Celebration of Learning

Scholars Celebration of Learning - Dessert Buffet

When: December 13, 2013
           7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Heritage Ballroom
Who: All First Year Scholars expected as part of SCH 101
          All other Scholars and Scholars faculty are invited.

Rape Culture and Feminism

Today in SCH 101, we had a presentation on Rape Culture and Feminism.  The first topic went pretty well with some of the quieter students expressing their concerns.  The second half got quite heated.  One of the students managed to poke me in a sensitive spot.  So, at the end of class, I said that the topic of Feminism might be better discussed in small groups and on our blogs, so I am going to take my own advice.  Much of what is included is going to be direct quotes from a variety of sources.

Claim: Men are better at math and science than women.

There is definitely a difference between math test scores between boys and girls.  However, the difference of means on math test scores has narrowed significantly as girls take more math courses in High School.

Over the last 60 years, the number of math and science courses taken by female high school students has increased and now the mean and standard deviation in performance on math test scores are only slightly larger for males than for females according to the Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 24, Number 2—Spring 2010—Pages 129–144.

However, they continue

Despite minor differences in mean performance, Hedges and Nowell (1995) show that many more boys than girls perform at the right tail of the distribution. This gender gap has been documented for a series of math tests including the AP calculus test, the mathematics SAT, and the quantitative portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Over the past 20 years, the fraction of males to females who score in the top five percent in high school math has remained constant at two to one (Xie and Shauman, 2003). Examining students who scored 800 on the math SAT in 2007, Ellison and Swanson (in this issue) also find a two to one male–female ratio.

  .....

The objective of this paper is not to discuss whether the mathematical skills of males and females differ, be it a result of nurture or nature. Rather we argue that the reported test scores do not necessarily match the gender differences in math skills. We will present results that suggest that the abundant and disturbing evidence of a large gender gap in mathematics performance at high percentiles in part may be explained by the differential manner in which men and women respond to competitive test-taking environments.
We provide evidence of a significant and substantial gender difference in the extent to which skills are reflected in a competitive performance. The effects in mixed-sex settings range from women failing to perform well in competitions (Gneezy, Niederle, and Rustichini, 2003) to women shying away from environments in which they have to compete (Niederle and Vesterlund, 2007). We find that the response to competition differs for men and women, and in the examined environment, gender difference in competitive performance does not reflect the difference in noncompetitive performance. 

Thus, while tests may show that a larger number of boys perform exceedingly well on the math exams (and a corresponding large number perform exceedingly poorly since the means are nearly identical), it is not the case that the same larger number of boys understands mathematics excellently.

According to the research article "Math and Science Attitudes and Achievement at the Intersection of Gender and Ethnicity," in Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2013., 

Despite gender similarities in math and science achievement, female adolescents tend to believe their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) abilities are just not as strong as those of their male classmates even though male and female students earn similar grades in math and science while Asian American students of both genders outperform all other races.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-female-students-successful-males-math.html#jCp

The New York Times found that this difference between genders in science is highly cultural.  

According to a test given in 65 developed countries by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, among a representative sample of 15-year-olds around the world, girls generally outperform boys in science — but not in the United States.  Boys consistently outperform girls here, and that makes us an outlier. The only countries that boast a wider gap in favor of boys are Colombia and Liechtenstein.

 Even in Academics, there is a bias towards men in studying Science.  A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (which Kelsey was referring to) demonstrated that faculty (of both genders) base the competency of an applicant based on the perceived gender of the name.

In a randomized double-blind study (n = 127), science faculty from research-intensive universities rated the application materials of a student—who was randomly assigned either a male or female name—for a laboratory manager position. Faculty participants rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hireable than the (identical) female applicant. These participants also selected a higher starting salary and offered more career mentoring to the male applicant. The gender of the faculty participants did not affect responses, such that female and male faculty were equally likely to exhibit bias against the female student. Mediation analyses indicated that the female student was less likely to be hired because she was viewed as less competent.

Claim: Pay differences are because women choose lower-pay majors 

I am not even going to get into the argument of why fields which are identified as feminine are traditionally paid less.  The pay gap is not as large when you compare students with the same academic background, but it is still intolerably large.  According to a 2007 study by the AAUW

Women one year out of college are paid 80 percent of what men are paid. Ten years after college graduation that number drops to 69 percent. After controlling for factors that affect earnings — like college major, job, and hours worked per week — women are still paid an unexplained 5 percent less than men one year after college graduation. This unexplained pay gap widens to 12 percent ten years after graduation.

According to the executive summary of this study,

Women one year out of college are paid 80 percent of what men are paid. Ten years after college graduation that number drops to 69 percent. After controlling for factors that affect earnings — like college major, job, and hours worked per week — women are still paid an unexplained 5 percent less than men one year after college graduation. This unexplained pay gap widens to 12 percent ten years after graduation.

The choice of major is not the full story, however. As early as one year after graduation, a pay gap is found between women and men who had the same college major. In education,
a female-dominated major, women earn 95 percent as much as their male colleagues earn. In biological sciences, a mixed-gender major, women earn only 75 percent as much as men earn. Likewise in mathematics—a male dominated major—women earn only 76 percent as much as
men earn. Female students cannot simply choose a major that will allow them to avoid the pay gap.

This is even true in Academia.  According to a study by Northwestern University professors, pay is often tied to "productivity" which means publishing papers.  The study found

the "productivity gap" varied depending on the discipline. In fields that require more resources, women publish less. This indicates the gap may exist because academic departments historically have not invested resources equally in female faculty from the start of their careers. Men are getting greater resources.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-12-tool-uncover-bias-female-faculty.html#jCp

Also, according to this Blog

A recent study at the University of Michigan found that female physicians and scientists are paid much less than their male counterparts, even when accounting for factors like work hours, academic titles, medical specialties, and age. All factors being equal, men’s salaries averaged $12,000 higher than women’s, which over the course of a career adds up to more than $350,000.

The study at Yale on new STEM grads also found that when professors in the study thought the applicant was male the starting salary offered was nearly $5,000 higher. 

Claim: There are more women going to college in the United States than men.

According to Forbes the total Fall enrollment of women in college surpassed men in the late 1970s and has been growing ever since.  In 2008, women made up 56% of the Public colleges and universities and 59% of the Private colleges and universities.

For more recent data, in a report by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics

Of the 3.2 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2012, about 2.1 million (66.2 percent) were enrolled in college in October. The college enrollment rate of recent high school graduates in October 2012 was little different from the rate in October 2011 (68.3 percent). For 2012 graduates, the college enrollment rate was 71.3 percent for young women and 61.3 percent for young men. The college enrollment rate of Asians (82.2 percent) was higher than for recent white (66.6 percent), black (58.2 percent), and Hispanic (70.3 percent) graduates.

Recent high school graduates not enrolled in college in the fall of 2012 were more likely than enrolled graduates to be in the labor force (69.6 percent compared with 38.2 percent). The unemployment rate for recent high school graduates not enrolled in school was 34.4 percent, compared with 17.7 percent for recent graduates enrolled in college.

Why?  According to the Chronicle of Higher Education the higher female college enrollment may be because of higher rates of dreams of college and better planning:

Female high-school students are more likely to aspire to attend college than are their male counterparts, and the young women enroll in college, persist, and graduate from it at higher rates as well, according to a report released on Tuesday by the National Center for Education Statistics.
The report, "Higher Education: Gaps in Access and Persistence Study,"  says that, in 2004, 96 percent of female high-school seniors wanted to go to college, compared with 90 percent of males. When female high-school graduates enrolled in college, they tended to do so immediately after high-school graduation; half chose a four-year institution.
Male high-school graduates made similar choices, but at lower rates. For example, while almost three-quarters of female students who enrolled in college did so immediately after high school, just over two-thirds of male students did. Slightly less than half of young men first enrolled in a four-year institution. 

Not Enough Work

The SCH 101 class is turning in all their writing via blogs.  I try to read every post within 48 hours of when it is turned in.  I comment on the ones that engage me, so if you aren't getting comments, you are failing Dr. Earl's requirement of entertainment.  Last night I read a blog that got me to thinking about the class and how we learn (you can find it and are encouraged to comment on it if you are inspired).

In this country college students are given a lot of busy work to help them learn.  They work homework problems, turn them in, and those are part of their grade.  They write short papers, turn them in, and those are part of their grade.  In this country we even give course credit for class participation.  This is very different from British and European Universities.  If you were at Oxford, your entire grade is based on an exam you take at the end of the term.  There are lectures to attend, problems to work, etc., but none of that is part of your grade.  Their quote is "Choosing the right subject is crucial. Like a good book, a good subject is one you can’t put down."

SCH 101 is a class where you receive education proportional to the amount of effort you put in.  If you are working on a subject that inspires you, it is up to you to find out more information about it.  If you are not inspired, find a justice subject that does inspire you and research that.  As a reminder, you are to be working on achieving the goals and objectives of IS 101.  I would say we have been working a lot on Goal 3, but I would like to see a few students show more work on Goals 2 and 4.

Can you coast through SCH 101 without putting in effort - yes, but the only person you are hurting is yourself.  Well, and the people around you who are frustrated with your lack of effort.  Do you want to improve your writing, think deeply before you write.  Back up your opinions and arguments with data and facts.  Use charts and graphs if applicable.  If you are using the internet to research, include links on your blog.

First Year Scholars Council Members

The newly elected first year Scholars representatives this year are

Ella Newell 

Kelsey Miner

Affirmative Action

This week SCH 101 has been discussing issues of academic justice.  In particular, I was in a group on Monday that was discussing Affirmative Action.  There seems to be some misunderstanding among the general population of first year students that issues of gender and race discrimination are from the past and are not occurring currently.  I beg to differ.

The median salaries of women are still significantly lower than those of women.  The median salaries of blacks and Hispanics are still significantly lower than those of white women.

The unemployment rate for blacks is more than twice that for whites and that number has not changed significantly in the last 50 years.  That is right, there has been NO PROGRESS in 50 years.  Why should we care?  Because the more people in good jobs, the more money people spend, the more money is paid in taxes, the lower the debt, the deficit, the better the economy, the more jobs are available, etc.  How could we make this economic miracle?

Want to increase employment?  Increase education, or join the armed forces.  Of course,  now that we are transitioning to peace-time armed forces it is becoming much more difficult to join up.

What does this have to do with affirmative action?  Whites and Asians are graduating from college at a higher percentage than they are in population.  Blacks and Hispanics are much less likely to graduate from college.

Is it possible?  Well, I am ready to predict that women are about to take over the job market that require a college degree?  Why?

The men are not going to college and they are not continuing on to masters degrees.

Why College?

This past week in SCH 101, one of the topics that came up was paying for college.  There was a lot of discussion on why we go to college at all and why it is so expensive.  We never got around to talking about my favorite subject, why go to college at all?

After all, it is certainly possible in the Midwest to graduate from High School, learn a trade, and keep a good job.  There are some skilled-jobs that do not require a college degree and make good money.  Many of the Scholars are going to college because they want a specific job that does require a college degree. However, you might ask the question, why does that job require you to go to college?  After all, a trade school could stuff Anatomy and Physiology into your brain quite well.

Going to college that changes you in deep ways.  We tell you to live with strangers in rooms that, in some cases, are little better than the housing projects.  We make you take all sorts of classes that, on the surface, do not have anything to do with your chosen career path.  We talk about Leadership and Service, Faith and Learning.  We refuse to give you a well-codified rubric and tell you we are looking for your best effort. Maybe most importantly, we make you back up your claims with data.

"A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching." - A. Bartlett Giamatti  Majors are a recent invention when it comes to college education.  The essential part of college is the gathering together of students who want to learn deeply about "stuff".  Although that stuff is different for each student, the learning happens when you share what you are passionate about with others around you.  That sharing happens sometimes in the classroom, but more often in the coffee shop, the Mensa, the gym, and in the residence halls when no one can sleep.  This is one of the reason I do my best to keep options open in SCH 101.  After all, in order to learn deeply about your stuff, you need to be passionate about it. “Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

You can meet someone at an event, talk with them for 10 minutes about nearly anything, and be 95% confident that you know whether or not they have been to college.  It isn't just that you "know more stuff," but that you are able to talk about other people's stuff, that you may not know a lot about, in a reasoned and logical way.  You read books because you find them interesting, not because they are required for class.  You take classes that are completely outside your comfort zone because they sound fun.  And, when you have children, they develop a love of learning because that is what everyone else in the family is doing.

Finally - some humor from one of my favorite authors:

“But we're a university! We have to have a library!" said Ridcully. "It adds tone. What sort of people would we be if we didn't go into the library?"

"Students," said Senior Wrangler morosely.” 

― Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent

Welfare

This week we discussed Welfare with the SCH 101 class.  This is always fun since the political leanings of students in class are in a spectrum from wide left to wide right and everything in between.  The question remains, what do to about problems of poverty in our country and worldwide?  So - for the students - here are two options I support that attack poverty problems from different points of view:

1.  Kiva -- This is for my more conservative students.  The point of Kiva is to loan money in units of $25 to people in third world countries with poor banking systems so that they can improve their lives and pay back the loans.  When you make the loan, you decide who to loan the money to based on what the money will be used for (supplies, education, etc.).  Then once you are paid back $25 you can loan it out again.

2.  Give Directly -- This is for my more liberal students. The point of Give Directly is to find the poorest of the poor in Kenya.  One of the amazing things about Kenya is that they don't have ATMs, but they have bypassed this entirely to use cheap cell phones to transfer money.  Once Give Directly has identified these poor, they give them money directly to use as they see fit.  The ideas is that the poor really know what will benefit them. "The most frequent self-reported use of funds is purchasing a metal roof. We estimate the annual rate of return on on metal as opposed to thatch roofing to be 15%-20%, suggesting this is an attractive investment."

I challenge the Scholars students to hold some fund raisers and then use this money to improve the life of someone who lives in abject poverty.  It is up to the Scholars to decide whether to go the conservative path or the liberal path.

Fwd: 11 Ways College Athletes Are Treated Worse Than Unpaid Interns

From: William Earl <william.earl@wartburg.edu>

11 Ways College Athletes Are Treated Worse Than Unpaid Interns

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/college-athletes-unpaid-interns_n_3865911.html

Sent from my iPhone

Fwd: BBC News: Green compensation scheme outlined

From Dr. Earl

I saw this story on the BBC News iPhone App and thought you should see it:

Green compensation scheme outlined

The UK government has outlined its proposals on compensating for the loss of biodiversity through development.

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23972980


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.

#green #biodiversity

Orange Exceleration - Day 5

We spent this morning's class reviewing computer details and learning a little bit about the Scholars Program, Committees, and something called Scholars Culture Points, which then the students were told they really didn't have to start worrying about until Winter.  We took a picture in front of Old Main and then made sure everyone was ready for class tomorrow.  SCH 101 tomorrow is in Old Main 100(?) at 1:15 PM.  Hope to see you all there.

BBC News: How many climate migrants will there be?

I saw this story on the BBC News iPhone App and thought you should see it:


How many climate migrants will there be?
An estimate that 200 million people could be forced to flee their country because of climate change has been repeated many times. But how reliable is it?

Read more:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23899195




From Dr. Earl.

Orange Exceleration - Day 4

Today we had a 2 hour class that was only supposed to be 1.75 hours (oops).  We chose six social justice themes:

• Environmental Justice
• Educational Justice
• Minority Justice
• Political Justice (To be continued later)

Then the class split into two parts.  One part worked on Class rules and expectations.  The other part worked on filling in content for the two weeks for each Justice topic.  At the end of class, each group presented on their ideas.  Students were sent home with the assignment of continuing to work on their topics with a goal of evening out the amount of work each week.  I suggest:

• No more than one debate per week.
• No more than two writing assignment per week with the ability of students to have choices on what they are going to write.
• Variety of modes of learning.

Meanwhile, as I am working on class, I am listening to a radio show on "Custom Learning in the Digital Age" that might be interesting for students in the Scholars Program.

Mariah Birgen has shared a Huffington Post article with you

Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/school-of-rock-reunion_n_3843581.html

Sent by Mariah Birgen
-----------------------------------

'School Of Rock' Reunion Brings Jack Black, Miranda Cosgrove, Richard Linklater And More Together 10 Years Later

Orange Exceleration Day 2

Today the SCH 101 students had 3 hours of class with Dr. Birgen and Dr. Earl.  We spent a good amount of time discussing what the students expected to get out of class.  We discussed how film is used not only for entertainment, but also to educate, to create a cultural reference point, and one other thing I forgot to write down.  From the discussion of School of Rock we learned

• Dr. Earl does not have straight A's on his graduate transcripts.
• One of the Scholars admitted "I am Summer."
• Dr. Birgen has been known to misspell Ghandi Gandhi.

We also brainstormed about Social Justice issues.  The students had three assignments for Monday's class:

1. Think about Social Justice issues, the six questions of Socrates, the books and films consumed this summer and the course learning objectives to come up with ideas for scheduling the course.  Students were encouraged to write down their ideas as notes to themselves.  They might also want to think about what types of rules they want to make for their course (late assignments, etc.).
2. Create a public blog for this course.  By public we mean something that is not behind a firewall where anyone with the link can read and comment.  You don't have to make it discoverable to search engines.  This is where you are going to place course assignments when you believe they are worth sharing with the rest of the class.
3. Write about your dreams.  If money were not an issue (Wartburg and graduate school are free), you parents are not telling you what you must study, etc., what would you do?  How would you create your own education that would get you there?  When you are willing to share, post your paper on your blog.  Remember that one amazing thing about blog posts is that you can fix errors after they are published.  If you are not ready to share by Monday, bring a printed copy with you to class.

 

Move in Lunch

So, early on I had promised BBQ, but with a heat index of 112 deg F, I thought people would appreciate water and cold sandwiches. So, I cranked down the AC, spread out snacks and food, and we had a great time.  My heart is with the students who are going to try to sleep on the third floor of Clinton tonight.

Squeezed around the kitchen table.

Dining in the dining room.

Lots of good conversation, even if your little brother is with you.

Move In Notes

Last night the President  had Faculty and some staff at his house for dinner.  He mentioned how nice it was that the weather had finally cooperated to be comfortable.  Keep in mind he moved here from the New Orleans area, so if you are from the deep south, it is comfortable.

The first year students move in tomorrow.  It is forecast to be at least 95 deg. F. so make sure you are wearing light-weight clothing.  Although I had originally planned on BBQ for lunch tomorrow, I am beginning to think people would be more appreciative of cold sandwiches.

Our first class is Saturday morning at 8 AM.  Please remember to bring writing implements and something to write on.

See you all tomorrow.

Social Justice Movies

The theme this year for SCH 101 is Social Justice.  Over the summer, we asked the students to watch Ghandi and School of Rock.  However,  now we are looking at the whole semester of material.  This is one list of Social Justice movies.  What movies would you put on the list and why?  Use the commentings to add ideas.

Late July

I know it has been quite some time since the last post, but I just returned from 3 weeks at the Park City Math Institute where I learned about the isoperimetric problem and also about General Relativity.  If neither of these make sense to you, just imagine me sitting in a classroom feeling just as lost as the majority of my students in my undergraduate math courses.  It certainly helps renew my sympathy for the students sitting in the back row hoping I don't notice them.

This year we have 29 new first year students from five different states, although none from below the Mason-Dixon line this year.  We have accepted one international student who will be joining us when the finances get worked out.  We have eight gentlemen, so the odds are good for some, but not for others.

This Fall, the first thing these students will do is write the syllabus for their Fall Term course with the theme of Social Justice.  As is typical for this course, students will first be asked to define Social Justice without checking the dictionary.  Although the Catholic Church has a long, specific, list of Social Justice topics, I thought we should focus on those issues which rise to the top of the concerns of college students.  Here are some resources:

• Top 5 Social Justice issues of Social Workers
• Catholic Themes of Social Teaching
• The Jesuits on Social Justice (okay, I know the current Pope believes the Jesuits are Catholic.)
• Lutheran Justice in Society (ELCA)

SCH 101 Goals and Objectives

Dr. Earl and I got together to plot for SCH 101.  We decided to turn the Jail over to the inmates in the Fall.  So, new students you will need to know some things about the course:

This first-year course develops students’ critical inquiry and communication skills as they take responsibility for their education and actions within the context of becoming Wartburg liberally educated persons.  Must be completed during the first year.

Goals and Outcomes of SCH 101

The intended  goals (numbers) and outcomes (bullets under goals) for this course follow.

1.      Students will understand the primary characteristics of a liberally educated person.

·         Students will articulate and describe the primary characteristics of a liberally educated person.

2.      Students will become critical inquirers.

·         Students will be able to identify and explain

the thesis of a text.

the author’s position.

the assumptions, strengths, and limitations in a text.

·         Students will develop information literacy  by

designing and performing search strategies.

gathering and using appropriate information and materials for projects and assignments.

effectively evaluating the quality of information sources.

·         Students will assess their tolerance for ambiguity and reflect on the implications for their   engagement in critical inquiry.

3.      Students will become more effective communicators.

·         Students will demonstrate effective communication through

civil discourse.

small group interactions.

various kinds of writing/composition.

4.      Students will become responsible for their education and actions.

·         Students will be able to demonstrate the attitudes and behaviors of active learners.

·         Students will develop an appreciation for and a commitment to continued engagement with the world beyond the classroom.

·         Students will develop and utilize strategies for making successful adjustments to college life.

·         Students will explore connections among their interest, aptitudes, and educational goals.

           

Course Criteria

1.      Individual/team-generated content connects to the common goals and outcomes.

2.      Course content draws from a variety of disciplines, preferably across all three knowledge domains.

3.      Course material includes primary sources.

4.      The course is writing intensive.

Additionally, since the course is writing intensive, you will want to know the requirements for that type of course:

Goals of all writing intensive courses:

1.      Students will write clearly, confidently, and persuasively.

2.      Students will use writing as a means of enhancing their learning.

3.      Students will learn the writing conventions and genres appropriate to their major.

 Outcomes

·         Students will produce written work that is varied in kind and length (e.g., drafts, informal writing, essay test, in-class papers, journals, collaborative writing, polished papers, etc.).

·         Students will produce written work to meet a variety of purposes (e.g., as a learning/discovery took, to stimulate reflection and/or discussion, to demonstrate their mastery of course content, to present information in a form and style appropriate to a specific discipline, etc.).

·         Students will produce finished written work that responds to constructive feedback during the writing process.

 Course Criteria

1.      Course requires at least 20 pages or 5,000 words of written work

2.      At least 40 percent of the course grade is based on evaluation of writing work.

3.      The instructor must intervene in the writing process to draw attention to ideas or problems as they are developed through writing and/or to emphasize the importance of writing and style for a specific discipline.

First Year Summer Assignment

Every summer, Scholars asks students to prepare for SCH 101 by reading extra texts before they come to Wartburg College.  This summer we are changing things up a bit:

• Students need to watch two movies, Gandhi and The School of Rock.

  

  

• Students need to read the Readings in Common book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

• Students need to choose one of the following books to read.  These are all books which were recommended by this year's applicants.  Please read a book which you have not yet read.  If you have read all of these books, please contact the director.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

 Reading Lolita in Tehran                              

Their Eyes were Watching God

The Jungle