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Friday, January 21, 2011
Webinar: Academic Impresions: Using LinkedIn to Reach Adult Prospects and Applicants
http://www.academicimpressions.com/PDF/0211-linked-in.pdf
OVERVIEW
Social media applications such as Facebook have proven to be successful tools for admissions efforts, but do these applications work as well for the adult student market? Research indicates that older, non-traditional, and working adults tend to make greater use of LinkedIn than they do other platforms. What can and should you do to reach prospective adult students on LinkedIn and incorporate this effort into your overall marketing strategy?
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This webcast is designed for admissions and marketing professionals seeking techniques and strategies to increase adult applicants to their programs and convert them to enrollees using LinkedIn. To get the most from this program, you should have a basic familiarity with LinkedIn, and you may want to create an account in advance of the program.
PRICING & REGISTRATION
Early Bird pricing in effect until Wednesday, February 09, 2011.
After Wednesday, February 09, 2011 price will be $425.00.
Attend the live session:
$350.00 for first connection ($195.00 per additional site connection)
I cannot attend the live session but would like to purchase the recording:
$350.00 each ($175.00 for each additional recording)
Attend the live session and receive the recording at 50% off:
$525.00 for first connection and its recording
Save the Dates! Dillard University Undergraduate Research Week! April 4th-7th, 2011
AccreditedOnlineColleges.com: 100 Informative & Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators
While YouTube may be known for sharing silly videos or as a way to see your sister’s children who live across the country, it is actually becoming a powerful form of online education. This listing provides a collection of videos that educators will find both interesting and inspirational. Whether you are working with students at the elementary level or with college-aged students, you are sure to find plenty of inspiration among these YouTube videos.
Creativity and Learning
These inspirational videos touch on creativity in the learning environment.
1.Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids. This child prodigy addresses the association of "childish" actions being irrational and urges listeners to embrace the lessons that children can teach adults.
2.Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?. Ken Robinson, a creativity expert, shares his knowledge about nurturing creativity in the educational setting in this humorous lecture.
3.Riz Khan – Schools killing creativity?. Khan discusses the killing of creativity in schools and offers a clip from Ken Robinson, too.
4.Amy Tan: Where does creativity hide?. Popular writer Amy Tan discusses the creative process and how to find creativity.
5.Ben Dunlap: The story of a passionate life. Dunlap’s lecture focuses on passionate living and learning and shares experiences of meeting others who have inspired him.
6.Tim Brown: The powerful link between creativity and play. Learn about the relationship between creative thinking and play and how this relationship can be nurtured.
7.Jonathan Drori: Why we don’t understand as much as we think. Culture and educational media expert Jonathan Drori explores how ideas take root and how difficult it is to change a perception once it is formed.
8.Stuart Brown: Why play is vital — no matter your age. Brown discusses the act of play and the importance of play at any age.
9.Woody Norris: Inventing the next amazing thing. In addition to discussing two of his inventions, Norris also discusses invention, education, and hands-on learning.
10.Sugata Mitra: Can kids teach themselves?. Mitra discusses his project, "Hole in the Wall," that shows how children will learn on their own without any guidance or formal teaching.
Technology
Take a look at the importance of bringing technology into the classroom and some emerging trends.
11.Richard Baraniuk: Goodbye, textbooks; hello, open-source learning. Baraniuk, the founder of Connexions, discusses the benefits of open source for educators.
12.Gaming in the Fourth Dimension. Learn about this gaming vest that may change the way humans interact with their computers.
13.Blogging in the Classroom. Find out how to set up a classroom blog and why you should.
14.Education Today and Tomorrow. This video demonstrates the technological differences today that affect students.
15.Why We Need to Teach Technology in Schools. See another demonstration of why technology should be taught in schools with this video.
16.Curriculum 2.0. Technology goes hand in hand with other skills such as critical thinking and communication, as this video demonstrates.
17.21st Century Classroom – (Part 1 of 2). Watch this video that demonstrates how technology is being incorporated in middle and high school in one town.
18.21st Century Classroom – (Part 2 of 2). Watch the conclusion of this talk about incorporating technology in schools in a southern Maine town.
19.I’m a 21st Century Learner!. Given from the student’s perspective, this video is a reminder of the ever-changing world of learning and technology.
20.Digital World: Teachers Today. See how teachers are making a difference in the classroom by incorporating technology.
21.3 Steps for 21st Century Learning. Find out what these three steps are and why teaching with technology matters.
Philosophy and Social Studies
Watch these videos to become inspired by what others are doing and spark your imagination to how you can bring some of these experiences to your students.
22.You Build Me Up. A women’s studies class traveled to New Orleans to understand the experience of women living in the aftermath of Katrina.
23.The Philosophical Horizons program at the University of Memphis. Watch this video that features graduate students taking philosophy to students as young as preschool through high school.
24.Alternative Spring Break 2010. These college students went to Mexico where they learned about environment and conservation.
25.John Paul Lederach on "The Poetics of Peacebuilding". John Paul Lederach relates a story about peacebuilding education.
26.Duke University Professor David Malone on the Five "R’s" of Service-Learning. Professor Malone discusses five important elements of teaching students about providing services for the community.
27.David Phillips: Future Social Science On and With Digital Media. Hear from David Phillips as he describes his view of the future of social science with digital media.
28.Dave Eggers: 2008 TED Prize wish: Once Upon a School. Discussing his tutoring center, 826 Valencia, Eggers describes how it has not only helped many children but inspired adults to become involved in education.
29.Joseph Lekuton: A parable for Kenya. This former teacher and member of parliament in Kenya discusses the importance of education to children in Africa and his vision for making education a reality for all.
30.Ann Cooper: Reinventing the school lunch. Ann Cooper discusses why the community should care about how we are feeding school children and how to change children’s relationship to food in a positive way.
31.Neil Turok: 2008 TED Prize wish: An African Einstein. Sharing his background and experience, this physicist from Cambridge describes his wish to provide opportunities for the future of Africa through nurturing the creativity found in the young people there.
Educational Excellence
Hear from distinguished educators and see how schools are changing to meet the needs of students with these videos that celebrate educational excellence.
32.What Great Teachers Do Differently. Todd Whitaker discusses what makes a great teacher great.
33.Math Teacher Shadow Trick During Lecture. This math teacher shows a great way to tickle students’ funny bones while connecting with them at the same time.
34.2010 Distinguished Teaching Award Ceremony. This award ceremony at Berkeley honors distinguished teachers. Watch to hear what makes these educators so special.
35.UC Davis’ Top Teacher: Hanging and Talking Science. Find out what makes Rick Grosberg, top teacher at UC Davis, a popular and effective instructor.
36.A Lifetime of Teaching. James Bonk talks about his 30 years of teaching at Duke and what kept him motivated to be a successful teacher.
37.Martin Okafor NISOD Winner. Georgia Perimeter College’s Professor Martin Okafor discusses how he gets his students interested in physics.
38.The Cowen Institute 2010 State of Public Education in New Orleans. This video discusses the current state of education in New Orleans since Katrina and offers inspiration to any educator working to improve their school.
Inspiration for Teachers
These videos celebrate teachers with inspirational quotes, speeches, and stories describing the importance of a teacher.
39.Do You Teach or Do You Educate?. Watch this video for a quick re-evaluation of your approach in the classroom.
40."Remember Me" dedicated to our teachers. Two young students sing a song dedicated to all the teachers who have made a difference in the lives of students.
41.Teachers Can Change the World. This music video reminds teachers they can change students’ perceptions by teaching tolerance and diversity.
42.power of one. This video reminds viewers of the power of one to effect great change–an awesome reminder for teachers.
43.Keynote: Teachers Change Lives – Jason Ohler. Speaking at the Nebraska Educational Technology Association’s 2006 Conference, Ohler talks about how teachers make incredible impact on the lives of students.
44.New Teacher Spoof. More a spoof on the expectations set forth for teachers, this hilarious video by a veteran teacher will give anyone tired of red tape a laugh.
45.The Importance of Teachers Who Care. Accompanied by a song written just for teachers, this video celebrates teachers who care.
46.Starfish an inspirational message for all teachers. This sweet story is an important reminder that teachers make a difference.
47.Light an Educational Fire. See inspirational quotes just right for teachers seeking a bit of encouragement.
48.Thank You, Teacher – Tales from a Teacher’s Heart. This narrated story describes a tough first year of teaching and a powerful thank-you from a student.
Science and Math
Science and math are the focus of these informative videos.
49.ScienceRiskTaking. Listen to this professor of education as he discusses how teachers can provide the best environment for their students to be open to learning and becoming excited about science.
50.Paul Sereno: What can fossils teach us?. Learn about a teaching project that helps move poor performers in science to become ready for college.
51.David Hoffman: Catch Sputnik mania!. Hoffman describes how the space and arms race lead to a phenomenal movement in math and science education.
52.Math Comes to Life. Physics and calculus students can see their mathematical equations become animated to bring the formula to life.
53.Making Math Fun. This professor talks about the importance of teachers to know how to make math fun and exciting, especially at the elementary level.
54.The Abacus-How to Use This Ancient Wonder. This video teaches you how to teach your students to use the ancient abacus in the modern-day classroom.
55.Teach Area and Perimeter Using Google Earth. Watch this lesson as a 4th grade teacher talks about how to use Google Earth to teach area and perimeter.
56.How to Do Math In Your Head : Quick Math Tricks: Multiplying by 11. Learn a trick to share with your students so they can multiply two-digit numbers by 11 to get the answer quickly.
57.Fast Math Trick of Calculation. Learn a way to do fast multiplication with this math trick.
58.Math & English Education: How to Learn Algebra. Help students learn three key elements to keep in mind with this lesson that is all about making algebra easy.
Language and Arts
These videos touch on improving literacy, incorporating fine arts into regular subjects, the power of art programs on students lives, and more.
59.Teaching Storytelling in the Classroom. Learn about the value of storytelling in this video that features both teachers discussing the value of storytelling while students tell their stories.
60.Neighborhood Story Project. This high school student tells about a book he wrote as a part of the Neighborhood Story Project that documents his life in the 7th ward in New Orleans.
61.Teacher Lesson Plans Language Arts, Vocabulary, Bully Prevention. This student-narrated video tells about a language arts program that also teaches positive life skills.
62.Explode a Moment and Spark imagination in Writing. Using a baseball analogy, this educator teaches two tips for improving writing skills.
63.Dead Words Funeral. This teacher really went the extra mile to teach students about changing up word choice when writing.
64.Writing Good Essays Part 1. High school and college students can learn what makes a good college-level essay with this video.
65.Tableau: Theater and Language Arts. Watch this video about a theater project that develops literacy for elementary students.
66.A Studio in the Woods. Learn about this inspirational art studio in the Louisiana woods that incorporates art and the natural world.
67.Mae Jemison on teaching arts and sciences together. Listen to this persuasive lecture where Jemison describes the importance of teaching arts and sciences together in order to provide an education that balances intuition and logic to create strong thinkers.
68.Bill Strickland: Rebuilding America, one slide show at a time. Strickland shares a slide show that represents his story of how fine arts changed his life and how he now advocates for the arts as an important part of education.
69.The Story Project: A Model for Achieving Profound Inclusion in Museums. Learn about this project that brought art and literacy instruction to K-12 schools.
70.Keeping Score Education Program. This program teaches K-12 teachers how to incorporate musical scores into subjects such as math, science, history, and language arts.
Special Education
Hear from special education teachers to learn strategies, hear about the special ed child, and find inspiration in their work.
71.Special Education Teaching: Teaching Strategies in Special Education. Great for new teachers or students thinking about special ed, this video provides strategies for teaching special ed.
72.Michelleann: Meet a Teacher (Special Education, Bronx). This special ed teacher tells about her experience teaching in the Bronx and why she teaches special ed.
73.Special ed success stories start with the basics. O’Hearn School in Boston is a model for other schools to learn about successful inclusion. Watch this video to learn more about O’Hearn.
74.Perspectives on Inclusion – from Special Education Teachers. Listen to these three teachers as they discuss inclusion.
75.My Life and Working as a Special Education Teacher: An Oral History Video Pt. 1. This veteran special ed teacher tells about how she became a teacher and the qualities of a good special ed teacher.
76.My Life and Working as a Special Education Teacher: An Oral History Video Pt. 2. Listen as this teacher finishes her oral history and take on teaching special education.
77.RTI (Response to Intervention) – Special Education. A special ed teacher discusses how teachers respond to the needs of struggling students.
78.Inclusion at work in elementary school. This video profiles a child with Down syndrome who is receiving mainstream education and tells of the benefits for both special needs children and their classmates.
79.Education Techniques for Children with Autism. This video is taken from a teacher development workshop that discusses using ABA with autistic students.
80.Technology in Special Education. This teacher describes how technology not only facilitates learning for her special needs students, but actually gets them excited about learning.
Physical Education
Get great ideas for new games and activities or find motivation and inspiration with these videos.
81.Physical Education Teacher: Grades K-2. Let’s Go Hunting, a variation of Follow the Leader, is the lesson taught in this video.
82.Physical Education Teacher: Grades 3-5. Learn how to teach 3rd-5th graders Triangle Tag.
83.Great Activities for Physical Education: Middle School. Hoop ball, or a mix of baseball and basketball, is the focus of this instructional physical education video.
84.Physical Education, Teaching Balls Skills and Fitness. A college PE major teaches ball-handling skills to elementary children.
85.Physical Education, Teaching Juggling Skills. Students learn how to juggle, strengthening eye-hand coordination, in this lesson.
86.Management of the Physical Education Environment. Learn behavior management for the gymnasium based on classroom management expectations and techniques.
87.Teaching P.E.. 5th graders designed a physical education lesson and taught it to younger students in this video.
88.Enactivism and Physical Education. This PE teacher uses enactivism to teach a group of students with differing ability levels.
89.Goals of Physical Education: Physical Education and Contemporary Goals. This slide show demonstrates why physical education is important for people of any age.
90.PE Student Games – Hula Ball!. This student-created game incorporates hula hoops, hitting a ball, and running.
Business Education and Entrepreneurship
Whether you are working with high school or college students, these videos outline the importance of teaching students about business and entrepreneurship.
91.Gyohten Discusses the Current Role of Business Education. Gyohten is the President of the Institute for International Monetary Affairs and former chairman of the Bank of Tokyo and discusses the importance of a business education.
92.Importance of Business Education – Bloomberg. Management guru Jack Welch discusses the future of business education as well as his online business school.
93.The Role of Business in Society w/Dean Sally Blount-Lyon. Here what the dean of NYU Stern says about the role of a business education in today’s world.
94.Inside Look – Business Education – Bloomberg. Babson College President Leonard Schlesinger examines attending business school during an economic depression.
95.Teaching Entrepreneurship. The teens in this story provide a great example of the importance of teaching entrepreneurship.
96.What is Entrepreneurship?. Get a definition of entrepreneurship and find out how schools can help entrepreneurs through education.
97.Entrepreneurship in the Classroom. Adjunct Professor Jack Kaplan discusses teaching entrepreneurship in this video.
98.UFM.edu – Seven questions about entrepreneurship. A professor discusses entrepreneurship and teaching it at Babson College.
99.Kellogg: Entrepreneurship is in Your Future. Various alumni of Kellogg discuss the benefits of learning entrepreneurship.
100.ARTS: Entrepreneurship and the Future of the Music Industry. Many musicians don’t recognize the importance of entrepreneurship on their profession, and Professor Ken Lopez discusses why this is an important area of study for musicians while in school.
AccreditedOnlineColleges.com: 100 Informative & Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators
Academic Impressions Webinar: Universal Design and Online Education: Ensuring Access and Engagement for All Students - Online :: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST :: January 28, 2011
Course management systems can provide the opportunity for students with physical and sensory disabilities to enroll and excel in online programs. However, if the technology and course management systems do not meet accessibility guidelines, institutions are potentially preventing one in five prospective and current students from being able to succeed in courses and programs.
Join us as we discuss steps for enhancing the education of every student by increasing online course and program accessibility. This session highlights proactive strategies for utilizing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to address and overcome barriers to learning. Our instructors will also share current and emerging practices being utilized within Drexel University and other institutions.
LEARNING OUTCOME
As a result of this webcast, you will be able to identify and address the online learning needs of disabled students more effectively and to increase accessibility and engagement in and outside of the online classroom.
AGENDA
Friday, January 28, 2011
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. CST
•Defining "disability" from medical and sociopolitical model perspectives
•Why the accommodations process does not sufficiently address all accessibility issues
•Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for accessibility at Drexel and other institutions
•Ensuring online access and engagement of students with sensory (i.e. blindness or deafness) and physical disabilities
•Personalizing the online experience
◦Instruction from matriculation
◦Student orientation
◦Online first-year student experience
•Resources
◦Checklist of student access and engagement in courses, assignments, and online events
◦Faculty strategies for developing courses and programs that integrate UDL principles
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This webcast is most appropriate for instructional designers and academic leaders who are interested in increasing accessibility and support for students with disabilities.
Early Bird pricing in effect until Friday, January 21, 2011.
After Friday, January 21, 2011 price will be $425.00.
Attend the live session:
$350.00 for first connection ($195.00 per additional site connection)
I cannot attend the live session but would like to purchase the recording:
$350.00 each ($175.00 for each additional recording)
Attend the live session and receive the recording at 50% off:
$525.00 for first connection and its recording
Academic Impressions Webinar: Universal Design and Online Education: Ensuring Access and Engagement for All Students - Online :: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST :: January 28, 2011
Academic Impressions: Using Assessment to Improve and Account for Student Learning: San Antonio, TX :: March 24 - 25, 2011
Developing a coherent and comprehensive program of student learning outcomes assessment is a challenging, if not daunting, endeavor. Adding significantly to the challenge is increased demand for accountability for student learning, including a notable push for standardized testing at the collegiate level. Faculty are understandably skeptical about efforts to reduce teaching and learning to a few simple measures, especially when they are asked to do so under new time demands and with little reward or incentive.
Join our national assessment and accountability experts to identify approaches to creating a culture of improvement-oriented assessment at your institution while meeting the growing external demands.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
•Institutional leaders
•Coordinators and facilitators of student learning outcomes assessment
•Faculty and academic administrators involved in assessment and accreditation
PROGRAM FORMAT
The program is intended to minimize time out of office and maximize learning. It will balance presentations with group discussions and focused interaction with speakers. In so doing, participants will be able to identify and develop assessment elements that can be translated to fit their unique institutional settings.
Academic Impressions: Using Assessment to Improve and Account for Student Learning: San Antonio, TX :: March 24 - 25, 2011
Academic Impressions: Higher ED Impact: Weekly Scan: News & Key Takeaways January 14 - 20, 2011
San Diego, CA
February 1 - 3, 2011
http://www.academicimpressions.com/events/event_listing.php?i=1042&q=7337h427988xO
The Chronicle of Higher Education: How Much Do College Students Learn, and Study?
Consistent with the findings of the National Survey of Student Engagement, a new study questions the rigor of most students' course schedules, looking particularly at the amount of reading and writing required. More...
http://chronicle.com/article/Are-Undergraduates-Actually/125979/
Opinion: Rethinking the Shift of "e-Learning"
One expert worries that discussions of new learning technologies that focus only on delivery of content oversimplify how education is changing; the critical shift, he argues, is not the shift from classroom to blended and online learning, but the shift from autonomous to collaborative learning. More...
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/01/19/the-myth-of-elearning.aspx
Engaging Students in Undergraduate Research
This editorial looks at the success of a research-writing initiative at the University of Guelph (Guelph, ON) that teaches students how to communicate about science. More...
http://news.guelphmercury.com/Opinions/EditorialOpinion/article/745743
Academic Impressions: Higher ED Impact: Weekly Scan: News & Key Takeaways January 14 - 20, 2011
Demographics and Census Geography Website_Louisiana State Census Data Center
Innovative Educators: First Generation College Students: Promoting Access and Success
Our Price: $345.00
303-775-6004
“Administrators and faculty have to find creative solutions to help first generation college students surmount every barrier they encounter. By building on and expanding the strengths of their institution, university leaders can teach this growing student population how to access external resources and their own inner resources so that persistence becomes their way of life.”
~ Jessica Dennis, Presenter
Overview
First generation college students make up approximately 24% of the undergraduate population and are at increased risk for poor academic engagement, achievement, and completion of college. This webinar will help participants to better understand this population of students and how to best serve their needs by reducing the impact of barriers and obstacles. Information will be presented regarding programs and interventions conducted at colleges and universities throughout the US that have demonstrated success in increasing retention and achievement for first generation college students. Participants will hear suggestions and recommendations for incorporating the most effective characteristics of these programs at their institutions.
Topics that will be addressed...
The characteristics of first generation college (FGC) students and risk factors associated with college achievement and retention for these students.
The obstacles to college success and completion faced by FGC students and the challenges faced by faculty and administrators in working with FGC students.
How to assess and monitor the engagement, self-efficacy, and motivation of FGC students.
The effectiveness of various institutional interventions and programs designed to meet the needs of FGC and low-income students including those that focus on improving:
orientation of students in the first year
student access and utilization of existing campus support services
student involvement on campus
advisement and monitoring of student progress
peer mentoring
parent outreach
Participants will brainstorm about other ideas for improving FGC students’ preparedness, support, engagement, and motivation during college.
Who should attend?
Academic advisors/counselors
Deans of Student Services
Student affairs professionals
Vice-Presidents of Student Affairs
Student affairs leaders
Retention coordinators
Faculty
Anyone interested in improving transfer student success
Jessica Dennis is an assistant professor of psychology at California State University Los Angeles, an institution that serves predominantly ethnic minority students from lower middle and lower class backgrounds. She obtained her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of California and has worked as an investigator on numerous grant-funded research projects focusing on issues relating to the academic success and emotional functioning of ethnic minorities during adolescence and early adulthood. As a post-doctoral fellow, she worked on the College Experience Project, a longitudinal study focusing on the academic achievement and persistence of first generation ethnic minority college students at CSULA. This study followed a group of freshman for four years, collecting survey and/or interview data every quarter relating to their academic motivation, support, and emerging identity. She has also worked as a research associate and consultant on a project relating to the transition experience of transfer students at CSULA which was funded by Title V. In addition, she has served on department and college-level committees relating to student affairs and given presentations on serving the needs of first generation and other at-risk student populations to university administrators and staff. She has published in journals such as the “Journal of College Student Development,” “Journal of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology,” and “The Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences”
Innovative Educators: First Generation College Students: Promoting Access and Success
tomorrows-professor Digest, Vol 51, Issue 7: Seven Tips for Improving Instructional Skills: Reminders for Teachers
Teachers? content knowledge and instructional skills play a critical role in improving students? academic achievement. This presentation focuses on seven ways to improve instructional skills, which often are overlooked amid the daily give-and-take of the classroom.
The tips have been gleaned from my 38 years of observing teachers and tutors in classrooms and in-service professional-development settings. Even so, the tips reflect extensive research studies and professional opinions. The attached reference page lists some of these opinions and research findings.
While the tips are addressed individually to emphasize their importance, they need to be connected. Each one has the same goal: improving teachers? abilities to promote critical thinking about the subject matter.
When teachers have a firm foundation of content knowledge and mastery of effective instructional skills, students are very likely to achieve at high levels. These seven tips can make that end result possible. Everyone whose job involves teaching should consider and apply these tips.
Introduction to the Second Edition - Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), Atlanta, Georgia, January 2011
In the interim between the first and second editions, there has been an explosion of information rendered by technology. Except for Tip #4, reference to technology was not given serious attention in the first edition. Now, teachers should use vigorously the rapidly expanding references on technology to implement the seven tips. This is the guiding point of the second edition.
School is no longer just one learning place. Teachers must balance teaching applications in their lessons plans with technological information that evolves from the wider learning community. The anticipated result should be students? deeper learning on how to learn ? from content, with respect to both critical thinking and desirable character dispositions.
Tips #5 and #7 gave examples from the years 1992 to 2001. These examples were consistent with the 2003 publication. However, Tip #7 is now more precise with the June 2, 2010 Common Core State Standards published by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Nevertheless, students? reading performances on current editions of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), examples cited in Tip #7, still cannot be overlooked.
In 2008, the author, with Dr. Moses Norman, Chair of Education Leadership at Clark Atlanta University, and June Weis, Consultant for SREB?s Educational Technology Cooperative, presented A Plan to Help Teachers and School Supervisors Implement 7 Tips to Improve Instructional Skills at the HSTW Staff Development Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Copies of the presentation documents may be obtained from SREB.
Finally, the author has developed dialogues that teachers may use in classrooms to link academic course content with students? critical thinking and character dispositions. Information in this regard may be obtained also from SREB.
TIP 1: Help students combat fear of academic failure.
Research and professional opinions are focusing on effective ways to unravel the conditions that cause poor academic performance. For example, Turner, Husman and Schallet (2002) recently addressed how shame leads to academic failure. Demaray and Malecki (2002) looked at how students? perceived social support is associated with various academic, behavioral and social indicators. In his book How Children Fail, Holt (1995) contended that children fail primarily because they are afraid, bored and confused. I strongly believe that fear is the precursor to failure. My observations indicate that fear of academic failure manifests itself in student apathy.
Apathy is a good way to hide a fear of academic failure. Researchers at the University of Nebraska reported during a Middle Schools Network session at the 1998 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) convention that fear of failure was at the top of middle school students? list of concerns, which also included drug/alcohol abuse, physical appearance, uncaring people and unwanted pregnancies.
How can you help alleviate students? fear and the apathy it brings?
* Constantly remind students that they have the ability to do their assignments. Stress that you support them, that you expect them to work hard to succeed and that failure is not an option.
* Include ?real-world? connections when you demonstrate concepts and principles. Indicate how the subject matter is meaningful to them now.
* Emphasize that good jobs in the future will demand mastery of the knowledge and academic skills you are teaching them now.
* Help your students to believe that, as many prominent leaders have said, ?the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.?
TIP 2: Determine grades based on academic accomplishments rather than on classroom behavior.
I routinely ask teachers these questions: ?What really counts in your classroom to get a passing grade of C? What really counts to get a grade of A or B?? Teachers repeatedly define the criteria for earning a C as ?doing the work, being in class, not creating a disturbance.? They usually say that earning an A or B involves ?doing more than what?s asked, never missing a day.?
Unfortunately, none of those responses measures what students know and can do academically. Core curricula and preparation materials for standardized tests describe the knowledge and skills that students should have; please refer to these descriptions when you grade students? work. If you need a guide for organizing your thoughts and judging whether students have mastered content, Bloom?s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (1956) offers the following definitions of skills (which I have abridged) that students should acquire:
Recall - to list and/or merely describe facts, information or ideas.
Comprehend ? to have a firm understanding and to be able to put an idea into one?s own words.
Apply - to use old information effectively in a new situation.
Analyze - to distinguish the parts of a concept, principle or formula and to show how the parts fit together.
Synthesize - to reassemble the parts of a concept, principle or formula in order to create a new product.
Evaluate - to measure facts or information against an ?external yard stick? (a concept, principle, belief or formula).
High-stakes tests, as described in the National Research Council?s executive sum- mary High Stakes: Testing for Tracking, Promotion, and Graduation (2001), commonly include many questions that involve the bottom four objectives. Does your classroom instruction help students develop these skills that they need for high-stakes tests?
TIP 3: Ask questions dealing with ?how,? ?why? and ?what if.?
Many teachers have asked me how they may help students handle the critical thinking that underpins important skills such as those described in Bloom?s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. One clear way is to ask questions about ?how,? why? and ?what if.? These questions are more involved and consume more time, but students may be more willing to address such questions if you get your students emotionally involved in the topic. Getting them emotionally involved in academics also can be useful in reducing the academic achievement gaps among racial/ethnic groups, according to Bell (2002).
Discussion of any content may begin with simple questions:
?What is this??
?When did it happen??
?Who was involved?? or ?Who did it??
?Where did it happen??
However, do not stop there. Whenever possible, continue with critical-thinking questions, such as:
?How is this done or organized??
?How do the pieces fit together?? or ?How is it related to _____??
?Why do we need this?? or ?Why did this happen??
?What are some consequences of this idea, innovation, discovery, etc.??
?What would have happened if this piece of information had been omitted??
?What will happen next?? or ?What comes next??
As you prepare for classroom instruction, do you include such critical-thinking questions? In an article about the ?average teacher,? Teacher Magazine (2002) reports that, ?not surprisingly, most spend abundant hours preparing for class, untangling red tape, and working to expand their knowledge and professionalism.? I contend that, despite the extensive time that teachers spend on preparing for class, most pay very little attention to how to promote critical thinking by their students.
Many questions on high-stakes tests require critical thinking. If you do not give your students repeated practice with these types of questions in the classroom, their test scores are unlikely to be what you expect or desire!
TIP 4: Do not feel compelled to cover all specific topics in the textbook.
The textbook may provide the wide domain of information for an academic subject, and much of the lesson plan is based on this information. Nevertheless, covering all of the specific topics in the textbook is neither possible nor desirable for several reasons:
1.In this age of ?information explosion,? it is impossible to cover all parts of topics in a course.
2.Because it commonly requires two years to write, edit, print and distribute a textbook, some parts may be obsolete by the time the book reaches the classroom.
3.Teachers are ?constantly bombarded by information and by demands to do something about that information,? according to O?Day (2002). The same could be said of students.
4.Students remember information that comes to them through various sources in addition to textbooks. Other sources may include the Internet, electronic refer- ences, additional printed materials from the library, discussions, lectures, projects and term papers.
Some teachers still may be concerned that students will suffer on standards-based end-of-course tests if some content in the textbook is not covered. On the contrary, students will suffer if they are not given practice in organizing specific information around basic concepts and principles. This practice will enable them to reason toward conclusions that otherwise may have been scattered throughout a mass of facts about the topic.
Students will not be shortchanged if you do not cover everything in the textbook. However, you do have to expose them to a variety of information sources. You will observe the results in improved academic achievement.
TIP 5: Use state and local standards to promote what your students need to know and be able to do in a ?global community.?
Several national curriculum-reform initiatives were launched in the mid-1980s. Since then, there has been vigorous concern about what students should know and be able to do. The current focus on standards is a step in the right direction.
Making Standards Matter 2001 reveals that 29 states and the District of Columbia ?... have clear standards in the core subject areas of English, mathematics, social studies, and science at three education levels ? elementary, middle, and high school.? Reform efforts to set standards have put the emphasis where it belongs ? on academics ? but may not have gone far enough. For example, Making Standards Matter 2001 reports that ?... no state has a fully developed model curriculum ? learning continuums, instructional strategies, performance indicators, lesson plans ? in the four subject areas.?
While a focus on achieving the four components of a fully developed model curriculum is beneficial, it can distract teachers from the ?bottom line?: what students need to know and be able to do to be competent and competitive in a ?global community.? I submit the following ?bottom lines? by subject area:
* English/literature ? The student needs to develop strong skills in oral and written communication.
* Mathematics ? The student needs to develop skills not only for making computations but also for solving ?real-life? mathematical problems.
* Science ? The student needs to know and understand the fundamental concepts and principles of the natural world and the importance of scientific inquiry.
* Humanities/history/social studies/the arts ? The student needs to develop a sophisticated knowledge of his or her cultural/ethnic heritage and a deep appreciation for all cultures.
In general, the ?bottom line? for competency in a global community is that the student can gather necessary information about himself or herself and about his or her environment and can make appropriate decisions based on that information.
TIP 6: Build on what your students know; respect diversity of opinions.
Students will enter your classes with different views about the academic subject matter under consideration. Some of these views may border on sheer superstition. However, it is important that we take students from where they are to where they need to go. I agree with authorities who say that students learn better when we present evidence for a fact or idea and permit students to debate the evidence with one another. This approach requires you to play a greater role in promoting options to various points of view. Here are some suggestions by subject area:
English/language arts ? The key word is ?communication.? The language of ?the streets? is not the language of employment, business training manuals, college and technical school instructional materials, sales contracts, standardized tests and the law of the land. Upward mobility is based on standard English. Help students to respect this requirement regardless of the language they observe in the media or ?on the street.? Consistently show that students must build their communication skills in order to succeed in the ?real world.?
Mathematics ? There may be several approaches to solving a mathematics prob- lem. In some cases, trial and error may be the most efficient. Making a graph or chart, looking for a pattern, determining a different representation of a quantity and estimat- ing proportions are other examples of problem-solving approaches. Students certainly will need to know various approaches when they encounter math questions on high stakes tests.
Science ? Science is the discipline that most often involves the formation of new ideas from old beliefs and theories. In this regard, an accepted teaching technique is to ask students what they think will happen before carrying out a laboratory experiment. The variety of opinions may surprise you. Help students discuss scientific evidence to promote the learning of laws, principles and big ideas.
Social studies ? Students will memorize dates and events in history, locations of countries, and some distinguishing features of the social sciences. They will recall this information for tests, only to forget most of it afterward. You may help students retain information by demanding more critical thinking related to memorized dates, events, geography and selected features. Ask questions such as ?how does this aspect of the subject fit into the main idea?? or ?why is this date or event important??
TIP 7: Especially in language arts, emphasize reading as a ?literary experience.?
To some extent, all instruction should involve the teaching of reading! Reading is important in science, mathematics, social studies, foreign languages and fine arts. It is critical for academic achievement in English/language arts. The reading frameworks developed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) give us an idea of the levels of reading that students need to master.
These frameworks were organized around three purposes of reading: (1) reading for literary experience; (2) reading for information; and (3) reading to perform a task. The 1992 and 1994 NAEP data show that students had the most difficulty with questions associated with the first purpose. These questions appeared to demand more critical thinking.
You may help students improve their critical-thinking skills by asking certain kinds of questions in class. Certain questions also will reflect the NAEP-defined aspects of reading literacy. The following examples pertain to reading for ?literary experience? and to the NAEP reading-literacy aspects.
1.NAEP reading-literacy aspect: Initial understanding ? The reader must provide an initial impression or ?unreflected? understanding of the material. What is this story/plot about? How would you describe the main character?
2.NAEP reading-literacy aspect: Developing interpretation ? The reader must go beyond the initial impression to understand the material more completely. How does the plot develop? How did the character change throughout the story?
3.NAEP reading-literacy aspect: Personal reflection and response ? The reader must connect knowledge from the text with his or her own background knowledge. How did this character change your idea of ________? How does this story compare with your own experience?
4.NAEP reading-literacy aspect: Demonstrating a critical stance ? The reader must stand apart from the text and consider it.
How does this author?s use of __________ (e.g., irony, humor) contribute to _______?
What could be added to improve the author?s argument?
Summary
Before your next teaching assignment, ask yourself this question: ?What would I wish for my students long after they have left me?? To make sure you are doing everything you can to implement the seven tips pre- sented in this report, consider these questions:
* Will my students fearlessly engage themselves later in challenging academic work (TIP 1)?
* Will my students understand that their academic grades depend more on their academic accomplishments than on their behavior (TIP 2)?
* Will my students understand the full range of questions associated with mastery of a subject (TIP 3)?
* Will my students know that they will have to gather information about a subject from sources other than a textbook (TIP 4)?
* Will my students model the standards that I have set for them in order to be suc- cessful and competitive in a ?global community? (TIP 5)?
* Will my students respect different opinions about a subject as they learn more about it (TIP 6)?
* Will my students read more to have ?literary experiences,? instead of just to acquire information or to perform tasks (TIP 7)?
Does your behavior encourage your students to do the things listed above? What you do every day will determine whether your students carry the lessons you teach them into their lives beyond your classroom.
References
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* In the late 1800s and early 1900s, two African-American women accumulated collectively almost 100 years of teaching service at what was called the Aberdeen Colored High School in Aberdeen, Mississippi. One was my great-grandmother, the late Alzira Lomax. The other was her daughter, my grandmother, the late Dora Lomax Hambric. I was privileged to have known both, and I dedicate these seven tips in memory of them.
tomorrows-professor Digest, Vol 51, Issue 7: Seven Tips for Improving Instructional Skills: Reminders for Teachers