In the Spotlight: L4 – Living Lab Learning Library

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Faculty members — Will you be planning spring courses over the winter break? Do you intend to use the OpenLab next semester? Would you like fresh ideas for your pedagogy? If so, check out L4: Living Lab Learning Library! L4 is a resource exchange for innovative teaching practices, where City Tech faculty can interact with each other and a community of educators at large. As the site says, the grant-funded project was designed to re-envision General Education as a “living laboratory” using City Tech’s signature strengths — hands-on experiential models of learning and our vibrant Brooklyn Waterfront location. Brought to you by the Gen Ed Seminar, the OpenLab, a Culture of Assessment, and the Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center, the site offers a one-stop shop for teaching and education resources — including tools for research and assessment. Want to learn more? Check out the site or contact L4 Coordinators Profs. Anna Matthews and Laura Westengard.

In The Spotlight: #The Guide

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#TheGuide, a project from Professors Karen Goodlad and Laura Westengard, is a one-stop shop for tips, tricks, and advice about our CityTech campus and surrounding neighborhood. With posts from students about local wine, local businesses, and local attractions, it has everything a newcomer – or a CityTech veteran – would want to get oriented to the community. Check out their extensive list of dining options, their profile of CityTech amenities, and their advice for college survival, including time management and intellectual openness. And stay tuned for updates! Students will be adding even more to #TheGuide in coming weeks.

In the Spotlight: Thomas Ahrens International Work/Study Programs – Paris

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A group of Hospitality Management students is participating in an exchange program with students from Universite d’Evry in Paris for the month of June.  They’re taking turns writing “Paris Correspondent” blog posts reflecting on their activities each day, including plenty of photographs!  It looks like a great experience, and we’re happy they’re sharing it with the OpenLab community and beyond!

In the Spotlight: Exploring Quantitative Reasoning

Created by Quantitative Reasoning Fellow, Yoonhee Kang, as a part of the Math Department’s Quantitative Reasoning (QR) program, this site features many great resources on QR and offers a space where those interested in QR can share and discuss ideas.  The site is well-designed, and contains information on QR, workshops for students, posts on QR in everyday life and various professions, and videos about QR.  Take a look!

In the Spotlight: Words Have Lives

Words Have Lives is a companion to the course Developmental Writing.  While it focuses on material being discussed in class, it can nonetheless be helpful to any students who may have questions about the writing process.  The site offers many resources, from help with essay grammar, structure, and strategy, to specific resources offered at City Tech, such as the Learning Center where students can go for help with their writing.  It is also well-structured and designed, and makes great use of image and video!

In the Spotlight: Gothic NYC

This project was created by students in Prof. Laura Westengard’s course, ENG 3407: Gothic Literature and Visual Culture.  Students have posted photographs, video, and written about numerous Gothic sites in New York City, analyzing them through the theories and concepts they’ve been learning in class.  For those interested in taking their own spooky tour, the students created a Google Map that includes all the locations on the site.  Check it out, but as they warn, enter at your own risk!

In the Spotlight: Biological Sciences Department

The Biological Sciences Department has created an excellent site on the OpenLab, which is full of resources, news, and helpful information.  It’s well-structured so that everything is easy to find, both on the home page, and in the top menu.  They also have a helpful feed of upcoming departmental events and deadlines in the sidebar.  Take a look!

In the Spotlight: Bridges to the Baccalaureate

We’re excited to see both Bridges to the Baccalaureate, and the program it’s part of, Strengthening Research Interactions through Digital Expressions (STRIDE), on the OpenLab!  STRIDE provides a digital space for student and faculty research resources, and the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program provides academic support and research mentoring to associates degree students in Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology, who will transfer to Brooklyn College to finish their degrees.  Their well-designed site includes plenty of information on the program, and visitors can download the Bridges brochure and application forms.  Students who are interested in applying should do so by their February 28 deadline!

In the Spotlight: The Buzz

The Buzz is the blog for our excellent group of student bloggers, who are writing on a wide variety of topics, from fashion to food, and more.  This semester the group also includes a few photobloggers who will be posting and writing about their photographs.  There are already three new posts this week, as well as an active comments section.  Check it out, and leave a comment!

In the Spotlight: Interdisciplinary Committee

We’re happy to see more and more college committees on the OpenLab, including the Interdisciplinary Committee!  They have a great site, which is well organized and informative, making it easy to find anything visitors want to know about what the committee does, joining the committee, or submitting an application to designate a course as interdisciplinary.  We also love their eye-catching header and logo!