Linked from a rather silly discussion on Reddit of how did “Pirate Speak” come to be so recognizable, was this fascinating video about English actors performing the plays of Shakespeare in the original pronunciation at London’s Globe Theatre. When spoken in modern English, the meaning is lost for original puns or words intended to rhyme, […]
Monthly Archives:: June 2014
Destination: Circles Track 2014 Exit Ticket Results featuring Tagxedo

Assessment is often a dirty word in higher education, but we’re getting better at figuring out what can/should be measured every day. On the last day of Valencia College’s annual profession development program Destination, the 2014 Circles of Innovation Track participated in a snowflake activity as an exit ticket for the five week experience. The […]
Threaded Lesson- Linear Regression
Hello, Here is a threaded lesson that I created for my mathematics class. Step 1) I will have my students check out this infographic before class and be ready to discuss at the beginning of class. Step 2) I will show this youtube about the relationship between wealth and health. Step 3) After watching the […]
Nightly News: Homework Diner Serves Up Success
One of our Strategic Goals at Valencia College is to “Partner with the Community”. A recipe for success in academia must incorporate partnerships with multiple pathways and support from varieties of disciplines. To truly be a “gem” of a program there can be a little love and dining – simply sharing a meal still is one […]
Textbook Costs up over 800% since 1978
Boundless is a service hoping to combat the high cost of textbooks, driven by the oligopoly enjoyed by the text publishing industry. As this article points out, 80% of all college texts are published by just 4 companies – Pearson, Cengage, Wiley and McGraw-Hill: http://blog.boundless.com/2013/04/the-cost-of-textbooks-is-too-damn-high-so-boundless-made-free-ones/?/ Please contribute additional comments and links on the […]
Language Learning App: DuoLingo
Special thanks to Aysha Aslam for sharing this wonderful app with Circles of Innovation. According to Aysha, you can use this app to learn Spanish, French, German, Italian or Portuguese, and you can do it for FREE! The App is working to bring free language education for the world: https://www.duolingo.com/ Here’s how it works: Somebody who […]
The Happiness Effect: How Exercise Makes You Happy | Visual.ly
Here’s more great motivation to exercise! Come on, get off your chair and get happy:) The Happiness Effect: How Exercise Makes You Happy | Visual.ly.
Adobe Voice: Show your story. In minutes. – YouTube
One of the biggest requests I get as a Digital Media instructor is for advice on easy ways to do visual storytelling. I haven’t had a chance to use this app yet…but the price tag is listed as ‘free’ and the YouTube promo looks impressive. Adobe Voice: Show your story. In minutes. – YouTube.
Standing up to High School Bullies
For those of you who are parents with school age children, you may find the inspiring story of Maya Van Wagenen useful when counseling youth on navigating the corridors of high school. While there have been many books (and movies by John Hughes and others) which explore what can be a minefield of awkward positioning […]
Facebook for Educators
Many educators like myself are apprehensive about using social media tools in our classrooms. After looking inward and analyzing why I was fearful of this, I realized that I cannot afford to be fearful of social media. If I continue my path of fear, my students will lose a tremendous opportunity to learn how to […]
“Is the Way We Lecture Outdated for Today’s Students?” by Matthew Stoltzfus, Ohio State University – YouTube
I met Dr. Matthew Stolotfus’ during our weekend seminar hosted on the campus of Wagner College, last summer. Lecturing was a necessary educational tool prior to the Gutenberg press, yet many colleges and universities continue to depress engagement of students by continuing in this practice. With the revolution of engaging practices from business, and needs for […]
What Can be Done with Bad Teachers?
Most teachers do not begin teaching with plans of being a ‘Bad Teacher.’ According to the “What Can Be Done with Bad Teachers?” infographic, there are three categories of teachers: low-performing, average, and irreplaceable. Only 20% are considered irreplaceable, considered to be among the best? According to the infographic, there are two schools of thought […]
Fun Theory and the 2014 Learning Support Luau
This presentation was designed for the 2014 Learning Support Luau for the Valencia east campus learning support team. Together we discussed game theory & fun theory and Circles challenged the learning support team to think outside of the box and create some new ways to engage students and enhance learning. We also discussed brick & mortar […]
Creating a Masterpiece One Stroke at a Time: Changing Behaviors and Habits

You can do what you imagine; you can create the masterpiece you’ve always dreamed. Here is a complete module to help you change a habit, a behavior, or try something new. Maybe you just need a little motivation to move out of your comfort zone. One small change can make a huge difference; stroke by […]
A Different View Of Michelangelo
Hum:2230-Renaissance and Baroque Introduction: This is a look a Michelangelo from a different angle. Michelangelo lived in changing times and his art and writings reflect those changes. This lesson plan deals with his life in Rome after he moved there from Florence in 1534. The Protestant Movement had been underway for some years and the […]