Eventually, Billy came to dread his father’s lectures over all other forms of punishment

Eventually, Billy came to dread his father’s lectures over all other forms of punishment.

Tim SlaterUniversity of WyomingExcellence in Higher Education Endowed Professor of Science EducationCognition in Astronomy, Physics, and Earth sciences Research (CAPER) Team

tslater@uwyo.edu http://www.uwyo.edu/caper

AGU Preconference Workshop on Teaching GEO 101 December 14, 2008

I need someone

well versed in the art of

torture, do you know PowerPoin

t?

Teach us, oh Great One!

I love teaching graduate level

courses.

Actually, is there anything you can do to AVOID students sitting quietly in their seats?

Tell me and I forget Show me and I remember Involve me and I understand

Think-Pair-ShareAnswer first by yourself without talking to anyone, then I’ll ask you to

confer with a peer before asking you to vote again.

How do I more fully intellectually engage my students?

1. Lecture more loudly with greater enthusiasm2. Ask them questions to see if they are paying

attention3. Ask them to create examples of how a concept

relates to their real lives4. Tell them to talk amongst themselves to see if they

have questions5. Stop lecturing now and again and give them

practice test questions

What are responders? IR or Radio wireless

voting device Sometimes referred to as

Classroom Communication Systems (CCS), “clickers”, etc.

Class Response System – Low Tech

A

C

B

D

Class Response System – Organic

Think-Pair-ShareAnswer first by yourself without talking to anyone, then I’ll ask you to

confer with a peer before asking you to vote again.

How do I more fully intellectually engage my students?

1. Lecture more loudly with greater enthusiasm2. Ask them questions to see if they are paying

attention3. Ask them to create examples of how a concept

relates to their real lives4. Tell them to talk amongst themselves to see if they

have questions5. Stop lecturing now and again and give them

practice test questions

What else can I do besides lecture on and on for 50 minutes every day?

Answer first by yourself, then with a partner:

If you breathe in O2 and out CO2, why does mouth-to-mouth CPR work?

1. Humans can convert CO2 to needed O2

2. It’s the physical breathing action, not the O2 that mouth-to-mouth actually does

3. You exhale CO2 AND O2

4. Mouth-to-mouth doesn’t actually work except on TV

Who wrote Of Mice and Men?1. John Wiley2. John Steinbeck3. John Hancock4. John Quincy-Adams

1. From water2. From dirt and soil3. From the air4. Its already in the seed.

1. Lasso of truth2. Invisible jet3. Flying boots4. X-ray vision

Interrupt your lecture by engaging your students in a purposeful conversation about the topics at hand…

Think-pair-share voting questions Groups propose test questions (and

answers)

Mini-case studies Structured debates Minute-Papers

Sara is two years away from applying for tenure. Her teaching evaluations in introductory environmental science are well above the department average, and her students score quite well on her tests, which students perceive as long and difficult.

However, Sara has recently had the opportunity to discuss the subject matter of her course in greater detail with some of her more interested and enthusiastic students. She has been discouraged to discover that these students really don’t understand nearly as much as she thought they did.

Their ability to answer her test questions correctly masked confusion about some fundamental concepts, casting considerable doubt on the effectiveness of her teaching.

Question: As a colleague, how would you advise Sara to respond to this?

Turn test questions (or textbook examples) into “He-said, She-said Debates!

You overhear the following conversation between two students. Which student do you agree with, if either? Why?

He says: The Sun rises directly in the East each morning and sets directly in the West each evening, day after day.

She says: I disagree. In the summer, the Sun rises north of East and takes a long time to move across the sky. Its opposite in the winter.

Turn test questions (or textbook examples) into “Pat-said, Chris-said Debates!

You overhear the following conversation between two students. Which student do you agree with, if either? Why?

Pat says: The Sun rises directly in the East each morning and sets directly in the West each evening, day after day.

Chris says: I disagree. In the summer, the Sun rises north of East and takes a long time to move across the sky. Its opposite in the winter.

INSTRUCTIONS: Please write 3-5 sentences on the following and drop your paper in the box by the door on your way out:

e.g. 1: What was today’s most important idea?

OR e.g. 2: What do you still not fully

understand after today’s class?

Talking TeachingAny more than

Listening Learning

A focus on frequent feedback moves everyone toward more

intellectual engagement

Tim Slater University of Wyoming tslater@uwyo.edu