85. Contact the Players. There's no reason to keep your students immersed in books and newspapers when the people being studied are alive and out there. Find them. Have your students discuss and formulate questions. Then, contact the subject - by phone or by letter.
84. Travel through time and space. If the subjects of your study are dead, why not have the students interview famous or representative people from the past? You can play the starring role yourself or assign it to students. You can have a single interviewer or a small panel, or then entire class toss out questions. Remind them to pay attention to authenticity and to point out inconsistencies or inaccuracies in facts.
If you are using the twenty minute rule, and if you believe in interactive education, student participation is a must. Here are some of Magnan's tips in that regard:
A basic premise is that classes have to be prepared for discussion. It's not simply a matter of preparing them intellectually, with material; you've got to prepare them psychologically, from the very start. This should start the first day of class, (as we have discussed often) there are countless fine exercises for doing so. Rose Ann Neff and Maryellen Weimer (editor of TTP and former faculty retreat speaker) offer excellent ideas for discussions in their book Classroom Communication.
83. Dare to Develop: Many teachers tend to structure discussions as if they were linear series of questions and answers in a book. But many students feel greater freedom to participate when they realize it's not necessary to enter into a lockstep of questions and answers. The "star" model may be more productive:
- In preparing, pick a number of fairly distinct topics.
- List questions or ideas relating to each topic, on index cards or separate sheets of paper.
- In class, ask a general question to get into a topic.
- Then follow whatever lines interest your students, using other questions or ideas to develop discussion of that topic.
- Put the topic in the middle of the board and radiate the responses and suggestions in all directions, so to help keep track of matters and to represent graphically the natural flow of the discussion.
If you must lecture, here are some suggestions:
How do you know what's happening out there? What questions are unasked? What areas of interest go unexplored?
64. Put out an Odds and Ends Box - set a box by the classroom door for feedback - questions, thoughts, suggestions, ideas, opinions, commentaries, critiques, or whatever. Encourage students to contribute.
65. React to their contributions. Try to begin or end your lectures with items from the box. Integrate their comments into your lectures. Use their questions for recaps. Have an Odds and Ends day to answer questions and develop their ideas.
The students want knowledge; but they also want life.
Don't live in the past - The word lecture originally meant "reading." But good teachers never read their material to their students: They tell or report or notify or announce or explain. . . Determine what verbs fit what you're doing, and use them - maybe even write them in the margin.
His other suggestions in this chapter relate to lectures given to huge classes of several hundred; so I'll skip them.
Some suggestions regarding DISCUSSION:
73. Lead, don't drag. Remember - less is more. (Be sure to wait at least 8 seconds before answering yourself or calling on someone else)
74. Acknowledge contributions. Let the students know you appreciate their participation. React to them as they react to the subject. Avoid the trap of stock responses. Be specific.
75. Dig Ask for more information.
76. Develop. After acknowledging an answer, take it somewhere. Remember, your transition here is crucial.
77. Accept the unexpected. When a student makes a point, the worst reactions is, "No, that's not what I had in mind." or a puzzled look and silence. Classrooms are for learning, even for the teacher. React to the point, not to your disappointment.
78 Follow their lead. Don't worry about getting off the track: a discussion should run on intellectual energy, not straight and narrow rails.
79. Put their input on display. Jot their responses, suggestions, ideas, questions on the board. Chalk talks, loud and clear.
80. Grade yourself. Take a moment after every class and give yourself a grade for participation, maybe using the tips suggested above.
Helping Your Students Read:
57. Use a review to preview. Review facts your students may already know that relate to the reading. This is especially helpful with texts that cover unfamiliar areas or that are heavily interpretive.
58. Give them a bird's-eye view. - Discuss the topic covered in the reading, in general terms. Avoid specifics - the students should feel the reading is ESSENTIAL, not just a review.
59. Work with the words and go over vocabulary essential to the reading.
60. Put questions in their heads. - to stimulate their curiosity; to give them focus. Require them to find facts, but also to analyze and evaluate. Be careful about having questions follow the order and/or the wording of the text. If you lead a discussion, end with several questions.
61. Put questions in their hands give them a guide to follow as they read. (Dr. Stone does 60 and 61 particularly well. I'm sure he'd be happy to share samples)
62. Map out a discussion - give an outline of the points you'll cover. Allow space for points they might want to make while reading.
63. Reverse roles - tell them to read as teachers, then choose individuals to lead the discussion for each section of the reading. Ask if there are any questions from the class not yet considered after the discussions are over.
SIXTEEN WAYS TO BE A SMARTER TEACHER (from Fast Company Magazine)
"If there is no learning, there is no teaching. There may be talking, but no teaching." - Pedro Noguerra
1. It's not about you; it's about them.
2. Study your students.
3. Students take risks when teachers create a safe environment.
4. The difference between a good teacher and a great one isn't expertise. (It comes down to passion.)
5. Students learn when teacher show them how much they need to learn.
6. Keep information presented clear - even if you can't keep it simple.
7. Practice vulnerability without sacrificing credibility.
8. Teach from the heart.
9. Repeat important points. (The best teachers keep content fresh by finding new ways to express the same points)
10. Good teachers ask good questions.
11. You're not passing out information. (You're teaching people how to think.)
12. Stop talking - and start listening.
13. Learn what to listen for.
14. Let your students teach each other. (You're not the only one your students learn from)
15. Avoid using the same approach for everyone.
16. Never stop teaching. (Effective teaching is about the quality of the relationship between the teacher and the student. It doesn't end when the class or the work day is over.)
Continuation of Magnan's 147 Teaching Tips:
EXAMPLES: When in doubt, toss one out. We've all been there: we get tangled or lost in explanations, then we pause, to continue, "For example. . ." We all intuitively appreciate the value of a good example. But sometimes they don't come easily. Suggestions from "Heuristics for Creating Examples" by Stephen Yelon and Michael Massa:
53. Make them accurate. Quite simply, your examples should fit the idea to be taught and the purpose of the lesson.
54. Make them clear. Your examples should be simple and concrete, and use vocabulary and ideas familiar to the students.
55. Make them interesting. Your examples should relate to experiences and interests of your students. They should also be credible and realistic, although this is secondary. In fact, many teachers are more successful with whimsical or outlandish examples.
56. Make them transferable. If you use several examples, they should range from easy to difficult, elucidate connections between concept and application, and cover a variety of possible experiences.
46. Wave a Red Flag: Include in your lecture or discussion a statement or conclusion that contradicts something in the reading materials assigned for that class. At the end of the class give them three minutes to take this simple quiz: !. What was the most important thing you learned or we discussed in class today? (sound familiar?) 2.Where did you find a red flag? Remember, it's not only what they discover, but how. Start the next class period by listing the flags found, for students to discuss, applying techniques of critical analysis. P.S. When you encourage students to analyze, they may find mistakes that you didn't intend.
47. Toss them a red herring: When a class responds well to red flags, try a red herring - a true statement that, without the application of critical thinking, may initially appear to be false. You can use this herring in place of a flag, or add it as a third question.
48. Challenge your students to explore: Stimulate their sense of wonder. Too often we present information, then ask for it. Try starting with questions rather than answers. Use their curiosity to develop attitudes and approaches that are proactive, not reactive.
49. Push them to consider and communicate: Don't settle for expressing a problem as it first occurs to them. When you give your students a problem, push them to examine it carefully, analyze all factors, then put it clearly and concisely into words.
50. Guide them through stages of investigation: Emphasize through practice the three stages - They apply their knowledge to the problem; they decide what other knowledge is necessary; and they figure out how to access this knowledge.
51. Encourage ideas: Research shows poverty of ideas is a more serious deficiency than faulty reasoning. Stimulate your students to generate ideas, to explore all possibilities. Make sure they examine the matter from all angles.
52. Help them evaluate and refine their ideas: They need to choose the best ideas, then make them even better. Make them pursue their solution to the end. How do they plan to implement their solution? Push for details. What difficulties might arise? How can they overcome these complications?
According to Magnan, "A recent national poll shows that 52% of Americans believe our schools do an adequate job teaching basic facts and skills, but only 39% are satisfied with their results in teaching to think and reason." Therefore, he continues, "Stretch their heads, don't just stuff them. Create situations that encourage your students to evaluate, to solve problems, to make decisions. . . Think about the types of questions you ask: Are you asking for facts and figures, a simple regurgitation of information? Are you dealing with ideas and concepts in abstractions? Use specifics, and force your students to react."
41. ASK FOR EVALUATIONS. Formulate questions that require your students to apply standards in order to make value judgments. And the key question is "Why?"
42. ASK FOR INFERENCES. Set up specific situation to work with deduction and induction. Get them to apply ideas, concepts, rules, or principles to a particular case. give them a series of examples and have them form generalizations.
43. ASK FOR CAUSES AND EFFECTS. Questions of this sort can be formulated to explore relationships between events and persons, ideas or other events.
44. ASK FOR COMPARISONS AND EXAMPLES. Comparisons result from an ability to perceive similarities and differences. Challenge your students to examine relationships and to establish links.
45. ASK FOR SOLUTIONS. Problem-solving provides great opportunities to use knowledge, sometimes creatively.
You all know my overall feeling about lectures; nonetheless, acknowledging that they can be useful in efficiently conveying information to the students, here is what Magnan says:
"Many of us are uncomfortable with the notion that effective lecturing is a performance. We have two main objections: Teachers transfer knowledge and train minds; we should simply present facts and demonstrate mental processes. Teachers are not entertainers; even those of us who can tell jokes or do voices cannot possibly compete with the worlds of stage, screen, television, and the recording industry. but the original meaning of 'perform' was to 'complete.' 'Performing' may be simply adding to the transfer of knowledge and the training of minds, something personal, to inspire and excite students, to complete our efforts." I believe that last sentence is the most crucial one in this quotation. Here are some of his suggestions:
36. Think of it s "show" business - many lecturers suffer from too much tell and not enough show. How do you feel when you discover a new fact or encounter a new concept or find a new approach? Well, allow that feeling to SHOW in your lectures - be excited about what you're doing!
37. Play Q and A - When you lecture, are you simply telling things? Why not occasionally frame a lecture as a series of questions and answers? It provides an ideal opportunity to develop thinking skills as well: you can use questions to enter into explanations or elaborations, to force a critical analysis, to change direction, to allow meaningful an/or interesting digressions - the possibilities are enormous.
38. Talk it out from dot to dot - some constructs or interpretations are difficult to grasp because they consist of so many ideas or facts or steps. It's like working a dot -t-dot puzzle: we understand the picture from the start, so it may be hard to appreciate the situation as perceived by our students. Puzzle out each step out loud: OK, how? and But why? and Then what? Use the board to map our your course as you go. But keep the diagrams simple.
39. People your ideas - Where do you get the ideas you present in your lectures? Put the words back into their mouths. Tell stories - live and in person. e.g. "The year: 1665, the place: England, and a scientist names Isaac Newton is watching the moon and wondering. . ." When you present differing opinions, have the proponents argue among themselves, or hold a panel discussion. Life dries out when it's brought into the classroom often; allow it to live as much as possible.
40. Market your apples - Ah, the fruit of knowledge! Students should be eager consumers of something so healthy and delicious. So would it hurt to do a little marketing from time tome? Sell those ideas! Make your students want to learn, not just collect grades and credits. One teacher sometimes imagines she's teaching on a street corner with an empty hat on the ground, and students are free to contribute or not. That motivates her to really sell her apples of knowledge.
31. Erase the entire board when you enter the room. this is a great way to establish your presence. Remove all traces of whatever subject occupied the room previously. Many teachers put the homework assignment on the board - off to the side, generally as close as possible to the door. This practical, but also psychological: you establish your presence. (remember, you ought to erase the board when you are through with a class)
32. Erase the entire board after each main section. This activity has several advantages: You signal the end of a section in a physical way; you allow a short pause for reflection or recuperation, you create space to summarize key points and emphasize your answers to any questions, you don't leave scattered words and phrases to distract your students, you're less likely to need to interrupt the next section to erase.
33. Avoid "patch working." This tends to fragment the material and cause confusion.
34. Don't get caught between board and material. If you need to write a few lines on the board, don't pause in the middle of a sentence; finish your thought, then stop to write. Yes, you can probably talk and write at the same time, but your delivery may lack impact; especially if your voice is directed against the board rather than toward the class.
35. Don't get caught between the board and the class. Some teachers ask if there are any questions, then turn their back on the class to erase or write on the board. This give the wrong message. Answer questions first, then turn to the board.
from: The National Teaching and Learning Forum: Criteria for a good discussion question: "I ask students to take two minutes and write down on their own their ideas about what makes a good question for class discussion. After the two minutes are up, we have a class discussion. I write their ideas on the board. Students are usually able to generate at least 5 to 8 criteria. I distribute copies of the criteria to each student at the next class meeting and tell them to refer to the sheet whenever they are asked to develop discussion questions for an upcoming class meeting. One of the reasons for this exercise is to facilitate the students' critical thinking ability. that is, I ask THEM to generate the criteria instead of me just telling them what I think are important criteria. Students are actively involved in generating ideas this way. I believe this helps them develop their own criteria for self-evaluation. Later in the term I use their self-generated criteria when giving them feedback about the discussion questions I have asked them to write. I usually do this exercise during the first two weeks of the term."
#'s 28 - 30 are new. The next up-date will be about black/whiteboard use.
#28 Use spatial expression - speak from different parts of the classroom. Move around during the class period.
#29 GIVE YOUR STUDENTS A PAUSE BUTTON: Establish a signal so your students can call a time-out. They can't keep up with notes, they need a point repeated, they have a question, they need to think about what you just said, they need some control. Just as you stop while reading to ponder a point - give them an opportunity to do so in class.
#30 Never check with Father Time. Every time you turn to glance at the clock or move your arm to consult your watch, you acknowledge the authority of time. Be discreet. Don't let time intrude on your class.
#23 Think Physical - what is your body doing while you teach? Is it distracting? Does it emphasize what you're saying? Is it meaningless? Think about what you're doing physically in the classroom.
24. Get a Second Opinion - Ask a colleague to observe your movements
25. Pay attention to what you're doing; focus especially on your hands.
26. Go theatrical - insert instructions in your notes as if your were a director working with an actor: "Don't pace!" or "Hit desk for emphasis" or "Walk to side of room, etc. This may seem odd, but you plan for everything else; why not for meaningful movement?
PACE YOUR DELIVERY TO YOUR MATERIAL. Often teachers get caught up in their material and just rush through it. You've given it thought - let your students do so, too.
THINK THROUGH YOUR EARS. Written language gives clear signals of meaning. Spoken language has different and more subtle signals. Pay attention to them. How do professionals impact their words? LISTEN.
PAUSE TO PUNCTUATE. "All speakers pause to breathe; good speakers pause to punctuate."
MATCH YOUR MUSIC WITH YOUR LYRICS. "Effective speaking is like a song: even the best words will suffer without proper delivery and intonation. e.g. Increasing volume can emphasize, but so can decreasing it. Think about your delivery.
DON'T FORGET THE SPICE. Variety is the spice of life - so, too, in classroom delivery. What works for three minutes may not work for seven. Switch deliveries - as in baseball, it's the pitch itself as the change of pace.
TAKE CHANCES. View classroom delivery as an art, and feel free to EXPERIMENT!
You're ready when class begins because this is your life and your discipline. That's not necessarily true of your students who are coming into the room from many different places with many different concerns. Just getting into the material will not necessarily bring them together, but three or four minutes preparing them will make a world of difference.
- "Prime your students" Review the main points of the last class and review the reasons for covering the material - remember the importance of relevance to students (This is a good time to use the questions they asked and their review of the main points that you had them write at the end of the previous class period)
- "Verify mental operations." After a few introductory words GET THEM INVOLVED. Ask a question or two. Let them fill in the blanks: "Last time we talked about the main characteristics of Romanticism which include: _________________. The most important of which is __________; because ___________." Be sure your framework is specific enough to get at the topic.
- "Whet their appetites." After you prime and verify, PUSH! Ask questions that lead them from the review to material that will be covered next: What if. . . What about. . . How would it be. . ., and the like. To stimulate them, focus their attention.
TEN FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS ABOUT LEARNING
from William Reinsmith in The National Teaching and Learning FORUM
6. Real learning connotes use.
If something isn't going to be immediately used or applied in some manner it won't get learned. Initial learnings will abort and be erased unless extended and reinforced in some practical way. At the very least, the conditions in which learning can be used should be simulated. Knowing and action work in tandem. Telling students they will use or need something later on, even though it has no immediate value, is a waste of time. It will not be learned.
7. No one knows how a learner moves from imitation to intrinsic ownership, from external modeling to internalization and competence.
But it happens, and it's the one process no one can teach. A teacher can only try to assist it by setting up the conditions for it and trying to act as a catalyst. It is difficult to understand how one moves successfully between the known and the unknown. This process is at the very core of learning. To date, we know very little about how it works. Thus, what is really important in learning can't be taught. We should simply admit this.
8. The more learning is like play, the more absorbing it will be - unless the student has been so corrupted by institutional education tat only dull serious work is equated with learning.
It is frightening how hard a teacher must work to convince today's college students that study and learning can be interesting - even joyful - activities. More often than not, students greet that idea with incomprehension or at best with mild fascination.
9. For authentic learning to happen time should occasionally be wasted, tangents pursued, side-shoots followed up.
Some of the greatest discoveries have been made through serendipity. So, too, learning moments are occasionally stumbled upon inadvertently. A teacher should feast on these, follow their flow, be humble before them. It often happens that what really gets learned is different from what the teacher had in mind; but little can be done about it except to teach for surprise.
10. Tests are a very poor indicator of whether an individual has really learned something.
The main reason for this is that, except for disciplines which are extremely abstract and theoretical, tests provide an artificial context for demonstrating one's knowledge. They seldom address the real world.
1. Learning first takes place through osmosis.
Before anything else it is a process of unconscious immersion in one's immediate environment. Though school learning is more formal and conscious, the osmotic process still goes on. As educators we should never forget this.
2. Authentic learning comes through trial and error.
No trial and error, no experimentation, then no real learning. The learner needs to fool with things, to try them on, to adjust and readjust. This is true whether dealing with concrete skills or with conceptualizing. This means creating environments that allow for trial and error process. Otherwise, learning, at best, will consist of memory and recall.
3. Students will learn only what they have some proclivity for or interest in.
Find out what a person likes, then help him/her build around it. Once interest exists, learning is possible, and teaching kicks in. We waste enormous quantities of time giving students learning tasks for which they have no interest or readiness, boring them and frustrating ourselves in the process.
4. No one will formally learn something unless she believes she can learn it.
A large part of preliminary teaching has to do with helping the learner come to believe through a process of affirmation and reaffirmation. This should not be overdone. Once students genuinely believe thy have the ability to learn something, the teacher need only create learning opportunities (a huge task) Students with both curiosity and belief will be self-propelled. Let them learn. Stay out of the way.
5. Learning cannot take place outside an appropriate context.
No one learns in a vacuum. Isolated learning does not exist, but rather part of a universe of discourse, an interlocking network of connections. An appropriate context taps the learner into those connections. At the very least, we should try to make our classrooms vibrate like a crossroads where powerful ideas intersect. Too often, especially in universities, classrooms are more like free standing islands - alone and aloof, reflecting the hyper specialization of our various disciplines.
