Seeing students getting sleepy? Try the “human histogram” classroom activity. Create a continuum along one wall. For example, one side of the wall may represent “strongly agree” and the opposite side represents “strongly disagree.” Pose a statement and have students arrange themselves along the continuum based on their opinions. Once students are settled, debrief as… Read more »
Entries by Leslie Drane
Announcement! We want to give YOU money!
Did that title grab your attention? Good! Because it’s the truth! The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) sponsors several grants, many of which have application deadlines in late February. While we’ll be thrilled if you apply for any of our grants, today I want to tell you about the Active Learning Grant. Some… Read more »
Quick Tip: From Hypothesis to Understanding – A Simple Classroom Activity
Looking for a new classroom activity that combines critical thinking and collaboration? Try “Demonstration Prediction!” Here’s how it works: Set the Stage: Introduce a demonstration that relates to the course material, keeping the outcome a mystery. Make Predictions: Ask students to predict the results of the demonstration; have them articulate their reasoning based on prior… Read more »
Quick Tip: Handling the Grad School Transition
This is my last “quick tip” in the series sharing what I learned from the amazing IUB instructors who facilitated workshops during our annual Associate Instructor Orientation. In case you missed the earlier ones (although I like to assume you read our blog posts as soon as they land in your inbox), I’ve already shared… Read more »
Quick Tip: Strategies to Combat Deficit Thinking
I’ve been writing a series of posts that spotlight the incredible instructors on our campus and the valuable insights they shared during our Annual Associate Instructor Orientation (highlights include STEM classrooms, active learning, and analysis). Today, I want to highlight Kevin Mudavadi and Selim Yavuz, who led a workshop titled, “Better Together! Personal Experiences, Empathy,… Read more »
Quick Tip: Beyond Likes and Dislikes: How to Lead Meaningful Classroom Discussions
At our annual Associate Instructor Orientation on August 21st, a group of IUB instructors generously volunteered their time and wisdom to help guide our newest instructors. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing all sorts of incredible “quick tips” I learned from these instructors about active learning and leading STEM labs. Today, I want… Read more »