with Technology Support:

Academic and Distributed Computing Services: http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/index.html
- ACDS runs the help desk, can help with privacy and security issues (passwords), free Microsoft Office and other software for all students and faculty

ADCS Technology Helpline: http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/index.html
- call 612-301-4357 (on campus, dial 1-HELP) for any computer / tech help

Digital Media Center (Helping Instructors Teach with Technology): http://dmc.umn.edu/
- articles, podcasts, information, funding and resources for teaching with technology
- DMC Teaching Strategies Site: http://dmc.umn.edu/teach.shtml

University Computer Services:http://www1.umn.edu/ucs/
- software purchases, refurbished computers for sale

CLA Office of Information Technology (CLAOIT): http://www.claoit.umn.edu/
- free loaner computers, video and digital still cameras, tripods

UMart: http://umart.umn.edu/
- discounts on new and used hardware, discounted software

Posted by Rae at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies will be holding a welcome/welcome back pizza party!

Details:
Thursday, January 31
12:00 PM-1:30 PM
in 440 Ford Hall (our beautiful, redecorated lounge space).

We will have some great opportunities to get involved in the department, t-shirt design and art contests, information on scholarships and awards and prizes too.

Please join us for pizza, beverages and fun. All students, faculty and staff are welcome.

For more information, contact the undergraduate advising office at ayles001@umn.edu or 612-624-6809.

Posted by Rae at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

GWSS Tech Talk: Feminist Teaching with Technology Wednesday, Jan. 30 from 12 - 2 p.m. in the Feminist Media Center (FMC), 468 Ford Hall Facilitator: Rachel Raimist - raim0007@umn.edu

In this GWSS Tech Talk / FEMINIST MEDIA CENTER (FMC) workshop, I will share some theories and practices of feminist teaching, learning, research, and creativity using technology. I will use examples from GWSS courses: GWSS 1001:Gender, Power and Everyday Life: An Intro to GWSS, GWSS 3002:Feminist Thought and Theory, GWSS 3307 ( small enrollment class) + (large enrollment class 1 + 2: Feminist Film Studies, and GWSS 3390: Feminist Media Making: Theory + Practice.

In this session, I will:

• Demonstrate multiple uses of course blogs: as tools to create community, continue/deepen course discussions, post reading responses, track news items, post event info, and easily share media content to all members of the classroom community for large and small course enrollments

• Demonstrate key uses of WEBVISTA (formerly WebCT): site as a reading repository for enrolled students, place of accessible web links, announcements, computer-graded quiz tools, message boards, chat rooms, calendar tool, gradebook, and other helpful features

• Illustrate uses of UMN supported multimedia tools: BREEZE, MOODLE, WIKIs, JABBER, and other digital media tools offered through MyU PORTAL

• Share UMN tech resources - free and low cost classes, free CD-rom, tutorials, and new state of the art available for course use

• Start a GWSS community blog to post events, calls for papers, funding opportunities, and other information of interest to our community (and everyone will learn how to post to this blog during this session)

Bring your questions and an open-mind to this session! I look forward to seeing you there.

Please RSVP to raim0007@umn.edu if you are planning to attend this session.

Seating is limited. RSVP is not required, but encouraged!

Posted by Rae at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out the UMN Feminist Blogosphere:

Posted by Rae at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In November 2008, a special issue of Gender & Development will focus on Gender, Development and Leadership. Gender & Development provides a opportunity for all involved in development which upholds gender equality and women's rights to reflect on their work and share learning. Published three times each year, each journal issue focuses on a particular 'hot topic' in gender and development. In addition there are resources listings and non-thematic reviews of recent publications in the field, as well as a section on Views, Events and Debates.

Researchers, practitioners and activists are invited to submit their ideas for this issue, by a deadline of 7 February 2008.

We particularly welcome contributions from first-time writers with policy and practice-related experience to share, and will provide the necessary support for you to share your development experience and expertise through the journal.

To find out more and how to submit your idea, please visit www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/cgdecfp.pdf

For more information on Gender & Development, visit the journal's homepage at: www.informaworld.com/GaD

You have received this email because you are registered to receive alerts for related publications and we believe this may be of interest to you. Should you wish to stop receiving these emails, please go to:
http://www.informaworld.com, sign in and update your account preferences.

Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive alerts and information from informaworld please add 'alerts@informaworld.com' and 'info@informaworld.com' to your safe senders list.

informaworld is the online home of publications from Taylor & Francis, Routledge, Psychology Press and Informa Healthcare Informa plc ("Informa") Registered Office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London, W1T 3JH. Registered in England and Wales - Number 3099067.

Posted by Rae at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WSAC friends and allies: Welcome back to another year with WSAC!

We are having many exciting plans for this spring including… a performance piece called Monday Night In Westerbork by S.Bergman (Feb 25), film series focusing on Consumerism, a five step series Feminist Self-Defense training with FEMA (Mar 26- Apr 23), International Women’s Day celebration (Mar 15), an event with speakers interrelating Feminism and Disability, our annual Revolutionary Art Thing with workshops and performances with the Poetic Assassins and MORE!!!

Thinking of joining WSAC? You should! Come to our first meeting on Wednesday Jan 30th at 12.30 pm. We will also have some open houses in a near future that you also can attend to learn more about us.

Thanks for your support!
WSAC

Community announcements:

1. Sign up for the class “Sociology of Gender�- few spots left!
Tuesday/Thursday 8:15-9:30 - Blegen Hall Room 150

Description: How many times every day are you reminded of your gender? This
course will help us to see gender and to understand how and why gender
operates in society. The course will primarily focus on the contemporary US,
with some focus on international issues. This course will examine the role
of gender in the social organization of society, focusing on both men and
women, but taking a critical gaze at the role of gender inequality in
society. We will be examining the social construction of gender and looking
at how individuals become gendered beings in society through childhood
socialization, education, and other formative experiences. We will use the
sociological imagination to explore the up close and personal experience of
being gendered individuals as well as the social institutions that create,
preserve, and alter gender norms, including schools, families, and the
media. This course will additionally cover a wide range of topics that
examine how gender systems interact with society, including, but not limited
to: gendered communication, the media, the economy, the social construction
of the body and body image, sexualities, race/ethnicity, transgender bodies
and identities, violence, and social change.

Instructor: Tim Ortyl

Tuesday/Thursday 8:15-9:30 - Blegen Hall Room 150

Prereq: Sociology 1001 or instructor's consent / Soc majors must register
A-F

2. Internships Available in Environmental Organizing, Spring 2008.

Application Deadline: January 30th, 2008
Apply online via GoldPASS

http://goldpass.umn.edu

We all care deeply about our environment. We also know that, as a country,
we need to be taking more action to ensure our environment is preserved,
especially when powerful interests stand in the way.

Environment America is taking applications from current college students for
our Spring 2008 internships in environmental organizing. Environment
America acts as a powerful advocate for our environment: promoting energy
efficiency, protecting our open spaces, cleaning up our air and water, and
advancing global warming solutions. We speak out and take action at the
local, state, and national levels to improve the quality of our environment
and our lives.

Interns with Environment America will get a chance to work with experienced
environmental organizers and will have an immediate impact on critical
environmental issues. An internship with Environment America gives current
college students the training and experience in media outreach, coalition
building and lobbying to assume leadership roles in the environmental
movement after graduation. Preference will be given to Environment America
interns when hiring college graduates for career positions.

Qualifications:

We are looking for current college students who care about our environment
and are driven to preserve it for the future. We look for strong leadership
skills, academic excellence, problem solving ability, and top-notch written
and verbal skills. We value experience with campus and activist groups.

Application Deadline and Instructions:

The application deadline is January 30th, 2008. Individual interviews will
be conducted on February 1st, 2008.

Apply online via GoldPASS (http://goldpass.umn.edu
) and search for "Environment America" or
"Environmental Organizing Internships".

Internship details:

Internship training will be held on Saturday, February 2nd from 1-3 pm.
Internships begin on February 11th and end on April 18th.

Questions? Contact:

Monique Sullivan

Minnesota Field Organizer

Environment America

1313 5th St. SE, Suite 316

Minneapolis, MN 55414

msullivan@environmentamerica.org

612 331 8404

3. 2nd Annual Pre-Medical Forum (PMF): In the Spirit of Healing, Saturday,
January 26, 2008

Saturday, January 26, 2008
8:00 am - 7:00 pm
University of Minnesota Medical School
Opening events at the Mayo Memorial Auditorium

My name is Liz Medina Alm, and I represent the Student National Medical
Association (SNMA) at the University of Minnesota Medical School. SNMA is
an organization whose missions include eliminating health care disparities,
as well as, recruiting and graduating more minority medical students. To
this end, we will host the 2nd Annual Pre-Medical Forum (PMF): In the
Spirit of Healing in Minneapolis on January 26th2008, to which all
pre-medical students are invited.

As a leader in your pre-medical student community, we ask that you
circulate this notice to as many interested pre-medical students as you can
(attached is our flier). Attendance at last year’s inaugural PMF was
excellent (with over 300 students in attendance) and we look forward to
another great year. Some of the goals of the PMF include:

1) Create a better understanding of life as a medical student and a
physician.
2) Bring attention to the importance of culture, diversity and
internationalism in medicine, especially as it relates to medical
education.
3) Increase the number of underrepresented minorities applying and being
accepted into medical schools.
4) Cultivate a community of knowledge, resources and programs for pre
medical students.

This year's PMF will provide preparatory information for anyone interested
in a career in medicine. On Saturday, January 26th, 2008 we have an entire
day of conference events planned, closing with a dinner and evening social
event. Forum attendees will have a chance to learn about the medical school
admission process, strategies on taking the Medical College Admission Test
(MCAT), and on crafting their personal statements for medical school
applications. Our qualified and energetic faculty will host several
interactive workshops highlighting different specialties and procedures.

We sincerely look forward to working with you. Please check our web-site
for regular update (http://student.med.umn.edu/snma/PMF/ ) including the
Activities Fair Registration form. If you have any questions, please e-mail
or call us.

An email announcement is included below for interested students.

Pre-Medical Forum: In the Spirit of Healing
Saturday, January 26, 2008
8:00 am - 7:00 pm
University of Minnesota Medical School
Opening events at the Mayo Memorial Auditorium

Are you... Interested in Medicine? Interested in applying to medical
school? Full of questions about the application process, MCAT’s, financial
aid & medical school in general? Just interested in getting a peak into
different medical specialities?

Regardless of where you are in your post-secondary education, if you are a
minority student or are interested in medicine related to health
disparities, under-privileged communities, or minority affairs, this
conference has something for you. What will the forum entail?

This year's PMF will provide preparatory information for anyone interested
in a career in medicine. On Saturday, January 26th, 2008 we have an entire
day of conference events planned, closing with a dinner and evening social
event.

Attendees will:
• Learn about the medical school admissions process.
• Acquire strategies on taking the MCAT.
• Be advised on crafting their personal statements.
• Learn about dual-degree programs & research programs.
• Meet & lunch with medical students and physicians.
• Choose and participate in two different interactive workshops.

Our featured workshops will be in (subject to change) • Anatomy and
Physiology • Radiology • Infectious Disease • Pulmonology • Surgical
Suturing • Emergency Medicine • Cardiology • Holistic Medicine • Sports
Medicine • And More!

Registration fee is a low $35 in advance (yes, there are scholarships
available) and seating is limited. Registration fee includes continental
breakfast lunch & dinner! All information, including the registration form
& schedule of events is available at our web-site:
http://student.med.umn.edu/snma/PMF/

Please don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to learn about medical
school, attend specialty workshops & mingle with other medical students &
physicians.

Thank you & we look forward to seeing you there,

Liz Medina Alm
MD Candidate 2010
U of MN Medical School
President - Student National Medical Association
612.626.3469

-- The mission of the Women's Student Activist Collective is to empower
women and transpeople to make positive changes in society through the
elimination of racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, classism, and all
interrelated forms of inequality.

wsac@umn.edu, www.tc.umn.edu/~wsac, 612.625.1611
300 Washington Ave. SE, Suite 202

Posted by Rae at 3:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Digital Media Center (DMC) and Academic and Distributed Computing Services, Office of Information Technology (OIT), once again invite teaching assistants (TAs) to participate in the TA Web Certification Program. This program prepares TAs to assist faculty members with the planning, design, creation, and evaluation of course Web sites. It also provides them with the necessary skills to maintain these Web sites. There will be one non-credit session offered this spring on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m. beginning February 6 and running through April 30, and one 2-credit version, NURS 5113, that is open to all graduate students and meets from 9:05 to 11:00 a.m. on Thursdays throughout the semester.

The TA Web Certification Program offers free Web design training and pedagogical instruction in a blended learning format that involves both face-to-face and online learning experiences. Taught by a group of professionals from OIT, the program includes seminars, hands-on software training, and online activities and assignments designed to teach TAs how to develop and support learning in pedagogically effective course Web sites.

As an additional benefit, when TAs complete the requirements and receive a certificate in the non-credit program, we will supply a free copy of Adobe® Dreamweaver® to the sponsoring faculty member.

For more details about the program, including a complete schedule and registration information, please see http://dmc.umn.edu/ta-web/.

Posted by Rae at 2:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“NETWORKS & NEIGHBORHOODS IN CYBERSPACE� - MN FUTURES GRANT SYMPOSIUM

Facebook, Linkedln, MySpace -- these and other online networks connect millions of people every day. But how do online networks affect learning and communication? What are the educational, cultural, political, commercial and ethical implications of intersecting virtual and physical communities? How can research relationships in academic settings be better facilitated and structured by modern technologies?

Join us as we explore the brave new world of “Networks & Neighborhoods in Cyberspace�

February 11, 2008 from 8-4:30pm
Walter Library - 4th floor, Digital Technology Center (U of M East Bank campus)

Registration is FREE and includes continental breakfast, lunch buffet and refreshments.

Note: Only attendees can apply for $250,000 MN Futures Grants!

REGISTER NOW! at:
www.networksincyberspace.org

FREE REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 31, 2008 (limit to first 100 participants).

The symposium is convened by Christine Greenhow (Chair)- Learning Technologies, College of Education + Human Development; Ann Hill Duin and Linda Jorn – Digital Media Center and Office of Information Technology; Joanna O’Connell - Spanish and Portuguese Studies, College of Liberal Arts.

We hope you can participate and enrich our thinking about the formation, facilitation and investigation of online networks and make valuable contacts to enrich and promote your own work.

If you have questions or need more information, please email greenhow@umn.edu.

Thank you for considering this invitation!

Christine Greenhow, Ann Hill Duin, Linda Jorn, Joanna O'Connell,

More information at: www.networksincyberspace.org
*View in Internet Explorer for best results

Posted by Rae at 2:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This a new project of the UMN GWSS Feminist Media Center (the FMC). It is a blog for members of the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Department to post calls for proposals, events, funding opportunities, and news items of interest to GWSS.

If you have any questions on how to post, what to post, or ideas you have for this blog, please email GWSS grad student, Rachel at raim0007@umn.edu.

Happy posting!

Posted by Rae at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)