The Tree of LIfe
Since my work and education fall within the humanities, I had to check with a colleague who teaches quantitative methods that the correct term to describe a distribution with two distinct peaks was indeed a “bimodal” distribution. She said an extreme example would be a class where about half of the students received an “A” for the course and the other half an “F.” I recently encountered a bimodal distribution when I visited Amazon.com to order the Blu-ray version of the film, “The Tree of Life.” Looking at the customer reviews, I discovered about half gave the film 5 stars and the other half 1 star. Some even suggested a new category, “O stars.” I’m not sure if Terrence Malick was going for a...
Read MoreCommunication Certificate
A short time after beginning my new position as a communication skills specialist for the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Georgia Tech, I was invited to join a collaborative effort that was in the final stages of implementing a communication certificate program for graduate students. The program’s website identifies the various constituencies that collaborated in the development of the program: The Graduate Communication Certificate Program is sponsored by Graduate SGA and the Georgia Tech Library (Faculty Engagement Department), in collaboration with the Communication Center, the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), Career Services, and Communications & Marketing. There is no fee for the Graduate...
Read MoreTimescapes Video
I do not recall how I came across this video on the web, but was very impressed with not only the quality of the video in 1080p but also how the video was made. You will need to visit Tom Lowe’s website to get more details and behind the scenes information about the time-lapse photography. I highly recommend you view the video in full screen mode and choose either 720 or 1080 HD quality....
Read MoreUp and Running
Well, it’s taken quite some time, but I’m officially back up and running with my blog. Given my new opportunity and career path in higher education, I will focus much of my attention on academic writing and speaking. In other words, I’ll actually be drawing on my own education in rhetorical theory and practice. Additionally, I will occasionally venture into the realm of teaching and learning at the college-level since I am working for the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a Communication Skills Specialist, my primary duties include teaching graduate-level courses in writing and oral communication, conducting workshops, and consulting with graduate students about their writing and...
Read MoreAbout Me
Dave Lawrence works for the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a Communication Skills Specialist and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication from The Ohio State University.