Teaching in a virtual environment can be challenging. When logging in to teach a synchronous Zoom session, many of my students and myself, have already spent hours that day staring at the screens of digital devices. They probably do not want to spend an hour or more listening to a boring lecture. I successfully used […]
Assigning student projects are fraught in the best of times. Will students go to the library? Will they ask for help if they are lost? Will interlibrary loan be able to even find the materials they need? Will you as a teacher be able to see them struggling in class and offer help? Questions like […]
One of the aspects of teaching in the world’s largest public university system that I love the most is the CSU’s bone-deep commitment to an equitable education for all. While most of us can point to a seemingly tone-deaf initiative or two, at its core, the CSU was created to be the people’s university. For […]
Written final research papers often fill undergraduates with dread, especially if the student in question does not feel that writing is a strong suit of theirs, or they see themselves as more creative. The “unessay” – created by historian Christopher Jones – allows students to bring their own disciplinary interests and expertise to bear on […]
Grace was failing. We were near the semester’s halfway mark, and Grace still hadn’t passed a single reading quiz. She had perfect attendance, and was always eager to contribute to group discussions. She was also one of the most positive students I’d ever had in class – one of those people who seem to slosh […]
This is the final part in a series of blog posts to highlight the work of our Teaching & Learning Innovations team. Each team member was asked to write a post about the work of one of their colleagues. The Real Wonder Woman Hollywood depicts superheroes as larger than life super-humans endowed with special powers […]
This is part 1 in a series of blog posts to highlight the work of our Teaching & Learning Innovations team. Each team member was asked to write a post about the work of one of their colleagues. When I first met Megan Eberhardt-Alstot and asked her about her work, a smile lit her face […]
I would have loved to be a student at Yale in 1960 when historian and professor Edmund Morgan looked over his glasses at the assembled freshman class. “The world does not much like curiosity,” he began, citing the often-used expression, “Curiosity killed the cat.” He observed that curious children overwhelm their parents “with a string […]
Almost everyone in America is familiar with the cafeteria. Hungry people move down the line, sliding their plastic tray and choosing from the various offerings what they want on their plate. Green beans or carrots? Potatoes or rice? Chicken? Lasagna? None of these dishes represents a nutritionally balanced meal. However, by the time one loads […]
“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.”― Aristotle When I first began teaching I had a very clear idea of how I wanted to teach. As I became immersed in professional development courses, advising students and teaching my own classes, my teaching philosophy has continuously morphed. The more I learn about teaching, […]
