Marsha Bull

I have learned that I need to shift my focus a bit to "what do students need to know to become self-driven in the workplace?" rather than "let's learn these objectives and take a test." Shifting that paradigm will help me ensure my lectures are relevant and remembered after students complete my class(es).

I learned a bit about breaking my science lecture into smaller bite-sized increments of no more than 20-25 minutes at a time. Now is the harder part for me--developing creative ways for them to interact while we discuss anatomy and physiology.

I learned a bit more about blogging, V-logging, and engaging students with online media. I think I may work on expanding the course discussion board in my online and hybrid online courses this upcoming semester to see if engagement with material improves with that. I would definitely like to create more games to foster a fun learning environment and ensure students read or learn about the material in small increments so that they are involved in classwide discussion.

Comment on Tammie Boggs's post: this is such a profound summary statement. There are so many ways we can influence the mind even if we are stuck in a cinderblock white-walled square.

Comment on Lisa Mayo's post: this made me realize how the orientation of my current lecture room and how dark I keep the room so everyone can see the projector is prohibiting students from engaging and asking questions. In our lab space, on the other hand, we sit 4 to a table and the students are lively and interactive. It works!

Comment on Dena Brown's post: I agree. Making that connection, either through shared academic interests or a common hobby can help students find us relatable and approachable. Anytime we can make those connections early so students feel comfortable asking questions or approaching us with concerns, it can be beneficial when we get to challenging material later in the course.

Comment on Cecy Aguilar's post: I agree. Students need to feel like they belong and are a critical part of the course. Setting the stage early with guidelines (objectives) and a tone of acceptance in the classroom can ensure engagement later in the course.

All of these responses are great advice. I can echo that the 5 C's and the model, manage, motivate headings resonated with me. We have to model the behaviors, language, and professionalism we wish to see in our students. Once they know that we care about them and are passionate about them learning the subject we teach, then we can really provide quality education.

I really liked the mention of the "I do," "we do," "you do" arrangement. In medicine, we often say "watch one," "do one," "teach one" in order to really learn what you are doing. Sometimes we do not realize the gaps in our knowledge or the gaps in our plan until we are actually teaching.  I also agree that teaching something, or finding new ways to explain a concept, is when we often gain the deepest understanding of material.

Reply to Rebecca Thorpe's post: I agree; I like the idea of a flipped classroom. My concern, however, is that the activity might stagnate if students do not read ahead, which has been a common problem with the shortened 8-week courses.