Common Reader

I am on a committee to select a common reader for the TAMU-T First Year Experience for next year. The theme is economic opportunity or maybe the lack thereof.

These books are scary and show the inequality in America and in the world in some cases. I think everybody should read one of these. I would suggest Robert Reich, Robert Putnam, or David Shipler for starters. Then read Barbara Ehrenreich. All are good sources. 

We are selecting from these books:

• Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (Barbara Ehrenreich)
• Poverty in America: A Handbook (John Iceland)
• Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work (Jeanne Marie Laskas)
• Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives (Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir)
• Our Kids – The American Dream in Crisis (Robert Putnam)
• Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future (Robert Reich)
• What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (Michael Sandel)
• The Working Poor – Invisible in America (David Shipler)

In the Alamo City.

I am in the Alamo City for the next couple of days. Attending the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society conference. This is all about teaching A&P and is the first time I have attended.  I am really looking forward to learning some new techniques.

San Antonio is hot and humid already this year. I am right around the corner from the Alamo but it is too sticky to go over there right now.  You can follow the HAPS Meeting on Twitter #HAPS2015.

While sitting in the cool of my hotel room, I have been going through a couple of MOOCs. One is from Coursera and is titled "Learn How to Learn" about Learning. It is free and provides valuable insights on learning. Worthwhile for students and teachers. This is an open ended course so you can start at any time.

The other course is Making Sense of Climate Science Denial from eDx.  It is also free if you don't want credit. The edX consortium was started by MIT and Harvard. Lots of good material if you like MOOCs.

I have also been watching an Atomic Learning series on blogging. Trying to get the hang of it. Hope you like my first post.