A roundup of four intriguing posts and articles from around the Internet
They're Not All Introverts
It is not uncommon to assume that students who do not participate are introverts. This blog post identifies numerous additional reasons why a student might not participate in discussions and suggests that fostering participation first requires recognition of all the various reasons students might be hesitant to speak up in front of the class.
http://scholarlyteacher.com/2017/04/13/students-who-dont-participate-in-class-discussions-they-are-not-all-introverts/
It is not uncommon to assume that students who do not participate are introverts. This blog post identifies numerous additional reasons why a student might not participate in discussions and suggests that fostering participation first requires recognition of all the various reasons students might be hesitant to speak up in front of the class.
http://scholarlyteacher.com/2017/04/13/students-who-dont-participate-in-class-discussions-they-are-not-all-introverts/
Mastering the Boring Basics
In the never ending quest to improve our teaching, it is all too easy to focus on "big" things like adopting the latest innovative teaching technique or developing a truly pioneering new activity or assessment. This article briefly summarizes James M. Lang's idea of "small teaching", which highlights how little, everyday, seemingly mundane changes to teaching--like arriving to class just a few minutes earlier--can have a big impact on the quality of teaching and learning.
Anyone Can Establish Rapport
Establishing rapport with students is important for learning, but some instructors might feel that they don't have a personality naturally conducive to establishing strong rapport. This article describes research suggesting that rapport is based only in part on the personal characteristics of the teacher. It also relies heavily on what the teacher does to demonstrate commitment to teaching and care for students' learning. Any instructor can establish strong rapport within the constraints of their own personality and comfort.
Open Educational Resources (OER) FAQ
Have any general questions about open educational resources (OER)? This recently published FAQ from EdTech Strategies might be able to help.
