A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin County Community College District. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.758.3849. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: May 10 All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be e-mailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Sydney Portilla-Diggs, student correspondent; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Nick Young, photographer; Heather Darrow, contributor; Shawn Stewart, contributor; Lydia Gober, contributor; Tatiana Shehedah, contributor
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Learning Communities brings new light to classroom experience
By Mark Robinson
Cougar News Editor
I had to hold my tongue.
Well, I pretty much had to lasso, reel in and hog-tie my loudest and most troublesome of communicative organs while sitting in on a Learning Communities course at the Preston Ridge Campus.
The class was titled “Tycoons and Tree Huggers: History & Politics of the American Environment” co-taught by history Professor Brett Adams and political science Professor Michael McConachie.
Both professors probably would not have minded if I did join in the discourse taking place or answer a general question to the 25 or so students in the classroom. And, more than likely, the students would have wondered who the new, geeky, know-it-all student was invading their territory .
Alas, my tongue was held in check, and that is one of the things one thinks about during a Learning Communities course.
For those who do not know, a Learning Communities course blends two different classes around a central theme. Therefore, the student would receive six total credit hours (for example, the biology student sitting behind me in “Tycoons and Tree Huggers,” would receive three history credits and three political science credits). Also, more and more core classes are being offered in the Learning Communities program.
Because there are two classes in one, there are two professors, and instead of the typical “sage on the stage” (according to professor Larry Collins) classroom dynamic, one professor may lecture while the other professor stands off to the side or with the students inserting thoughts, comments, and debate to foster intellectual discussion among the students and even the professors. This collaborative learning was on full display and it almost roped this unassuming reporter into the fray.
Adams began the class by jumping into the end of World War II and the beginning of the Nuclear Age following the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Discussion ranged from the ethics of the atomic bomb to the theories behind the United States dropping the bombs (prevent an American invasion of Japan, to show off muscle to Soviet Union, etc.).
Furthermore, Adams discussed the societal implications of the World War II, particularly the new opportunities for minorities and women during and after the war, the migration of Americans to the West Coast and, of course, the Cold War.
Throughout Adams’ lecture, McConanchie sat at the front of the classroom, interjecting personal anecdotes about the war and his family’s experience. This is one of the highlights of a Learning Communities class. Professors have a wealth of knowledge and, thankfully, they are dedicated to sharing that knowledge with their students. However, sometimes it is the personal experiences that take a good class and make it a great class.
With Learning Communities, students are subjected to two different points of view from two scholars. Sometimes the ideas and events that bring history to a personal level have a grand effect.
McConachie’s presentation dealt with toxic and hazardous waste legislation from the end of World War II. Because of the war, according to McConachie, technologies and materials started to insinuate themselves between Americans and their natural environment. Atomic and nuclear power, radar, DDT and plastics were used in the war, and manufacturers saw a potential market for these items in the general public.
Since 1945, there have been billions of tons of toxic waste created and used in the United States. There are 70,000 chemicals in common use and 500-1,000 new compounds created every year. Due to the abundance of such substances, laws were enacted, and because of tragedies at Love Canal and other places, agencies have been created to keep tabs on the use of potentially toxic and hazardous materials. Adams sat on the third row of seats and wove historical events (such as the Bhopal, India disaster in which thousands died after tons methyl isocyanate was accidentally released from a Union Carbide factory) into the discussion.
The ethics of hazardous materials eventually turned into a classroom discussion and debate with Adams – if a substance would save the life of 200,000 individuals but kill 12,000 individuals, is it worth the use?
I had my opinion, but I kept it to myself. I was a visitor, and I wanted to see the professors and students enter into a discussion. And they did not disappoint.
Another advantage of a Learning Communities course is the time in class. Each class is almost three hours long. This allows professors to lecture without rush and expand on pertinent points. Also, this allows the professors the flexibility of showing movies, taking field trips and other activities that could not happen in a typical 50-minute class. Learning Communities supported a new and exciting way to approach a subject.
Download the e-schedule at www.ccccd.edu to find out the Learning Communities selections for fall 2006.
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