Perry Binder's Blog, page 29

From the Dorm to Lake Placid to Sochi

This article appears in The Huffington Post:

I like your hat, Bill offered mischievously to the middle-aged Russian man.
The man kept walking with a deliberate gait.
Trade you my Vikings football cap, Bill tries, with the tact of a paparazzo in the Olympic Village.
The Russian gentleman stopped and looked at Bill. Then at me, wrapped in a parka the size of the Hindenburg.
Nyet, the man delivered stoic faced, as he disappeared amidst the snow flurries.This was the beginning of my trip to Lake Placid. It was a safe bet that Bill and I were not destined to be good will ambassadors for these Games.We left for Lake Placid from our Binghamton University dormitory at 2:00 a.m., to a mock chorus of God Bless America from the less than enlightened frat boys. About forty pioneers boarded a charter bus for the one day, 14-hour roundtrip journey from Vestal, New York. As we pulled away from campus, my thoughts wandered back to Franz Klammer's downhill run in 1976 at Innsbruck, and to the ice-cold keg of beer in the back of bus -- courtesy of those more than enlightened frat boys.Headline - Monday, February 18, 1980 - Bus waits may last throughout Games
For the sixth day in a row, spectators were forced to wait for more than an hour-and-a-half at some venues sites.Headline - Many treated for frostbite
(UPI) A bitter wind from the Northwest ... plunged the 'chill factor' to minus 40 (F and C).When the bus arrived at 9:00a.m., the first thing I wanted to do was see the Olympic torch and get in touch with all the good that it represents. The silver cauldron was perched about 100 feet above the snowdrifts. The base of the structure was a very unassuming platform from which the torch was first lit. After the lighting, the cauldron traveled up to its resting place along a track supported by two thin white beams, one on each side of the track. Access to the torch was permitted, as Bill took a picture of me on the platform. I posed with both arms raised in victory celebration form.Continue reading From the Dorm to Lake Placid to Sochi

Between the Snowflakes: From Lake Placid to the Sochi Olympics

I wrote this article long ago - I hope it still offers a lesson in optimism, in the face of so much doubt.

“I like your hat,” Bill offered mischievously to the middle-aged Russian man.
The man kept walking with a deliberate gait.
“Trade you my Vikings football cap,” Bill tries, with the tact of a paparazzo in the Olympic Village.
The Russian gentleman stopped and looked at Bill. Then at me, wrapped in a parka the size of the Hindenburg.
“Nyet,” the man delivered stoic faced, as he disappeared amidst the snow flurries.

This was the beginning of my trip to Lake Placid. At age 19, it was a safe bet that Bill and I were not destined to be good will ambassadors for these Games.

We left for Lake Placid from our Binghamton University dormitory at 2:00a.m., to a mock chorus of God Bless America from the less than enlightened frat boys. About forty pioneers boarded a charter bus for the one day, 14 hour roundtrip journey from Vestal, New York. As we pulled away from campus, my thoughts wandered back to Franz Klammer’s downhill run in 1976 at Innsbruck, and to the ice-cold keg of beer in the back of bus – courtesy of those more than enlightened frat boys.

Headline - Monday, February 18, 1980 - Bus waits may last throughout Games
“For the sixth day in a row, spectators were forced to wait for more than an hour-and-a-half at some venues sites.”

Headline – Many treated for frostbite
(UPI) “A bitter wind from the Northwest … plunged the ’chill factor’ to minus 40 (F and C).”

When the bus arrived at 9:00a.m., the first thing I wanted to do was see the Olympic torch and get in touch with all the good that it represents. The silver cauldron was perched about 100 feet above the snowdrifts. The base of the structure was a very unassuming platform from which the torch was first lit. After the lighting, the cauldron traveled up to its resting place along a track supported by two thin white beams, one on each side of the track. Access to the torch was permitted, as Bill took a picture of me on the platform. I posed with both arms raised in victory celebration form.

Headline – U.S. Government pressures USOC to boycott Moscow
Headline – Counter Olympic site sought
(UPI The United States has set a deadline of Wednesday, Feb. 20, for the Soviets to withdraw their estimated 95,000 troops from Afghanistan.

The first event we saw was the 70 meter combined Ski Jump at Intervale Mountain at 12:30p.m. For $16.80US, Bill and I got to stand among a pack of people for two hours without binoculars, hot chocolate, or wool socks. No matter. While our vantage point wasn’t perfect, it was a treat to watch airborne jumpers maintain their poise. During the event, my mind wandered back to Binghamton where everyone was huddled under blankets in front of the TV for the Games, while I was here as a witness to history.

Headline – ABC didn’t seem to be with it
(AP) “Even though it showed two gold medals being decided, ABC didn’t really seem to be into the Olympics during its 2½-hour presentation Sunday. … Delaying presentation of the downhill was inexcusable after the results were announced.”

After the ski jump, we had a few hours before going to an ice hockey game at the Olympic Center. Bill and I used this time to look around the Olympic Village. I vividly remember an East German athlete limping near us. We tried to talk to him about his injury, but the language barrier proved to be daunting. I also remember people from all over the world trading pins, and wondering what the big deal was. Who knew?!

Headline – What to do in a crisis
“If your car stalls out, your fingers freeze up, or you find out the place you had planned to stay the night is all booked up, don’t panic. [The disaster operational plan] is only a phone call away.”

At 4:30p.m., Bill and I headed into the Field House for a greatly anticipated ice hockey match between the USSR and Finland ($28.00US for lower level seats). When we bought tickets several months earlier, we were more excited to see the best hockey team on the planet than to see our homegrown USA team (which was playing Romania later that evening). After all, the Soviets were going to win the gold in style, right? Though Finland jumped out to an early 2-1 lead – much to the delight of the mostly American, anti-Russian crowd which chanted “Finnish ‘em off!!!” – the Soviets were formidable, beating Finland, 4-2.

At nightfall, we saw a spectacular fireworks display over frozen Mirror Lake, as the Games ended for another day. The competition would continue through Sunday, February 24 -- ending with the Gold Medal Round of the ice hockey tournament. But for Bill and me, it was back to the ice-cold bus with the empty keg of beer. And a seven hour trip back to Binghamton and a TV Olympics.

Headline – Monday, February 25, 1980 – Lake Placid: The Deserted Village
“With the games ending, Olympic Village will now be prepared for the role it was built for – as a prison.”

Thirty-plus years have passed since my journey to Lake Placid. And in that time, I don’t tolerate the cold as well, busses still don’t arrive at events, corporate logos loom larger, and people lob bombs to make a point. It’s enough to make those close to the Olympic Movement question their very involvement in the spirit of competition for the sake of a higher purpose.

In 1997, I sat in an Atlanta movie theatre for the world premiere of Bud Greenspan’s documentary, Atlanta’s Olympic Glory. Memories of the Lake Placid Games rushed back as quickly as the images of 1996 Games flashed on the screen. I’m fascinated as to how Mr. Greenspan, a self-described historian, captures poignant yet often unnoticed moments of the Games while filtering out the high profile politics of the day.

For me, such a perspective on history is a matter of one’s outlook. But ultimately, what we dwell on and how we recall important events are functions of choice. And isn’t that the heart and soul of the Olympic Movement - - to choose an ideal to shoot for, as we live and deal with the headlines. Day-by-day, as an integral part of the equation.

As I watch the Sochi Games, I approach them with the same anticipation as that 19 year old playing in an icebox called Lake Placid. Choosing to filter out without minimizing the scandals and the other negative things we often confuse as being newsworthy. Walking between the snowflakes.

Hoping this time to meet that Russian gentleman with the hat, and believing this time he’d say - - “Da, but throw in two pins with that stupid looking cap!”

c 2000-2014 Perry Binder

Sources:
Daily Olympic Digest, Lake Placid News, February 18, 1980
Red Smith, The New York Times, February 25, 1980, page C3

Schedule of Events
Monday, February 18, 1980
Lake Placid Winter Olympics
8:00a.m. . Men’s Figure Skating, Compulsory Figures
9:00a.m. Women’s Cross Country Skiing - 10 kilometer
10:00a.m Men’s Alpine Skiing - Giant Slalom, 1st Run
12:30p.m. Ski Jumping – 70 meter combined *
* Gold medal: Anton Innauer, Austria, 266.3 points

Hockey
1:00p.m. Canada-Japan Arena
1:30p.m. Sweden-Norway Field House
4:30p.m. Holland-Poland Arena
5:00p.m. USSR-Finland Field House
8:00p.m. Czechoslovakia-Germany Arena
8:30p.m. USA-Romania Field House

Most Medals
Team: East Germany - 23 Medals 9 Gold 7 Silver 7 Bronze
Individual: Eric Heiden, USA, Speed Skating – 5 Gold Medals

Perry Binder, J.D. is an author, professional speaker, and Legal Studies professor in Atlanta, GA. From 1992-1995, he was a sports radio talk show host on Miami Beach, where his shows included Love of the Game. He has appeared on ESPN Classic, discussing the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding case and other sports controversies.

Integrating Social Networks into Out-of-Class Activities

Abstract accepted for The Future of Education conference, June 2014:
Integrating Social Networks into Out-of-Class Activities for
Traditional and Hybrid College CoursesPerry Binder, Georgia State University (United States)
Hannah Cho, Georgia State University (United States)AbstractIt is the framework which changes with each new technology and not just the picture within the frame. 
Marshall McLuhan, 1955This paper supports the proposition that student use of social networking tools outside of class increases student-to-student and student-to-professor interaction, while enhancing critical thinking skills in the classroom.  Given the trend to move some classes into a hybrid format, the increased use of social networks on the students’ preferred “technology turf” is a key component in facilitating learning in such activities.  Further, the paper will offer insight from the perspective of a professor and a graduate teaching assistant (GTA), as they discuss the pros and cons of integrating social networks into out-of-class activities.  For example, the paper demonstrates how students and a professor formed an online Twitter community in an Internet Law business course, where students shared and commented on the latest international law news affecting the internet and social networks.  The class then assessed the legal context of social network behavior when they re-grouped in class.  As another example, a professor created a Facebook project, and (with a bit of trepidation) asked students to “friend” him.  In the project, students were instructed to find inappropriate comments posted anywhere on Facebook, re-post them on the professor’s “wall,” and comment on the implications of such postings if an employer actually read them.  Hand-in-hand with the pedagogical benefits of social networks, there is an overarching need to ensure student privacy in learning environments.  A major challenge faced by educators is how to teach students to navigate and leverage social networks in the business world, while maintaining their comfort level of privacy on the internet.  This paper addresses the importance of guiding students on how to be responsible digital citizens, as they analyze and assess the ethical use of social networks in the global workplace.  Thus, in a professor-GTA discussion over whether students in a study abroad class should maintain a public blog or a closed Facebook group for communication, the closed group option was chosen for privacy reasons.  Finally, the paper will introduce how out-of-class social network activities, when augmented with “gamification” (applying game-design thinking to non-game applications in an attempt to make the latter more fun), can elevate student engagement and learning in traditional and hybrid courses.

The Inspiring Teacher Series: Interviews with Master Teachers from K-12 to College

My favorite blog posts over the years involved interviews with great teachers who've inspired students year after year.  This blog post brings all of those interviews together.

The Inspiring Teacher Series: Interviews with Master Teachers from K-12 to College

Enjoy!

Questions included:
What inspired you to teach?
What teaching methods are most helpful in guiding students towards their goals?
What would you like to improve about your teaching?
What is the one thing you wish you'd known when you started your teaching career?

Kindergarten
Bridget Robbins

Middle School
Travis Tingle

High School
Paul Cohen
Brendan Halpin
Barry Hantman

College
Jody Blanke
Greg Henley
Mara Mooney

Top Takeaways: Success in College Life, Career Direction & the Classroom

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN ADJUSTING TO COLLEGE LIFE
-  Every college has many social and career-focused organizations.  Figure out which groups to participate in for fun and for your future.
-  Learn what your strengths are and how to use them in stressful situations.  You already know what your weaknesses are – now figure out how to compensate for them.
-  Live life with no regrets but understand the consequences of your decisions, whether they relate to classes, your future, or personal matters.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN PICKING A MAJOR OR CAREER PATH
-  The media shapes our impressions of what different careers are like.  Research the benefits and challenges of your major and career path by interviewing people who work in that industry, and by securing an internship in that field.
-  Keep an open mind when choosing a major or career path.  Base these decisions on your likes, dislikes, personality, and work style, rather than on the expectations placed on you by family and peers.
-  Don’t let anyone crush your dreams.  However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM
-  Seek out a friend in every class you take, so you can share lecture notes and maybe even study together.
-  Develop and stick to a firm studying schedule.  Procrastinators often claim to be self-motivators and need to consider working like structure people.
-  Your professors are rooting for you to succeed.  Ask them how they would study for their own exams.  Request practice quizzes, with the answers explained in class.
Excerpt: 99 Motivators for College Success

Teacher who dropped out recalls experience to inspire at-risk students

Excellent and inspiring article for students of all ages, for this holiday season:

Tears well up in Deborah LaPlante’s eyes as she sits at the back of the Orleans Arena, watching intently as her students file one by one across the stage to receive their high school diplomas.As with most graduations, it’s a joyful occasion. Parents are smiling, teachers are beaming and students are radiating pride and hope for the future.LaPlante, a 51-year-old teacher at Chaparral High School, never experienced the triumph of a high school graduation. In 1976, she dropped out of Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif., just a few weeks into her junior year. She was 16.
Continue reading: Teacher who dropped out recalls experience to inspire at-risk students
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jun/21/chaparral-teacher-uses-personal-experience-inspire/

10 Tips for Picking a Career Path in College

In the sage words of Yogi Berra, "if you don't know where you're going, you'll be lost when you get there." Picking a career path boils down to a cost benefit analysis and a gut check. It is a game of reality versus passion, and you can start blazing a meaningful path in college.

But hopefully you can appreciate that every career has an arc, and you are at the beginning of the curve. Don't be surprised if your career direction changes significantly a few times before and after you reach the peak.

With that message in mind, here are my 10 tips for picking a career path in college:

1. Don't let anyone crush your dreams.  However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.

Continue reading 10 Tips for Picking a Career Path in College

by Perry Binder, The Huffington Post College section

The Case for Humor in the College Classroom

My light thoughts for a new semester...



As college professors nationwide prepare for a new academic year, my message for them is simple: Lighten up! Your students just might engage and learn.



I never dreamed of being a college professor. Does anybody? When my third grade teacher asked us about our dream job, Molly said an astronaut; Evan, an actor. Perry: Obtain a terminal degree and lecture on legal morasses.



Whether the subject is law or nuclear physics, every student wants a good laugh. As teacher accountability objectives collide with shorter attention spans, laughter is the secret ingredient to keep everyone on task. Humor can even be found in the most stressful situations. ...



Continue reading

The Case for Humor in the College Classroom

The Huffington Post, College Section

Perry Binder

Top Takeaways: Success in College Life, Career Direction & the Classroom

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN ADJUSTING TO COLLEGE LIFE




-  Every college has many social and career-focused organizations.  Figure out which groups to participate in for fun and for your future.




-  Learn what your strengths are and how to use them in stressful situations.  You already know what your weaknesses are – now figure out how to compensate for them.




-  Live life with no regrets but understand the consequences of your decisions, whether they relate to classes, your future, or personal matters.




TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN PICKING A MAJOR OR CAREER PATH




-  The media shapes our impressions of what different careers are like.  Research the benefits and challenges of your major and career path by interviewing people who work in that industry, and by securing an internship in that field.




-  Keep an open mind when choosing a major or career path.  Base these decisions on your likes, dislikes, personality, and work style, rather than on the expectations placed on you by family and peers.




-  Don’t let anyone crush your dreams.  However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.





TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM




-  Seek out a friend in every class you take, so you can share lecture notes and maybe even study together.




-  Develop and stick to a firm studying schedule.  Procrastinators often claim to be self-motivators and need to consider working like structure people.




-  Your professors are rooting for you to succeed.  Ask them how they would study for their own exams.  Request practice quizzes, with the answers explained in class.




Excerpt: 99 Motivators for College Success

Closing Speaker at The Future of Education conference in Florence, Italy

I was honored to present "Motivating Students Toward Success" for The Future of Education conference.  This two-day conference "aims to to promote transnational cooperation and share good practice in the field of innovation for Education."  It focuses on the following thematic areas:


Innovative Teaching and Learning Methodologies
Education and New Technologies
Media Education
E-learning
Learning Games
Studies on Education
Studies on Second Language Acquisition
Art Education
Music Education





My wrap up session was based on 99 Motivators for College Success, and was attended by higher education colleagues from around the world.  It was a fun adventure for me to interact with great people.





Closing Speech

Motivating Students towards Success

Perry Binder

Legal Studies Professor, Georgia State University and 

Author of 99 Motivators for College Success (USA)




Conference Details:

http://conference.pixel-online.net/foe2013/index.php