A Reminder about The Teaching Professor Conference
October 31 is the deadline for submitting program proposals for the 2011 Teaching Professor Conference. The conference is scheduled for May 20-22 in Atlanta, Georgia. Go to www.teachingprofessor.com for information about the conference and to find program proposal submission requirements.
Making the Most of 2,700 Minutes
Most faculty schedule at least three office hours per week—that's 2,700 minutes a semester. If you have 135 students, that's 20 minutes for each student. Even if you have 270, that's still 10 minutes per student. Recently I've been working to make the most of these 2,700 minutes of office hours. They offer prime time for one-to-one mentoring. In the process, my thinking about office hours has shifted a bit, and I'm using my office hours in more ways. Consequently I have had a greater number of students taking advantage of this learning opportunity.
Syllabus Redesign: Strategies That Support Students with Disabilities
The syllabus, now present in virtually all courses, serves three major roles: 1) as a contract, 2) as a permanent record, and 3) as an aid to student learning. This document also serves as an information source and an advance organizer for the course. It can let students know what resources are available at the college and indicate a faculty member's willingness to provide accommodations, support, and extra help. Because of its universal use, the syllabus becomes an ideal place to embed support and accommodations for all students, including those with disabilities.
The Challenge of Teaching Content When Test Stakes Are High
As educators, we share the challenge of how to teach an overwhelming amount of content in a short period of time to a sometimes motivated but often bored and listless student population. I do believe that most students enter higher education with a true desire to master their subject area. Some are even interested in learning for the sake of learning. But lectures overloaded with PowerPoint slides quickly change the motivation to extrinsic. This is especially true in fields where high-stakes testing determines future career options. In the case of medical school, where I work, it's a combination of boards (testing subject knowledge) and licensing examinations. But undergraduates face similar high-stakes testing when they take medical, legal, business, or graduate entrance exams. Even a course final that counts for a large portion of the grade can change the motivation to extrinsic.
The Imposter with the Roster: How I Gave up Control and Became a Better Teacher
By the spring of 2008, I had been a full-time professor for seven years and had learned (I thought) a great deal about becoming more of a "guide on the side." But now I was at a different school and facing senior students in an advertising and promotions class. I had never taught advertising and promotions before. My marketing courses to date had all focused on strategy, market research, data analysis—I'm Mr. Logic, not Mr. Creative.
Using Google Docs as a Teaching Tool
I have started using Google Documents (Google Docs) in my classes and have become quite a fan of this technology. It helps students save effort and time with assignments; it reliably backs up their work as well. Whether used for an individual assignment or collaborative project, Google Docs provides a user-friendly interface. Students can use Google Docs to effectively create and revise documents using Microsoft Office products. All students need is a Gmail account and access to its Documents feature to open this exciting cyber world.
Why Peer Editing Matters to Majors
Even though more professors are using peer editing, it is being used mostly in introductory courses, not with upper-division students. We have this idea that students learn how to write in their basic courses, so we don't continue involving peers with each other's writing. I think there are three good reasons why we should be using peer editing in upper-division classes, especially in our major courses.
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