My Freshman Year by Rebekah Nathan
What was the most surprising aspect of the book and why did it surprise you?
I was surprised by My Freshman Year when Rebekah Nathan began to time manage like an undergraduate student and adopt some of the same ideas. She brought up the point multiple times that she couldn’t figure out why students didn’t do assigned readings for her class. However, in one of her classes the professor gave an online reading assignment and she realized she had no intention of ever doing it and didn’t even write down the website (pg. 138). Nathan then had a "personal epiphany” at this point, as she referred to it, and discovered that students were not reading because the material wasn’t going to be used on a quiz or assignment and it would interfere with time spent doing required work for other classes.
First of all, I was suprised it took her this long to figure this out. But I was mostly surprised that she eventually came to adopt the same attitude about reading assignments. I would have thought that since she was a professor she would have tried to have been a model student in all aspects. I think Rebekah Nathan grew a greater understanding and appreciation for the kind of time conflicts undergraduates deal with. This is also an example of why we as teachers need to keep reading assignments relevant and useful. In many instances, the professor will know the strength of the reading and how it can help the student, but as Rebekah Nathan pointed out, if the student does not see it as being relevant to their grade in some way they are unlikely to do it.
In light of the challenges faced by undergraduate students highlighted in the book, what advice would you give to new college instructors?
I would make sure new college instructors knew that when students fall asleep in class, don’t do reading assignments, or ask for extensions on deadlines that it’s probably not personal (pg. 145). Students juggle a tremendous amount of things in their lives including work, social life, homework, classes, family, etc. Students will cut corners if they feel they can. Students may also take classes to meet a requirement or fill a time slot and may have little to no interest in the course subject. This is how undergraduates manage time and get through college as smoothly as possible. If they don’t like your course or don't do well, chances are it’s not personal.
I would also give the advice to be culturally aware. As we’ve learned from this assignment and previous reading assignments, cultural diversity is very present in American universities. Cultural beliefs and customs can have an impact in the classroom. Whether this being clear by the level of participation, asking questions, or choosing a group with only same raced students, cultural diversity is very present.
I would give a new teacher advice to not expect a student of a different race to be a spokesperson for their entire culture. I would also encourage a teacher to try to create diverse groups of students for projects or assignments so students can have experience working with those of other ethnicities. As Nathan pointed out, American students are more likely to hang out with and surround themselves with those of the same race, and that holds true for people of other cultures (pg. 63). Students may not realize the value of a relationship with someone from another country or of another race. Of course a teacher can’t force these relationships but I think it is good to try and get students to interact with those that are of different ethnicities.
Has the book changed your perspective on undergraduate students? If no, why not? If so, how so?
This book has opened my eyes to things I’ve known have existed among American college students but have never wanted to admit. For starters, the ignorance shown to international students is appalling and unbelievable, but at the same time very believable. When Rebekah Nathan interviewed students from diverse backgrounds the questions they had been asked by American college students were of poor taste and simply ignorant (pg. 86). I think American students in general need to be more educated about the world around them and about other cultures.
I’m not entirely surprised by the ignorance because I left the country for 6 months and looked at my own culture from a distance. (Nathan relates to this experience in the first chapter of My Freshman Year). When I returned, I was noticeably shocked the ignorance of my friends and even my own family. I have asked myself, “Is American ignorance is from our country being so vast and consumed with our own subcultures?” and even, “Do American’s just not care?” I don’t have the answer to that, but the ignorance in our culture is noticeable and unfortunate.
This book hasn’t changed my perspective but has shed light on some important, and not always nice, aspects of American college culture. On a nicer note, I am not entirely pessimistic about American students. I believe that American students are driven to succeed in life and are generally motivated to complete college and have a career. American students’ discipline and motivation comes from a variety of places, sometimes they may not even realize why they went to college in the first place but they still do. Maybe not many of them go to school to learn but I believe by the time they graduate they realize they did learn and enjoyed it.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The final reading from Teaching Tips put a lot of new ideas in my mind as to why students learn and how I can help them learn. I like the idea from page 308 about organizing information by presenting content in a scheme or timeline. I like this idea because, in the case of events, it can give students a sequence of when and why things happened around each other. This also seems like a good idea for plotting science theories. A good way to format this would be to start with a topic of low complexity and build up to a highly complex topic in a scheme format.
ex. [human body--------cell---------nucleus----------DNA--------transcription----------expression]
I believe schemes are a great way to organize material and can be useful as a measure of quantitative factors, events and complex material. A way that I could implement this is my teaching is by starting with a simple subject such as a cell. I can have the cell begin the scheme and add the additional parts of the cell which will build up to how DNA is made. Having students elaborate on each step in the process would be imperative to the learning process.
The scheme will help break down concepts for students and help them make connections to challenging material. I think the scheme idea can also work for scientific timelines. For example, I can have students make a timeline to show the changing levels of different hormones of pregnancy throughout gestation. With this timeline, students can clearly see changes over time and relate cause and effect type factors. I think schemes and timelines are a great way to help build meaning for the student with complex or multi dimensional material.
The revision of Bloom’s taxonomy from chapter 24 is a helpful way to approach teaching. The taxonomy is a hierarchical structure that helps us be realistic about what we can expect from students at each stage of the learning process. We should teach to those with little knowledge on the subject with the expectation that they will first have to memorize but will eventually understand concepts. As the student progresses in their learning and school they will be expected to preform "higher-order skills" with that ultimate goal that they will be able to evaluate and create content (pg. 320). (Bloom's Taxonomy)
I can implement the Bloom’s taxonomy in my teaching by being realistic about my expectations. I can set up my lower level courses to give students a base in complex concepts and expect that they will start to understand these concepts. I think memorization is a good tool for students who are entering college because it helps them learn important information about the topic that they will eventually be expected to apply and analyze. As the students go further in their major I can expect a higher degree of thinking. A few good ways of doing this are by expecting the students to form viewpoints on various topics, analyze and evaluate concepts and be able to teach concepts to other students.
Chapter 26 is a good ending to Teaching Tips. There are many take home messages from this chapter but I feel one of the most important is that the ultimate test of our teaching is evidence of whether or not our students learned (pg. 348). My views on this issue have really shifted over the course of this semester. I have always wanted to teach but I never realized that the way I teach could have such a strong impact on how my students will learn. I used to think either students were motivated to learn and worked hard or didn’t. I now see that part of my job as a teacher is to create a spark in student’s minds that turns into a fire.
I want to generate curiosity and exploration in the subjects I teach. I want students to be able to apply what I teach them to practical situations in their lives. If many students don’t learn from my courses then I must evaluate my teaching. I may be making mistakes in presenting the material, appropriately challenging them or motivating them to learn. I can and will implement many ideas and concepts from this book into my own teaching. I have come to the conclusion that be a teacher embodies being creative, realistic, encouraging and thought provoking. Teaching is much more than lecturing and handing out tests and this book has helped me see that and has provided me with many ways to facilitate learning.
A few additional teaching links...
More ideas for assignments for upper level students.
Teaching with Bloom's Taxonomy.
ex. [human body--------cell---------nucleus----------DNA--------transcription----------expression]
I believe schemes are a great way to organize material and can be useful as a measure of quantitative factors, events and complex material. A way that I could implement this is my teaching is by starting with a simple subject such as a cell. I can have the cell begin the scheme and add the additional parts of the cell which will build up to how DNA is made. Having students elaborate on each step in the process would be imperative to the learning process.
The scheme will help break down concepts for students and help them make connections to challenging material. I think the scheme idea can also work for scientific timelines. For example, I can have students make a timeline to show the changing levels of different hormones of pregnancy throughout gestation. With this timeline, students can clearly see changes over time and relate cause and effect type factors. I think schemes and timelines are a great way to help build meaning for the student with complex or multi dimensional material.
The revision of Bloom’s taxonomy from chapter 24 is a helpful way to approach teaching. The taxonomy is a hierarchical structure that helps us be realistic about what we can expect from students at each stage of the learning process. We should teach to those with little knowledge on the subject with the expectation that they will first have to memorize but will eventually understand concepts. As the student progresses in their learning and school they will be expected to preform "higher-order skills" with that ultimate goal that they will be able to evaluate and create content (pg. 320). (Bloom's Taxonomy)
I can implement the Bloom’s taxonomy in my teaching by being realistic about my expectations. I can set up my lower level courses to give students a base in complex concepts and expect that they will start to understand these concepts. I think memorization is a good tool for students who are entering college because it helps them learn important information about the topic that they will eventually be expected to apply and analyze. As the students go further in their major I can expect a higher degree of thinking. A few good ways of doing this are by expecting the students to form viewpoints on various topics, analyze and evaluate concepts and be able to teach concepts to other students.
Chapter 26 is a good ending to Teaching Tips. There are many take home messages from this chapter but I feel one of the most important is that the ultimate test of our teaching is evidence of whether or not our students learned (pg. 348). My views on this issue have really shifted over the course of this semester. I have always wanted to teach but I never realized that the way I teach could have such a strong impact on how my students will learn. I used to think either students were motivated to learn and worked hard or didn’t. I now see that part of my job as a teacher is to create a spark in student’s minds that turns into a fire.
I want to generate curiosity and exploration in the subjects I teach. I want students to be able to apply what I teach them to practical situations in their lives. If many students don’t learn from my courses then I must evaluate my teaching. I may be making mistakes in presenting the material, appropriately challenging them or motivating them to learn. I can and will implement many ideas and concepts from this book into my own teaching. I have come to the conclusion that be a teacher embodies being creative, realistic, encouraging and thought provoking. Teaching is much more than lecturing and handing out tests and this book has helped me see that and has provided me with many ways to facilitate learning.
A few additional teaching links...
More ideas for assignments for upper level students.
Teaching with Bloom's Taxonomy.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
I found chapter nine in First Day to Final Grade to be insightful on getting the most out of student evaluations. The idea I like is from page 170, which suggests that you ask open ended questions on student feedback forms. You can ask 4-5 questions pertaining to the course that require thought filled answers. An example of this would be to initiate an answer by starting a phrase such as, "In the second half of this course, I would like to see more...... " and allow for students to fill in the remainder of the sentence. You can also ask questions about what their favorite activity thus far has been or what aspect of your teaching works best for their learning style. A good question for evaluations would be one that requires more than a simple yes or no answer.
I think it is really important as teachers to use evaluations as a basis for what works for the students and what doesn't work as well. In addition to using the open ended questions, I can also include a list of the activities we have done in class and have students rank them from the most to the least useful. This will help me re-evaluate the activities I do in class and possibly discard those that students don't find effective. The open ended questions will hopefully go more in depth as to why they ranked the activities the way they did.
This chapter also provides good information for reading the evaluations. A teacher at some point will undoubtedly get negative feedback but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the teaching or the class. Negative feedback can be driven by the student's academic frustrations or other personal issues. A good tip from the book is to realize that teaching is a process and isn't always perfect. Not everyone who takes your courses will like your teaching style or the course itself. Negative feedback should be considered for making improvements on the course but not taken to heart. There will also be students who do enjoy your courses and those are the evaluations you should re-read to keep a positive attitude.
I think a good suggestion from First Day is to read the evaluations at home, not around class time. This can give you time to relax and sort out any emotional reaction you may have to the evaluations. In my own experience, it's been interesting to look at how I've handled student criticism. I received a very negative comment from a student in the past and it stuck with me for some time. At a later time, I received positive feedback from a student from the same course. The chapter in First Day is helping me to realize that not everyone is going to like me or my teaching style and negative comments shouldn't be held on to. I think as I teach more it will get easier to hear negative comments and not be so effected by them. I think I can now look at those negative comments and use them a means for improving my teaching and not as a personal jab.
Chapter nineteen from Teaching Tips brings up the subject of teaching large classes. I am sure that at some point in my teaching career I will have to teach a large class. I believe a major challenge will be facilitating active learning. McKeachie describes a new form of technology that can make participation and learning easier in large classes. The use of electronic devices that a student can answer a question with can be useful. These devices are sometimes accompanied with a computer program that can display a graph of student answers and show voting trends. I think this method can help get students involved and provide a little healthy competition. Even though they won't know who chose which answer, there is always a desire to get the right answer and fall in the majority.
This method of technology was actually used in one of my classes and I found it to be beneficial on several levels. The professor would take breaks in lecturing and put questions up that we would answer with a clicker remote. A graph would then show how many votes were given for each possible answer. The professor then told us the right answer and those who got it right received 1/2 pt. extra credit. The activity was effective because it required participation from a large class, it encouraged students to pay attention and it encouraged students to look through their notes to find answers. The activity was timed so students had to pay attention or they would spend too much looking through their notes and miss the chance for extra credit. Even though this activity doesn't reduce anonymity, it does effectively get the class to participate in a large class setting.
Additional links...
This link provides an overview of some scientific correlations relating to the effectiveness of student evaluations. The specific page came from this website, which I thought had a lot of valuable links.
This article is fairly long but provides more information on student evaluations. And you may notice McKeachie is cited in most of the conclusion!
Some additional ideas for teaching large classes.
I think it is really important as teachers to use evaluations as a basis for what works for the students and what doesn't work as well. In addition to using the open ended questions, I can also include a list of the activities we have done in class and have students rank them from the most to the least useful. This will help me re-evaluate the activities I do in class and possibly discard those that students don't find effective. The open ended questions will hopefully go more in depth as to why they ranked the activities the way they did.
This chapter also provides good information for reading the evaluations. A teacher at some point will undoubtedly get negative feedback but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the teaching or the class. Negative feedback can be driven by the student's academic frustrations or other personal issues. A good tip from the book is to realize that teaching is a process and isn't always perfect. Not everyone who takes your courses will like your teaching style or the course itself. Negative feedback should be considered for making improvements on the course but not taken to heart. There will also be students who do enjoy your courses and those are the evaluations you should re-read to keep a positive attitude.
I think a good suggestion from First Day is to read the evaluations at home, not around class time. This can give you time to relax and sort out any emotional reaction you may have to the evaluations. In my own experience, it's been interesting to look at how I've handled student criticism. I received a very negative comment from a student in the past and it stuck with me for some time. At a later time, I received positive feedback from a student from the same course. The chapter in First Day is helping me to realize that not everyone is going to like me or my teaching style and negative comments shouldn't be held on to. I think as I teach more it will get easier to hear negative comments and not be so effected by them. I think I can now look at those negative comments and use them a means for improving my teaching and not as a personal jab.
Chapter nineteen from Teaching Tips brings up the subject of teaching large classes. I am sure that at some point in my teaching career I will have to teach a large class. I believe a major challenge will be facilitating active learning. McKeachie describes a new form of technology that can make participation and learning easier in large classes. The use of electronic devices that a student can answer a question with can be useful. These devices are sometimes accompanied with a computer program that can display a graph of student answers and show voting trends. I think this method can help get students involved and provide a little healthy competition. Even though they won't know who chose which answer, there is always a desire to get the right answer and fall in the majority.
This method of technology was actually used in one of my classes and I found it to be beneficial on several levels. The professor would take breaks in lecturing and put questions up that we would answer with a clicker remote. A graph would then show how many votes were given for each possible answer. The professor then told us the right answer and those who got it right received 1/2 pt. extra credit. The activity was effective because it required participation from a large class, it encouraged students to pay attention and it encouraged students to look through their notes to find answers. The activity was timed so students had to pay attention or they would spend too much looking through their notes and miss the chance for extra credit. Even though this activity doesn't reduce anonymity, it does effectively get the class to participate in a large class setting.
Additional links...
This link provides an overview of some scientific correlations relating to the effectiveness of student evaluations. The specific page came from this website, which I thought had a lot of valuable links.
This article is fairly long but provides more information on student evaluations. And you may notice McKeachie is cited in most of the conclusion!
Some additional ideas for teaching large classes.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
For my Equine Production class, I will design a low stakes writing activity. I will start the class by giving students the topic I will cover that day, and then ask them to free write their thoughts for a few minutes. For example, on a day that I want to discuss exercise physiology I can ask them to write down their feelings about young horses used for racing. I think this will be a beneficial activity to do on days where the content can lead to a discussion of opinion or debate.
The few minutes of free writing may help generate questions and give them a chance to think about what they want to contribute to a related conversation. This activity will hopefully get them interested in the lecture that will follow. I will have the students hand these in but remind them that it is not a graded activity. With their writing, I can see if there are avenues in the topic I didn't cover in the lecture and possibly add them in the future. I like this idea because it asks the students to become interactive in the lecture and it may help them connect with the subject. According to McKeachie, it also helps prepare students for high stakes assignments and makes them able to put ideas into their own language.
A form of active learning I can incorporate in my class is the use of a learning cell. This activity can help students effectively work in pairs to give each other feedback, generate discussion, or summarize an assignment (Teaching Tips, pg. 217). For my class, I will allow time for this right before an exam. I would ask students to use their notes to generate a list of questions they think they might see on the test. I will pair them up and have them go back and forth with their questions. I think this will effectively help them study for an exam and make them better able to communicate the material. I also think this activity will enable a deeper synthesis of the material by asking them to analyze it and form their own questions.
For problem based learning, I can incorporate the use of case studies in my class. I will come up with case studies of problem situations that are related to equine production and have the students assess how they can fix it. For instance, I can give the students a scenario about a management program that is causing the horses to be too thin or too fat. The students can use the clues within the context to figure out why this is happening and find ways to solve the problem. I can effectively use this model by giving the students specific questions related to the case such as, "Why is there a problem with this situation?", "What are the obvious and underlying implications of this management practice?", "How can this be effectively resolved?" I think the questions I generate will help keep the students on task and give them things to look for within the case. This activity is great to enhance student problem solving and involvement (Teaching Tips, pg. 223). I also like this learning method because in some courses it can be applicable to real life situations.
Our teaching demonstrations have shown us great ways to conduct learning activities like these in a class setting. In terms of procedural issues, I've liked the activities best when the directions have been clear and remained displayed for the class to see. I believe our class has done a good job keeping the activity appropriate and related to the material. I think a major part of any activity should be that it enhances learning and is easy to relate to the content. The students should never have to ask themselves, "Why am I doing this?" I think the ideas from the most recent chapters provide a great way to enhance learning, get the students interested and connect the content t o activities.
I believe it is also important for the teacher to be interactive in the activity and have a positive demeanor. Walking around and making sure the students understand and are on task is very important. I've realized that this teacher feedback can help clarify questions and confusion a group may be having. The teacher's presence can also introduce the group to new ideas and give them feedback on a direction they can take with the activity. Teacher attitude and enthusiasm goes a long way. In our demonstrations, I have seen our students' ("teachers") energy rub off on the activity and it has helped keep the class interested in the task.
Additional links...
In chapter 15 of Teaching Tips, the idea of peer review is brought up. I like the suggestions this link makes to the reviewer and student having their work reviewed. I also like the procedural approach the author suggests for peer review.
I found additional ideas for low stakes writing assignments.
I really liked the idea of using case studies. Here is a little more information on using them and their importance in a classroom.
The few minutes of free writing may help generate questions and give them a chance to think about what they want to contribute to a related conversation. This activity will hopefully get them interested in the lecture that will follow. I will have the students hand these in but remind them that it is not a graded activity. With their writing, I can see if there are avenues in the topic I didn't cover in the lecture and possibly add them in the future. I like this idea because it asks the students to become interactive in the lecture and it may help them connect with the subject. According to McKeachie, it also helps prepare students for high stakes assignments and makes them able to put ideas into their own language.
A form of active learning I can incorporate in my class is the use of a learning cell. This activity can help students effectively work in pairs to give each other feedback, generate discussion, or summarize an assignment (Teaching Tips, pg. 217). For my class, I will allow time for this right before an exam. I would ask students to use their notes to generate a list of questions they think they might see on the test. I will pair them up and have them go back and forth with their questions. I think this will effectively help them study for an exam and make them better able to communicate the material. I also think this activity will enable a deeper synthesis of the material by asking them to analyze it and form their own questions.
For problem based learning, I can incorporate the use of case studies in my class. I will come up with case studies of problem situations that are related to equine production and have the students assess how they can fix it. For instance, I can give the students a scenario about a management program that is causing the horses to be too thin or too fat. The students can use the clues within the context to figure out why this is happening and find ways to solve the problem. I can effectively use this model by giving the students specific questions related to the case such as, "Why is there a problem with this situation?", "What are the obvious and underlying implications of this management practice?", "How can this be effectively resolved?" I think the questions I generate will help keep the students on task and give them things to look for within the case. This activity is great to enhance student problem solving and involvement (Teaching Tips, pg. 223). I also like this learning method because in some courses it can be applicable to real life situations.
Our teaching demonstrations have shown us great ways to conduct learning activities like these in a class setting. In terms of procedural issues, I've liked the activities best when the directions have been clear and remained displayed for the class to see. I believe our class has done a good job keeping the activity appropriate and related to the material. I think a major part of any activity should be that it enhances learning and is easy to relate to the content. The students should never have to ask themselves, "Why am I doing this?" I think the ideas from the most recent chapters provide a great way to enhance learning, get the students interested and connect the content t o activities.
I believe it is also important for the teacher to be interactive in the activity and have a positive demeanor. Walking around and making sure the students understand and are on task is very important. I've realized that this teacher feedback can help clarify questions and confusion a group may be having. The teacher's presence can also introduce the group to new ideas and give them feedback on a direction they can take with the activity. Teacher attitude and enthusiasm goes a long way. In our demonstrations, I have seen our students' ("teachers") energy rub off on the activity and it has helped keep the class interested in the task.
Additional links...
In chapter 15 of Teaching Tips, the idea of peer review is brought up. I like the suggestions this link makes to the reviewer and student having their work reviewed. I also like the procedural approach the author suggests for peer review.
I found additional ideas for low stakes writing assignments.
I really liked the idea of using case studies. Here is a little more information on using them and their importance in a classroom.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Learning Centered Teaching
What is learner-centered teaching?
Learner centered teaching is a method by which a teacher gives the students a level of power and responsibility in a course. The power shift can occur when the professor allows the students to have more control over their grades, assignments, activities or course content. The responsibility aspect stems from the student's decision making process. It is the student's job to come up with fair and reasonable policies in deciding how they should be graded and when materials should be handed in. The professor will still make key decisions in the course but may allow student input on the details of these decisions. The thought process behind this method is to teach students how to teach themselves. The professor who uses this method will have a desire to create confident and motivated students. The following link contains a few other points about learner centered teaching.
I liked many aspects from chapter thirteen in Teaching Tips on adapting one's teaching to culturally diverse students. I feel like it's important to realize that different cultures may do things differently than we do, and just because someone is a particular race doesn't necessarily mean they embody all of their culture's traditions. It's hard for me to know exactly how these students feel but if I can try to be sensitive to their cultural differences.
A big take home message I got from both of the reading assignments is that participation shouldn't come from putting people on the spot or expecting them to ask questions in class. As I learned, some cultures believe it is an insult for them to raise a question to someone of higher academic standing than themselves (Teaching Tips pg. 155). Some cultures also don't think it's polite to stare or hold eye contact as much as others do. I think it's beneficial for me to realize that maybe when I think someone isn't paying attention they might be, they just may be avoiding eye contact for cultural reasons. If this was the case, it seems like I would be punishing them if I were to put them on the spot and ask them to pay attention or answer a question. Knowing these differences and respecting them in my class is something I will incorporate in my teaching.
An aspect that may be difficult to incorporate is letting students chose the material they want to learn in the class. In the case of most science classes, the material builds on itself over time. If I let students look at the syllabus and decide there are things they don't care about there will be missing pieces in the information that follows. I also think this wouldn't work for me because I believe it's possible to look at a topic and not realize your interest is there until you learn about it. People have comfort zones and can be afraid of trying new things, by giving them a chance to cross off topics they're more unfamiliar with, I could be taking away an opportunity for them to generate new interests. What I could do is try to leave a few lectures each semester and open the content to student ideas. I could give the students a few days to look through their textbooks or search online and get back to me with ideas about what they would be interested in learning about.
Another thing I don't see myself incorporating into my teaching is reaching out to students on such a personal level that I'm having conferences with their families or commenting on their personal lives. In Teaching Tips, Richard M. Suinn (the chapter author) had mentioned the use of calling on family ties to motivate a student (pg. 160). He recalled asking a Latina student if her boyfriend's visit was going to interfere with her studies. Suinn also brought up a meeting between a professor and student's family to make sure the student was getting enough study time at home.
In general, I think it's great to try and help students achieve success. I understand that family support can bring strength and encouragement to students. However, I want to show students that they are the biggest factor in their own success. I can help students by giving them information on how to study effectively, how much time should be spent each week outside of class and by giving them realistic expectations. Also having them set up progress guidelines for project, papers and exam studying. I want them to be motivated to succed, I just don't believe it's my role to step into their personal lives.
A look at interethnic communication.
Learner centered teaching is a method by which a teacher gives the students a level of power and responsibility in a course. The power shift can occur when the professor allows the students to have more control over their grades, assignments, activities or course content. The responsibility aspect stems from the student's decision making process. It is the student's job to come up with fair and reasonable policies in deciding how they should be graded and when materials should be handed in. The professor will still make key decisions in the course but may allow student input on the details of these decisions. The thought process behind this method is to teach students how to teach themselves. The professor who uses this method will have a desire to create confident and motivated students. The following link contains a few other points about learner centered teaching.
What aspects can I incorporate into my own teaching?
An aspect of this method I can incorporate into my teaching is to let my students choose due dates for major assignments as mentioned in Learner Centered Teaching on page thirty-two. At the beginning of the course, I can go through the syllabus and discuss the assignments that will be due throughout the semester. I can then work with the class to establish when these will be due and what dates I can expect to receive markers or drafts of progress from them. I can also set up expectations, consequences for late work and a grading rubric with the students.
I really like this idea because it doesn't change the syllabus that much and it gives students a chance to feel more in control of their grade. I found it interesting that the author of Teaching Centered Learning knew a professor whose students frequently recommended harsher consequences for late work than he would have (pg. 34). I think the role of the teacher should be to step in if the penalties are too severe or too lax. However, I think it would be important to stay as close as possible to the student's ideas about this. I want the students to feel like this power is in their hands and that I trust their decisions. If there are differences in opinions from the students I think it would work well to choose the policy by taking a classroom vote. This may help students to see their ideas are important but compromises sometimes must be reached.I liked many aspects from chapter thirteen in Teaching Tips on adapting one's teaching to culturally diverse students. I feel like it's important to realize that different cultures may do things differently than we do, and just because someone is a particular race doesn't necessarily mean they embody all of their culture's traditions. It's hard for me to know exactly how these students feel but if I can try to be sensitive to their cultural differences.
A big take home message I got from both of the reading assignments is that participation shouldn't come from putting people on the spot or expecting them to ask questions in class. As I learned, some cultures believe it is an insult for them to raise a question to someone of higher academic standing than themselves (Teaching Tips pg. 155). Some cultures also don't think it's polite to stare or hold eye contact as much as others do. I think it's beneficial for me to realize that maybe when I think someone isn't paying attention they might be, they just may be avoiding eye contact for cultural reasons. If this was the case, it seems like I would be punishing them if I were to put them on the spot and ask them to pay attention or answer a question. Knowing these differences and respecting them in my class is something I will incorporate in my teaching.
What may be difficult to incorporate into my teaching?
An aspect that may be difficult to incorporate is letting students chose the material they want to learn in the class. In the case of most science classes, the material builds on itself over time. If I let students look at the syllabus and decide there are things they don't care about there will be missing pieces in the information that follows. I also think this wouldn't work for me because I believe it's possible to look at a topic and not realize your interest is there until you learn about it. People have comfort zones and can be afraid of trying new things, by giving them a chance to cross off topics they're more unfamiliar with, I could be taking away an opportunity for them to generate new interests. What I could do is try to leave a few lectures each semester and open the content to student ideas. I could give the students a few days to look through their textbooks or search online and get back to me with ideas about what they would be interested in learning about.
Another thing I don't see myself incorporating into my teaching is reaching out to students on such a personal level that I'm having conferences with their families or commenting on their personal lives. In Teaching Tips, Richard M. Suinn (the chapter author) had mentioned the use of calling on family ties to motivate a student (pg. 160). He recalled asking a Latina student if her boyfriend's visit was going to interfere with her studies. Suinn also brought up a meeting between a professor and student's family to make sure the student was getting enough study time at home.
In general, I think it's great to try and help students achieve success. I understand that family support can bring strength and encouragement to students. However, I want to show students that they are the biggest factor in their own success. I can help students by giving them information on how to study effectively, how much time should be spent each week outside of class and by giving them realistic expectations. Also having them set up progress guidelines for project, papers and exam studying. I want them to be motivated to succed, I just don't believe it's my role to step into their personal lives.
A few additional links....
This link contains a psychological look at student centered learning and addresses concerns from students and teachers.A look at interethnic communication.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Entry #6
Chapter 14 in McKeachie's teaching tips gave me a lot of good information on how to handle student problems and problem students. Since I am not TAing this semester, I haven't had to deal with many of these issues in a classroom. However, I have had to deal with some of these issues with the college team that I'm coaching so this information is still helpful to me.
- I like the subsection in McKeachie's book on how to handle students with excuses. Excuses aren't uncommon and are used for a variety of reasons. These reasons can be to get more time for an assignment, family emergencies, procrastination from the student, etc. I very much agree with the point on page 183 in Teaching Tips, that it is better to accept a false excuse than respond harshly to a legitimate excuse. We should give students opportunities to not be severely penalized for legitimate excuses. I also feel like instructors should not have to act as police in determining whether the excuse was real or not.
I think I can avoid some excuses by giving the students opportunities to drop their lowest quiz scores and by offering extra credit for work handed in early. My late work policy will be the same for every student. I found a link which analyzes discusses the problem with decreased expectations which may be to blame for some excuses. I like the idea from the Wellesley professor that gives 7 extension days a semester that students can allocate how they chose. After they've used these 7 days, he docks their grade no matter what. I may try to incorporate this in my own teaching someday and see how it works. Although, I think I'd be more likely to give 4 or 5 extension days instead of seven.
- I'm not in favor of McKeachie's advice to let students drop an exam grade from page 183 in Teaching Tips. I feel like this would give them the green light to miss an exam. In the case of exams, I will require that a student with a valid excuse must take the exam within a few days of the original exam. Their exam will be different from the one given to the class but cover the same material. I will find little ways to alter questions and answers that won't take that long but will make the tests different.
- From First Day to Final Grade, I liked the section on handling students with personal problems. Students may try to juggle school while dealing with personal problems such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse among other things. It is not the job of the teacher to diagnose a student but a teacher may be able to help move a student toward seeking help.
Both books covered this topic but I found the advice in First Day to Final Grade to match up more with what I would do in this situation. I would invite the student to come in and talk with me to find out if there is something interfering with their school work. I think the best route would be to keep the students performance the top priority in this discussion. I would find out the universities mental health services and make the particular student aware of them if I see it necessary. I don't like McKeachie's suggestion of picking up the phone and arranging a time for them to be seen by a psychologist or doctor. I do agree that if a teacher feels inclined to they should reach out to a student that may be having issues, but I do feel like the student should take the initiative to follow up if they really want help.
- The information on pages 125-131 from First Day to Final Grade regarding plagiarism is helpful. Every university has a plagiarism policy in place and it is important to make students aware of the consequences of plagiarizing material. Having students show progress on a written assignment, such as rough drafts, may help reduce the occurrence of plagiarism. Showing students how to properly use the internet and make citations may also help reduce the incidence of plagiarism.
I can use the ways given to spot plagiarism. I believe it will be helpful to me to notice a change in tone or exceptionally good grammar. I will also use the suggestions for what to do with an unclear case of plagiarism. I bet it would be easy to catch if you ask for a meeting with the student and ask for details about the paper. Asking about their change in writing style throughout the document and for further discussion on their paper topic may get them to confess.
The use of plagiarism checking websites also looks like a great idea. I've had experience as an undergraduate with a program called Turn-it-in. I believe this program is pretty popular with professors.
I like this link because there is a short contract embedded in it that a student must sign to say they know the consequences of plagiarism. I think it's a good idea.
Kind of a funny link that lists some "good" excuses for skipping class.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I quickly posted my last entry because my internet kept disconnecting. Here is the other link that is missing from my post!
I don't agree, but it's interesting to me that a pyschologist made this video claiming that learning styles don't exist.
I don't agree, but it's interesting to me that a pyschologist made this video claiming that learning styles don't exist.
This week’s reading brings up this argument as it emphasizes the learning-based approach versus the traditional performance-based approach. In the reading excerpt from What the Best College Teachers Do, learning based assessment is highlighted. Great teachers want to ensure that what they’re teaching is being learned and understood. These teachers go to great lengths to analyze how their teaching is being conceptualized by their students. These teachers realize that ‘Indians’, also referred to as ‘goats’ in the reading (p. 152 P2), may have problems learning due to the effectiveness of their teaching.
Learning based assessment asks the teacher to identify what they want their students to intellectually and personally develop from the course. Teachers who use this approach expect a deeper synthesis rather than traditional performance based memorization. This style of assessment encourages grading based on learning rather than testing and adding points for extra credit, participation, etc.
I know I can incorporate this into my teaching, but how is the question. Science is typically cut and dry facts, isn’t it? That is often true, but do those who memorize facts have any idea how to put these facts into words? I know I want my students to be able to tell me what they’ve learned rather than just pick the best possible multiple choice answer.
I currently have a professor who does all of his exams orally. The idea really scared me at first, but it’s forced me to change my study habits in a positive way. I talk through the concepts and hear myself saying them. This helps me understand and remember the material in a way that enables me to discuss it outside of class if I need to. With that in mind, I want to incorporate the idea of actually discussing learned material in class. One way I could do this is by facilitating small group discussions that I will give a grade for. I could present a question to small groups of students and have them participate take turns answering different components of the question. I feel by doing this I would be able to gauge their level of comprehension on the subject. I think this idea would help get all students involved and show me areas that may be unclear to the students. I also like the idea because the students would be able to hear their classmates answer questions which might clarify things in their mind.
Something else I liked from What the Best College Teachers Do, is the mention of comprehension exams. Students may feel relieved to know they can memorize something and forget about it after the exam, but many do not learn by doing this. The idea of a comprehensive exam tells the student that the material from the beginning of the semester is still important to know at the end of the semester. Something beneficial about a comprehensive exam is that the exams that follow the first can ask deeper questions about the same material and challenge the student to really know the material.
I like the idea of giving comprehensive exams. Science methods and concepts build on themselves and only get more challenging as a student continues their learning. I think a benefit to giving comprehensive exams is that students will need to continue to review early material, which may help clarify new material. It also encourages learning through repetition. Going over things constantly is part of how I have been successful as a student. I have a feeling that many students benefit through repetition as well.
I liked the information from chapter nine in Teachings Tips on helping students learn from a test. Professors often use tests as a way of assigning a grade to a student. Tests should actually be a learning tool. Corrective feedback on the test from the teacher can be very helpful. These comments can provide students with a different way of looking at the problem itself. Positive comments are also beneficial to students to show them that they testing successfully in some areas. These comments can serve motivational purposes.
This idea of using the test as a tool for students makes sense. I do see where it may take extra time for the professor. However, if the ultimate goal is to know your students learned something, wouldn’t it be worth it? I always loved seeing feedback on my tests offering more than just a red mark with subtracted points. In my teaching, I am going to make a real effort to provide feedback to students where they may have been misled or misunderstood a question. I will do this in hopes that they will rethink their answer and see where they went wrong. This would be a good way for them to realize what the best answer would have been. I will also make an effort to give encouragement as well by commenting on a test where the student nailed the concept right on the head.
Useful links….
A bit extra information on the usefulness of various types of test questions
A little more about the chief and Indian idea.
Learning based assessment asks the teacher to identify what they want their students to intellectually and personally develop from the course. Teachers who use this approach expect a deeper synthesis rather than traditional performance based memorization. This style of assessment encourages grading based on learning rather than testing and adding points for extra credit, participation, etc.
I know I can incorporate this into my teaching, but how is the question. Science is typically cut and dry facts, isn’t it? That is often true, but do those who memorize facts have any idea how to put these facts into words? I know I want my students to be able to tell me what they’ve learned rather than just pick the best possible multiple choice answer.
I currently have a professor who does all of his exams orally. The idea really scared me at first, but it’s forced me to change my study habits in a positive way. I talk through the concepts and hear myself saying them. This helps me understand and remember the material in a way that enables me to discuss it outside of class if I need to. With that in mind, I want to incorporate the idea of actually discussing learned material in class. One way I could do this is by facilitating small group discussions that I will give a grade for. I could present a question to small groups of students and have them participate take turns answering different components of the question. I feel by doing this I would be able to gauge their level of comprehension on the subject. I think this idea would help get all students involved and show me areas that may be unclear to the students. I also like the idea because the students would be able to hear their classmates answer questions which might clarify things in their mind.
Something else I liked from What the Best College Teachers Do, is the mention of comprehension exams. Students may feel relieved to know they can memorize something and forget about it after the exam, but many do not learn by doing this. The idea of a comprehensive exam tells the student that the material from the beginning of the semester is still important to know at the end of the semester. Something beneficial about a comprehensive exam is that the exams that follow the first can ask deeper questions about the same material and challenge the student to really know the material.
I like the idea of giving comprehensive exams. Science methods and concepts build on themselves and only get more challenging as a student continues their learning. I think a benefit to giving comprehensive exams is that students will need to continue to review early material, which may help clarify new material. It also encourages learning through repetition. Going over things constantly is part of how I have been successful as a student. I have a feeling that many students benefit through repetition as well.
I liked the information from chapter nine in Teachings Tips on helping students learn from a test. Professors often use tests as a way of assigning a grade to a student. Tests should actually be a learning tool. Corrective feedback on the test from the teacher can be very helpful. These comments can provide students with a different way of looking at the problem itself. Positive comments are also beneficial to students to show them that they testing successfully in some areas. These comments can serve motivational purposes.
This idea of using the test as a tool for students makes sense. I do see where it may take extra time for the professor. However, if the ultimate goal is to know your students learned something, wouldn’t it be worth it? I always loved seeing feedback on my tests offering more than just a red mark with subtracted points. In my teaching, I am going to make a real effort to provide feedback to students where they may have been misled or misunderstood a question. I will do this in hopes that they will rethink their answer and see where they went wrong. This would be a good way for them to realize what the best answer would have been. I will also make an effort to give encouragement as well by commenting on a test where the student nailed the concept right on the head.
Useful links….
A bit extra information on the usefulness of various types of test questions
A little more about the chief and Indian idea.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Blog Entry #4-Grading and Cheating
After reading these chapters I have grown a greater appreciation for my professors who I now realize have spent countless hours grading exams. These chapters brought me back to memories of myself as an undergraduate reviewing my grade on essay questions and feeling like I had been cheated out of a few points here and there. I'm positive there have been multiple times that I had marched into my professors' offices and debated with them about my grade. I now realize I was that student; that one who cared more about my grades than anything and would fight for every point until I got it. That's the kind of student that intimidates me the most. The one who will question whether I've done my job grading correctly or whether I didn't give them a point where I gave someone else the point. I was that student so I can understand where they will be coming from. Although, that might not make it any easier to deal with.
- From chapter 8 from the book First Day to Final Grade, I found the section on grading short answer and essay questions to be very useful. The book states that it is important to list the key points that you are looking for when grading these answers. A teacher should give partial credit for a short answer/essay that covers some of the desired points. Deciding ahead of time how many points will be given for a partial answers and how to calculate the weight of each key point is very important so students know they are being graded fairly.
This section was useful to me for several reasons. As I mentioned before, I was the student who always felt like I got cheated out of points on these questions. For that reason, I want to be a teacher who students can rely on to be fair when grading. I feel like I can grade fairly by formulating a list of the key concepts I expect from the short answer questions ahead of time. I will also list of topics or concepts that I will give partial credit for (those being points that aren't dead on but closely related to what I was looking for). I think it will be useful to write these points down for the students when going over the test. If I do this, I feel like they will know that I graded them the same and carefully considered what they wrote. I want to make my list available to them after the test to help them learn and figure out what they had right or wrong in their answer.
- First Day to Final Grade also suggests telling the students the minimum length their answers can be for these questions (p. 144). Other than the fact that it will save time on grading, this idea will communicate with students that they don't have to write everything they know about the subject.
Students may feel overwhelmed by the weight and complexity of an exam/short answer question. If students are informed that they need to just include several key concepts rather than "fluff", as my former professor called it, it may also alleviate some anxiety about the test questions. I just like the idea of being straight forward with the students and providing this extra information so they aren't so overwhelmed on exam days. I think a good way to implement this idea is to make sure the student knows how many points each question is worth and the weight of each correct concept they write down. If they know there are only 4 points possible I would bet they would spend much less time and write a lot less than if there were fifteen points possible. I'm sure there will still be students who write and fill from space on the entire page, but hopefully this advice will make my and their lives easier.
Other than just telling students how long their answer should be, I felt like the biggest take-home message from the grading chapters was to being careful when grading. McKeachie covers a few different methods of how to differently grade students more based on their competency and skills learned. Students will complain no matter what but opening communication about why you graded the way you did will make this less common (I would hope!). I found this link useful, which reiterated good basics for testing and grading.
- From McKeachie's Teaching Tips, chapter 10 provided some interesting information on cheating. A few of the tips to reduce cheating are to reduce pressure on tests by providing a few opportunities for the students to easily show their learning achievements (ex. starting out the test with a few very easy questions to build confidence), have a discussion early on in the course addressing the issue of cheating, write an interesting and reasonable test, and reduce stress by addressing issues students may be having in the class.
The link I found about why students cheat has been my personal favorite thus far. I guess I have never thought about any reasons why a student would cheat other than the fact that they didn't study. The thing I really liked about this link is that there are teaching strategies to help prevent all kinds of cheating. Another link I found was about teachers helping students cheat on their college placement tests. Sad but true, sometimes teachers cheat too!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Textbooks are still useful! Who would’ve thought? This is surprising to me due to advancements in technology and the invention of the computer. McKeachie points out in Ch. 4 of Teaching Tips that textbooks are still very useful as course material. I agree that textbooks are useful, although I do wish that teachers would make better choices in selecting them. As an undergraduate, I seldom had to open a textbook. This wasn’t because I didn’t want to; this was because I didn’t have to. Every course was assigned one or two books that we almost never had to reference. Was this due to poor planning on the teacher’s part? Or was this due to the fact that the material was related but out of date? I'm not sure, but I can say that I will try to learn from this and make careful textbook selections for my classes.
I think it’s important for teachers to take special consideration when choosing books, articles, and reading passages for their courses. McKeachie notes that students can learn more efficiently from reading than many other classroom activities. This is interesting to me because I am a hands on learner. It is extremely hard for me to focus on reading material if my environment isn’t completely silent and without distractions. Knowing that reading may be beneficial to many students helps remind me that I need to incorporate activities for all types of learners in my courses.
A possible problem with reading assignments is that students may feel like they don’t need to know the material. A suggestion I like from the book is to tell students why you chose the reading and how they should read it. Students may not see reading as valuable, but if you explain to them ahead of time what they should take from the reading they may read it more efficiently. I would like to incorporate this into my teaching as I believe it will give my students confidence that I am not making them read something that isn't important.
I will also use the suggestion of pairing a reading passage with an assignment. For an assignment, it may not a good idea to only ask for definitions or specific quotes, but rather pose thought provoking questions. Students who have to look for only quotes or definitions may be more apt to just find that material instead of reading the whole passage. I believe students will get the most out of reading if they have an assignment to go with it that makes them think about what they read.
A great way to enhance active learning is through discussion. In chapter five there are a lot of great tips for starting a discussion, handling emotional thoughts that may come with a discussion and handling varying levels of participation. My favorite subsection is the one that refers to playing the devil’s advocate, a role that I often play. I like how McKeachie points out how one may be perceived by students when taking on this role. The downside to playing the devil’s advocate is that students may feel the teacher is trying to fool them or they are being manipulated. The suggestions of how to not be perceived this way are helpful. For instance, it would be useful for me to say, “I am going to take on the role of devil’s advocate and this is my stance on this issue….” My stance may be in disagreement with most of the class. As the book mentions, disagreements can be constructive if properly presented.
Other suggestions I like from this chapter:
-Allow students time to think before they answer discussion questions
-Keep quiet when possible to let students learn from each other in discussions
-Give students discussion questions ahead of time for the next class
-Ask students to write down 1-2 questions (pertaining to a reading assignment) that will be handed in at the beginning of the next class
One suggestion that I have mixed feelings about is the use of an online discussion. I had to be a part of an online discussion once and all I had to do was roll out of bed and type a few sentences. I didn't have to take notes or respond to other students' posts. I wonder if anyone in that discussion was actually engaged in the content. I want to know my students are engaged and I feel I might not achieve that by using an online discussion.
A positive thing about an online discussion is that it may give a voice to students that are less likely to speak up in class. I may come off as an unsympathetic person who doesn’t care about quiet students, but the more I think about it the more ignorant I realize my comments have been on that subject. Feedback from a quiet student is just as valuable as a talkative student. I want quiet students to feel like their voice can and should be heard. I probably won’t go out of my way to make them speak in class, but I need to remember they can provide good ideas and thoughts to other students. An online discussion may be a great way of facilitating that. I also found some tips on keeping students' attention in online learning sessions.
Now onto the topic of lecturing covered in chapter six. It appears that lecturing has a lot of downsides. In my area of interest, lecturing is more used than any other method of teaching. McKeachie points out that the lecturer’s attitude and enthusiasm are a huge part of what makes a lecture successful. I think this will be a key element to my teaching. Chapter six gave me a lot of ways in which I can deliver a lecture that can engage students and does not only achieve ‘surface learning’.
An interesting point in this chapter is that we view learning as being stored in various networks in the brain. This is opposed to the old theory that learning was stored and tucked away. This gives me all the more reason to try and teach science in different ways than just straight lecturing. Incorporating activities in a lecture may be a good idea for me to keep students’ interest and enhance synthesis of the material. A good suggestion is to let the lecture be somewhat spontaneous and not word for word from the lecture notes. It puts students into a daze when all they do is stare at a board and take notes. I think I will be able to hold student's interest more if I allow for discussion and additional activities with lecture material.
I think it is a good idea to have lecture notes that flow. An introduction can cover material from the last session, a body can give facts and stress a few major points, and a conclusion can summarize what is most important to take away from the lecture. An interesting idea from the book is to ask students to just listen to you for 5 to 15 minutes and then have them write and compare summaries. I really like this idea because some students have a hard time writing and processing information.
I found a link which mostly reiterates information we have read, but adds a few new points about student's thoughts on what makes a good lecture and discussion.
The great thing about all the advice from these books is that I find myself reading, evaluating my teaching, and thinking of changes I can make. It's good that I have some previous experience that I can reflect on. Even though I said before I didn't really like McKeachie's book, this assignment changed that. I got a lot from this passage and I'm anxious to continue with this book.
(I found a link that is a little off topic, but Dr. Pratt's post piqued my interest in class manners, which turned into use of cell phones to cheat, etc. The 'sting' is kind of interesting and controversial but effectively caught cheaters.)
I think it’s important for teachers to take special consideration when choosing books, articles, and reading passages for their courses. McKeachie notes that students can learn more efficiently from reading than many other classroom activities. This is interesting to me because I am a hands on learner. It is extremely hard for me to focus on reading material if my environment isn’t completely silent and without distractions. Knowing that reading may be beneficial to many students helps remind me that I need to incorporate activities for all types of learners in my courses.
A possible problem with reading assignments is that students may feel like they don’t need to know the material. A suggestion I like from the book is to tell students why you chose the reading and how they should read it. Students may not see reading as valuable, but if you explain to them ahead of time what they should take from the reading they may read it more efficiently. I would like to incorporate this into my teaching as I believe it will give my students confidence that I am not making them read something that isn't important.
I will also use the suggestion of pairing a reading passage with an assignment. For an assignment, it may not a good idea to only ask for definitions or specific quotes, but rather pose thought provoking questions. Students who have to look for only quotes or definitions may be more apt to just find that material instead of reading the whole passage. I believe students will get the most out of reading if they have an assignment to go with it that makes them think about what they read.
A great way to enhance active learning is through discussion. In chapter five there are a lot of great tips for starting a discussion, handling emotional thoughts that may come with a discussion and handling varying levels of participation. My favorite subsection is the one that refers to playing the devil’s advocate, a role that I often play. I like how McKeachie points out how one may be perceived by students when taking on this role. The downside to playing the devil’s advocate is that students may feel the teacher is trying to fool them or they are being manipulated. The suggestions of how to not be perceived this way are helpful. For instance, it would be useful for me to say, “I am going to take on the role of devil’s advocate and this is my stance on this issue….” My stance may be in disagreement with most of the class. As the book mentions, disagreements can be constructive if properly presented.
Other suggestions I like from this chapter:
-Allow students time to think before they answer discussion questions
-Keep quiet when possible to let students learn from each other in discussions
-Give students discussion questions ahead of time for the next class
-Ask students to write down 1-2 questions (pertaining to a reading assignment) that will be handed in at the beginning of the next class
One suggestion that I have mixed feelings about is the use of an online discussion. I had to be a part of an online discussion once and all I had to do was roll out of bed and type a few sentences. I didn't have to take notes or respond to other students' posts. I wonder if anyone in that discussion was actually engaged in the content. I want to know my students are engaged and I feel I might not achieve that by using an online discussion.
A positive thing about an online discussion is that it may give a voice to students that are less likely to speak up in class. I may come off as an unsympathetic person who doesn’t care about quiet students, but the more I think about it the more ignorant I realize my comments have been on that subject. Feedback from a quiet student is just as valuable as a talkative student. I want quiet students to feel like their voice can and should be heard. I probably won’t go out of my way to make them speak in class, but I need to remember they can provide good ideas and thoughts to other students. An online discussion may be a great way of facilitating that. I also found some tips on keeping students' attention in online learning sessions.
Now onto the topic of lecturing covered in chapter six. It appears that lecturing has a lot of downsides. In my area of interest, lecturing is more used than any other method of teaching. McKeachie points out that the lecturer’s attitude and enthusiasm are a huge part of what makes a lecture successful. I think this will be a key element to my teaching. Chapter six gave me a lot of ways in which I can deliver a lecture that can engage students and does not only achieve ‘surface learning’.
An interesting point in this chapter is that we view learning as being stored in various networks in the brain. This is opposed to the old theory that learning was stored and tucked away. This gives me all the more reason to try and teach science in different ways than just straight lecturing. Incorporating activities in a lecture may be a good idea for me to keep students’ interest and enhance synthesis of the material. A good suggestion is to let the lecture be somewhat spontaneous and not word for word from the lecture notes. It puts students into a daze when all they do is stare at a board and take notes. I think I will be able to hold student's interest more if I allow for discussion and additional activities with lecture material.
I think it is a good idea to have lecture notes that flow. An introduction can cover material from the last session, a body can give facts and stress a few major points, and a conclusion can summarize what is most important to take away from the lecture. An interesting idea from the book is to ask students to just listen to you for 5 to 15 minutes and then have them write and compare summaries. I really like this idea because some students have a hard time writing and processing information.
I found a link which mostly reiterates information we have read, but adds a few new points about student's thoughts on what makes a good lecture and discussion.
The great thing about all the advice from these books is that I find myself reading, evaluating my teaching, and thinking of changes I can make. It's good that I have some previous experience that I can reflect on. Even though I said before I didn't really like McKeachie's book, this assignment changed that. I got a lot from this passage and I'm anxious to continue with this book.
(I found a link that is a little off topic, but Dr. Pratt's post piqued my interest in class manners, which turned into use of cell phones to cheat, etc. The 'sting' is kind of interesting and controversial but effectively caught cheaters.)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
This week’s reading assignment covers three chapters in First Day to Final Grade. I found several key points and interesting ideas from each chapter that are showing me ways that I can improve my teaching. The great thing about this book is that it sheds light on classroom situations that I have never thought about before or encountered. Every chapter makes me feel more prepared for things that I will face as a teacher.
Chapter 3 makes me think about having one or two main goals for each lecture. I like the idea of having a consistent personal goal of going to each class with a key point or two in mind. My goal concept varies a bit from the book’s concept. I want to go to each class having a main focus (being my goal of what I want them to take home from the lecture). Having this goal will help me be more prepared for each class and will give me a key point for which to base my content on. I think it will allow me to teach students so they can see the ‘bigger picture’.
Another part of the chapter I like is the addressing problems portion. I have seen these situations firsthand and I’ve always wondered what the teacher’s role is in stepping in. For example, the student that comes in late to every class and disrupts everyone’s learning. My inclination would be to lock the doors so the student would learn that he/she has to be there on time. The book recommends addressing this with the student and asking why they are late to every class. This is good advice for me because I didn’t really consider that a student would be late for any reason than poor time management. A late student is frustrating, but I guess if there is a good reason accommodations can and should be made.
The information about running a discussion is especially helpful. Initiating an organized discussion, in my case, has typically happened on accident. My biggest challenge has been getting students to speak up. In some groups discussions come easily, and in other groups it feels like pulling teeth! A few ideas from the book to help keep the discussion moving are to provide input and feedback, offer different view points, and be supportive of student's ideas, even if they aren’t necessarily what I agree with.
I can benefit from the tips for handling different kinds of students. Again, I have always wondered how much a teacher can intervene. As an undergraduate, I was constantly getting frustrated with the girls whispering in class, or students dozing off. I wondered why they would come if they weren’t going to listen. I also wondered why the professor never did anything to stsop it. I like the suggested subtle ways of controlling whisperers by standing by those students when you’re teaching, or halting the discussion until they realize they are the only ones talking. I don’t want to humiliate any students, but I expect respect and want other students to be able to listen undisrupted.
From the Running a Discussion chapter, I do not think I will use advice from the subsection about handling quiet students. I agree that quiet students should be made to feel comfortable so they can have a voice in the class. Although, I also feel like putting too much effort into making them feel comfortable could take away time from all the other students. I also feel like if a student wants to be quiet in class, that’s his or her decision. If participation is part of the grade and they don’t participate, that is something they personally need to address. If a student is motivated enough to attend college they should be motivated enough to be able to find their own voice and use it when they have to. I think elementary and high school are good places for teachers to get more involved with quiet students, but at a college level a professor shouldn’t be expected to spend time trying to get someone to speak up.
I really enjoyed the activity ideas from the Trusty Class Plans chapter. I found the steps for running a debate to be the most interesting. As I mentioned in my first paragraph, there are many things covered in this book that I have not yet had to deal with. This book is showing me how I may have screwed things up had I not considered all the components. For example, there are several components to running a debate. The grouping strategies are good ideas for dividing the room instead of just asking the students to split into two groups. I like these ideas because it seems students don’t naturally split themselves into even groups, so this makes the dividing process quick and easy. The downside to this is that they may not agree on the side of the issue you put them on. The steps for a debate give me a clear outline of how I can run and wrap up a debate effectively. The options on how to organize who talks when, and how groups should respond to each other will be useful to me in the future.
In my field, which is science, I can implement a lot of these ideas. It’s crucial for me to know that students understand the concepts clearly. Science builds on itself and gets more in depth the more you learn. I think discussions and learning exercises are a great way to get students to participate and understand what they’ve learned.
Here are a few links that I found interesting…
The Importance of Teaching Goals
Example types of debates
Try to learn from this!....
Chapter 3 makes me think about having one or two main goals for each lecture. I like the idea of having a consistent personal goal of going to each class with a key point or two in mind. My goal concept varies a bit from the book’s concept. I want to go to each class having a main focus (being my goal of what I want them to take home from the lecture). Having this goal will help me be more prepared for each class and will give me a key point for which to base my content on. I think it will allow me to teach students so they can see the ‘bigger picture’.
Another part of the chapter I like is the addressing problems portion. I have seen these situations firsthand and I’ve always wondered what the teacher’s role is in stepping in. For example, the student that comes in late to every class and disrupts everyone’s learning. My inclination would be to lock the doors so the student would learn that he/she has to be there on time. The book recommends addressing this with the student and asking why they are late to every class. This is good advice for me because I didn’t really consider that a student would be late for any reason than poor time management. A late student is frustrating, but I guess if there is a good reason accommodations can and should be made.
The information about running a discussion is especially helpful. Initiating an organized discussion, in my case, has typically happened on accident. My biggest challenge has been getting students to speak up. In some groups discussions come easily, and in other groups it feels like pulling teeth! A few ideas from the book to help keep the discussion moving are to provide input and feedback, offer different view points, and be supportive of student's ideas, even if they aren’t necessarily what I agree with.
I can benefit from the tips for handling different kinds of students. Again, I have always wondered how much a teacher can intervene. As an undergraduate, I was constantly getting frustrated with the girls whispering in class, or students dozing off. I wondered why they would come if they weren’t going to listen. I also wondered why the professor never did anything to stsop it. I like the suggested subtle ways of controlling whisperers by standing by those students when you’re teaching, or halting the discussion until they realize they are the only ones talking. I don’t want to humiliate any students, but I expect respect and want other students to be able to listen undisrupted.
From the Running a Discussion chapter, I do not think I will use advice from the subsection about handling quiet students. I agree that quiet students should be made to feel comfortable so they can have a voice in the class. Although, I also feel like putting too much effort into making them feel comfortable could take away time from all the other students. I also feel like if a student wants to be quiet in class, that’s his or her decision. If participation is part of the grade and they don’t participate, that is something they personally need to address. If a student is motivated enough to attend college they should be motivated enough to be able to find their own voice and use it when they have to. I think elementary and high school are good places for teachers to get more involved with quiet students, but at a college level a professor shouldn’t be expected to spend time trying to get someone to speak up.
I really enjoyed the activity ideas from the Trusty Class Plans chapter. I found the steps for running a debate to be the most interesting. As I mentioned in my first paragraph, there are many things covered in this book that I have not yet had to deal with. This book is showing me how I may have screwed things up had I not considered all the components. For example, there are several components to running a debate. The grouping strategies are good ideas for dividing the room instead of just asking the students to split into two groups. I like these ideas because it seems students don’t naturally split themselves into even groups, so this makes the dividing process quick and easy. The downside to this is that they may not agree on the side of the issue you put them on. The steps for a debate give me a clear outline of how I can run and wrap up a debate effectively. The options on how to organize who talks when, and how groups should respond to each other will be useful to me in the future.
In my field, which is science, I can implement a lot of these ideas. It’s crucial for me to know that students understand the concepts clearly. Science builds on itself and gets more in depth the more you learn. I think discussions and learning exercises are a great way to get students to participate and understand what they’ve learned.
Here are a few links that I found interesting…
The Importance of Teaching Goals
Example types of debates
Try to learn from this!....
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Blog Entry #1
These two books seem to be good references for course structure guidelines. The one I prefer is First Day to Final Grade. It's more straight forward, less personal fluff that Teaching Tips seems to have a lot of. At any rate, it's good to get two perspectives on teaching & course organization.
A few ideas I thought were important from this reading assignment:
I. Being clear on the syllabus and use it as an introduction to the what students can expect from your course. As noted in both books, it's important to include office hours, email, phone, etc... A teacher must establish easy ways for students to communicate with them that don't interfere with their personal life. Giving a cell phone or home phone number may seem like a good idea until calls come in the middle of the night regarding assignments. Other important things to include are class conduct expectations, course material, grading, policies regarding assignments (tests, quizzes, etc), plagarism rules, etc.
A few ideas I thought were important from this reading assignment:
I. Being clear on the syllabus and use it as an introduction to the what students can expect from your course. As noted in both books, it's important to include office hours, email, phone, etc... A teacher must establish easy ways for students to communicate with them that don't interfere with their personal life. Giving a cell phone or home phone number may seem like a good idea until calls come in the middle of the night regarding assignments. Other important things to include are class conduct expectations, course material, grading, policies regarding assignments (tests, quizzes, etc), plagarism rules, etc.
- This information was useful for me because I've seen a lot of syllabi, although I've never really thought about the contents of them. I really like the idea of using the syllabus to give students a sense of organization and structure in the course material. I am a person who likes outlines and structure, so I can benefit by knowing how to produce an effective and straight forward syllabus.
II. A first class is important in establishing who you are to your students. Setting the tone is important even on the first day. Arriving on time and being prepared are key elements in showing your students that you take your job seriously. Taking attendance is a good way to help learn names, otherwise an ice breaker activity can be done. Ice breakers are a great way to get a class involved and lighten the mood. It gives the students and teacher a chance to get to know something about one another that doesn't necessarily relate to the course material.
- I believe the first class is very important in creating a positive environment. I know not all teachers are as concerned as I am with trying to keep the atmosphere welcoming. In my experience, I have enjoyed classes the most when I felt at ease to ask questions and be myself. I think the best way a teacher can do that is to start the class on a positive, fun note. I like ice breakers because it gives a chance for a students to interact on a 'normal' level and get to know a little about eachother. I also liked the exercise from Teaching Tips about having students write down how they felt on the first day, and then write how they thought the teacher was feeling on the first day. It seemed like a good exercise for easing first day anxiety and connecting to students on more of a personal level.
III. Preparation is important. As highlighted in Teaching Tips, planning your course months ahead of time is helpful so a teacher can modify or make changes as needed.
- I don't know if I would plan months ahead of time, but I do believe preparation is key! I think prior-to-course preparation is important for various reasons. One reason is you can discover if your material flows like you're expecting it to. Another reason is it gives a teacher time to modify material. In my field, science and research is always changing. It would be embarassing for me to teach things that are out of date! Preparation is also important so a teacher can look for materials to incorporate other than the textbook. Technology gives us access to so many things and students all learn differently. I like the idea of interactive learning and the use of the internet or computer programs to enhance learning.
I think these theories/techniques can be implemented in any teaching field. Whether it be science, math, writing, etc. a professor or teacher should provide a clear and effective syllabus, set the tone for the semester on the first day, and be prepared (among many other things). I have already outlined a few ways that I want to incorporate these ideas into my own teaching. Some things I learned by doing this reading were how to introduce myself, establish credibility, and even influence my teacher/student relationship by the way I dress. These are things I will definitely take into consideration when I start teaching.
Here are a few links I found interesting...
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm
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