tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post1973409349432015867..comments2024-03-14T04:16:20.472-07:00Comments on In Socrates' Wake: On Course: Re-Energizing the ClassroomMichael Cholbihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02012523929044363216noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-69343560136189403922009-04-17T17:07:00.000-07:002009-04-17T17:07:00.000-07:00"stay currant,"
I prefer to stay raisin."stay currant,"<br /><br />I prefer to stay raisin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-65940398748758240312009-04-15T12:43:00.000-07:002009-04-15T12:43:00.000-07:00A few weeks ago I had a strong sense that my class...A few weeks ago I had a strong sense that my classes were in the doldrums, as Lang puts it. I tried something that was very successful in my inroductory ethics classes, and moderately successful in my upper division course--a North-South East-West debate. (See http://www46.homepage.villanova.edu/john.immerwahr/TP101/EvDay/GrpX.htm#NSEW)<br />I've tried debates in the past, but dividing a class of 30 into 2 teams allowed for too many students to check out. Having two debates back to back, on two related but distinct topics was effective and a very nice change of pace.Mike Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02489700864050607425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-13173802319837078022009-04-13T11:03:00.000-07:002009-04-13T11:03:00.000-07:00John, thanks for your post.One technique I've foun...John, thanks for your post.<BR/><BR/>One technique I've found useful in re-energizing the classroom is to go back to the beginning, i.e., return to the learning objectives on your syllabus, review them with the class, and mark their progress. This can also be combined with a mid-term assessment of the course. I think this can help because one source of that late-term blah feeling is that students (and instructors!) get bogged down in the tasks associated with a course and lose touch with the larger learning goals. So by going back to the course learning objectives to see the progress that's been made (or not made!), we can rediscover some of our original, intrinsic motivations.Michael Cholbihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02012523929044363216noreply@blogger.com