Active Learning: Add to Your Bag of Tricks

http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/

Some interesting things to note from the above link

1. Active learning supplements lecture; it doesn’t necessary replace lecture

2. Active learning just means getting students engaged in some way – getting them to practice what they’re learning, getting them to work together on a project, etc.

3. Activities 1-3 are Classroom Assessment Techniques, ways to find out if you’re students are “getting it” in an informal way

4. Activity 6 (Clarification Pause) is a good addition to any lecture; give students a chance to chew over what you’re teaching, and open the floor for questions periodically; think of the lecture as a dialog rather than as a monologue

5. I like Activities 12 and 13; we don’t need fancy technology to this – fingers and flashcards will do the trick

Anyway, there’s almost too many ideas (29 of them) to consider, and certainly too many to consider in one posting. I hope you’ll take time to look these over at your leisure.

Ancient Chinese Secret

"Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me and I'll understand." -- Chinese Proverb

So what's wrong with a PowerPoint lecture for an entire class period? After all, we have all of this great technology in the classroom; shouldn't we use it? But is it "smart" to use "smart rooms" in this fashion? It almost seems like we paid $4000 per room for overhead projectors, which makes about as much sense as a solid gold toliet.

I know lectures, and even PowerPoints, have their proper place. But the next time you do one for an entire 85 minute period, ask yourself: "Are my students actively engaged?" How much of the lecture will they forget tomorrow (or as soon as they are tested)?

Be sure to check out the following link. Lots of good Active Learning techniques here for you to incorporate into your classes:

http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/

Hybrids?

Is a hybrid class a face-to-face class that has an online component, or is it an online class that has a face-to-face component?

What things should you think about when designing a hybrid class?

Here's a good link to help you think about these and other questions related to hybrid course design and pedagogy:

http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/hybrid/faculty_resources/tips.cfm

Of the tips provided at this weblink, here are the ones that stand out to me:

1. Put in a lot of "upfront" time before the class goes live.

2. Think carefully about what works best online and what works best face-to-face.

3. Find a hybrid "veteran" to mentor you.

4. Provide clear expectations to your students. Explain the rational of the hybrid class until you're sure everyone in class "gets it."

5. Constantly reflect on what works, what needs to be tweaked, and what just plain doesn't work and needs to be dropped.

Depth or Breadth?

It's the curse of the Survey class. How much material can you cram in their "skulls full of mush?"

When I was an undergraduate, I spent most of my time as a History major. One of my favorite classes was European History from 1815. While we were supposed to cover 1815-present, we barely made it to World War II. Now, the professor could have crammed in the last 50 years, but he didn't. Why?

Probably because he knew that we wouldn't remember all of the material anyway.

And here's the real question: what are you really teaching your students? Are you teaching them just the material in the textbook? Or, are you teaching them something more important: how to analyze, how to think critically, and how to make connections?

Yes, you should plan out your course carefully, and try to cover all of the material as stated in the Common Course Outline, but in the end, it's not the material that you cover, but how you cover the material.

http://www.csupomona.edu/~facultycenter/weekly_teaching_note_march_3_2008.shtml

Six Thinking Hats

Can you teach thinking?

Dr. Edward de Bono provides us with an interesting method to do just that. Using the metaphor of the "thinking cap," he gives us six hats to try on when dealing with issues or problems.

In brief, here are what the hats represent:

1. White hat -- thinking (approaching a problem through facts and logic)

2. Red hat -- feeling (approaching a problem through feelings)

3. Black hat -- arguing against (being the devil's advocate)

4. Yellow hat -- arguing for (seeing the good -- is this like being the angel's advocate??)

5. Green hat -- creating (approaching a problem from a new angle or perspective)

6. Blue hat -- overviewing (approaching the problem from the "big picture" perspective)

http://www.newiq.com/html/six_hats.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_hats

"Can I do an extra credit assignment?"

Students often ask to do extra credit. Why? Two types of students: the first type hasn't performed as well as they would have liked, and their grade reflects this. So, they're very interested in throwing the old "extra credit hail mary" to save their grade. The other type is the 100%-average overachiever -- the kind that doesn't need the points, but would love to finish the class wth a better-than-perfect average.

If you've set up your class properly, then you should have the proper amount of work for your students to do, right? Why would you want to give them more? And as our "lazy teacher" might say, why would you want to give yourself more work, for that matter?

Some schools that I've taught for ban extra credit all-together. And I've only offered extra credit on a very few occasions, and that was just when I was starting out.

Check out the link below for some interesting thoughts on whether or not to offer it in your class. Whether you decide to offer extra credit or not, it's a good idea to think the issue through before the class begins, stating your policy specifically and clearly in your syllabus.

http://www.csupomona.edu/~facultycenter/weekly_teaching_note_feb_25_2008.shtml