Editorial Welcome
Why it is GREAT to Fail!
Get Out the Red Pen; It's Time to Edit!
Soup to Nuts
Sometimes You Have to Laugh
BIG Test Anxiety
Brainteasers
Catch the Last Issue!

Welcome to the March 2007 issue of the new Learning Center Exchange!

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Editorial Welcome

By Mona Pelkey

Dear Readers,
March means a lot of different things to the academic—spring break, midterms, dealing with winter fatigue and that vague restlessness that accompanies the oncoming spring, and the ironic feeling of relief/panic that before we know it, the semester will be over. It is also a time to reflect upon how the semester is going, and what we can do to improve our students’ and our own performance. We ask ourselves, “Will we accomplish our goals?” and “Will our students accomplish their goals?” This reflection reveals the gaps between what we are doing and hoping to accomplish and what is actually occurring. Thankfully, a good way to learn how to fill in those gaps is to use information gleaned from the excellent articles in The Learning Center Exchange!...
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In the Spotlight: Why it is GREAT to Fail!

By Dennis Congos, University of Central Florida

Get Out the Red Pen; It’s Time to Edit!

By Kyle Cushman, Vermont College of Union Institute and University

When we were young, many of us dreaded getting papers back full of circles and slashes and symbols, which our teacher delivered by red pen. The red pen was the notorious harbinger of errors. However dreaded, though, editing is a vital part of the writing process and should not be skipped over or neglected. Readers are quick to doubt a writer’s authority and lose interest if they have to stumble over misspelled words, funky syntax, incorrect punctuation, and questionable word choice…
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I compiled this handout because I have seen that many student fear failure. Much of that fear comes from the self-talk they allow to be repeated in their heads. Great progress toward more successes can be made by simply changing one’s self-talk to words which allow for failures to contribute to success....
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Questions or comments? Contact the author at dcongos@mail.ucf.edu.

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Understanding Today’s Students: Soup to Nuts – Expectations of Today’s Women

By Julianne Scibetta

Sometimes You Have to Laugh

By Barbara McLay, University of South Florida

Women outnumber men in American education these days, especially higher education. And while we have more things to remember, worry about, and schedule these days, it appears that the task list for women continues to grow...
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A student leaned his chair too far back and fell. I rushed over to check on him and heard profanity that must have turned my face red because the student told me, “I’m so sorry, Ms. McLay; it just fell right out of my mouth!”

Preparing to write papers on controversial topics, students were having a lively discussion on pros and cons of legal abortions. A male student remarked, “I know firsthand what I’m talking about”...
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BIG Test anxiety: Successfully Retaking the BIG EXAM

By Mona Pelkey

In working with adults who are preparing to take major examinations such as the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, or bar exam, I have found that it takes more than good study preparation to succeed. Highly successful students often already have excellent study skills, but the heightened anxiety they experience in facing “milestone” ...
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Brainteasers: March 2007

Compiled by Julianne Scibetta, Albany College of Pharmacy

Thanks, George Strohm of Brevard Community College, for your answers to the holiday brainteasers! Great job!

Congratulations to Robert Biviano at Herkimer County Community College for his correct answers to all of the questions for the Jan/Feb brainteasers. Matthew Winkler at Rutgers University came in at a close second with two answers correct.

Click here to see the Jan/Feb Brainteasers again! http://www.learningassistance.com/2007/january/index.html#brainteasers

January/February Brainteaser Solutions.

1. $1.19. Three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies.
2. Variations of this may occur.
3. When you choose a paper, immediately swallow it. The executioner will be forced to read the other paper to see which one you drew. The executioner will see a paper marked “DEATH” and will assume that you drew “LIFE” and will have to set you free.

March 2007 Brainteasers

I’m looking forward to spring, aren’t you?

1. Bird Watching. Abel, Mabel, and Caleb went bird watching. Each of them saw one bird that none of the others did. Each pair saw one bird that the third did not. And one bird was seen by all three. Of the birds Abel saw, two were yellow. Of the birds Mabel saw, three were yellow. Of the birds Caleb saw, four were yellow. How many yellow birds were seen in all? How many non-yellow birds were seen in all?
2. Number Puzzle. Make 11 out of 7, 7, 7, and 9. Do this by taking the four numbers and performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division operations on them. Each number must be used in the calculations exactly once, and only these four operations (+, -, x, ÷) may be used. You may parenthesize your expression however you wish. For example, 5 may be obtained from 1, 2, and 3, with the expression (3 + 2) × 1.
3. Thank you, Ben Franklin. Daylight Savings Time is a little bit earlier this year. Let’s celebrate by thanking the father of DST, Ben Franklin, with some proverb-puzzles! Each of the following sentences is a proverb, except one letter in each word has been replaced. Can you figure out which proverb it is?
   Exempli Gratia: Wetter mate than fever. = Better late than never.
   1. Earls so red, earls no rose.
   2. Won't pit oft pill gomorrow whet yon tan go toddy.
   3. Ill word end so plan takes pack I pull toy.
   4. I pool ant has honey ale boon panted.

These puzzles from Brain Food, a RinkWorks production.

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