With her Eras tour, Taylor Swift has been dominating the news this summer, including the $55 million in bonuses she gave to every member of the team that worked on the tour. But her impact on the people and the places involved with the concert experience extends way beyond that. From the resale prices, to the impact on local economies, to the role of Ticketmaster, we can learn a lot about economics from the pop icon and her tour. Economists research topics like labor, trade, global markets, healthcare, inequalities, education, etc, but the core of economics - one that Swift's Eras Tour has helped to teach us is how should economies allocate scarce resources?  Understanding economic principles doesn’t have to be thinking about “widgets”; rather, we can look at decisions in our everyday lives. In fact, Macmillan Learning author Paul Krugman (Economics from Krugman/Wells 6e) indicates that we can learn a lot from analyzing the headlines around an important piece of pop culture -- like the Eras Tour. Knowing that Swift's tour provides such strong teachable moments in economics, Krugman created assignments for instructors to use this fall. The assignments are available beginning this August as an added benefit to all instructors using Macmillan Learning’s Achieve, but the team also wanted to make a few of them available for broader use. So … Are You Ready For It? The cost of attending a Taylor Swift concert & the concept of opportunity cost This assignment asks students to think about the true cost of attending a concert. Was it just the price you paid for a ticket? Let’s consider … In Chapter 1 of Economics from Krugman/Wells 6e, the concept of opportunity cost is introduced, which discusses both monetary and non-monetary costs.  In this example, students are asked to consider what they gave up, relative to their next best alternative. This means the cost of buying tickets plus what they could have been doing during the time spent waiting in the virtual queue, including lost sleep, missed homework assignments, and missed school or work.  What about the money spent buying the tickets? The concert outfit? The concert t-shirt? How about parking? And dinner before the concert with your Swiftie besties? Students may have given up the chance to sell them on the secondary market and just watched Netflix instead. Thinking about the costs of attending the concert -- what would students have if they made the decision to stay home instead. It should be no Trouble working that out. All of these decisions are part of the costs of getting Taylor Swift tickets. So … here’s your Question …” -- was it worth it? Start out your fall term by thinking about opportunity cost and the true cost of attending a Taylor Swift concert. Stay tuned next week for another Swiftie-nomics assignment! Instructors can learn more about Economics from Krugman/Wells 6e and Macmillan Learning’s digital learning platform Achieve. The 7th edition of Krugman/Wells will be available later this fall. To learn more about it, find your rep!) ... View more

Our mission is to inspire what’s possible for every learner. We pursue this mission with intention, not by mandate. We envision and create products that reach the diverse populations of students we serve in the classroom; more so, the inherent benefits of diverse and inclusive school environments motivate our research, editorial development, and pedagogical strategies to reduce the inherent gaps in outcomes that persist along racial, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, and cultural lines. The end of one set of government policies nor the onset of another will cause us to stray from the values that serve as a catalyst for our actions.  Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, effectively ending affirmative action policies relying on race as a determinant for admission to public and private colleges and universities has engendered a lot of reaction. Advocates for affirmative action see this ruling as a closure of yet another avenue for socioeconomic and class mobility for underrepresented racial minorities; or view the decision as a striking and racially-motivated reaction to thwart progress of Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. Those skeptical of government policies or the implementation of affirmative action programs may view the ruling as a politically divisive if warranted decision to retire a well-intentioned policy that had outlived its effectiveness. Proponents might applaud the end of a race-centric policy as an opportunity to transition away from a race-driven perspective of American society. These arguments alone fail to represent the range of emotions and perspectives in respectful discourse felt by our colleagues and in our communities. We have stated repeatedly at Macmillan Learning that we believe classrooms should be places where ideas are fostered, engaged with, and critiqued; fair debate about affirmative action policies and programs has been presented in the educational titles we publish. But debates about public policy should not be mistaken for indifference to the quality and composition of our classrooms.  We envision a world in which every learner succeeds and where we play an important role in making that possibility a reality. Whether the mechanism that makes this vision a reality is government policy, a shift in cultural zeitgeist, community care, or by some other means, we recognize that diverse perspectives are a catalyst for inclusive thought. and a more engaged community of learners. We support an educational ecosystem that helps communities thrive, be less limited by social, economic, and cultural constraints, and enable colleges and universities to encourage a student experience that enriches each student, exposes them to a diversity of perspectives, and serves as a means to raise the prospects for all while reducing the equity gap experienced by so many.  ... View more

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Economics is the 15th most popular major in the U.S. But, students don’t have to major in Economics to take an economics course and reap the benefits. They don’t even need to be an expert at math.  From learning about whether to rent or buy a house to understanding why the prices of gas vary so much in any given year, students can learn practical and useful skills by taking economics courses -- and perhaps choose it as a minor or secondary area of study. One might even say that economics can be like a superpower that helps students to make decisions throughout their lives.  We have pulled together seven reasons why students should consider taking an economics class -- even if they don’t plan on majoring in it. Is Taylor Swift Underpaid? Understanding the Game of Supply and Demand: Economics can help students to better grasp the art of balancing supply and demand, a concept that demonstrates how the prices of things are determined in a market. By analyzing market trends and consumer behavior they may be able to better predict when the price of their, say, favorite sneakers or purse will drop, or why their concert ticket prices are high. Great examples of real-life applications that demonstrate how economic concepts like supply and demand play out in the real world can be found in an article about the economics of a Taylor Swift concert by Paul Krugman or Economics and Essentials of Economics by Paul Krugman and Robin Wells.  Every Decision is an Economic Decision. Mastering Opportunity Costs to Make Wise Choices: Most students have been faced with the decision of whether they should study for that test or do something a bit more fun, like watch a movie or go to a party. Whether or not they know it, that decision is an economic one -- the principle of opportunity costs. Taking an economics class will help them to better understand that there’s a cost to what they give up when they choose one option over another. Principles of Economics authors Betsey Stevenson & Justin Wolfers present a framework in their title that argues that every decision is an economic decision and demonstrate throughout how economic principles can be used by students to make better decisions in their own lives. Who isn’t Looking to Save Money? Becoming a Savvy Consumer: Is that sale the best deal a student can get for a new laptop, or should they wait to buy one? Economics can help turn students into savvy and strategic shoppers. In an economics class, students learn about pricing strategies, how to manage their resources more effectively, and even be able to spot some misleading advertising and marketing tricks. Is Pizza Alone Enough? Exploring the Power of Incentives: Another challenge students face -- especially early on in college -- is having to move frequently. They may try to entice friends with offers of pizza, a night out on the town, or even promises to help them when they move. But are those incentives enough to help? Maybe some garlic bread and refreshments may make their friends more inclined to help. Economics reveals how incentives work and how people respond to rewards and punishments. Specifically, how both are used to encourage people to take certain actions or make certain choices. Modern Principles of Economics by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok demonstrates the importance of incentives and covers the topic in great detail with an entire chapter dedicated to it. Why is it Impossible to Choose? Embracing Decision-Making and Critical Thinking: Not every student starts college confident about what major they want to choose. They can use skills gained in an economics class to help them decide by considering what they value the most and what they’re willing to give up in order to get it. For example, if a student is passionate about studying the world around them and is not sure whether they’re more interested in biology or astronomy, they can learn how to weigh which are of study they may like more and would give them a more fulfilling career against what it would cost for them to achieve the desired outcome -- whether it be a high salary, the ability to work in the field, or something else entirely. Economics classes can help sharpen decision-making abilities by teaching students how to think critically, evaluate costs and benefits, and assess risks.  Can you Measure GDP by How Happy a Country is? Gaining a Global Perspective: Did you know that the government of Bhutan doesn't measure their well-being through gross domestic product, but through a Gross National Happiness Index. Whether talking about dollars, euros or shekels, students can discover how countries interact as it relates to their economies. They’ll learn about international trade, exchange rates, the impact of international agreements and treaties. Understanding the global economy can help students discover more about our interconnected world (and possibly a fun global job as well). There’s a Macmillan Learning title that looks at economics specifically from this perspective: Economics: Principles for a Changing World by Eric Chiang. How do Sports Play into Economics? Understanding that Economics is Everywhere. Even in sports. Students can learn about one of their favorite pastimes and how economics impacts so much of it -- from ticket prices, to how much athletes get paid, to why some teams are more profitable than others. One of Macmillan Learning’s titles, Sports Economics by David Berri, even has a section dedicated to “Why People Hate the Yankees.” No matter students' reasons for studying economics -- and whether it be for a class or a lifetime -- they can reap the benefits for years to come. Economics is a vast field that allows students to explore human behavior, societal issues, and the workings of our intricate economic systems.  Learn more about Macmillan Learning’s catalog of Economics textbooks and the experts that write them here.   ... View more

Writing a textbook is challenging. There are different requirements than writing a popular trade book; the text must undergo strict fact checking; and the inclusion of multimedia, assessments, and digital learning materials can make it a long and arduous project. That doesn’t include the time and effort it takes to build rapport with co-authors and the editorial team.  For Dr. Allison Sidle Fuligni, Professor of Child and Family Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and Dr. Andrew Fuligni, Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology at University of California, Los Angeles, some of those challenges were mitigated and others heightened. “We’ve of course collaborated before,” said Allison with a nod toward her spouse, “on things like raising our children together.” However, their professional work has remained mostly separate.  When approached by Macmillan Learning and asked to author Scientific American: Lifespan Development, Allison and Andrew learned quickly how to navigate living with a co-author and authoring with a spouse. “I think we figured it out early,” said Andrew. In this month’s special edition of our Author Spotlight series, we sat down with co-authors–and spouses–Allison and Andrew.  Dr. Allison Sidle Fuligni, Professor of Child and Family Studies at California State University Dr. Andrew Fuligni, Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology at University of California, Los Angeles While Allison and Andrew are both experts in the field of developmental psychology, their areas of expertise vary and their educational and career journeys are distinct.  Allison was, from a young age, interested in child development; though she didn’t always know if graduate school and a career in developmental psychology was for her. “Growing up,” she said, “I thought I wanted to become a teacher, getting a degree in education and a teaching certificate.” While studying at Brown University, she discovered a degree program that she didn’t know existed, and it set her on a different path.  “It was an interdisciplinary major,” Allison said, “that combined psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, computer science, philosophy, and anthropology. It taught me to think about and understand things through many different lenses.” It was through this Cognitive Science degree that Allison was exposed to and able to conduct her own research. “I focused on children’s cognitive development for my honors thesis,” she said. “Working with children during my undergraduate research is what inspired me to apply to graduate school,” she added, “which is where Andrew and I met.”  Andrew remembers becoming interested in developmental psychology in high school and feeling certain that he would major in Human Development while studying at Cornell. “I was already interested in the subject,” he said, “and then I was fortunate enough to enroll in the honors section of an adolescent psychology course during my second semester. It was treated like a graduate seminar, and from then on I was hooked.” Andrew had no doubts about his educational and career path when he started graduate school at the University of Michigan, where he and his future spouse enrolled in the same PhD program.  Although in the same program, Allison and Andrew’s graduate school experiences were quite different. “I wasn’t always sure that graduate school is what I wanted to do,” said Allison, “which makes it much more difficult.” Allison often shares with her students the challenges she faced. “I actually quit graduate school twice before obtaining my Phd,” she said. “My mentor told me that all I had left to finish was my dissertation, and I’m glad I persisted.”  Part of what made graduate school a challenge for Allison was figuring out what she wanted to do with her degree. “One of my professors encouraged me to go the route of developmental psychology, a very research-based PhD,” she said. “And I did enjoy the problem solving and measurement aspect of research, but I also longed for more of a service-oriented career.” At one point, Allison considered getting her M.D. and becoming a doctor. Nevertheless, she completed her PhD in developmental psychology and spent the first half of her career as a research scientist. “Now the majority of my job is full-time teaching,” she said, “and that feels like my service: training students who will someday become Head Start teachers and running after school programs.”  Andrew teaches less than his spouse, though he still finds it just as rewarding as the research and writing aspects of his job. “Most of my teaching is of graduate students,” he said, “which is intricately involved in the writing process itself. Though I find it important to include undergraduates in the research process as well.” Andrew’s favorite part about teaching is when he can show his students the science that tells them that something they thought was true isn’t true. “With child development,” he said, “people think they know it well because they experienced it firsthand… but the science behind it often surprises them.” There is a feature in each chapter of their textbook, Scientific American: Lifespan Development, called “Can you believe it?” that demonstrates what Andrew described as his favorite part of teaching. “In this feature,” he said, “we offer a deep dive about preconceived ideas that students may have, and then we discuss the science behind it.” Allison agreed. “I love bringing new information to students. They become so interested and it opens up new perspectives,” she said.  Even with their wealth of teaching and research experience, writing a textbook posed a new challenge for both Allison and Andrew. “It took much longer than I had anticipated,” said Andrew. “And we were cautious because there are many textbooks out there and it’s difficult to break into the market.” Allison added: “It’s a big decision to change textbooks. Not one that instructors take lightly.”  The exciting challenge of their textbook was to create something novel. “We wanted it to be graphically interesting, include multimedia, be accurate and up-to-date, and based in science,” said Andrew. “It also needed to be accessible to students,” he added. Allison and Andrew greatly credited their other co-author, Jessica Bayne, for bringing the project to life. “We envisioned the content,” said Andrew, “and Jessica–who has a long history as an editor and producer–had the vision of the entire textbook and package and how it should come together.”  Between the three co-authors, there was a natural division of workload. “My area of expertise is early childhood,” said Allison, “including infancy, early, and middle childhood. Andrew’s is adolescence and the transition to adulthood.” Content-wise, it made sense for Allison to write the first half and Andrew to write the second half. “Jessica then provided the continuity across all of the chapters,” said Allison. “She was very focused on helping us create fresh, engaging, and accessible material.”  Scientific American: Lifespan Development provides students with a rich portrait of different stages of the lifespan, including different experiences, strengths and weaknesses, challenges, settings, and family forms. “Development is about how we raise our children,” said Andrew, “about how we change and adapt to the world we grow up in.” Each chapter in the book features the story of a different person or family, and developmental concepts are introduced to students through the context of these people’s experiences–and then explained through science.  “It’s difficult to choose a favorite story or chapter,” said Allison. “Though one is of a toddler named Telele. She is an Alaskan native, and her parents are from different tribal groups in Alaska, raising her to speak multiple tribal languages in addition to English.” Allison is passionate about second language acquisition in childhood, having conducted research on Spanish-speaking children early in her career.  Diversity is a central theme throughout the book. In addition to Telele’s story, the book includes a same-sex couple living in New Jersey with adopted daughters; a set of sisters on either side of the puberty transition; and the story of an individual with dementia. “The book captures the essence of stages of life really well,” said Andrew. “Through the stories, students really gain a better understanding of what toddlerhood is like, and adolescence, and being a parent, and taking care of one’s own parents.” The co-authors described the book and the stories within as those of “typical people with many typical life experiences.”  Dr. Andrew Fuligni & Dr. Allison Sidle FuligniWhile Allison and Andrew are experts in their field and have literally written the textbook on Lifespan Development, they still experienced some of those typical experiences when raising their children. “I think it’s been an interesting experience,” said Andrew. “Certainly, my profession has provided me with the scientific knowledge of what goes on during each life phase, but there was still a lot of gut checking and patience required.” Allison described it as being difficult to “turn off” the analytical part of her brain. “It’s how I’ve been trained and it’s how I face the world,” she said.  In addition to raising their two children and writing Scientific American: Lifespan Development together, Allison and Andrew enjoy hiking the Southern California mountains. “My mom took me backpacking as a child, which instilled a love of nature and wilderness in me,” said Allison. “And now we have this goal of completing the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, a 67-mile long hiking trail.” The two also enjoy sharing book and movie recommendations with each other, and playing board games as a family when their children are home. ... 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Did you know that it’s not only writers and editors who influence how textbooks are developed? Each year, Macmillan Learning invites a group of outstanding graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to participate in the Bedford New Scholars program. During this weeklong event, scholars attend numerous focus groups and workshops centered around advancing pedagogy in composition courses.    Who are the Bedford New Scholars?  Bedford New Scholars are GTAs studying and teaching English who are passionate about innovating student learning. Graduate programs in Composition & Rhetoric across the country nominate candidates, and then the Macmillan Learning Composition team selects the year’s cohort, which is usually around ten GTAs. Over a week in June, the cohort participates in a number of professional development activities, including presentations from leading experts in the field. Then, they have the opportunity to share “Assignments That Work,” their successful teaching assignments via blog posts on the English Community Site. The scholars have a range of interests, including ESL studies, digital literacy, accessibility, rhetorical genre studies, transnational and indigenous literacies, and LGBT representation.  The Bedford New Scholars program has grown exponentially, with over 110 participating scholars since its launch in 2008. Previous scholars continue to carry on the program’s legacy of innovation and service to the field long after their time in the program. From surprising twists in their careers to new teaching opportunities, let’s take a look at where some of the Bedford New Scholars are now.  Where Are They Now? Gina Atkins  Gina Atkins participated in the Bedford New Scholars program in 2021. She was nominated by her professor and mentor Dr. Fedukovich from North Carolina State University, who she credits for fostering her love of composition and rhetoric. Gina is currently in the third year of her PhD program at the University of Wisconsin Madison and serves as the Assistant Director for the Writing Across the Curriculum program. She cherished the community amongst the Bedford New Scholars and gained valuable insights from her peers. She enjoyed fellow Bedford New Scholar Leah Washburn’s Assignments That Work: Dungeons and Dragons in the Composition Classroom in particular. This assignment introduced essay prompts through the context of Dungeons and Dragons and asked students to engage in the writing process.  Gina believes that learning about Macmillan Learning’s DEI initiative and practices helped her to evaluate how she could align these goals in her classroom and research. The insights she has gained from the Bedford New Scholars program has trailed into her career as she is currently working on an article that examines “the theoretical and, more importantly, the pedagogical importance of examining multiracial rhetorical practices and how it can help us redefine what racial literacy looks like in the writing classroom.” Check out Gina’s Assignment That Works: Teaching Stages of Revision and Peer Editing (The Ariana Grande Assignment) here.   Madhura Nadarajah  Madhura Nadarajah is an English PhD candidate exploring research in Cultural Rhetorics, Postcolonial Theory, and Tamil Cultural Production at the University of Oregon (UO). She also serves as the Assistant Director of the Composition program at UO, where she organizes undergraduate and graduate courses and provides campus-wide support for instructors. She was a Bedford New Scholar in 2022 and was nominated for the program by Nick Recktenwald, the former director of the Composition program at UO.  Madhura is grateful for the Bedford New Scholars program, citing that participating propelled her career by renewing her understanding of how to support writing students in the classroom. She also valued the sense of community and came to appreciate the diversity among the scholars, highlighting that she “learned so much about everyone’s important yet different approaches to writing studies.” Madhura’s Assignment That Works: Social Literacy Narrative prompted students to write a letter reflecting and exploring their experiences with social literacy.     Michael S. Garcia  Michael Garcia was a Bedford New Scholar in 2020. He was nominated by Kimberly Harrison, the director of the Composition program at Florida International University, Miami. His Assignment That Works: Discourse Community Profile asked students to examine how language is used to express a community’s identity. Michael expressed that the most valuable part of being a Bedford New Scholar was learning about academic publishing. He explained, “Learning about the publication process gave me the insight I needed to decide that I wanted to transition from teaching full-time to working in educational publishing.” Michael landed a job at Macmillan Learning a year later, where he works as an Assistant Editor in content development for the Humanities division. Michael credits the Bedford New Scholars program for changing the trajectory of his career and life in a positive way. These days, Michael spends a lot of time organizing data and key information and managing the English Community Site, which houses the Bedford New Scholar community and the Bedford Bits blog. Michael has come full circle, from being a Bedford New Scholar to managing the content of the Bedford New Scholars program! By fostering an environment centered around a passion for student learning, the Bedford New Scholars program has shaped and continues to shape the lives of its previous participants. And with that being said, the torch is now being passed to the Bedford New Scholars of 2023. This June, Macmillan Learning will welcome ten new scholars to its 2023 cohort. Sherry Mooney, the coordinator for this year’s program, has loved getting to know this new group of inspiring GTAs, saying, “We are excited to have this great cohort of scholars helping us to expand our culture of innovation, broaden our understanding of the current state of the composition classroom, and inspire us and each other to meet the challenges in the field today.” Excited to see what our 2023 Bedford New Scholars will share? Head on over to the Bedford New Scholars page on the English Community Site and read a blog or two!  ... View more

“If I would have had a teacher like Dr. Stewart,” said Janie Pierce-Bratcher, Director of High School Marketing at Macmillan Learning, “I’d be building bridges right now.” Originally a physics major in undergrad, Janie found the subject quite challenging and changed her course of study. Today, when she listens to Dr. Stewart explain it, she understands physics much better than she had as a student.  It’s partly because physics has a bad reputation. “People are afraid of it,” said Dr. Gay Stewart, Eberly Professor of STEM Education at West Virginia University and co-author of College Physics for the AP Physics 1 & 2 Courses. Physics’s perceived difficulty is also a reason that, among the other natural sciences, it has the fewest number of females in both physics courses at colleges and universities and physics-related careers.  Dr. Gay Stewart, Eberly Professor of STEM Education, West Virginia UniversityDr. Stewart wants to change that. “When I was in graduate school,” she said, “one of my female peers told me that she was studying physics because people think it’s hard.” Dr. Stewart thinks that’s the wrong approach. “We need to be more welcoming in the physics community,” she said, “and one’s motivation to study physics shouldn’t be because it makes them feel smarter.”  One way to change people’s perception of physics is to improve the learning materials used in physics courses, a task which Dr. Stewart has been uniquely positioned to accomplish. Before co-authoring the textbook for the AP course, Dr. Stewart spent six years on the AP Physics Test Development Committee, then served on and chaired the College Board’s Science Academic Advisory Committee; from there she became co-chair of the Redesign Commission, which established the new AP physics curriculum.  Dr. Stewart’s empathy for her students is another strength that greatly improves the quality of her teaching and writing. She faced many significant challenges during her time as a student, in both undergraduate and graduate school, that have allowed her to better understand the personal struggles of her students.  For Dr. Stewart, her journey to becoming a physics professor and textbook author began in high school. “My first physics class was at my tiny, rural high school,” she said. “The teacher only came to our school for half a day because he was shared with another school. He would trundle down from the mountains, and when his truck was full of snow we would have snowball fights. He made physics fun and interesting.” Dr. Stewart found the course challenging, but in a way that was engaging and motivating.  “When I started my undergraduate career, I thought first of majoring in engineering,” Dr. Stewart said. She enrolled at the Naval Academy, but unfortunately sustained an injury that didn’t allow her to continue her studies there. “I sort of hobbled around for a bit–both figuratively and literally–trying to figure out what to do next,” she said. She then continued her studies at the University of Arizona as a business major before serendipitously running into a former mentor who encouraged her to switch majors. “The University of Arizona had tried to recruit me before,” she said, “and at the advice of my mentor–with the support of VA vocational rehab–I was able to complete a physics major during my last three semesters.”  While condensing the entirety of a physics major into three semesters–including some summer coursework–seems challenging enough, Dr. Stewart also endured significant personal hardships before completing her degree. “I lost my husband,” she said, “and I had to finish my degree as a single parent with a very young child.” This experience, above others, created the greatest sense of empathy that Dr. Stewart has for her students and their unique backgrounds and situations.  Dr. Stewart cares deeply for her students and is passionate about teaching. “When I started graduate school,” she said, “I was probably the only person who showed up to this highly regarded program with a desire to teach.” Compared to her peers, who were largely interested in research, Dr. Stewart always prioritized her teaching interests.  “I remember my first experience teaching as a teaching assistant,” Dr. Stewart recalled. “I certainly looked as if I played the part; one of my students liked to point out my fuzzy hair and some of my other quirks.” Dr. Stewart remembered pushing this student a lot because he was a physics major. “Then, at a conference some twenty years later,” she said, “I was telling this story and there he was in the audience, smiling up at me. He became a high school physics teacher!”  It’s important that Dr. Stewart feels she is making a difference in the work that she’s doing. She’s always had the opportunity to focus on research, but she consistently asks herself if that will make the world a better place for her own children, or the next generation more broadly. “So many people hear the word ‘physics’ and think ‘ew’,” she said, “but I understand that a key part of my job is to show people how physics plays such a large role in biology, evolution, and the environment. There’s physics in all of that.”  During Dr. Stewart’s final year of graduate school, she discovered an undergraduate faculty advancement conference, which faculty attended in order to learn more about best practices in post-secondary pedagogy. “I contacted the event organizers  to plead my case to receive an invitation as a graduate student,” Dr. Stewart said. “I must have either annoyed them or provided enough of a heartfelt plea for them to extend the invitation to me.”  Returning from that conference, Dr. Stewart changed the type of jobs she was applying for. “I found a job posting in which they were looking for someone to improve their physics courses,” she said. “I applied for the three-year position, but after my interview, I was offered a tenure-track position.” Dr. Stewart began teaching the large introductory courses in which not everyone knew if they would be physics majors. “I remember students coming up to me after class,” she said, “and telling me that it was the first time that they felt they belonged in a physics course.” Dr. Stewart’s work was making a difference–in the lives of each of her students.  As the author of a textbook, Dr. Stewart makes a difference in the lives of even more students–and teachers. Though it was never her intention to write a textbook. “I swore I would never write one,” she said. “I had friends who had written textbooks, and I had learned quickly how large and time consuming of a project it is.” Nevertheless, through Dr. Stewart’s experience working on the AP Physics Test Development Committee, Redesign Commission, and Chairing the AP Physics 2 Test Development Committee she learned directly from high school teachers what was needed in an AP Physics textbook.  “Everyone had access to my email address because of my affiliation with the American Association of Physics Teachers,” she said, “so my inbox was flooded with emails from teachers detailing their struggles with current AP Physics coursebooks.” Dr. Stewart described many of the problems having to deal with language that caused confusion for students. “Teachers would approach me and tell me that their textbook didn’t say something correctly. I told them to tell their students what it should say, and they would respond with something along the lines of: ‘Well, maybe you can do that because you’re a professor. But I’m a high school teacher, so if I try to tell my students that the textbook is wrong, they’re not necessarily always going to believe me.’” When a developmental editor from Macmillan Learning eventually reached out to her suggesting she could help fix some of the language in their textbook, she agreed–thinking it would be easier than writing a textbook from scratch.  Dr. Stewart also used her experience at teacher workshops to fine tune her contributions to College Physics for the AP Physics 1 & 2 Courses. “I quickly realized that there were more layers to the problems high school teachers were having when teaching AP Physics to their students,” she said. “I am a member of several physics teacher listservs and routinely see the sorts of things my colleagues struggle with. At a workshop I was teaching about work and energy, a very experienced teacher I had a lot of respect for threw her hands up in the air and asked ‘Why didn’t anyone ever just say that?’” Dr. Stewart found that insightful, and used comments like that to improve the textbook for high school teachers with similar challenges.  College instructors and high school teachers each have their own strengths. While instructors at colleges and universities have often had years to more deeply study their subject, high school teachers' expertise is pedagogy. “We wanted to make sure that we created a textbook that would allow teachers to invest their time and energy in their students–and not have them wondering what they need to do to improve their coursebook or materials,” Dr. Stewart said. In the second edition of College Physics for the AP Physics 1 & 2 Courses, Dr. Stewart and her co-authors paid special attention to the modified curriculum from the College Board, shifting their material around and making it more realistic for teachers to cover over the course of the two courses. “We wanted to make it as supportive as possible for the teachers,” she said, “because it is still a challenging course.”  Dr. Stewart has dedicated her career to improving the teaching of physics and making the subject more welcoming to people of all backgrounds. “There’s always more work to be done,” she said, “but I think it’s a better space for women than it was a few decades ago.” Dr. Stewart also believes that her work to make physics more accessible to a wider audience has had an effect on her two daughters. “They support the work that I do,” she said, “and I know they are confident young women who don’t take lightly to people disregarding or excluding them because they are women. I'd be proud if I had something to do with that.  When Dr. Stewart isn’t busy teaching or writing, she enjoys spending time with her two daughters. She is also excited to soon become a grandmother. ... View more

At Macmillan Learning we envision a world in which every learner succeeds. We recognize that to do just that, it’s critical that students recognize themselves in our course materials. Each and every team within the company has an important role to play in achieving that goal.  When thinking about the teams that create educational titles, we may first consider those who write the materials. It’s easy to recognize the strong impact they have on what information is shared in a textbook. But there’s more to it than just that. There are teams that have the important task of selling or marketing the materials, which helps make the materials available to the students that need them.   But there’s one team that’s also critical to making diverse and inclusive course materials -- and that’s the team that manages our rights and permissions. This team enables Macmillan Learning to use audio, video, photo/images, and text assets in each of our titles. This is no small task when each title can have hundreds, if not thousands, of media assets.  Working in collaboration with Editorial teams, the Permissions team helps decide which images and media to include, ensuring that they add value to the learning experience while also representing and reflecting the many different students and instructors who may use the materials. The team also checks the content throughout the production process to ensure that there’s no misrepresentation. This is true both when there’s a new title we plan to publish as well as when we’re updating an already existing title for a new edition. For many years, educational materials did not reflect the diverse population that used them which is why this team has been redoubling their efforts to ensure this very important work is addressed. Creating representative and diverse textbooks Students have a remarkably diverse range of motivations, goals, and lives in and out of the classroom. They also have an increasingly diverse representation in college campuses, with more students than ever reflecting many different ethnicities, backgrounds and even countries. In fact, in 2020, more than 40% of students attending college were BIPOC ( 21% Hispanic, 14% Black, 7% Asian). We believe that offering materials that include representation for students of all abilities, backgrounds, and demographics helps support students’ sense of belonging both in and out of class. According to Cecilia Varas, Senior Executive Permissions Editor, “Representation matters when teaching students from all over the world. It is important that our student audience sees itself in our content to feel more connected and engaged to the material. Something as simple as a photo, text blurb, or cartoon can impact how one feels.”  To that end, the Rights & Permissions team finds content from a variety of sources. They seek out partnerships with organizations that specialize in diverse materials as well as collections from existing partners that have committed to offering inclusive content. “It’s fun to research new DEI artists and photographers. Sometimes we have the opportunity to work with incredible photographers, illustrators and artists,” said Robin Fadool, Executive Permissions Editor. She cites her work with artist Cynthia Fisher on For All Practical Purposes and photographer Lois Greenfield to get a licensed photo of Parsons Dance for the cover of Schacter Psychology 6th edition.  What the rights and permissions Team does When the team gets "rights and permissions” to use copyrighted material, that means that they’re obtaining the authorization and consent from the copyright holder to use their work in a specific manner. It’s a process that’s not always linear, as sometimes the owner of the copyright is deceased, or the copyright for materials has changed hands. The diverse content varies greatly from historical -- like speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. -- to more contemporary works, like a photo of a painting of Michelle Obama for use on a textbook cover. Another important, but challenging, part of the work is ensuring the copyrighted works are being used as intended, and that involves a detailed accounting of them. “So much of our work is tracking. Tracking assets and the rights associated with them. We try to keep it simple by requesting broad rights and working with preferred vendors but when we license for video or text, the tracking of restrictions needs to be accurate. Data entry standards are very important in our group,” said Christine Buese, Executive Permissions Manager.  Sheena Goldstein, Executive Permissions Editor, concurs: “It can be a grueling, tedious process to track down rights for a photo from a hard-to-reach source, like an academic who is out in the field conducting research or from a small library in a tiny town somewhere. However, it is always rewarding to see the final photo on the page and know that this unique image will help students learn and absorb the material. Some of us are visual learners. Images convey so much meaning in every book.” And, surprisingly, the opposite is also true -- the team also receives permission requests to use our material in other publications. According to Alexis Gargin, Permissions Editor, these can range from journal articles and textbooks to more unique usages such as a TV classroom prop, a whaling museum, and a Swiss hiking trail. If you look closely, you may find Myers/Psychology in Patriot's Day or Henretta/America's History for the AP Course 2020 in The Republic of Sarah, for example. In addition to being researchers and trackers, the team is also skilled in negotiations. While there are often standardized licensing agreements with the company’s preferred vendors, particularly for common types of content like stock photos, that’s not always the case. It's common for negotiations to cover what the assets will be used for, the period of time in which they will be used, as well as payment terms and any limitations.  Diversity and inclusion in action Because the educational publishing industry serves and informs students and instructors from a variety of backgrounds, its goal is to offer diverse materials that are backed by research and pedagogical insight. But in order to use diverse materials, those materials first need to exist. Oftentimes, this means going back to the drawing board (literally and figuratively speaking) to create representative content. This is done with both the company’s preferred vendors alongside new ones. And it can be done in big and little ways -- from re-imagining the entire cover of a textbook to changing captions that accompany new images. Their strategies are informed by a set of guidelines created by the company’s editorial teams.   Some of the many guidelines include recommendations like: Include photos and content that showcase a diverse array of humans and human activity; present people in non-stereotypical roles; Consider a full range of diversity categories: race, ethnicity, nationality, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, political affiliation, ability, socioeconomic status, veteran status, family status, and environment; Be aware of your own preferences and biases. One example of how the team put the concepts from the guidelines in action was by partnering with a preferred vendor, Cartoonstock, to improve the process of revising cartoons and, in turn, make content more inclusive. Goldstein cites working on Jonathan Gruber’s Finance and Public Policy 7th edition on cartoon captions and imagery revisions as an important step for her and the entire team, as it was the first title that she and the Economics editorial team had done revisions on a significant amount of cartoons.  Previously only 23.5% of the cartoons had women represented in its cartoon program for the previous six editions of the book. Now, there are 43% female‐presenting characters and 31% people of color. There are also now two people representing the LGBTQ+ community and one person with a physical disability, where previously those communities were not represented visually in the text. In addition to improving representation, the partnership also taught the team several best practices for future projects on how to best adapt cartoons for DEI. While some progress is quantitative, like Finance and Public Policy, some progress is done behind the scenes and is more qualitative. Gargin noted, “One of my favorite projects to work on was Developing Lives 2.0 because of all of the diverse photo research. This digital project showed how families are all different and unique and yet we all face the same challenges from selecting which schools to send our children to or even just deciding between a cat or a dog as a pet. The editorial team requested photos that represented how multiple countries and cultures celebrated life milestones from Korean Doljanchi to Apache Sunrise Ceremony.” Varas cited her recent work with the history title Freedom On My Mind as a highlight. The textbook offers narratives of African American and US History with documents that support the inspiring quest for freedom, the American dream and the countless contributions of African Americans to our collective history. She obtained permission from the Smithsonian/National Portrait Gallery to use an image of Michelle Obama by painter Amy Sherald.  “As editors and researchers, we’re always curious. We always want to make sure that the content is fresh and relevant. The team really cares about our products and what they see when they turn the pages of our books, and are always looking for new material” said Hilary Newman, the team’s leader and Senior Director of Rights and Permissions. “There’s nothing static about being in permissions.” ... View more

Earlier this year, Macmillan Learning launched our new Mission, Vision and Values. We committed to “Inspiring what’s possible for every learner.” But we know this can only happen when learners can connect to the materials they’re learning and feel seen and supported -- when they can recognize themselves in their materials. We know that to do that effectively requires that the people that build those tools bring diverse experiences and thinking to our projects.   Diversity drives the kind of innovation and creativity required to help each and every learner succeed; we’re committed to cultivating a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. While these rights should be intrinsic, they often are not, and that’s where we as a company need to stand up for each other and for the students that count on us. An unfortunate reality is that discrimination and inequality still persist in many forms. We see this acutely in our industry in the form of censorship, book banning, and being rejected from state adoptions. We unequivocally refuse to remove LGBTQIA+ content from our course materials when asked to do so and pledge to continue our efforts in promoting equality and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. No student should be expected to adopt a political or cultural point-of-view in order to succeed in the classroom. At Macmillan Learning, Inclusion is a Choice We Make Every Day. This is not just a company value -- it’s a guidepost that is critical to who we are. This PRIDE Month, Macmillan Learning offers our unwavering support for the LGBTQIA+ community and stands alongside all of our employees, customers, and partners -- no matter their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.  ... View more

The educational publishing world has lost one of its titans. Bob Worth, the founder of Worth Publishers and an admired figure in textbook publishing, has left us at the age of 92. Establishing Worth Publishers in 1966, Bob's passion for education and unwavering respect for the potential of authors became the bedrock of a publishing house renowned for fostering talent and delivering landmark textbooks for the undergraduate education market. Bob's dedication to author development was marked by his collaboration with some of the most significant names in educational publishing. His sharp instincts led to the signing of authors whose works would go on to change their respective fields, including developmental psychologist Kathleen Berger; economist Greg Mankiw, economist and future Nobel Laureate, Paul Krugman; biochemist Albert L. Lehninger; and David G. Myers, whose signing shaped the course of Worth Publishers and the broader educational publishing industry, and whose textbooks have been the gold standard in introductory psychology for nearly forty years, inspiring generations of undergraduates in the field. Bob's recruitment of David Myers, conveyed in the letter excerpted below, remains a timeless source of inspiration and joy for me: Dear David: I have attempted to maintain a sober, calm, objective, businesslike attitude about the possibility of your writing an introductory psychology textbook to be published by us.  Unfortunately, my limbic system doesn’t seem to be under any sort of control. In fact, ever since your visit, I have been having ecstatic visions of our complete dominance of the introductory psychology market. I cannot even convince myself that these are dreams of glory; they seem like perfectly rational estimates of the likely result of our collaboration. I do hope that we can attempt to translate these visions into reality. It would be such terrific fun! Bob's affection for his authors was boundless, seeing them as integral partners of a publishing house committed to reshaping how undergraduate education was taught in their respective fields. His discerning approach required an uncommon ability to identify talent and untapped potential often overlooked by others. Emblematic in this pursuit was Helena Curtis’ Biology, a pioneering introduction to biology notable for being the first written by a woman and a non-academic science writer, and immortalized in Helena Curtis's own memorial: In 1966, Helena Curtis was signed to a contract for a college biology textbook by Worth Publishers. The idea of a textbook written not by an academic, but by a professional science writer, in consultation with biology experts, was at that time revolutionary and greeted with skepticism. However, when Curtis’s Biology was published in 1968, it received a laudatory review in Scientific American by Nobel Laureate Salvador Luria.  Bob's enduring legacy in the publishing community are the works that continue to influence and support the education of millions of students each year. However, those privileged to have known him will fondly recall the deep, meaningful relationships he cultivated with editors, authors, and colleagues that championed his books. I had the honor of joining what is now Macmillan Learning in 2000, after Bob had passed the reins of Worth Publishers. I learned about Bob from long-standing members of the sales team; it was their memories that framed each chance interaction I had with Bob over the years, most commonly when he would make a visit to the office to say hello to one of our long-standing authors. In the days ahead, we will share stories of Bob, seek out colleagues who have retired or are no longer at Worth to hear more of them, and remember in each instance that Bob’s was a life worth celebrating.  Charles Linsmeier Executive Vice President & General Manager Macmillan Learning ... View more

It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news that a dear friend to many of us at Macmillan Learning and the founder of Worth Publishers has passed away. Robert (Bob) Worth was 92 and was surrounded by his family and his wife, Blaikie.  A visionary leader, Bob founded Worth Publishers in 1966 with a unique philosophy: to create textbooks in only a few select subjects while ensuring they were of the highest quality available. The initial books were painstakingly researched, developed, and tested and the resulting titles had a profound impact in biology (Helena Curtis), psychology (David Myers and Kathleen Berger), sociology (Ian Robertson), and economics (Greg Mankiw and Paul Krugman). That unflinching focus on quality and on authorship still drives our company today. His contributions to our company and our industry, as well as his impact on the entire education community, cannot be overstated. Bob had an uncanny eye for talent and how to shape an author’s vision and teaching talent into course-defining products. He signed and nurtured relationships with many of educational publishers’ best-selling writers and industry thought leaders. In fact, Bob’s “commitment to excellence” is among the key reasons Dave Myers has noted that he joined Worth Publishers versus a competitor. Bob was one of the educational community greats. I have long been moved by his passion, empathy and deep commitment to advancing students’ learning that goes beyond words. As a young person entering this industry, he was an inspiration to me. He saw that things could be better and he set out to make a difference. His strong relationships with his authors, his friends, fueled his ability to change the face of education. That’s the heritage he leaves us. It’s an honor that we take forward and it is a legacy we are committed to protect.  On behalf of the entire company, I extend our deepest condolences to Bob’s wife, Blaikie, and his family and loved ones. While we mourn his loss, we also celebrate his life and we will continue to honor his memory by carrying on the work he began.  Sincerely, Susan Winslow ... View more

David Myers is on a mission to give psychology away to the wider public. Myers is a prolific writer whose thought leadership has inspired wonder in students with psychology textbooks, explained psychological science in everyday life within his trade books, and advanced the field of research with his scholarly articles. He’s written on everything from the science of happiness, the powers and perils of intuition, and the meeting ground between psychological science and faith. As an author with Macmillan Learning for the past 40 years whose textbooks have sold over eight million copies worldwide, we’ve been inspired by Myers for quite some time. That’s why we’re so thrilled that his work will be seen by an even broader audience. Recently, his book How Do We Know Ourselves? was one of only two books chosen by The Next Big Idea Club (curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink) for their Season 20 read.  The idea for this book of essays came out of Myers' work on his well-read TalkPsych blog, where he writes about “new findings, everyday applications, and observations on all things psychology.” In a letter to instructors about How Do We Know Ourselves?, he explained the goal of the book: “I hope to enable people, amid a sea of misinformation, to think smarter about their lives, and to savor the wonders of their lives … Each of its 40 essays has a simple premise: Although we all know a lot, we don’t know what we don’t know—even about ourselves.” In honor of this accomplishment, we asked some Macmillan Learning employees that have worked alongside him to share their favorite TalkPsych blog post.  A recent Talk Psych blog from author and friend, David Myers, sparked my interest and a few discussions within my household: “Your Nightly Pre-Sleep Amnesia — and Mine.” Each night, the moments before sleep are lost to memory; a common experience researchers refer to as mesograde amnesia. The idea is simple; the experiment novel. Our short term memories are not captured in the waning moments of wakefulness as sleep fall upon us; we don’t recall the one to two minute moments of wakefulness in the middle of the night stirred in the moment but an experience left unrecorded by our brains. But it was David Myers, about to undergo a sensitive operation, who took the upcoming procedure not only as an opportunity to reduce or retroact his hearing loss but to replicate for himself a test of mesograde amnesia in the moments altered by anesthesia as he fell from consciousness to unconsciousness. The experiment revealed yet again the curious mind that has driven a career communicating psychological science to students and the general public. -- Charles Linsmeier, EVP & General Manager My favorite recent TalkPsych essay, Social Media and Teen Mental Health: A Sterling Example of How Psychological Science Works, discusses a topic that is hugely relevant to our society today.  As a parent of teens, I am especially interested in the research around social media and not just what I hear, anecdotally, or what I believe to be true.  This essay highlights how psychological research can truly help us tackle societal questions and challenges.  David Myers also asks really great questions in the essay that prompted lively discussion at our dinner table! -- Carlise Stembridge, Sr Executive Program Manager There are quite a few TalkPsych essays that have stuck with me over time. I find myself repeating the information I learn from David Myers about a seemingly small psychological concept that can have a big impact on everyday life. One of my favorite essays that fits this description is The Happy Science of Micro-Friendships. David Myers wrote this at the height of the pandemic. However, the idea has stuck with me, and I find myself repeating the big idea to others: A seemingly small and inconsequential social interaction with a stranger can have a big, positive impact. When my teen children point out how my chit chat with strangers is embarrassing, I can respond that my “prosociality” is a positive for both the stranger and for me! -- Kate Nurre, Executive Marketing Manager I think one of the most important of David Myers’ TalkPsych essays is his 2021 Do Replication Failures Discredit Psychological Science? This well written synopsis gives instructors all that they will need to respond to cynical students, or to engage novice students on the topic. Myers has provided numerous specific examples of both replicated and non-replicated research. And he makes clear that despite the number of studies that have not been replicated, there is still a mountain of important results (a large majority of psychology’s research studies) that have stood up to scrutiny. And I love his explanation that psychology is a science– “a self-checking, self-correcting process that gradually weeds out oversimplifications and falsehoods.” Thus, some non-replication is to be expected, and is all a part of the scientific process as our understandings about this field continue to develop -- Christine Brune, Executive Development Manager. “Implicit Egotism”: Astonishing Ways We Gravitate Toward Places, People, and Professions We Associate With Ourselves drew me right in with the concept of surname-occupation matching. I recently read a book about walking by Annabel Streets, finding delight in her name as I pictured her walking through the streets. Perhaps her implicit egotism unconsciously influenced her passion! Dave Myers has a way of writing that captures your interest and attention, teaches you something new, and has you pondering and asking questions that encourage you to join him on a journey of lifelong learning. --Shani Fisher, VP, Social Sciences & High School You are welcome to visit the TalkPsych blog to get Myers opinions on everyday psychology at no charge. Also, instructors this Fall will be able to access five essays from How Do We Know Ourselves? along with assessments in Macmillan Learning’s Myers/DeWall Psychology for Achieve courses. ... View more

Our mission at Macmillan Learning is to inspire what’s possible for every learner. That means no matter their demographics or abilities, we strive to provide learners with the best chance possible to succeed and flourish in their educational experience. That’s why everything we do – all the content, tools, and platforms we create; the strategies we formulate; the authors and content creators we sign – are all in the service of ensuring that every student engages, learns, and succeeds.  We recognize that facilitating accessibility means more than just checking the box on a series of requirements to meet; rather to us, it is an interesting and important problem to solve. This is the lens through which all of us at Macmillan Learning recognize accessibility. That core motivation to do better is one of the many reasons why we scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index, which ranks companies on their use of best practices that support disability inclusion, for the third consecutive year.  As today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), I want to share some of our progress working towards increasing accessibility for students, instructors, and our own employees. We also have a new set of guiding principles for accessibility to help us along the way.                                         While I’m incredibly proud of these new guidelines, it is by no means all that we have accomplished this year.   Accessibility continues to be a focus internally, with the introduction of three new accessibility training opportunities for all employees. Employees from our very active Employee Resource Group, AVID (Awareness of Visible and Invisible Disabilities), have published more than 15 blogs, stories and informational posts about their experiences with disability, allyship and accommodations. We also welcomed speakers from Disability:In, National Down Syndrome Society, and Rutgers Center for Adults with Autism to teach us more about accessibility and disability in the workplace.  More than that, we continue to invest in accessible products and technologies. Macmillan Learning was again recognized in 2022 as Global Certified Accessible by Benetech in. This means that we provide “born accessible” digital learning options that ensure that every student, no matter their ability, has the same access to information. Further, the product and engineering teams at Macmillan Learning continue their investment in making student experiences accessible. This year, they presented the accessible online labs solution at CSUN-ATC (California State University Assistive Technology Conference) and the Writing Tools team has introduced a number of new features to make highlighting and feedback more accessible to students with disabilities.  Our continuing interest and investment in accessibility helps us to be a better partner to the students that depend on our learning materials and the instructors that support them. Our accessibility journey continues. ... View more

We’ve made it through another academic year. Whether you’re slowing down for a quiet summer or gearing up for summer courses, June is the perfect time to reflect on learnings from the year and imagine what the future holds for teaching and learning. We’ll be doing just that at Tech Ed 2023, an annual summit for college instructors hosted by Macmillan Learning in Austin, Texas. Each year, Tech Ed brings together educators from across the United States who teach at institutions large and small, urban and rural, and with diverse student populations. Instructors share their best practices for using technology to enhance teaching and learning. And, they engage in conversations with the Macmillan Learning team about the future of education.  Tech Ed 2023 is right around the corner and we can’t wait to meet you there. Here are our top five things that we’re looking forward to this year.  1. Hearing from Innovative Educators Educators and administrators using technology like Achieve and iClicker will share their stories and best practices. They’ll talk about engaging students in active learning, improving student outcomes, personalizing the learning experience and so much more. We’ll get to learn firsthand about the strategies and pedagogical approaches that are transforming classrooms across the country and how edtech makes it possible.  2. Joining the AI in Education Conversation Artificial intelligence is arguably revolutionizing the way we live, work, interact, and learn. Tech Ed 2023 will feature multiple sessions on AI in education. These sessions will allow instructors to explore AI’s potential to reshape how students learn, how they’re assessed, and how they collaborate.  3. Shaping the Future of Educational Technology One of the highlights of this year’s event is the unique opportunity to shape the future of educational technology during sessions with Macmillan Learning’s product, research, and marketing teams. Macmillan Learning has a rich history of co-creating technologies with instructors and students. At Tech Ed 2023 attending instructors can use their voices to inform the development of innovative teaching and learning platforms. 4. Eating Tacos  Okay, it’s not just about the tacos. Austin, Texas has phenomenal food that anyone can enjoy. We’re excited to sit down for a meal with educators for informal conversations about what they’ve been up to, the things on their minds, and how they plan to spend the summer.  5. Connecting with Educators Tech Ed 2023 isn’t just about the tech; it’s about the people we meet and the relationships we build. In the past few years, so much has been online. Connecting with others who are passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences for students is hands down our favorite part of the event. Tech Ed 2023 is an invite-only, two-day event held in the Macmillan Learning Austin, Texas office. A few spots are still available for the event on June 8th & 9th. If you are interested in attending but have not received an invitation, please contact Leslie Allen-Essex by sending an email to leslie.allen[at]macmillan[dot]com  Get a glimpse of the Tech Ed experience by watching the video below.  ... View more

College is an important time of transition for many students. They’re learning new things, meeting new people, and exploring new surroundings. But managing the many changes taking place isn’t always easy. That’s because with the many changes and opportunities also come challenges for students, and with that can come the feeling like they may not belong in their class, or even in college at all. There are a range of reasons why students may not feel like they belong, and it varies widely from student to student. Some may be the first in their families to attend college. Some students may struggle with mental health issues. Some may simply find it difficult to make friends. And yet others still may have challenges with their financial situations. For these students, feeling like they do not belong, or are an “imposter” can hinder their academic success as well as their mental health, and overall well-being. Some students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups may also feel a sense of marginalization or stigmatization on campus.  Research has demonstrated that students who feel like they belong are more likely to be engaged in their studies, perform better academically, and are more likely to stay in college and graduate. For example, a recent study found that students who report a higher sense of belonging at the end of the first year do better than their counterparts, persist more in their second and third years and have lower levels of mental health issues. “Regardless of the reason, when students feel like they don't belong, the consequences can be detrimental,” said Macmillan Learning Research Specialist Sarah Gray. “It can impact the students’ future career opportunities and earning potential alongside society as a whole by creating higher levels of social inequality and race-based disparities in academic achievement.” At Macmillan Learning our mission is to inspire what’s possible for every learner. That’s why we’ve been so interested in learning more about how having a sense of belonging impacts student performance, and whether courseware can have an impact. Most recently, we have been conducting research in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to learn more about digital tools that could foster a sense of belonging and the impact that may have on student success for underserved student populations. What is Having a Sense of Belonging Sense of belonging in the college settings refers to how students understand their role and their social fit in a college environment. It goes beyond just physical presence on campus. Rather, it's a feeling that students have that they are part of a larger community, where they are valued, understood, and supported. It’s also about having social and cultural capital–understanding the social norms, shared values, and expected behaviors of college. Their sense of belonging can be enhanced through both social and academic interactions in their classrooms and institutions.  According to Gray, an unfortunate reality is that underrepresented minority groups can report a weaker sense of belonging than their White peers on their campuses.  “Having a sense of belonging is not necessarily a binary issue, where students either feel like they belong or they don’t. Rather, it's a complex and dynamic feeling that can be influenced by a variety of factors, including social identity, campus climate, individual experiences and cultural norms,” said Gray. She added that having a sense of belonging can be further complicated for underrepresented minority students by assumptions that they are coming into college with a deficit of the knowledge and skill needed to succeed, as well as the pressure to fit into the campus environment at the expense of their home culture. There are three types of belonging that Macmillan Learning has been particularly interested in learning more about: students’ individual sense of belonging, their sense of belonging in a particular class, and their sense of belonging within college.  Individual belonging reflects a student's overall sense of belonging within the college environment. It encompasses their feelings of social and academic fit and can be influenced by factors such as campus culture, social identity, personal experiences, and individual personality traits. Students who feel individual belonging may feel like they are valued for their unique perspectives, and that they are free to express themselves and explore their interests without fear of judgment or discrimination. Belonging in class reflects a student's sense of connection and engagement within a specific course or academic program. It's having a sense of ownership over their learning and success in that course or program, and understanding how their classwork is helping them achieve their academic goals. A student who feels a strong sense of belonging in a particular class might feel comfortable speaking up in class discussions, collaborating with their peers on group projects or feel close with their instructor.  Students may or may not feel like they belong at college at all, and it has to do with their sense of connection and belonging that expands beyond just their individual academic programs or their courses.This belonging encompasses their feelings of social and academic fit, as well as their sense of connection to the broader campus community and institutional values. Whether or not they feel like a welcome part of a larger community that shares similar values and goals. Studying Sense of Belonging Macmillan Learning’s Sense of Belonging and Metacognition study seeks to understand the impact of using digital tools like out-of-class peer learning, low-stakes quizzing, and routine sentiment check-ins embedded within a digital courseware platform, like Achieve, to improve students’ sense of belonging and metacognition skills. The study will also examine whether improved sense of belonging and metacognition skills are related to other student outcomes such as course retention, content knowledge and exam scores.  The study is part of the company’s ongoing research about how digital learning platforms and courseware can help to close equity gaps in course completion for historically and presently underserved students, and students experiencing poverty. Initial research began in Spring 2023, and further research will take place in Fall 2023.  “We believe that having a sense of belonging can have an impact, and are testing related digital courseware solutions that administrators, instructors and students said would be helpful. This will help us to see what works best in practice, what students will actually use, and how they will use it,” said Guido Gatti, Sr. Quantitative Research Analyst. In the second part of this series, we’ll offer practical examples of tools and activities that instructors can use to help foster students’ sense of belonging both in and out of the classroom. ... View more

“Remember what it was like not to know,” said Dr. Kelley Young, co-author of Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight. That’s Dr. Young’s mantra, and it is one that has long fueled her teaching expertise. Dr. Young clearly remembers her struggles as a student in both undergraduate and graduate school, and it has allowed her to better empathize with her students today.  It’s Dr. Young’s teaching experience and expertise that uniquely positions her as an ideal candidate to author a textbook. Joining the author team for the eighth edition of Chemical Principles has allowed Dr. Young to now reach students around the world. Macmillan Learning’s mission is to inspire what’s possible for every learner and we recognize that our success is in large part due to our outstanding authors–many of whom, like Dr. Young, take such pride in, and prioritize, their teaching.    Dr. Kelley M. H. Young, Associate Teaching Professor, University of Notre DameDr. Young loved growing up in a rural part of the thumb of Michigan. It was quiet and familiar; not many people left the area after high school. Dr. Young, like others, wanted to stay close to her friends and family. “I was drawn to Adrian College for that reason,” she said, “and also because I wanted to continue playing soccer.”  Athletics drew Dr. Young to Adrian College. “I was an avid athlete, and I admit to partially choosing where to continue my education because of that and less because of the school’s science prowess,” she joked. Nevertheless, Adrian College gave Dr. Young the freedom to discover and further develop her interests in the natural sciences, all while she continued with her love of soccer.  “I’m a big proponent of athletics as a creative outlet beyond the classroom,” Dr. Young said. Dr. Young believes that her time as a student-athlete taught her many of the skills that helped her succeed later in graduate school and now as a teaching professor at the University of Notre Dame. “As a STEM student, time was always valuable,” she said. “I learned the importance of time management, balance, and also how to deal with failure.” While playing soccer, Dr. Young learned that failure is going to happen; it was going to happen in graduate school, too. “We learn more from our failures than from success,” Dr. Young said.  One of the best ways for a person to deal with failure is to surround themself with a genuine support network. “Adrian College was small, so I got to know my professors really well,” Dr. Young said. Her professors helped steer Dr. Young toward opportunities that allowed her to continue her love of chemistry beyond the classroom. “I didn’t really know what I had planned to do with a chemistry degree, or really what research was,” Dr. Young said, “and I was encouraged to apply for an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates), which made me realize how much I enjoyed conducting research.”  No one in Dr. Young’s family had gone to graduate school, but her desire to continue doing research was the motivation she needed to be the first. “My professors were really supportive and helped me find programs that aligned with my interests,” she said. Dr. Young was interested in renewable energy. She was accepted at Michigan State, where she was able to join a lab and work on semiconductor research projects.  After completing her Ph.D. in 2015, Dr. Young remained at Michigan State for one year as a Lecturer before joining Hope College as a Visiting Assistant Professor. In 2016, Dr. Young joined the Chemistry Department at Notre Dame, where she has been since and was recently promoted from Assistant to Associate Teaching Professor.  “Notre Dame is a special and privileged place to be,” Dr. Young said. “In addition to our research faculty, who are top-notch educators in their own right, we also have dedicated teaching faculty such as myself.” Dr. Young believes that it’s really valuable for the students, especially in first-year courses, to know that they have instructors who are fully committed to their success. “I remember as an undergraduate student how important it was to know that I had instructors who cared about me as a young adult away from home for the first time,” Dr. Young said. “Now I get to be that person for my students.”  Dr. Young didn’t always know that teaching was her calling. “As a graduate student,” she recalled, “I was a teaching assistant for the first time, and I was awful.” Nevertheless, that experience of struggle and failure was a great learning experience and gave Dr. Young the bug to keep teaching. Now she’s considered an expert in her field: teaching. In 2021, Dr. Young took on the role of Boler Family Director of the Mary E. Galvin Science & Engineering Scholars Program, and in 2022 she was awarded the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.  As a lifelong learner, Dr. Young has continued to seek out new opportunities to improve her teaching. “Many doctorate programs don’t require students to serve as a teaching assistant more than once or twice,” she said, “but I took every opportunity available.” Dr. Young’s teaching experience is also varied, which has taught her what works well and what doesn’t in the classroom. While at Hope College, she gained experience teaching at a PUI (primarily undergraduate institution) with a great chemistry program. Dr. Young is now a frequent visitor of the Teaching Center on campus at the University of Notre Dame, which offers regular trainings in pedagogy.  Many of the students in Dr. Young’s courses are not majors in chemistry, and her expertise in teaching and pedagogy allows her to meet her students where they are in their preparedness. “It’s one of my favorite things about teaching,” she said. “I enjoy seeing the struggle–in a good way.” Dr. Young loves seeing her students face and overcome the challenge of not knowing something and then finally having that “Aha!” moment. “To see a student figure something out on their own,” she said, “that helps them build confidence and sets them up for success after they leave my class.”  Dr. Young’s teaching not only received the praise of her students and colleagues, but it also got the attention of Macmillan Learning. “I had been using their book, Chemical Principles, in my courses,” she said, “so I was used to reps visiting often.” After one visit and class observation, the rep approached Dr. Young and asked if she would join him for lunch. “He asked me if I would be interested in writing,” Dr. Young said. “I remember feeling very thankful and excited to contribute.”  The editing process began just after Dr. Young gave birth to her second child and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Dr. Young said. “Everything felt so precarious.” Thankfully, Dr. Young felt well supported by the rest of her author team. “Loretta Jones and Peter Atkins were the veterans of the group,” she said, “and I remember using Peter’s book when I was a student.” All five authors of the eighth edition worked meticulously together, each reviewing every sentence of the book. “I learned so much from Loretta, Peter, and Leroy, and about how their previous editions were so successful,” Dr. Young said.  With the addition of Dr. Young and Dr. James Patterson to the author team, the eighth edition of Chemical Principles received some new updates. “It was already and always an excellent book,” Dr. Young said, “but we were eager to make it a little more conversational for students who didn’t have much background in chemistry or the sciences.” The new edition also has some new structuring and ordering, as well as more features of women and people of color who have made discoveries in the field of chemistry.  When the writing and editing process concluded about three years later, Dr. Young gave birth to her third child. “The book is book-ended with two of my children,” she joked. When Dr. Young is not busy teaching or writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and all three children. She resides in southwest Michigan, where she enjoys spending time outside hiking, camping, hunting, and gardening.   Kelley Young is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Adrian College and earned her Ph.D from Michigan State University where she investigated the fabrication and electrochemical characterization of thin-film semiconductors for solar water oxidation. Dr. Young has been teaching general chemistry and physical chemistry laboratory since 2015 and is currently the Director of the Mary E. Galvin Science and Engineering Scholars, a program aimed at building community and increasing retention in STEM disciplines. ... View more