Feb 15, 2012

Behind the Scenes of the 2012 SOTUS

Posted by Mary Jane
in American Government, Video | 0 comments

I finally watched this video about the making of the 2012 State of the Union speech. Like all videos from whitehouse.gov, it offers a peek into the hallways and cubicles of the West Wing and shows the real work that happens there. I really liked hearing from some of the staff members who worked on the speech. (I counted three with “Speech Writer” in their title.)

Showing how the different agencies are responsible for reviewing the speech and checking the facts was also included, and I wish there were more details about that. Of course, President Obama makes a few appearances, clearly directing the whole process and providing feedback to those working late into the night. We might include this video in our 2012 update of our State of the Union assignment (here’s the current one), but with all the writing and rewriting featured, it seems like it could be great for students learning about the writing process, too.

Feb 14, 2012

Understanding Iran’s Oil Exports

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in Comparative Government, Global Studies, International Relations | 0 comments

Each morning on my way to work I listen to NPR. It seems most days, there is at least one news story about oil, sanctions, and Iran. Yesterday, I stumbled across this great data set from The Guardian‘s Datablog that breaks down the whos, whats, and wheres of Iran’s oil exports. I found it very helpful and even discovered that Canada has the third largest proven oil reserve in the world. (Did you know that?) I also love bits like this from The Guardian‘s Datablog because you can download the data sets. So, whether you’re a stats lover or a student trying to understand all the fuss over Iran’s oil, check it out!

Feb 9, 2012

Is the Lecture on its Way Out?

Posted by Mary Jane
in Teaching and Technology | 0 comments

No matter what you call it—”peer learning” or “active learning” or the “flipped class”—teaching that emphasizes activities (discussion, simulations, problem-solving, etc.) seems to be associated with better learning. This NPR story provides a compelling example.

What do you think? Are you teaching more with activities? Does it work?

Feb 8, 2012

VoteMatch Quiz

Posted by Mary Jane
in American Government, Civic Engagement | 1 comment

We recently passed  this quiz around the office and everyone agreed that it’s a pretty nice way to evaluate candidates based on current issues. The quiz, from On the Issues, assesses your views on major issues and then shows you how well each candidate’s views line up with your own. Views are assessed based on responses to 20 statements, which are all clickable to provide more information.

Feb 2, 2012

Smart Crowdsourced Resources for Teaching Research Methods

Posted by Mary Jane
in Teaching and Technology | 0 comments

Looking for good resources for teaching your social science research methods class?

A few weeks ago at SPSA in New Orleans, I heard about a really great website, the Online Portal of Social Science Education in Methodology or OPOSSEM. At their workshop,

Feb 1, 2012

APSA’s Teaching and Learning Conference

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in Conferences | 1 comment

It’s time again for APSA’s Teaching and Learning Conference! This year, TLC is being held in Washington, D.C., from February 17-19th. We adore this conference because all the attendees are passionate about teaching political science, thus the tracks and workshops are chock full of amazing stories, experiences, tips, and great links for teaching.

Mary Jane and Zara will be tweeting from the panels and finding great stuff to feature in future blog posts, while Maureen will be at the Soomo Publishing booth getting courses set up and providing demos. For those of you attending the conference, we have set up a handy reference page about TLC and the D.C. area here. And make sure to stop by the booth and say hi!

Jan 31, 2012

Spotlight: California Budget Challenge

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in American Government, New Assignment, Simulations, Teaching and Technology | 1 comment

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new assignment for Americans Governing titled California Budget Challenge. The new assignment, authored by Dr. Tressa Tabares of American River College, includes a link to an online budget simulation by the nonpartisan group, Next 10. The simulation requires students to decide how much to spend on schools, prisons, the environment, and other state programs, as well as how to pay for them. Email the Polisci desk to have it added to your course!