About me

My name is Rhys Alexander. I am a Professor of Composition and Literature, and teach at both a four-year university and a community college. This has allowed me to experience a wide diversity of students, ranging in age from 16 to 81.

I love teaching but know that academia is not perfect; one goal I have for this blog is to help professionals improve their working experience. I am a fierce advocate for both teachers' and students' rights, and am co-founder of a university adjunct union.

I manage and/or write for nearly a dozen blogs on leading networks, including Literally Blogging a salute to classic literature.

I am honored to be able to share my passion with you, and for you to share yours with me.

Guest Entry: Grading Your Child’s Teacher

Thanks to John Schacter, Ph.D. for this guest entry. John is the author of Grading Your Child's Teacher: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Quality. The book is also available at Amazon.com.

Teachers – not class size, vouchers, curriculum, technology, or even school funding – are the number one factor responsible for increasing student achievement. To most parents, this research isn't surprising, but why do parents do so little to ensure that their children get effective teachers every year?

Good teaching is not a mystery, and with a little knowledge and time, parents can learn how to evaluate it and ensure their kids get it every year.

Community College reaches out to farm workers through distance education

From the Fresno Bee:

The West Hills Community College District in California is using a $447,752 distance learning grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use technology to try to bridge the digital divide in the Fresno area. The area is home to a large population of farm workers and packing house laborers, many of whom speak little or no English. The Huron Technology Center offers a variety of distance classes to laborers for no charge. Many laborers whose first language is Spanish never learned to read and write that language. At the center, they can take classes in Spanish or English and can complete high school
equivalency programs. Students have the option of pursuing their education beyond high school and can earn bachelor's degrees through the program. Alternatively, they can take selected classes to improve particular skills or classes that simply interest them for the sake of learning. Students can take advantage of the program at a number of locations in the area, and facilities are being upgraded to allow for video and audio conferencing with local universities, expanding the options available to students in the program.

Online degrees gain popularity

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Derek Rushing is in the midst of getting his MBA from the largest private accredited university in the nation, but he has yet to step foot on a campus.

He's enrolled at the University of Phoenix, a for-profit school where more than half of the 295,000 students, like Rushing, are earning advanced degrees entirely online.

Online enrollment increases 16 percent at University of South Dakota

From the Volante Online:

While USD's increased enrollment came primarily from the larger than usual freshman class, the flexibility distance education affords has also helped to raise student numbers. This year, 2,271 students are participating in distance education, increasing enrollment in the program 16 percent.

Typically, distance education courses are most popular with non-traditional students who need to have a flexible schedule and may not be able to be on campus every day. Yet distance learning courses can be a positive alternative for traditional students with schedule conflicts.