just in time teaching This article provides practice strategies by which one can use just in time teaching. This was authored for use in higher education environments but can easily be used in other settings. It appears to have practical use. rating 5/5

mobile learning technologies for 21st century classrooms This undated article discusses mobile learning in classrooms in a nonspecific way. One of the sources is Marc Prensky, whose work has been called into question by multiple authors. The type of information provided by this article seems rather basic and a function of common sense. A few apps are discussed. rating 1/5

Edutech wiki This page has a somewhat messy design and does not look very modern but it does offer overviews of many topics related to technologies. Just like wikipedia, it offers a good jumping off point on many topics. Navigation can occur by clicking through categories and drilling down to topics, which is easier for those who already know the topic they are looking for and how it is likely to be characterized. Rating 3/5

This page offers general guidelines for facilitating class discussions. It is written for college environments and in usable in adult learning and training settings also. The presentation is straightforward but the content is not in depth. Part of the value of the page is links on the left side that address other teaching topics related to course design and course management. Rating 2/2

project based learning While project based learning is more frequently used with children than adults, it can be useful for limited-time instruction for adults. This is a user friendly page that provides a decent description of project based learning and also discusses the design elements and teaching practices that should be used. rating 4/5

problem based learning This gives a brief overview of problem based learning. This is a teaching method in which learners receive an ill structured problem that they continue to define and then solve. This web page serves as an overview but if one were teaching with this approach, more information would be needed than is contained on the typical introductory web page. Rating 3/5

This is better than the problem-based learning page I already posted so I will post this one too. it is easy to read and gives the instructional designer or teacher a quick and better-than-average explanation about problem based learning, which is a method of teaching in which learners form teams and learn through solving real problems. rating 4/5

Nine alternatives to lecturing This page briefly describes nine ways to teach other than lecture. Some of these are common, such as case study; others, such as a pro and con grid, are explained less often. This page, like the others I have bookmarked, is oriented toward teaching college students and adults.

This is one of many pages that describes team based learning. The layout and typeface make this page easy enough to read. The content is rather brief and would suffice for someone who is trying to understand this approach and decide whether it is workable for their own adult learning and training context.

If you have a molecular data partition, you can just use total evidence approach and the standard 1-parameter Markov model.

Potential synapomorphies will be compatible with the molecular tree and considered not likely to change. Potential homoiologies and symplesiomorphies are partly ("semi-")compatible with the molecular tree and, hence, considered less likely to change than highly homoplastic traits with (random) convergence.

Just try out a couple of datasets, and infer the (Bio)NJ and ML trees and then compare the result with the strict consensus network (not tree) of all equally parsimonious trees and the Bayesian tree sample.

Note that if you apply TNT's iterative character weighting procedure, what you effectively do is sorting the random convergences from parallelisms/ characters that are more compatible with the preferred tree.

In principle, I do sympathize with the general idea, but the laid out approach will have little use.

The main drawback is that you can only define homoiologies using an external data set (e.g. the molecular "gold" tree). But when you have a reliable molecular tree, you can just go for total evidence approaches to select a more likely, in a mathematical and general sense, alternative without the need to make any prior destinction between your characters. Homoiologies will be inferred, like synapmorphies or symplesiomorphies or shared apomorphies (non-stochastically distributed convergences) on the fly.

If you define the homoiologies on a inferred (e.g. parsimony) tree only based on a morphological data matrix (e.g. for an extinct group of organisms), you will inevitably misinterpret some characters, because your clades are not necessarily monophyletic. Homoiologies like symplesiomorphies may appear as (pseudo-)synapomorphies.

The only application left would be that the molecular tree cannot resolve certain relationships, and we use more tree-compatible morphological characters to discern between alternatives. However, the first choice would then be to maximise the number of synapomorphies. Only if that would be the same for all alternatives, one could count the number of symplesiomorphies and homoiologies (as the distinction between both via a tree-inference is very tricky; and their are often just two side of the same evolutionary process).

However, one could also just directly change to a network-analysis framework, which will pretty much solve all these problems at once.

For further details see my (upcoming, March 4th) post at Genealogical World of Phylogenetic Networks

Does this mean we should focus more on longitudinal AR for PD?

This article gives several good tips to teaching for the first time, but each teacher will need to find their own teaching persona, and through trial and error they will learn what works best for them.

Grading final papers isn't the best time to provide a lot of qualitative feedback because student's aren't likely to read or use it. Formative feedback should be given early in the term.

These four actions can do a lot to make students feel seen and connected.

A conversation between a PhD student and a professor of African American studies about how to discuss current events in difficult times.

I like this idea of creating a lab for problem-based learning in humanities classes. What other STEM-related practices could humanities borrow?

This is an example of when meta-teaching is helpful.

What a great example of setting the tone on the first day of class!

Writing advice for those teaching undergrads

Teaching writing in STEM disciplines is beneficial for the students and the teacher.

A new way to think about plagiarism that helps students consider the real world implications.

What one PhD student learned about teaching from writing his dissertation.

Good advice for the first day back to school for anyone looking for new ideas.

The incorporation of UDL practices is important for all students.

To what degree are graduate teaching assistants expected to explain or defend teaching practices to the larger community?

This was an excellent article Chen (2007) in defining and laying out how a blended learning approach of objectivist and constructivist instructional strategies work well in online instruction and the use of an actual online course as a study example.

RATING: 4/5 (rating based upon a score system 1 to 5, 1= lowest 5=highest in terms of content, veracity, easiness of use etc.)

This article explores the interaction of student based learner-centered used of technology tools such as wikis, blogs and podcasts as new and emerging technology tools. With distance learning programs becoming more and more popular, software applications such as Writeboard, InstaCol and Imeem may become less of the software of choice. The article looks closely at the influence of technology and outcomes.

RATING: 4/5 (rating based upon a score system 1 to 5, 1= lowest 5=highest in terms of content, veracity, easiness of use etc.)

Complexity Theory replaces simple causality with an emphasis on networks, linkages, holism, feedback, relationships and interactivity in context, emergence, dynamical systems, self-organization and an open system, rather than the closed world of the experimental laboratory. Even if we could conduct an experiment, its applicability to ongiong, emerging, interactive, relational, changing, open situations, in practice, may be limited. It is misconceived to hold variables constant in a dynamical, evolving, fluid, open situation.

Yes, but is it about being taught research design as if it is a thing or diving into it from all angles to see if there might be alternatives to the traditional way of doing it. I don't think we do enough exploration of the methods themselves. Needs to be more post-structural skepticism of method but integrated with the fact that we stil have to do it, how can we do it differently? I don't think enough coursework on exploratory methods/experimental methods and what the challenges they are trying to overcome are...

What is the goal of one's inquiry or practice? Where is Vico putting the emphasis and what difference does this difference make?

People are able to define merit by its absence... like excellence.

p. 69

"In the learning environments of classrooms and schools, students are exposed to and perceive various messages about the purposes of achievment. For example, students can perceive that in their classroom or school, there is an emphasis on learning, understanding, and improvment (a mastery goal structure). Similarly, they can perceive messages that suggest that getting the highest grades on the test and outperforming their classmates are valued most in the classroom or school (a performance goal structure). Sometimes, these perceptions are influenced by teacher practices that emphasize a mastery or performance goal structure, such as when teachers post only the work of the highest achieving students in the class (performance-goal-oriented instructional practices)."

*interesting reference! on "bootstrap-adjusted Tobit regression!

Gray matter should not be in the name here. You cannot distinguish gray matter from white matter tissue preparation in any meaningful sense. The gray matter/white matter distinction should derive from the anatomical structure being assayed.

Rigorous understanding requires automated methods using quantitative recording and analysis.

Here's a definition: http://www.archaeologicalfieldmethods.org/wiki/Excavation_Methods#Step-Trenching_and_Cofferdams

In favor of modes of persuasion over emotional appeal, distinguishing proper and improper methods.

More written about the methods of persuasion by trickery