blog posts Student Experts. Mar 5, 2009 8:00 am9 views Student Experts. Have students become experts on key points through-out the semester. Students can be responsible for a small part of a lecture where their "key point" is featured. Take a Vote Mar 6, 2009 8:00 am4 views Take a Vote. Make a statement based on the lecture content and ask students for a show of hands if they agree, disagree, or don't know A discussion of why may follow. Have a Paper Slam. Mar 7, 2009 8:00 am76 views Have a Paper Slam. Student often write research papers, but may not have an opportunity to learn about other students’ research. A paper slam is an innovative way to facilitate this learning without devoting many class sessions to student presentations. Check out page 4 of the April 2008 issue of The Teaching Professor. What Successful New Teachers Do Aug 30, 2009 8:00 am2 views What Successful New Teachers Do. Robert Boice describes “quick starters” as those new faculty members who are effective, efficient, and satisfied in their teaching. They also receive high ratings from their students and colleagues. They connect with their students, understand the best ways to enhance learning, and can locate and maximize available resources. To learn from these “quick starters,” please click here. Learning Students' Names. Aug 14, 2010 8:00 am0 views Learning Students' Names. We all know the importance of learning our students' names as it promotes positive teacher-student relationships and demonstrates your desire to know each student as an individual. For those of us with large classes, this can be a difficult task. Tomorrow's Professor Msg. #752 provides several strategies to help us. A syllabus is more than a contract... Aug 14, 2010 8:00 am15 views A syllabus is more than a contract... “Whether it is intended or not, the quality of the syllabus is a fairly reliable indicator of the quality of teaching and learning that will take place in a course.” (Woolcock, 2003). How does your syllabus rate? Read this article to learn more about constructing your course and its syllabus. Informal Early Feedback Sep 14, 2010 8:00 am1 views Using informal early feedback (IEF) can help you learn about what is working and what is not working in your class at a time when you can make mid-course corrections. Late-September to mid-October is a great time to collect this feedback from your students. To learn more about this helpful form, you can attend this workshop (Sept. 17th or 22nd) or find information and samples on our website. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CAT) Sep 14, 2010 8:00 am1 views Classroom Assessment Tools (CATs) are tools that can be used for active learning, assessment, and feedback. CATs are often anonymous and ungraded, and can give you a picture of how students are progressing, while providing information on your teaching and its effectiveness. Learn about the one-minute paper, muddiest points, and many other strategies. Read more about CATS here. Forming Metacognitive Students Sep 30, 2010 8:00 am1 views Forming Metacognitive Students. Students become metacognitive when they are aware of their own learning processes. By encouraging students' metacognition, instructors give their students a better chance to succeed in class. This article describes several easy ways to help students become more metacognitive. Click here to read the article. A Periodic Table of Visualizatin Sep 30, 2010 8:00 am1 views A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods. You can grab your students' attention and help them to better understand classroom material by presenting information visually. This "periodic table" describes a wide range of visual ways to display data, information, concepts, strategies, and metaphors. Click here to view it. Encouraging Effective Discussions Oct 28, 2010 8:00 am1 views Encouraging Effective Discussions. You want to encourage more student participation, so you ask a question. Instead of a lively discussion, there are blank faces, silence, or incorrect answers. There are a number of strategies that can help encourage participation, improve discussion and rapport. Click here to learn more. Content Tyranny Oct 28, 2010 8:00 am49 views Content Tyranny. Have you ever said, “I don’t have time for that, I have too much to teach”? Content tyranny happens when the need to “cover the content” receives higher priority over enhancing student learning. Click here to learn what are the myths that lead to content tyranny and successful strategies. Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity Jan 18, 2011 8:00 am0 views Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity. You can lessen the number of academic integrity violations you'll face by presenting your students with a clear policy at the beginning of the semester. This essay, part of the POD Network Teaching Excellence Essay Series, describes what such a policy should contain, how it should fit into your course, and how to present it to your students. Click here to learn how. Strategies in the First Few Weeks for Future Success Jan 18, 2011 8:00 am5 views Strategies in the First Few Weeks for Future Success. Beginnings are important. Whether it is a large introductory course for freshmen or an advanced course in the major field, it makes good sense to start the semester off well. Good beginnings help in creating rapport, setting the tone and expectations, and making effective first connections with the course content. Click here for 101 strategies Teaching Time Management Strategies Mar 3, 2011 8:00 am1 views Teaching Time Management Strategies. At this point in the semester, your students may begin to feel overwhelmed by the demands of their classes. Set them up for success in your class by developing their time management abilities. Here are ideas for you to consider. The Importance of Early Feedback Mar 3, 2011 8:00 am1 views The Importance of Early Feedback. Student feedback needn't be collected only through ICES. If you haven't collected feedback about how your class is doing, then read this article to understand how feedback is a valuable part of any semester, and the particular importance of early feedback. Click here to learn more about early feedback and directions and sample forms. Awake, Accountable, and Engaged Mar 23, 2011 8:00 am0 views Awake, Accountable, and Engaged. As the semester winds down, your students may begin to lose focus. This posting from Tomorrow's Professor offers two easy techniques to keep them engaged in lectures. Click here to learn more. Role-Play: An Often Misused Active Learning Strategy Mar 23, 2011 8:00 am48 views Role-Play: An Often Misused Active Learning Strategy. Role-playing can enliven discussions and give students the opportunity to explore different sides of an issue. The paper, from the POD Network Teaching Excellence Essay Series, contains an overview of role-playing and a role-playing technique you can use at any point in the semester. Here is the link. Back to Basics: PowerPoint Skills Apr 15, 2011 8:00 am1 views Back to Basics: PowerPoint Skills. Creating presentations with PowerPoint is easy; creating effective instruction with PowerPoint is not. This page from the University of Vermont collects both familiar and unique advice for avoiding "death by PowerPoint." Discussing Grades with Students Apr 15, 2011 8:00 am1 views Discussing Grades with Students. As the end of the semester approaches, students are likely to become more concerned about their grades. Knowing how to respond to student complaints about grades can turn a potential argument into a productive discussion. This page from Washington University in St. Louis offers some advice to follow. The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure May 2, 2011 8:00 am0 views The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure. The end of the semester can be stressful for instructors as well as students. Use these tips from the University of Minnesota to ensure that you end your course gracefully. Click here to read the strategies. Test Construction: Some Practical Ideas May 2, 2011 8:00 am7 views Test Construction: Some Practical Ideas. Majority of our courses include some kind of final exam. This guide from the University of Texas at Austin presents a very thorough method for constructing tests that accurately assess students' learning. Here is the guide. A "Radical" Course Revision Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am1 views A "Radical" Course Revision. Summer is a great time to revisit last year's courses and improve them for the coming year. This article by Julie Stout of Indiana University describes her experiences revising courses and offers advice on the process. Click here to learn more. Note: to learn more, please visit CTE's list of summer workshops. How to Teach What You Don't Actually Know Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am2 views How to Teach What You Don't Actually Know. Are you preparing to teach a course that's outside your area of expertise? Therese Huston, plenary speaker at last year's Annual Faculty Retreat, can help you face next semester with confidence. Read the Chronicle article here. Learning Students' Names Aug 23, 2011 8:00 am0 views Learning Students' Names. Research indicates that knowing students' names makes for a better semester for you and your students. Here are some ideas from the Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln to start your semester off right. Click here for ideas. The Add/Drop Period and Your Syllabus Aug 23, 2011 8:00 am0 views The Add/Drop Period and Your Syllabus. Many students "shop around" during the first week or two of classes. Will this affect the beginning of your course? Jason B. Jones of ProfHacker at the Chronicle of Higher Education offers some observations to get you thinking about how to handle this period of the semester. Click here for the article. Before You Skip My Class Sep 22, 2011 8:00 am0 views Before You Skip My Class. Your syllabus should already contain an attendance policy. Even if it doesn't, you'll need to deal with students who skip your class. J. Ben Deaton from the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses the four types of students you may encounter, and makes his own suggestions about how to approach them. Click here to read. The Importance of Early Feedback Sep 22, 2011 8:00 am0 views The Importance of Early Feedback. Student feedback needn't be collected only through ICES. If you haven't collected feedback about how your class is doing, then read this article to understand how feedback is a valuable part of any semester, and the particular importance of early feedback. Read the article here. Don't forget CTE's workshop about Informal Early Feedback (IEF) on Sept. 27, 2011. Five Questions That Will Improve Your Teaching Oct 6, 2011 8:00 am0 views Five Questions That Will Improve Your Teaching. Becoming a reflective teacher begins with asking yourself questions about your teaching and ways in which to improve your students' learning. Here's a sample list of questions from Larry Ferlazzo to get you started. A Model of Learning Objectives Oct 6, 2011 8:00 am0 views A Model of Learning Objectives. If you're not already familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, you may find it to be a useful guide for asking effective questions, developing learning objectives, and writing test items. Click here to learn more about Bloom's Taxonomy. Note: There will be a CTE workshop on Effective Multiple-Choice Test Design on Oct. 25th. Getting the Most from Student Peer Review Oct 20, 2011 8:00 am2 views Getting the Most from Student Peer Review. Peer review has the potential to give your students feedback from multiple points of view.To ensure that this feedback is high quality, consider using this form from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard. Click here for the form. Journals that Publish the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Oct 20, 2011 8:00 am0 views Journals that Publish the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. Sometimes the best advice is the most specific advice. Use this list from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Kennesaw State University to help you find journals that publish articles in your field on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Here is the list of journals. Student Resistance to Learner-Centered Teaching Oct 31, 2011 8:00 am5 views Student Resistance to Learner-Centered Teaching. Have you worked hard to incorporate a variety of strategies to engage your students? Do you feel that your students actually prefer that you just lecture? Richard Felder provides a number of considerations to explain student resistance and ways to overcome it. Click here for the article. Teaching and Technology Oct 31, 2011 8:00 am0 views Teaching and Technology. This article, by Steven J. Corbett at Inside Higher Ed, describes one instructor's experience with using technology to teach writing. In the process, he offers several helpful suggestions and links that can help you decide what role technology should play in your course. Click here for the article. Course Objectives, Student Assessment, and Course Evaluation Jan 12, 2012 8:00 am1 views Course Objectives, Student Assessment, and Course Evaluation. Your course objectives should guide you in your syllabus construction and course planning.This article, from the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University, will help you connect the course goals in your syllabus more closely to assessment of student learning and course evaluations. Click here to learn more. Strategies for a Successful Start of the Semester Jan 12, 2012 8:00 am1 views Strategies for a Successful First Start of the Semester. Prepare yourself and your students for a successful semester. Here are 101 strategies for introducing course content, setting expectations, and gathering important background information about your students. Click here for the list. Research-Based Principles about Teaching and Learning Feb 8, 2012 8:00 am18 views Research-Based Principles for Teaching and Learning. Dr. Susan Ambrose, Director of the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon, is the co-author of "How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching." She will be on our campus to present a workshop for graduate students on Feb. 22nd and the plenary talk at the Faculty Retreat on Feb. 23rd. (Registration is required). To learn more about these teaching and learning principles, click here. The Importance of Early Feedback about Teaching Feb 8, 2012 8:00 am1 views The Importance of Early Feedback about Your Teaching. Now is the time of the semester to collect informal early feedback (IEF) about your teaching and your students' learning. To learn more about this important strategy and see sample forms, click here. Also, CTE will be offering an IEF workshop on Feb. 21st. Register here. Promoting Student Motivation Feb 22, 2012 8:00 am1 views Promoting Student Motivation. According to an article from the Tomorrow's Professor mailing list, the best way to motivate and engage students is to show them the relevance and significant of the material. This article will show how to use case studies, guest speakers, and other strategies to promote intrinsic motivation. Helping Students Read Difficult Texts Feb 22, 2012 8:00 am21 views Helping Students Read Difficult Texts. When students have problems understanding a difficult text, simply rereading the text won't help them to understand it any better. This article, from the Tomorrow's Professor mailing list, will provide reasons for your students' difficulties and strategies to assist them in comprehending these texts more easily. Laptops in the Classroom Mar 21, 2012 8:00 am2 views Laptops in the Classroom. As you look around your class, you see an increasing number of laptops. They can serve as an effective tool to improve student engagement and learning or they can be a distraction; which is why you should be prepared with a policy for their use. This article from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan presents research and best practices to help you develop such a policy. Flipping Your Lectures Mar 21, 2012 8:00 am1 views Flipping Your Lectures. Have you thought about "flipping" the traditional way of teaching so that students are first introduced to the content outside of class and then spend class time for discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and identifying areas of difficulty? This is not a new idea; however, it is one that has generated much attention, especially in the STEM disciplines. In this article from the Chronicle of Higher Education, Dan Berrett describes how lectures can be "flipped." Should Effort Count? Students Certainly Think So Apr 12, 2012 8:00 am10 views Should Effort Count? Students Certainly Think So. Students and instructors have different ideas about how a course grade should be determined.This article by Maryellen Weimer shares student and faculty beliefs about what percentage of the course grade should be assigned to effort and to performance.With this knowledge, you'll be better prepared to prevent and respond to grade disputes. Click here to read the article. Educating Students about Plagiarism Apr 12, 2012 8:00 am2 views Educating Students about Plagiarism. Plagiarism is uncredited use of someone else's text or ideas. Some students unwittingly commit plagiarism because they are unaware of the rules regarding citing sources. Here is a self-test of common situations to help students identify examples of plagiarism.This site is a collaborative project originally funded by the Center for Educational Technology, Middlebury College, and developed by Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin Colleges. Also, here is a link to our campus Student Code regarding plagiarism. Learning Students' Names Sep 5, 2012 8:00 am3 views Learning Students' Names. Research indicates that knowing students' names makes for a better semester for you and your students. Here are several strategies on how to remember their names and learn more about them. Click here to read them. Maximizing Student Achievement and Interest Sep 5, 2012 8:00 am8 views Maximizing Student Achievement and Interest. Teachers' content knowledge and instructional skills play a critical role in improving students' academic achievement. Here are seven ways offered by Walter Jacobs to keep in mind as we begin a successful start of the semester. Click here to read these important strategies. Now is the Time for Informal Early Feedback Sep 18, 2012 8:00 am1 views Using informal early feedback (IEF) can help you learn about what is working and what is not working in your class at a time when you can make mid-course corrections. Late-September to mid-October is a great time to collect this feedback from your students. To learn more about this helpful form, you can attend these IEF workshops on Sept. 24th or Oct. 9th. Additional information and samples are on our website. Strategies to Assess Student Learning Sep 19, 2012 8:00 am2 views Strategies to Assess Student Learning. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are quick, easy to implement strategies that provide valuable information about how well your students understand the content. They can be used on a daily basis to provide valuable feedback for both you and your students. Why wait until the first exam to see how your students are doing. Click here to learn more or register for our Oct. 5th CTE workshop. Providing Constructive Feedback to Students Oct 3, 2012 8:00 am1 views Providing Constructive Feedback to Students. Students typically focus on the grades they receive and not carefully read the written feedback. What are the types of comments that will help your students learn from your feedback? Click here for suggestions on types of effective comments and questions you can provide. Tests as Opportunities for More Learning Oct 3, 2012 8:00 am1 views Tests as Opportunities for More Learning. Tests are generally thought as ways to assess what and how much students have learned. If carefully crafted, they can also serve as opportunities for additional learning to happen. See this article on creating different types of effective tests.
