I thought I would have more time to read. I did but I squandered it. As I write this at the end of the third week of May, I find myself woefully behind in my reading goal. I still have one book to read from April and five left for the month of May. One book slowed me down and I could not focus on it. But I am pleased to say that I plowed through it today. For May, I have a little of everything: education, history, fiction; leadership, and inspiration. Come and check out my reading list for May. What have you been reading?
Here is what is on my reading list for May 2020:
Learning Online: The Student Experience by George Veletsianos
I am a fan of George Veletsianos. I enjoy what he has to share regarding teaching in a distance learning environment. I had previously read Emerging Technologies in Distance Education and used it in a course I was teaching because I liked it so much. I have completed two-thirds of this book and I am enjoying it as well.
Via Amazon:
Online learning is ubiquitous for millions of students worldwide, yet our understanding of student experiences in online learning settings is limited. The geographic distance that separates faculty from students in an online environment is its signature feature, but it is also one that risks widening the gulf between teachers and learners. In Learning Online, George Veletsianos argues that in order to critique, understand, and improve online learning, we must examine it through the lens of student experience.
Approaching the topic with stories that elicit empathy, compassion, and care, Veletsianos relays the diverse day-to-day experiences of online learners. Each in-depth chapter follows a single learner’s experience while focusing on an important or noteworthy aspect of online learning, tackling everything from demographics, attrition, motivation, and loneliness to cheating, openness, flexibility, social media, and digital divides. Veletsianos also draws on these case studies to offer recommendations for the future and lessons learned.
The elusive nature of online learners’ experiences, the book reveals, is a problem because it prevents us from doing better: from designing more effective online courses, from making evidence-informed decisions about online education, and from coming to our work with the full sense of empathy that our students deserve. Writing in an evocative, accessible, and concise manner, Veletsianos concretely demonstrates why it is so important to pay closer attention to the stories of students—who may have instructive and insightful ideas about the future of education.
The Courage Map: 13 Principles for Living Boldly by Franziska Iseli
I was asked to review this book by TCK Publishing. I am not certain what it is about. I like to review these requests with an empty cup. But I did promise to complete the review in May.
Via Amazon:
Why do some people have the courage to make brave decisions and lead exciting, rewarding, and impactful lives while others only sit on the sidelines, watching enviously? Entrepreneur and adventurer Franziska Iseli believes that anyone can learn to unlock their inner courage and live an extraordinary life. Iseli decided to write a book about courage while on a multi-year motorbike journey around the world. All of that “helmet time” allowed her to ponder what so many people ask her about her businesses and daring international adventures: Where do you find the courage to do what you do? In this, her third book, Iseli shares her 13 principles for living a life of courage and breaking through any barriers or obstacles life throws your way. Embark on this exciting adventure with Iseli as you discover how to unlock the boundless courage and power within you. Here are a few of the amazing life lessons you’ll learn in this book:
- Why courage is the most important life skill you need to learn (and yes, anyone can learn to develop more courage!)
- The difference between being courageous and being fearless or reckless (and how to distinguish an impostor from the real deal)
- How to expand your Courage Boundaries step-by-step so you can systematically grow your ability to take on new challenges and adventures in life
- How to define the life you truly want to live, and a process you can follow for sticking to it (especially when things don’t go as planned)
- How to develop an irresistible love for life that will draw people to you, and turn something that used to terrify you into an exciting call for adventure
Through her personal experiences and quirky sense of humor, Franziska Iseli will help you face everything life may throw at you with courage: from navigating past “poop showers” to making brave decisions without fear of what might happen in the future. Her fresh prose is not only a delight to read, but full of both insight and inspiration. This isn’t your typical personal development book. This is real, raw, honest, and full of practical life lessons from someone who is walking the walk and living a life of courage, meaning, and impact.
Leaders Open Doors: A Radically Simple Leadership Approach to Lift People, Profits, and Performance by Bill Treasurer
This is a book that has been sitting in my to-read pile for a long time. I am curious about what Bill Treasurer has to say about leadership.
Via Amazon:
“I got to open doors for people!” These seven simple words, spoken by author Bill Treasurer’s five-year-old son, cut straight to what matters most about leadership: True leaders open doors for people. This radically simple concept is the heart of Leaders Open Doors.
This book presents a fresh and unique take on leadership that will benefit experienced leaders and those just starting their leadership journeys. With a little courage, anyone at any level can be a leader.
Drawing on two decades of experience, author and speaker, Bill Treasurer, in this new second edition, combines personal stories and anecdotes to illustrate how (and how not) to inspire people. He approaches these ideas with the belief that great leadership is not hierarchical—it is the peoples’ willingness to take initiative and reach their goals that is crucial to successful leadership.
How to Design and Teach a Hybrid Course: Achieving Student-Centered Learning through Blended Classroom, Online and Experiential Activities by Jay Caulfield and Alan Aycock
This is another book that has been sitting in my pile for a while. Due to the Coronavirus, I expect to see more classes in a blended or hybrid format. The information in this book should help me deliver better support to my faculty.
Via Amazon:
This practical handbook for designing and teaching hybrid or blended courses focuses on outcomes-based practice. It reflects the author’s experience of having taught over 70 hybrid courses, and having worked for three years in the Learning Technology Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a center that is recognized as a leader in the field of hybrid course design.
Jay Caulfield defines hybrid courses as ones where not only is face time replaced to varying degrees by online learning, but also by experiential learning that takes place in the community or within an organization with or without the presence of a teacher; and as a pedagogy that places the primary responsibility of learning on the learner, with the teacher’s primary role being to create opportunities and environments that foster independent and collaborative student learning.
Starting with a brief review of the relevant theory – such as andragogy, inquiry-based learning, experiential learning and theories that specifically relate to distance education – she addresses the practicalities of planning a hybrid course, taking into account class characteristics such as size, demographics, subject matter, learning outcomes, and time available. She offers criteria for determining the appropriate mix of face-to-face, online, and experiential components for a course, and guidance on creating social presence online.
The section on designing and teaching in the hybrid environment covers such key elements as promoting and managing discussion, using small groups, creating opportunities for student feedback, and ensuring that students’ learning expectations are met.
A concluding section of interviews with students and teachers offers a rich vein of tips and ideas.
Burning Chrome by William Gibson
A long time ago, I had read William Gibson’s Neuromancer and I enjoyed it. Looking for something to flesh out this month’s reading list, I tripped upon his book, Burning Chrome. I just needed some fiction to round out this month’s reading.
Women in the Middle Ages by Joseph Gies and Frances Gies
This is another book that was sitting on a shelf. Being a fan of history, I thought what the heck.
Via Amazon:
Medieval history is often written as a series of battles and territorial shifts. But the essential contributions of women during this period have been too often relegated to the dustbin of history. In Women in the Middle Ages, Frances and Joseph Gies reclaim this lost history, in a lively historical survey that charts the evolution of women’s roles throughout the period, and profiles eight individual women in depth. We learn of Hildegarde of Bingen, an abbess who was a noted composer and founded two monasteries; of Eleanor de Montfort, a 13th century Princess of Wales who was captured by Edward I and held as a political prisoner for three years; and women of somewhat more modest means, such as the spouse of an Italian merchant, and a peasant’s wife.
Drawing upon their various stories, talented historians Frances and Joseph Gies—whose books were used by George R.R. Martin in his research for Game of Thrones—offer a kaleidoscopic view of the lives of women throughout this tumultuous period.
That’s it for this month — I want to hear what good books YOU’VE read lately! Please share in the comments below.
If you missed previous months in 2020, you can still check them out:
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
My Reviews for This Reading List
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