Editorial Welcome
Being in the Classroom
Humor Column
Beating Procrastination
Seeing What I Think and Going from There
Understanding Today’s Student
Brainteasers
Catch the Last Issue!

Welcome to the February 2008 issue of the new Learning Center Exchange!

To submit your compliments, suggestions, ideas, and articles, please contact the editor, Mona Pelkey, at mpelkey@learningassistance.com.
If you enjoy reading our publication each month, spread the word! Share this link with your fellow staffers so that they may receive notices of new issues: http://www.learningassistance.com/join.htm
Deadlines for publication occur on the 1st day of each month, September-June, but we will gladly accept your submissions for review at any time. Guidelines for submissions may be found at http://www.learningassistance.com/2006/common/guidelines.html

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Editorial Welcome

By Mona Pelkey

Dear Readers,
I know many of you have been wondering why our January/February issue is coming out so late, and I assure you that it is all my fault. I am certain that you have heard every excuse in the world why your students’ assignments are late, poorly done, or undone. Here is my excuse, and I think it is pretty unique: My Chinese Crested powderpuff dog, Abby, had six puppies—prematurely--while we were moving, and there was no way I could write or edit, and do a reasonably decent job, without sleep, which as of late is a luxury I haven’t been able to afford...

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Humor Column

By Barbara McLay, University of South Florida

In the Spotlight: Being in the Classroom

By Brian Goldstein and Steve Dauz

During the academic year, 1999-2000, LaGuardia Community College entered what could be called our “Renaissance Period.” Many faculty & staff had begun investigating and creating exciting opportunities for students. We were sent to various training programs with the intention of creating a Leadership & Diversity Institute. Some of those training programs were more traditional, some at the leading edge, and others more controversial. But on the way to creating these new works, something interesting happened to us. Just as Ghandi said, “We must be the change we seek to create,” we found that in order to develop an experience that reaches students at a deeper level, we had to find that place in ourselves first...
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As time passed and I grew older I learned that I didn’t want any siblings. Now knowing how they got here I would pass.

For example, having a good relationship with your family could be unhealthy mentally...
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Critical Thinking and Writing: Seeing What I Think and Going from There

By Mona Pelkey

Beating Procrastination

By Dennis Congos, University of Central Florida

The best thing to do is just start. That’s what many of us tell students who suffer from writer’s block, isn’t it? Sometimes even the most loquacious can suffer from writer’s block. I find that this month I have been suffering from this phenomenon more than usual. There are many new distractions to blur my focus on writing: a household disrupted by both moving and the assimilation of a new ...
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Some people who put things off have what seems like an internal, almost knee-jerk resistance to doing jobs they believe they have to do or should do. If you procrastinate more than you like, you may be unconsciously struggling with this internal resistance. Fortunately, there are ways to use that resistance to your advantage in your battle to reduce procrastination...
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Understanding Today’s Students: Supporting Sophomores, the Wise Fools

By Julianne Scibetta-Messia

Brainteasers: February 2008

LCE Brainteasers
January/February 2008
Compiled by Julianne Scibetta-Messia

Welcome back to a new year of Brainteasers!
Congratulations to our intrepid December players: Bruce Epps, Karey Pharris, and Rick Muthiah!

Answers to December:

1. Farmer Brown has 3 ducks.
2. Today is the first of January. Charlie’s birthday was on the 31st of December, yesterday, when he was 21. The day before yesterday he was 20, he will be 22 this year, and 23 next year.
3. A sphere has three, a circle has two, but a point doesn’t have any…. Dimensions.
4. There are only 2 grooves on a record; one on each side.
5. Safety in numbers!

January/February 2008
(A)Political Slant

As political interest and chatter begins to swell this great nation, and as the world begins to tune in to watch, let’s gather seats by the fireside and play a good old-fashioned game of trivia. All puzzles were deliberately chosen; I hope you will find the clues.

1. Lincoln – Kennedy “Coincidences.”
   • Lincoln was elected in (what year), Kennedy in (what year)?
     • HINT: They were elected into office 100 years apart
   • Both men were assassinated on what day of the week?
   • Lincoln was killed in _____ Theater. Kennedy met his death while riding in a ________.
   • Both men were succeeded by vice-presidents named ___________.
2. A year ago Farmer Brown put his five horses and five donkeys in the same field to save space. No other animals had access to the field and so the horses and donkeys were able to graze together undisturbed. Two days ago Farmer Brown took all the horses to fresher pastures. There are now six animals left in the field. Only five of them are donkeys. How can this be?
3. You want to hire a temporary employee for one month. You offer him reasonable wages, but the employee suggests an alternative. For the first day of work, he will be paid a penny. For the second day, two pennies. For the third day, four pennies. The salary for each subsequent day will be double the previous day's, until the one month term is over. Ignoring the legalities of such a situation, would it be a good idea to accept the potential employee's proposal?
4. I'm going to buy Tiffany-lamp one-cent, Oklahoma two-cent, coffeepot three-cent, wagon five-cent, and Marine ten-cent stamps. I'm going to buy four of each of two sorts, and three of each of the rest, and I have exactly enough to buy them -- just this handful of dimes. How many of each type am I going to buy?

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across and down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve this Word Box?

1. sheriff, for example
2. fly
3. the wheat from the chaff
4. disfigure
5. coral islands with lagoons
6. most recent

As usual, express your opinions and submit your votes best guesses to Julianne at messiaj@acp.edu. Got a puzzler you’d love to share? Send it to me and I’ll feature it in the next Brainteaser!

Good luck!

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