Cornell Insider

a blog by the writers of the Cornell Review

Archive for July, 2009

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Teaching and Technology

Posted by Oliver Renick on July 14, 2009

My local school district has graciously given me the opportunity this summer to work as an assistant teacher for a summer school class. However, the classroom I assist in is not your ordinary Algebra 1 class. It is a pilot class for a ‘virtual’ learning environment. I recently wrote about my experience thus far in a blog post at collegejolt.com. Here’s an excerpt:

There is a high-quality webcam in the classroom that feeds a live video to a certified teacher who, at their house, also communicates with a webcam. A smart board is present in the classroom, and provides the students with a live feed of the teacher’s computer screen, where she teaches using PowerPoint slides and flash video tutorials as part of an online curriculum.

…

Most importantly however, the biggest detriment to ‘virtual learning’ at this time is that the absence of a physical, motivated teacher in the actual classroom changes the entire dynamic of the class. The instructor feels ‘distant’ (hence the term ‘distance learning’), and becomes highly dependent on the students’ cooperation. As any teacher (or student) knows, student cooperation is not a given, but rather a luxury. Therefore, the teacher has no domineering qualities, and classroom discussion is prone to rapid devolution. In addition to this, it is rather difficult for the teacher to witness first-hand the students as individuals, and where they need honed instruction. This is probably the most vital part of any student’s learning process; it is also the most difficult aspect of virtual learning.

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Monday Reading MADNESS #7

Posted by Oliver Renick on July 13, 2009

Outfitted with pictures and videos for your viewing pleasure, this may be the most loaded, informative, invigorating and compulsively captivating MRM to date!

- Peggy Noonan articulates many of the thoughts I have had about Sarah Palin and why she was not, and should not be, made into the face of the recovering Republican party.

- The Sotomayor confirmation hearings begin today. Here’s a piece by GMU Law Professor Nelson Lund on Sotomayor and the Second Amendment.

- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer laughs at the idea that Congressmen should read legislation before voting on it. Maybe he never learned to read and is now engaging in the timeless art of cognitive dissonance?

- A Cornell student makes the news by being part of a giant search team searching for, well, giant things.

- Amidst all the talks of reducing American and Russian nuclear arsenals, we must ask ourselves about the inevitable conclusions of these arms reductions. What is the goal? Are we shooting for “zero”? Former Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger argues that a world without nukes would be much more dangerous than a world with them.

- Politico notes the perennial potency of Bush bashing, six months after he has packed up for Dallas. Does mentioning the “failures” of his administration still galvanize the new majority party, or are Democrats running out of “hope and change” rhetoric?

- This photo appears to show Obama and Sarkozy checking out a junior G-8 delegate. The subsequent video exonerates Obama. No such luck for his French counterpart.

- In the wake of the Bristol Palin and Mark Sanford scandals, here is an interesting composite of the great scandals in recent times and who saw the bright side of each one.

- And what would a great MRM be without bringing the (Kraut)HAMMER?! Sir Charles makes swift and elegant stabs at Obama’s Russian facade.

Posted in Campus Insiders, National News | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

CALS Cuts Imminent

Posted by Cornell Insider Staff on July 12, 2009

METAezra discusses potential CALS faculty and department cuts/consolidations. Nagowski also says: 

What disappoints me is that there is little to no discussion about what can happen across college/unit lines. Why wouldn’t it make sense for AEM to work more fully with the Johnson School, ILR, or the Hotel School? Or why not consider consolidating the rural sociology or education programs with PAM?

I agree, but there are so many opportunities for consolidation around Cornell (AEM, Econ, PAM) and I just don’t see any of these programs collapsing into each other anytime soon.

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Obama Thanks Russia for Alex Ovechkin!

Posted by Cornell Insider Staff on July 12, 2009

During his visit to Moscow, President Obama thanked Russia for NHL superstar Alexander Ovechkin, who plays for the Washington Capitals ice hockey team. Notice the nice Russian accent he puts on Ovechkin’s name. Obama failed to mention that he has yet to attend a Capitals game. I guess he’s sort of busy, so I’ll give him another season before passing judgement. 

Posted in Miscellaneous, National News | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Resurrect Reagan in 2009 (Reaganomics, That Is)

Posted by Joe Bonica on July 9, 2009

Check out this interesting article from Bloomberg comparing today’s economic climate with that of 1982, the year before Ronald Reagan’s immense tax cuts were paired with the Fed’s tight money policy. The climates are hauntingly similar, but the path of Obamanomics is being taken as opposed to Reaganomics, a pattern which all of us at the Insider believe should be reversed.

Posted in National News | Leave a Comment »

A second stimulus!?

Posted by Cornell Insider Staff on July 8, 2009

Check out my most recent post on Into the Breach! I argue that the idea of a second stimulus is indeed ridiculous, but not for the cliche reasons you hear about in the news.

Posted in National News | 2 Comments »

Monday Reading Madness #6

Posted by Oliver Renick on July 6, 2009

- Obama arrived today in Moscow for his first Russian visit with Medvedev, but don’t expect any genuine change in Russian-American relations. 

- Becker-Posner offer their takes on the new Democratic 60 seat supermajority. 

- In a bizarre turn of events, Sarah Palin announced that she will soon be resigning from her position as Governor of Alaska. Fred Barnes discusses her weakened prospects for 2012. 

- The Cornell Daily Sun has the story on another apparent suicide at Fall Creek Gorge. 

- AEI’s Kevin Hassett says that California’s financial mess will kill Obamanomics.

- David Bauder investigates president Obama’s media overload.

- ¿Sabes que esta pasando en Honduras? Catch up on the current political regime change in Honduras here.

- Always staying up with North Korean stunts, this week’s is particularly foreign to Americans: the first advertisement on North Korean television.

Posted in National News | 3 Comments »

Krauthammer on Ricci

Posted by Cornell Insider Staff on July 3, 2009

Check out this great article by Charles Krauthammer on the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Ricci v. DeStefano case (also known as the New Haven Firefighters case). Here’s an excerpt: 

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Ricci case — that white firemen suffered illegal discrimination when a promotional test on which they did well was thrown out because not enough blacks did well — will have no effect on Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. While overturned on Ricci, she is protected by the four dissenting justices who upheld the side of the case she had taken as a Circuit Court judge. Sotomayor was additionally helped by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s insistence on reading her dissent from the bench, as if to emphasize the legitimacy of her position — and, by implication, Sotomayor’s.

Ricci left Sotomayor relatively unscathed. But not affirmative action. Ricci raised the bar considerably on overt discrimination against one racial group simply to undo the unintentionally racially skewed results of otherwise fair and objective employment procedures (in this case, examinations).

Posted in National News | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

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