Jennifer Sullivan publishes article on Sociology & Photography

Thames faculty, Jennifer Sullivan, wrote an article that was published in the Spring 2015 American Sociological Association newsletter for the section on Teaching & Learning. Her article, "Seeing History Through the Lens of a Camera" describes a class visit to the New London Public Library in the Mitchell College special topics course, "Visual Sociology: Photography."

CLICK HERE to read Jennifer Sullivan's article

Jennifer has a personal interest in photography and brings photography into the Thames classroom as well. Check out Jennifer's blog post about bringing photography into the classroom.

Continue Reading

Ron Samul publishes article, "The Art of Nothing"

Check out the recent article written by Thames Faculty, Ron Samul, called "The Art of Nothing." In his article, Ron explains existential horror, its meaning and a sampling from modern and classical horror stories.

"I realized that it wasn’t the unknown that brought about fear, but it was the simple act of not having my fears grounded in something rational that bothered me." -Ron Samul

                                            

CLICK HERE to read Ron Samul's article - "The Art of Nothing."

Continue Reading

Old Books Are Cool - Reflection by Ron Samul, Thames Faculty

I am an avid reader and I think old books are really cool. Old books have a distinct smell, they have a feel, and sometimes you can imagine some of the hands that touched a book. In fact, I've found some interesting things in old books: four leaf clovers, pressed flowers, notes, pictures, and even letters. You might also discover margin notes, signatures, and other little entries when you read through a old book.

In a recent article for Poor Yorick: A Journal of Rediscovered Objects, I discuss this odd book that turned up on my family bookshelf and how that book easily traveled around the world and came back to New London. While times change, we still have these artifacts to remind us of the skill and the abilities of men who took to the sea. The adventure is almost palpable on this old pages.

Continue Reading

*NEW* Thames Academy Technology Blog

                                                                      
We've added something new to the blog - check out the "Technology Blog" link located on the upper tabs bar of our blog. This new "blog extension" will host articles and teaching resources about using technology in higher education classrooms.

This blog will include:
-Information on Thames Academy's iPad pilot program in the spring 2015
-Technology trends in higher education classroom technology being used across the country
-Innovative uses of technology at Thames Academy

Click on the link at the top of our blog and take a look around!

Continue Reading

Thames Faculty: Using Blogs In the Classroom

by Ron Samul

People ask me why I use blogs in the classroom. It would seem that people who are familiar with blogs think they are vanity websites for people who like to show off their hobbies and family vacation pictures. But guess what? You are reading a blog right now. I think blogs work in the classroom because they centralize learning for the students. Here is some information about how I've used blogs at Thames Academy and in other learning environments.

Using blogs in a college classroom can help refine the lessons and the overall outcomes of a writing course, but it can also add in value to the students as they labor under the stress of writing. This articles will discuss some of the elements that are important, and how apps and document sharing can make managing courses in writing, humanities, and other content based classes more effective...

Continue Reading