Blog #2 - Additional Thoughts

I liked the information related to facilitating a discussion. Typically, I find that many graduate level classes do this nicely, but undergrad classes tend to be more traditional. I liked having students sit in a circle during discussions versus straight rows. This tends to be more comfortable for most students. I feel however that maybe some students would be somewhat uncomfortable sitting in a circle since this might be new. Hopefully the uncomfortableness is short lived and helps to facilitate learning. If possible, I rather create an atmosphere that helps to facilitate learning. I also liked how the book focused on the importance of small group activities. I use to have students work in groups all the time when I taught in a small high school. This helped students get to know other students and helped them learn skills that should prove to be beneficial later in life. The importance of open-ended question is also critical. Instead of asking students "Did you like the readings", ask, "what did you like about the reading materials". This should help to facilitate more discussion during the class. Lastly, I enjoyed the section in the book that discussed "Why some students do not talk". I related this to myself. I sometimes feel uncomfortable talking in a large class in fear I might take over the conversation or cut someone else off when they are trying to speak. I need to learn to be able to discuss things in class without fear of the above mentioned things. I have had students in my classes I taught before and I tried to pair them up, or provide activities to help build their confidence and allow them to talk in class. There can be a number of reasons students do not talk in class, but hopefully by building confidence and taking "baby steps" the student will feel free to share. I liked the idea of having debates. I feel debates allow student to share their opinion and also hear another point of view. I tried having a debate in a high school class, but it did not go real well. The students took the information personally and it was not as educational as I hoped it to be. I would like to try a debate in a college setting where the students should be more mature and be able to handle such an educational experience. The guidance of the instructor and clear "ground rules", this should prove to be a fun way to learn. Topics could include second hand smoke, physician assisted suicide, or the drinking age. I found a nice debate rubric online that I could use the the college setting (http://mh034.k12.sd.us/classroom_debate_rubric.htm). Another rubric (that is not so good because it is too subjective) can be found at: http://712educators.about.com/cs/rubrics/l/blrubricdebate.htm

Blog Entry #2

I liked the suggestions provided in Chapter 3. Having 1-2 goals set for each class period is an excellent idea. It reminds me when working with media, I always learned to be sure to get 1-2 main points across during an interview. When my students walk out of my classroom, I hope they can remember at least one major theme, idea, or concept for the class. Lesson plans was something that I did not enjoy doing when I taught in the public school system, but remembered that those lesson plans helped to keep me focused and on task. To be honest, I never thought college professors wrote lesson plans, but if they are as helpful to me in the college setting as they were in high school, I better get use to doing them. Incorporating writing into the class is important. It is amazing to me the number of students who struggle with writing. Writing assignments can help students organize their thoughts and put down ideas on paper. If students are expected to complete writing assignments, I feel it is important to provide feedback to the students. I liked the suggestions on time management. Class needs to start on time and a professor needs to be sure to prioritize information to be sure information or goals of the class period are taught. Alicia McKenzie provides some good classroom time management tips (http://www.utoronto.ca/tatp/timemanagement.pdf). The three main focus areas she describes include basic principles of classroom time management, assessing time demands, and writing the lesson plans. The last couple topics I liked in the book was the importance of having a united front and always being professional and not criticizing other professors. The tips on how to answer and handle situations should prove to be beneficial. I liked how it was noted to not embarrass students if there are issues (such as a student being late for class everyday), but rather catch the student after class and find out what the issue is.

Blog Entry #1 - Additional Thoughts

Teaching tips from McKeachie made me think of things to keep in mind before I teach my next course. It seems the majority of classes use some type of textbook. I like using textbooks, but like having recent articles from professional journals to supplement the textbook. A big issue tends to be the cost of such textbooks. With that in mind, I believe that if students need to purchase a textbook, they need to get some use out of it and maybe be able to use it in other classes or in their professional career. The New York State Consumer Protection Board put together many tips/suggestions for faculty before ordering textbooks. The document can be found at: http://www.nysconsumer.gov/pdf/facultytextbooks.pdf. The syllabus needs to be taken seriously. I feel the syllabus needs to be as specific as possible and leave little room for "gray areas". A couple nice sites to get tips and suggestions regarding writing a college level class syllabus are:
www.oberlin.edu/stuorg/exco/instructors/syllabus_tips.doc
http://www.contracosta.edu/AdjunctFaculty/syll-how.htm
http://eduserv.ku.ac.th/eduserv/cademic/seminar/How%20to%20Write%20a%20Syllabus.pdf (nice PowerPoint).

Lastly, I feel it is important to be sure students participate in an appropriate amount of learning outside of the scheduled class time. Hands-on activities along with reading outside of class should help support classroom discussions. I will need to keep this in mind when creating a syllabus.

Blog Entry #1

The tips provided in Chapter #2 (First Day) should prove to be very beneficial. Planning ahead and being prepared are important. Getting the class list is a great idea. I taught a class last summer and was able to get the class list. It would have been nice to find out their majors and year of school beforehand so the class could have been tailored somewhat to their needs. Knowing where the classroom is and how to use all the equipment is important. If a professor is late or cannot use the computer or other supplies, credibility can be lost early on. I like how Southern Utah University has some tips for first year professors. The sheet is titles Ecology 101, but can be used in other disciplines. The tips can be found at: http://www.indiana.edu/~halllab/GradRes/Wilson&Hampton_BESA.pdf

I believe it is important to dress professionally so students take the professor seriously. The class I taught was online, so I could wear pajamas if I wanted, but I feel when I do teach "live", I would feel better if I dressed a step above my students. I had a professor recently who dressed in jeans everyday, and I thought that was odd. Since the class I taught was an online class, student communicated with me by email. Lucky for me, the communication did not get out of hand. Students also had my cell phone number, but I did not give them guidelines related to when to call. I only received two calls from students regarding computer trouble while taking an exam. I now realize how important it would be in the future to provide clear guidelines to prevent over use and possible boundary issues.