Hands say so much

If you take Wikipedia's word for it, 93 percent of how we communicate comes from our body language, our expressions, and our tone of voice. Seven percent comes from the words themselves. From what I've seen, that's especially true in the classroom, where professors communicate so much through movement, intonation and particularly, gestures.

In the top photo French professor Nathalie Cornelius brings her hands to her ears, telling the students something very specific ... she's listening and it's their turn to talk. (I've frozen the moment here, but the consistency of this gesture and it's specific meaning makes the back and forth interaction both fun and fast.)

In the second photo management professor John Okpara's hands literally grab student's attention. (We recently had videographers on campus and they did a shoot in Okpara's class. Afterwords one of them said he would have liked to just sit and join the class.)

In the third photo exceptionalities professor Deborah Stryker naturally uses her hands to communicate in a sign language class ... but in this discipline, facial expressions take on great importance as well.

Even in traditional classrooms ... even without high-tech aids ... great professors engage students' senses. They use sight as well as sound. And gestures as well as words. The hands have a lot to say.
—EGF.

Map matters

Even in this age of pervasive computer, tablet and cell phone screens — if you put a bunch of geographers together and raise a question ... they'll still reach for a map. It's semester's end and students are about to discuss their research projects. But before the talks begin, students and faculty have a discussion, a question comes up. Technology abounds in the department. But there's something special about the traditional tools that you can hold, touch, feel. Out comes a map — a magnificent oversize document that measures in feet (yards even) rather than in inches. Here Jennifer Whisner, assistant professor of environmental, geographical and geological sciences, is flanked by students as they check the map. —EGF