https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr en-us 2022-11-10 20:29:35 UTC 2022-11-22 20:48:32 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f3eb.png cbock11 https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2379302593 This article details the myth of "learning styles," which continue to be widely circulated despite a lack of empirical evidence. Author Ransom Patterson additionally provides an alternative of "learning techniques" that can be used in concert and according to the assignments and activities they are best suited for.

Reviewing the article's list of learning techniques and applying them to specific parts of my COM-111 class will ensure that I'm giving students a bulk of tools to use rather than inhibiting them by assigning them a particular learning style. For example, asking students to write individually in class about what they know, what they'd like to know, and what they think others in the class would like to know helps them come up with speech topics and tailor them to their audience. Modeling spaced repetition for students in preparation for our final exam would help them maximize their time spent studying.]]> 2022-11-10 21:17:19 UTC https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2379302593 cbock11 https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2379318652 This graphic illustrates the different levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and includes specific examples of each that can be discussed with students. Levels 1-4 are described as "deficiency needs," meaning that motivation decreases once these essential physical, psychological, and social needs are met. Level 5 is described as containing "growth needs," or motivating factors that continue to blossom once met.

I currently use Maslow's Hierarchy in my COM-111 class during our persuasion unit. Students review the pyramid, then think about what common needs and values would fall under which level(s). I could take this a step further and incorporate visual aids into the exercise, asking students to identify the needs and values inherent in certain print advertisements. What needs or values does the ad appeal to? What level of the pyramid would this fit under? Is this a deficiency need appeal, or something higher?]]> 2022-11-10 21:37:24 UTC https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2379318652 cbock11 https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2380624268 This article from the University of Waterloo in Canada defines a flipped classroom as a way to reverse homework and lecture components of class in order to maximize active learning and engagement. It also offers a "planning model for flipped classes" that can be incorporated into a week or an individual lesson. The planning model begins with the instructor introducing the task, then the students are assignment an out of class task, the teacher assesses learning, and finally, reinforces that learning with an in-class activity.

AACC is currently in talks of creating a new online instructional format called "online blended," which combines one weekly synchronous meeting with asynchronous time. I believe that a flipped classroom would work especially well for this kind of format, with the active learning, reinforcing group activity work being saved for the synchronous session while the "homework" is comprised of listening to lectures or reading on the students' own time. In COM-111, I could easily use this flipped classroom model for our First Amendment activity. First, I would introduce the expectations for the assignment: students pick two scenarios and determine if the people in question were protected by the First Amendment. For homework, they would analyze these scenarios and write up their conclusions. Then, I would offer comments on their work. Finally, students would join together in our synchronous session and pair up with others to discuss where their conclusions align and diverge. This process would allow solitary work to be completed and graded on the students' and my own time, while synchronous time could be used for the most social element of the exercise.]]> 2022-11-11 20:48:57 UTC https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2380624268 cbock11 https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2390365127 Coursera offers a wide range of massive open online courses (or MOOCs) for anyone looking to improve their existing skills or explore new subjects. Their Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization offers four distinct courses that would ultimately lead to a certificate, or courses can be taken individually. They are Introduction to Public Speaking, Speaking to Inform: Discussing Complex Ideas with Clear Explanations and Dynamic Slides, Speaking to Persuade: Motivating Audiences with Solid Arguments and Moving Language, and Speaking to Inspire: Ceremonial and Motivational Speeches. The second course in particular (Speaking to Inform) extends many of the concepts we have explored in Module 4 of this class, including audience-centered communication, obeying time constraints, and creating dynamic visual aids.

As an instructor, I believe that you can never be "too good" at public speaking and that there is always something to learn when improving and enhancing your existing skills. This class (and the certificate as a whole) would help me convey information to students in a more engaging way and give me new suggestions for how to organize presentations and visual aids. Beyond these advantages, because I teach public speaking at AACC, I could transfer these same skills into the material and activities that students will work on in class. All courses in this Coursera certificate program align with major speeches that students are required to give. In learning more about them, I can adjust my current lesson plans to incorporate new information.]]> 2022-11-18 19:11:41 UTC https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2390365127 cbock11 https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2394687000 This list of active learning strategies from the Teaching & Learning Transformation Center includes a list of instructor goals met, which is extremely useful for lesson planning. Instructors can select activities that aid in their goal of previewing content, reviewing content, completing formative assessment, fostering collaboration among students, and so much more. The activities listed are clever and often quick, and they are varied enough to use multiple times in the duration of a course.

These strategies address multiple challenges for me in the classroom. For one, they are just what I need to integrate more formative assessment into my classes. They would also enable me to grab students' attention right away with a "hook," instead of my traditional approach of starting class with housekeeping items. For example, Question Ranking is a kind of formative assessment that grabs attention at the beginning of class. Asking students to write down questions that they would like me to answer not only gets them thinking about course content right away, but provides me with valuable feedback on potential knowledge gaps or content areas that need more explanation. The alternative suggestion -- have students write down questions on index cards and then put a mark on other index cards they'd like to see answered -- is a great way to get a class that may be quieter/less verbal on board with the exercise. ]]> 2022-11-22 20:37:20 UTC https://padlet.com/cbock11/9bkc9m83bfrlhijr/wish/2394687000