On Sat, 26 Jan 2002, Charlotte Manly wrote: > >On Sat, 26 Jan 2002, Charlotte Manly wrote: > > > >> Louis, > >> > >> Interesting. I didn't realize you spent so much time on community > >> building. (There's probably a big literature on forming effective > >> groups too.) But one question: where is it all leading? > > > >Ah, the game's afoot. > > Not really. I don't have much time for games. Have you spent much time > with junior faculty lately?
Yes. The way the class runs is, however, non-traditional. > > > > >What can you > >> do in a class that has these communities that you can't do using the > >> more usual approaches to classroom discussion? > > > >Bear with me because I'm not talking about a pedagogy per se > > Okay. So you build community and you enjoy teaching (in the broadest > sense of the word) and your students enjoy learning (in the broadest > sense for at least some of them) and you don't have a problem with > attendance at a large and probably anonymous-feeling university, so > obviously your community-building is effective. I'll guess that when > you get to the subject matter, you have classroom discussions that are > more wide-ranging (possibly conceptually deeper) and that involve more > students more actively than is usual for this class size (maybe even for > any class size). I don't know that, but that is what I would expect and > it would be one of the first things I'd measure. (Come to think of it, > is this a GenEd class or an elective or one for majors? And what year > are the students?) And you don't have an explicit goal at this point. Classroom discussions are just one small part of the class operation. You see, the discussions are their discussions. They engage in projects to "do" the subject. No lectures. No exam or quizzes or tests. I run, or used to run all my class when I taught senior and graduate classes, the same way. Right now, I decided I wanted to engage only first year students. > > It's an interesting idea; I'll file it away for future reference. > > Charlotte > > > > > >> And btw, how big are your classes? And how big (or anonymous) is your campus? > > > >Classes: 40-55 > >Campus: 10,000 > > > >Make it a good day. > > > > --Louis-- > > > > > >Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com > >Department of History www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html > >Valdosta State University > >Valdosta, GA 31698 /~\ /\ /\ > >229-333-5947 /^\ / \ / /~\ \ /~\__/\ > > / \__/ \/ / /\ /~\/ \ > > /\/\-/ /^\_____\____________/__/_______/^\ > > -_~ / "If you want to climb mountains, \ /^\ > > _ _ / don't practice on mole hills" - \____ > > > > > > > >--- > >You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- > ================================================= > Charlotte F. Manly, Ph.D. Psychological & Brain Sciences > Assistant Professor 317 Life Sciences Bldg > ph: (502) 852-8162 University of Louisville > fax: (502) 852-8904 Louisville, KY 40292 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.louisville.edu/a-s/psychology/ > http://www.louisville.edu/~cfmanl01 > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Make it a good day. --Louis-- Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com Department of History www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698 /~\ /\ /\ 229-333-5947 /^\ / \ / /~\ \ /~\__/\ / \__/ \/ / /\ /~\/ \ /\/\-/ /^\_____\____________/__/_______/^\ -_~ / "If you want to climb mountains, \ /^\ _ _ / don't practice on mole hills" - \____ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
