Nancy Vader-McCormick, Ph.D. Professor of Communication Humanities Division Delta College Innovations 2014 Conference, March 4, 2014 Talk Teaching and Learning to Energize Your Teaching Practice 1

Ideas Generated/Shared by Faculty (LTT: Let’s Talk Teaching) 1.LTT in Faculty Division Meetings; Write, Stand Up & Share, Inet 2.Discussions based on readings, professional development 3.Present conference presentations 4.Yearly retreat time for LTT 5.Example: What do you do during the first class session to engage students?

#1 –Climate of Collaboration 1.Name tents, pairs of students interview and introduce each other, exchange contact information, discuss questions 2.Small groups of students generate questions about the instructor/class/content; write on note cards for instructor 3.Groups problem-solve and report out: Code of Ethics, Syllabus questions, content/campus related issues, etc. 3

“Code of Classroom Conduct” (sample suggestions from students) 1.Guidelines for students – Keep open/respect others, be courteous/no “side talks” – Come to class on time and prepared – Set cell phones on silent/vibrate/no texting 2.Guidelines for instructor – Challenge and motivate students – Relevant examples and hands on activities – Speedy replies and feedback 4

#2 – Check Learning & Teaching “Exit Ticket”: At the end of class, students respond anonymously in writing to questions to help you understand how they’re experiencing their learning; instructor shares feedback at the next class meeting. 1.What was the most important thing(s) you learned in class today? 2.What things in this class help you learn? Hinder learning? 3.What questions, if any, remain as you leave class today? (To add variety: “Flip” and use at start of class; see Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire for additional questions ) 5

#3 - Critical Thinking “Pro-Con Stand-Up” Debate/Dialog 1.Select a course topic, principle, or issue 2.Give students time to think, take a position, and write 3.Select groups of students to stand in front of class, arranged in a Pro/Undecided/Con continuum, and take turns sharing their positions on the topic 4.Continue until all students have participated 5.To increase critical thinking: “Flip” stances, critique reasoning, apply to controversial topics/media/ads, etc. 6

Bonus Material! Students Write Letters to Future Students How: Students write a short letter to future students in the class, letting them know: what they think is most important about the subject matter and they will apply it, the instructor, the overall course, the assignments and activities, the readings/subject matter, and tips for succeeding in the course (can adapt for online courses) Advantages: Students spend time on subjects they want to focus on and they create a narrative that shares specifics about the class Serendipity: Feedback on the passion YOU have for your subject and how you are perceived by your students. 7

Contact Information and Resources: Nancy Vader-McCormick, Delta College: Bain, Ken (What the Best College Teachers Do): Brookfield, Stephen (The Skillful Teacher) : Chickering and Gamson (online): Vader-McCormick, Nancy (The Engaged Teacher): 8

What Teachers and Students Say: Student: “a good teacher motivates, captivates and makes learning interesting. They reach every person’s learning level and relate the subject to the real world. They make you want to come to class. They know their subject…are passionate and enthusiastic about the subject and about teaching. They do more than teach the class material, they teach you about life.” Bain: (Best teachers)“create a dynamic, clear and stimulating learning environment that helps engage students in diverse learning experiences, get their students attention and keep it, seek learning commitments from students, invite students to learn by critical thinking, seek connections between the subject and their lives, embed skills and knowledge in fascinating assignments and authentic tasks that challenge students in safe environments in which students try, get feedback and try again to make sense of their learning.” Student: (Best teachers) “didn’t tell us WHAT to think, taught us HOW to think, made connections between subject and our lives, taught us to think how professionals think...’time spent in classes where a professor simply goes over what I could easily read in a textbook is not the best use of time….what is most exciting is when a professor helps me understand how people in this field think about topics in his field…and it is critical he teach things in class I really wouldn’t learn on my own, reading a textbook at the beach. Frankly, if I could do it on my own, then why should I be here? Especially at these prices!’ “ (Richard Light’s study at Harvard) Teacher: “I treat all my students equally with love and tell them they are my academic family and my satisfaction as a teacher will be fulfilled if all of them are successful in class and come back years later and show me how successful each one has been in his/her life.” Source: The Engaged Teacher: What Works with Today’s Students, Vader-McCormick, 2012

Prompts for Let’s Talk Teaching: 1.Write (or talk) about a day when you knew you were born to be a teacher. (Write, pair, share with colleague) 2.Discuss the challenge of engaging “today’s students” and the strategies you use. 3.Share your best strategy for... (civility in the classroom, preventing plagiarism, first day, cooperative learning, service learning, etc.) 4.Your ideas...?