Quite Possibly the Best Resource in Your LMS: ForumsPosted on November 17, 2013 by Nathan LoewenOn what side of the flipped classroom do I put my forums?Class forums are butter of how I teach “introductions to world religions”-type courses. Forums help me keep my students as far as possible away from approaching “world religions” as a mind-numbing memorization marathon of beliefs and practices that distances them from thinking critically about religion. Students can do that in an anatomy and physiology class, should they choose to study medicine. I think it’s far more interesting for me and the students to have the intro course engage in the current theoretical and methodological debates of religious studies. My goal is for students to learn how to critically think and discuss with others. . . .
Classrooms have Four Walls and Two Portals. Use Them!Posted on August 28, 2013 by Nathan LoewenI remember first being invited into my college’s boardroom for a meeting. I experienced several sentiments. “Wow! This is like being asked to the principal’s office, but in a good way!” And, “Yes! This is like being asked to sit at the cool kids’ table in the high school cafeteria!”I walked in and settled myself into one of the comfy, high-backed leather chairs. I looked around, and was stunned to see something I had always dreamed of having in my classroom: a gigantic LCD screen with a wide-angle video camera. I thought to myself, “Alright! This is like Skype on steroids! How do I get my students in here?”…