by Dipti Subramanium, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Reinert Center As one of the oldest styles of teaching, the Socratic method is an open-ended, inquiry-based model that prompts the students with questions as opposed to providing answers. It is an effective technique for those interested in fostering and promoting critical thinking in the classroom. Often, the biggest misconception… Continue reading Fostering Critical Thinking through the Socratic Method
Category: Tips on Teaching
Moving from “Why Aren’t They Reading?” to Creating a Culture of Reading
by Elisabeth Hedrick-Moser, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center Skeptical that your students did the reading? Chances are you’re probably right to be. Studies show that on any given day, about 1/3 of the students will have read the assignment (Hobson 2). Eric Hobson’s IDEA paper*, “Getting Students to Read: Fourteen Tips,” offers a diagnosis of student… Continue reading Moving from “Why Aren’t They Reading?” to Creating a Culture of Reading
Student Engagement Technique: Liven Up Class Discussions with the IF-AT Form
By Elizabeth Sweeny Block, Assistant Professor, Department of Theological Studies Have you ever posed a question to your students only to be met with blank stares and silence? Have you wondered how you could better facilitate discussion in class? Have you wished that you could motivate your students to participate in class conversations? The IF-AT… Continue reading Student Engagement Technique: Liven Up Class Discussions with the IF-AT Form
What’s on our minds: How current events can help inform our approach to teaching and serving students
by Chris Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center With the recent events in Ferguson, many educators have been looking to find useful resources to help teach about race, racism, inequality, and justice. In response, Marcia Chatelain, a historian of African-American life and culture at Georgetown University, created the Twitter hashtag, #Fergusonsyllabus. Since the hashtag's creation, there… Continue reading What’s on our minds: How current events can help inform our approach to teaching and serving students
Channeling Student Motivation
by Elisabeth Hedrick-Moser, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center Student motivation can be an elusive creature. Many of us have come up with the perfect lesson plan to convey the most exciting subject matter that our discipline offers…only to look out upon a sea of lifeless faces. Yet, when we step out into the sunshine and see… Continue reading Channeling Student Motivation
Beginning with Accessibility
by Jerod Quinn, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center I had a paradigm shifting experience a couple of years ago. I dabble in web development and have built a number of websites over the years for friends, companies, and for my own projects. My friend Jay asked if I could build a basic website where he could… Continue reading Beginning with Accessibility
Teaching without Talking
by Gina Merys, Assistant Director, Reinert Center In a recent article, "The Silent Professor," Joseph Finckel reflects on his experience teaching on a day when he had lost his voice. Of course, the experience of teaching without a voice is not a singular one; most of us have dozens of examples of teaching while ill… Continue reading Teaching without Talking
Using the Pomodoro Technique to Help You and Your Students Be More Productive
by Chris Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center The Pomodoro Technique can be a useful approach to help dedicate time and energy to a specific task. Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980’s, the technique has become a popular method to set goals, boost productivity, and improve concentration. Named after Cirillo’s tomato shaped timer, the technique… Continue reading Using the Pomodoro Technique to Help You and Your Students Be More Productive
Tips for Sustaining Collaborative Learning
by Dipti Subramaniam, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Reinert Center Implementing collaborative learning in the classroom is an exciting process. However, one can quickly learn that incorporating new efforts can be a daunting task for many instructors, especially for first timers. Here are four useful tips for sustaining collaborative learning in the classroom: 1. Plan Think about when… Continue reading Tips for Sustaining Collaborative Learning
Reimagining What You Already Use
by Jerod Quinn, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center The summer can offer a little extra time to look around at what’s going on in the greater teaching and learning community. And because of my personality, I am drawn to new technology like a mosquito to a bug zapper. That may be why I have been thinking… Continue reading Reimagining What You Already Use
The Notebook 