31
Aug
2019
1FLOs across disciplines
Submitted by Chip Nataro, Lafayette CollegeOver this past year we introduced the idea of the 1 Figure Learning Object a.k.a. the 1FLO in honor of our snakey mascot Flo. The idea of a 1FLO is to take a single figure from a paper and develop a series of questions for students to answer. This not only gets students to actively engage with the literature, it also aids them in learning to apply their knowledge to new material.
5
Aug
2019
Seven simple rules to start your semester
Submitted by Chip Nataro, Lafayette CollegeIn two weeks I'll be flying to Dallas to take my daughter back to college. I'll be there for 6 days mostly to help her buy things for her new apartment and help move in. From there I go to San Diego for a whirlwind ACS meeting. Why is this BITeS news? Well, I'll have lots of times on planes which means I need something to read, and I think I just figured out what that will be.
25
Jul
2019
What to do when you're waiting for your professor - lessons from the bulletin board
Submitted by Barbara Reisner, James Madison UniversityFor as long as we've been in our "new" (now 14 year old) building, I've curated a bulletin board across from some of the faculty offices. I often see students reading whatever is up there as they pass the time while waiting for office hours... or to speak to a professor... or just because. As you can see from the picture below, the bulletin board has a mixture of papers, things from C&EN Magazine, and comics.
2
Jul
2019
“You have permission!” – Thoughts on the upcoming academic term…
Submitted by Jeffrey R. Raker, University of South FloridaI know it’s July and the upcoming academic term is the last thing you are thinking about. Nevertheless, in eight weeks, many of us will begin to see traffic build outside our offices as students descend upon campus. It sounds daunting, parking is going to get worse, ungraded exams will pile up, and the line at the coffee shop is going to be never ending. I get it… but there’s an opportunity to make a change coming, to do something different in our classes that only comes at the beginning of each term, a chance to experiment!
17
Jun
2019
In memoriam
Submitted by Joanne Stewart, Hope CollegeWith great sadness, I share the news of the passing of one of the most creative, inspiring, and vibrant inorganic chemists I ever knew: Richard A. Andersen. Dick was my graduate advisor at Berkeley in the 1980’s. He died on Sunday, June 16, 2019. I miss him already.