Sunday Jan 29, 2012

I spotted this book in Texas Monthly. SMart Thinking has six great reviews here at Amazon. 

Sounds like a good read to me!  Oddly there are few to no courses on how to succeed in college. Looks like this would be a GOOD START. Here is one review.

Art Markman is a leader in the field of cognitive psychology and is someone who has made an impressive career by studying how people think. His book Smart Thinking is, well, smart. Engagingly written, Markman describes the most effective ways for people to approach, think about, and learn about new problems. 

This should be required reading for any student coming to college, new employee starting a career, or anyone who wants to be more thoughtful in life. Part "how-to" and part good science, this is a fun book to read. When you're finished, you will have a better understanding of how toilets flush, why proverbs are helpful, and why multitasking is evil.

Friday Jan 26, 2012

A bioinformation specialist set records winning the most money in one episode of Jeopardy.

He prepared for several years by  'mapping' his brain. Read how Roger Craig did it.

Hmm I wonder if we could do this for students in their respective majors, map your brain's understanding of statistics or accounting. 

thursday Jan 25, 2012

Second Saturdays at TAMUSA are our free film festival. February is my turn. If I had my way, and in this instance I do, every student would be required to view and write his or her impressions about this film. 

This is not To Sir With Love. More like, having Darth Vader for the Dark Arts course at Hogwarts. John Houseman plays Professor Kingsvfield, advisor to Presidents and the Supreme Court and recognized authority on his topic-Contract Law. 

Timothy Bottoms plays the ubiquitous freshman law student Hart. Kingsfield's class transforms Hart. As he remarks in the most important scene in the film 

It's only Octoer, and already half the class has given up. 

Yep the gang is  all here as the students form a study group and outline their share of hte assignments. The obsessive dismissive know it all with his 800 page outline, the thoughtful student, the up against a force he can't handle student, and the rest of the rabble, not really up for the contest. No doubt you will recognize some of your former class mates portrayed in the film. Times change, students don't. 

Previous students tell me they insisted their teenagers watch this film with them, bring them along, it's not too early to set life goals. 

I will have some history on the film, movies about teachers, and why this is One of the Essentials. 

See you Second Saturday at 6 PM. A quiz grade for those that post a good review and refllection on the BB Discussion Site. 

Thursday Jan 25, 2012

The War of Art by Steve Pressfield is all about overcoming Resistance to find your inner creative self. 

All three of my sections have a writing assignment utilizing Emerson's Self Reliance and Kirk Tuck's Lonely Hunter. I suggest if you enjoyed those, click on the link and read the synopsis of Pressfield's first non fiction book. 

I have a copy if any one would like to read it and review it for the class. 

Now my point is this, in the Ethics class the entire class was assigned a submission to our SWTLC confernece. I have only seen a about three of what should be ten submissions posted thus far on the Discussion site. Only a handful have posted their essay on Emerson due this weekend. 

While the Ethics class meets every other saturday that should not be the template for activity in the class. By now each team should have an outline for their business case. It should feature the prominent individuals, a time line, and the relevant facts of the case. Each day the team should be scanning headlines for recent events or similar events that would add depth and dimension to the case. And at the same time, what ethical constructs are involved?  One student came by to retrieve a book from my library about her central character. In our short visit it was clear resasearch was lready underway as she mentioned some things I did not know about the case. That is the way to bulid the case without burning midnight oil, the easy way not the hard way. 

The intermediate classes are reviewing adjusting entries and such. Students should be ramping up their study efforts. 

Self Reliance starts with Self

Get cracking…..Know thyself…Overcome the Resistance

Monday January 23, 2012

Deb Alvarado our Becker CPA rep reminds me that students can be nominated for the 

Becker CPA Accounting Scholarship.

If you a re interested drop me an e mail with the details required on why you should be nominated.