Notes on Teaching and Learning

This semester, we at the Kaneb Center are trying out a new programming idea. We’ve gathered together eight first-time teachers, and are meeting as a small community every week to discuss our in class challenges and victories, and share resources that are especially valuable for those at such an early stage of their career. I […]

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A month into the semester, you may have some ideas about what is working — and what is not — in the classroom. Your students have some ideas too. Now is the key time to elicit feedback from your students about what they find most and least helpful in the classroom. Students are more motivated […]

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This is a post on the importance of lesson planning. I’ll first explain what a “lesson plan” is, and show how it can (and should) be built around learning objectives and incorporate different kinds of activity (mini-lecture, interactive elements and activities, student-led discussion, an exit ticket). I’ll then give an example of what a lesson […]

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It has long been established that student attention often begins to decline after 10 to 15 minutes of lecture (Stuart, John, & Rutherford, 1978); retention also drops considerably after the first 10 minutes (Hartley & Davies, 1978).  This can be problematic when your class lasts for an hour and fifteen minutes! Utilizing active learning strategies […]

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