Writing With a Point—Part 1: Calculating Introductions Posted on September 8, 2014 by Richard NewtonAs far as I’m concerned, STEM education is not the enemy, it’s one of our best allies. In my experience, students with STEM backgrounds have an easier time at transitioning from descriptive writing to critical writing. Their theses are clearer; their questions, more profound; their topics, beautifully honed. The difference lies in the logic undergirding the scientific method. STEM students hold that a good topic is a defined topic. They presume that a good question is an answerable question. And they maintain that a good thesis is a valid thesis. Once they perceive how all three are functions of each other, they can calculate introductions with this in mind….
Tactical Teaching: Part 3—Different Outcomes/Different Tactics Posted on June 5, 2014 by David RhoadsI found that teaching a skill, methods, reflection/action cycles, values, etc. all involve a very different strategy from imparting information. My book outlines additional tactics, like the skill of translating Greek for instance, but by way of examples, let’s consider…
Tactical Teaching: Part 2—Four Principles of Interaction Posted on May 21, 2014 by David RhoadsCollege and graduate school teachers have an advanced degree in a specialized field, but they may not have had a course on teaching and only limited opportunities to be teaching assistants. Historically, the assumption of most graduate programs has been that they will teach you the subject matter but it will up to you to learn how to teach it on your own….
Flipping the Classroom: Don’t Sweat the Technique Posted on May 12, 2014 by Richard NewtonFor those unfamiliar, the flipped classroom reverses the conventional teach-in-class/learn-at-home approach. Instead teachers introduce content in homework lessons, and students practice the material in the classroom. In theory, this will encourage more hands-on learning when students and teachers meet together. With the help of dynamic media, students can interact with content beyond the level afforded by the traditional lecture experience. Truth be told this is not a novel idea. Math and science educators, for instance, have been implementing this for the past 20 years. Humanities professors frequently harbor anxiety over what it means for our praxis….
Tactical Teaching: Part 1—What are We Teaching When and How are We Teaching It? Posted on May 5, 2014 by David RhoadsCollege and graduate school teachers have an advanced degree in a specialized field, but they may not have had a course on teaching and only limited opportunities to be teaching assistants. Historically, the assumption of most graduate programs has been that they will teach you the subject matter but it will up to you to learn how to teach it on your own….