McKeachie’s chapter on Cheating was very helpful to me in a few different ways.
The first thing that I found to be useful was the statistics about who cheats, why they cheat, and how they cheat. The book clearly stated my exact thought, “my students would never cheat.” I actually laughed when I read it because a teacher would never want to imagine their students as cheaters, only honest and hard-working students. I was shocked to find that those students who tend to cheat the most are those that are ‘above-average’, those in business or engineering majors, and those with lower GPA’s. It has led me to become more interested as to how all of these factors could correlate.
Why some students may cheat didn’t really surprise me, but I wish that McKeachie would have gone into more detail and given more examples as to why a student may do so. Some of the reason I could see a student cheating would be lack of time, the information may be too hard for them to memorize or maybe too much information, but of course there is always just pure laziness. McKeachie stated that students cheat because of the strong emphasis on grades today and that if they get high enough grades they will be rewarded, even if they didn’t ‘earn’ them.
The section about how students cheat didn’t reveal too much new information, pretty much stated the obvious forms of cheating. The one that did stand out to me was number 5 on the list: students use tapping, hand code, cell phones, instant messaging, or other communication. Reading this almost makes me paranoid that my students will be cheating on their first Comm 110 exam. The class is small, but everyone is so close and friendly with one another I may have to spread them out just to be on the safe side. I have a feeling I am going to be over cautious. With that, many of the students are having a hard time choosing a topic for their upcoming speech so I will be on the lookout for plagiarized speeches.
The second piece of information that I found to be very useful was how to prevent cheating from occurring. In the communication field, or at least in Comm. 110, the students have a class period that is designated to a review day. I am not sure how other departments or courses cover what is on the test before it is given, or if they even do, but I believe that this will help students be less prone to cheating. This review will allow them to reduce some pressure that the test may be causing by reviewing the information that has been covered thus far throughout the semester and allow them to answer questions or address concerns they might have in regards to the exam.
McKeachie states that a common form of cheating is copying a classmates’ paper. This is very likely to happen in my Comm. 110 course but with copying a speech from a previous student or online, rather than a paper. I have allowed my students many opportunities to ask questions and receive help from me personal and from their peers in relation to their speeches. I hope that by doing this they will feel more comfortable about a topic and allow themselves enough time to complete the speech in or out of class. With that, I have allowed students many chances to discuss with me previous work so they can get a clear understanding of what is expected of them and how they can reach that goal. All of this will hopefully make them more comfortable with assignments and exams by feeling prepared and knowing what is expected of them.
One thing I didn’t agree with in this section was how to handle cheating. There could be a fine-line between someone who looks like they may be cheating with a student that actually is. As a graduate student, I do not feel as though we have encountered or been in enough situations to handle this type of problem efficiency the first time. I wish McKeachie would have used more examples and explained how this situation can really be such a difficult thing to take control of.
Another topic that was of interest to me as well as helpful was the section on grading. I believe that grading systems have been a topic of concern for many for quite awhile. It was brought to my attention at the beginning of the semester in regards to the grading of Comm. 110. Past semesters used a grading system that only allowed a specific number of students to receive an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ in each class regardless of whether or not there might have been more students in the percentage category. I have been strongly against this type of grading since I can remember solely because I believe each person learns different and demonstrates their abilities of understanding and comprehension differently in which grades could be effected. Students shouldn’t be compared to their classmates and never feel obligated to ‘beat them’.
This semester the grading system has changed and I am thankful for that. It is back to the good old standardized percentage categories. As simple as this type of grading is, it can vary by the teacher. In my Comm 690 course this was demonstrated in groups as we all graded the same presentation but arrived with different grades. What one person may think is a ‘B’ grade the other may not.
Using the information I have from grading and correlating it with McKeachies perspectives as to whether or not they can provide useful information and whether or not we can trust them, is very hard. How can an employer trust the grades they receive on a transcript? Maybe the student did worse, or maybe they did better. The reason this chapter was helpful to me is because it really emphasized the importance of grades during their academic career and thereafter. It also benefited me by explaining how to deal with students who want to discuss their grade and how to keep grades consistent.
McKeachie also explains the benefits of goal orientation. I see this with students when we do group activities that require their own knowledge and being able to adapt it to the situation. They feel as though their time matters and they are learning something that will be useful to them either now or in the future.
http://tlt.suny.edu/originaldocumentation/library/cm/cheat.htm
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The first thing that I find most useful from the McKeachie reading is the section about running a discussion. Although there has been some past input about discussion within a classroom setting, McKeachie was able to expand significantly through details, examples, and ideas. Most of what I have read prior to this article goes against being the ‘devil’s advocate’ when running a discussion, however it was helpful to read how that role can be played positively for a more constructive discussion.
Today in my class I was actually able to implement this idea. Sometimes at the beginning of our class there is always an awkward silence, not only between myself and them, but with the students too. To get the ball rolling I asked the class to think of an idea, or a subject, it could be anything. One student brought up something that was borderline controversial but I let them go with it. Every point they made in favor, I had an opposing argument. I couldn’t believe the reactions this caused not just because it was interesting, but they couldn’t believe that I was actually initiating a small form of debate. It might not have gone in the right direction, but it really made the students interact with one another, which is something I am trying to work on so they feel more comfortable with their speeches.
With this, and discussions in general, my students have informed me that they learn more and enjoy class time when they are able to speak out and interact.
Along the topic of discussion, what about those who don’t participate? We spoke briefly about this in our last class, but McKeachie was able to provide more background and useful information as to why students may or may not participate in the classroom. Some of the things that McKeachie mentioned as reasons for students not participating are: boredom, lack of knowledge, general habits of passivity, and cultural norms, what about those you aren’t any of these categories.
Using myself as an example, there has been plenty of times that I do not participate in class, and really, I have no reason for it. Sometimes there was just a class I took in my undergrad that I didn’t feel required my opinion. Simple as it sounds. I believe that everyone has their own personal opinions and learning styles, and well, sometimes if you don’t have anything to say- you just don’t. This doesn’t mean that the person might lack knowledge, or that they are bored. Thinking about it more, I am sure there could be an endless list of reason why students do not participate or contribute to a class.
Teaching a public speaking course, I want my students to feel comfortable speaking in front of one another. In the first speeches I discovered that the students who were the least active in my class were the ones that presented the most interesting speeches. I was shocked. Sometimes people just like to express themselves in different ways.
A second piece of information that I find useful in this reading is how to organize and/or plan a lecture. There has been some previous readings regarding the same topic, but I feel as though this covers more of an angle from the students perspective on a lecture. It was interesting that during the first few weeks of the course, the instructor should take more time going over the lectures and providing numerous examples. As one would move into the semester, the information can be covered a bit faster as the students start adapting to your methods of teaching and instruction.
As the book states, the body of the lecture can be presented to your students best through visual aids. I have never been much of a fan of PowerPoint presentations, or anything with relation, but this week I have used them in both of my classes and found that it works really well with them. My students have adapted very well, and seem to be more posed to discuss topics that they see on the screen and it allows them to see ahead or fall back on some of the short, simple topics we covered. I have even noticed that they spend more time taking down notes not only from the slides, but what we talk about. Along with the PowerPoint, I have found that anything written on the board seems to enable more of a conversational, laid-back environment that the students feel more comfortable in which leads to a more active hour.
For now, I am going to keep up with the visual presentations for my lectures and hopefully the students won’t get bored with them.
My helpful link:
www.usp.edu/teaching/tips/spal.shtml
Today in my class I was actually able to implement this idea. Sometimes at the beginning of our class there is always an awkward silence, not only between myself and them, but with the students too. To get the ball rolling I asked the class to think of an idea, or a subject, it could be anything. One student brought up something that was borderline controversial but I let them go with it. Every point they made in favor, I had an opposing argument. I couldn’t believe the reactions this caused not just because it was interesting, but they couldn’t believe that I was actually initiating a small form of debate. It might not have gone in the right direction, but it really made the students interact with one another, which is something I am trying to work on so they feel more comfortable with their speeches.
With this, and discussions in general, my students have informed me that they learn more and enjoy class time when they are able to speak out and interact.
Along the topic of discussion, what about those who don’t participate? We spoke briefly about this in our last class, but McKeachie was able to provide more background and useful information as to why students may or may not participate in the classroom. Some of the things that McKeachie mentioned as reasons for students not participating are: boredom, lack of knowledge, general habits of passivity, and cultural norms, what about those you aren’t any of these categories.
Using myself as an example, there has been plenty of times that I do not participate in class, and really, I have no reason for it. Sometimes there was just a class I took in my undergrad that I didn’t feel required my opinion. Simple as it sounds. I believe that everyone has their own personal opinions and learning styles, and well, sometimes if you don’t have anything to say- you just don’t. This doesn’t mean that the person might lack knowledge, or that they are bored. Thinking about it more, I am sure there could be an endless list of reason why students do not participate or contribute to a class.
Teaching a public speaking course, I want my students to feel comfortable speaking in front of one another. In the first speeches I discovered that the students who were the least active in my class were the ones that presented the most interesting speeches. I was shocked. Sometimes people just like to express themselves in different ways.
A second piece of information that I find useful in this reading is how to organize and/or plan a lecture. There has been some previous readings regarding the same topic, but I feel as though this covers more of an angle from the students perspective on a lecture. It was interesting that during the first few weeks of the course, the instructor should take more time going over the lectures and providing numerous examples. As one would move into the semester, the information can be covered a bit faster as the students start adapting to your methods of teaching and instruction.
As the book states, the body of the lecture can be presented to your students best through visual aids. I have never been much of a fan of PowerPoint presentations, or anything with relation, but this week I have used them in both of my classes and found that it works really well with them. My students have adapted very well, and seem to be more posed to discuss topics that they see on the screen and it allows them to see ahead or fall back on some of the short, simple topics we covered. I have even noticed that they spend more time taking down notes not only from the slides, but what we talk about. Along with the PowerPoint, I have found that anything written on the board seems to enable more of a conversational, laid-back environment that the students feel more comfortable in which leads to a more active hour.
For now, I am going to keep up with the visual presentations for my lectures and hopefully the students won’t get bored with them.
My helpful link:
www.usp.edu/teaching/tips/spal.shtml
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Week 2
This weeks reading assignment was a bit more difficult for me to take interest to and I am blaming it on our orientation. From writing lesson plans, time management, and creating discussions to problem situations, activities, and establishing expectations; most of this information was covered during our week-long orientation. I should probably rephrase the 'take interest to', it's just that most of the information seems to be repeated and some of it even seems like common sense. I also feel as though there is a lot that doesn't pertain to those of us who are teaching public speaking this semester ( not saying that it couldn't pertain in the future of our graduate courses ).
However, even with all of that said, there was some new helpful information that I will be able to apply to my teaching tactics.
The most useful chapter for me this week was Chapter 4 'Running A Discussion'.
Telling my students they have to read is one thing, but getting them to actually do it is another. I liked the idea that each student should begin reading with either a pen or a pencil in their hand. It would be better if they decided to write all over their pages and take notes along the reading, rather than not doing it all. It's a good idea to have the students looking for something specific in their reading so when they find it they spend more time understanding that particular subject and bring their knowledge to class. This will hopefully lead to a better discussion session between the students and more feedback to questions.
The next piece of information I found useful was the section on 'Why Students May Not Talk'. It expanded beyond the obvious things such as their lack of preparation to the effects of peer pressure in the classroom. The most helpful category was 'Outside Forces'. This isn't one that I would have thought about right away, or maybe ever. There are particular times during our semseter that may be hard on students that will refrain them from wanting any type of participation within the classroom. I will keep this in mind during midterms, approaching holidays, and finals week.
How will I use these theories or techniques?
What do I want to incorporate into my own teaching?
For future discussions in the classroom, I will write down not one, but several questions that could be used. The more questions I have, the more broad my answers and those who do answer, will be. I want to find a way to reach my entire class and not just the same students who usually answer on a regular basis. The idea about having students write straight for 4-6 minutes I would like to try in my classroom. I feel as though this will encourage them to elaborate their thoughts/questions in detail leading to more of points for discussion.
I can also hold true to the 'pair and share' strategy within a classroom. During the first week of class I used this just so my students would feel more comfortable talking with one another, but it has also helped me realize which students need that little extra boost of comfort. It also allows every student to feel apart of the assignment and for each student to have an opportunity to express their ideas and thoughts without such insecurities.
However, even with all of that said, there was some new helpful information that I will be able to apply to my teaching tactics.
The most useful chapter for me this week was Chapter 4 'Running A Discussion'.
Telling my students they have to read is one thing, but getting them to actually do it is another. I liked the idea that each student should begin reading with either a pen or a pencil in their hand. It would be better if they decided to write all over their pages and take notes along the reading, rather than not doing it all. It's a good idea to have the students looking for something specific in their reading so when they find it they spend more time understanding that particular subject and bring their knowledge to class. This will hopefully lead to a better discussion session between the students and more feedback to questions.
The next piece of information I found useful was the section on 'Why Students May Not Talk'. It expanded beyond the obvious things such as their lack of preparation to the effects of peer pressure in the classroom. The most helpful category was 'Outside Forces'. This isn't one that I would have thought about right away, or maybe ever. There are particular times during our semseter that may be hard on students that will refrain them from wanting any type of participation within the classroom. I will keep this in mind during midterms, approaching holidays, and finals week.
How will I use these theories or techniques?
What do I want to incorporate into my own teaching?
For future discussions in the classroom, I will write down not one, but several questions that could be used. The more questions I have, the more broad my answers and those who do answer, will be. I want to find a way to reach my entire class and not just the same students who usually answer on a regular basis. The idea about having students write straight for 4-6 minutes I would like to try in my classroom. I feel as though this will encourage them to elaborate their thoughts/questions in detail leading to more of points for discussion.
I can also hold true to the 'pair and share' strategy within a classroom. During the first week of class I used this just so my students would feel more comfortable talking with one another, but it has also helped me realize which students need that little extra boost of comfort. It also allows every student to feel apart of the assignment and for each student to have an opportunity to express their ideas and thoughts without such insecurities.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
My Very First Blog Entry
This weeks reading had numerous helpful tips, however, I really wish I would have been able to apply them prior to my first week of teaching.
The first thing that I found useful as well as helpful was the chapter 'Countdown for course preparation'. I never realized how far in advance one should plan his/her schedule for the semester, or at least get a good grasp at it. The section gave good examples by factoring in time in regards to the first day of class.
In chapter 2 of First Day to Final Grade, there were so many ideas and suggestions for going about your first day teaching. During our week of orientation, many of these were discussed, but the book was able to elaborate more in great detail and give some good examples of how each scenario would play out. It was helpful to see/read what the 'pros' and 'cons' of particular situations were as well. It made me think a bit differently as to why they do or don't suggest against particular things, such as dressing up.
Most of what I read will somehow, someway be incorporated to how I go about teaching Comm 110.
This reading made if very clear as to how important a syllabus can be and how it can be the foundation for the rest of the semester. Even though I have seen my fair share of syllabi, I am now able to understand why certain aspects of one are there. Such as policies, course goals and course advice.
I never really understood why my past professor's only allow certain types of communication ( email, telephone - home, office or cell - or office hours only). After the reading it became more clear. I will use the advice from the book this semester and in future semesters as to how I allow my students to contact me. Right now the only contact they have are my few office hours and email. So far so good. It will be interesting to see if any emergencies come up where I will have to give out my phone number or if they can do without it.
Its only been a week now, well four class periods, that I have actually been teaching, and so there are still many things I would like to incorporate.
One of those things, as I mentioned in our class discussion, is the ability to plan. No more of this 'wing-it' stuff. I want to be able to plan out not only my day, but my week.
I would also like to learn how to learn an effective strategy of teaching. I have not yet used any Powerpoint in my class or the board, I just speak- they write. Before trying new methods, I want to know more about the pros and cons of each.
As a teacher of public speaking, I think it would be best if I not only teach my students how to give a speech without numerous notes, but teach myself how to do it as well. By doing this I would be a more effective teacher and become more credible to myself and the students.
I recommend this reading:
http://lesson-plans-materials.suite101.com/article.cfm/teaching_public_speaking_classes
The first thing that I found useful as well as helpful was the chapter 'Countdown for course preparation'. I never realized how far in advance one should plan his/her schedule for the semester, or at least get a good grasp at it. The section gave good examples by factoring in time in regards to the first day of class.
In chapter 2 of First Day to Final Grade, there were so many ideas and suggestions for going about your first day teaching. During our week of orientation, many of these were discussed, but the book was able to elaborate more in great detail and give some good examples of how each scenario would play out. It was helpful to see/read what the 'pros' and 'cons' of particular situations were as well. It made me think a bit differently as to why they do or don't suggest against particular things, such as dressing up.
Most of what I read will somehow, someway be incorporated to how I go about teaching Comm 110.
This reading made if very clear as to how important a syllabus can be and how it can be the foundation for the rest of the semester. Even though I have seen my fair share of syllabi, I am now able to understand why certain aspects of one are there. Such as policies, course goals and course advice.
I never really understood why my past professor's only allow certain types of communication ( email, telephone - home, office or cell - or office hours only). After the reading it became more clear. I will use the advice from the book this semester and in future semesters as to how I allow my students to contact me. Right now the only contact they have are my few office hours and email. So far so good. It will be interesting to see if any emergencies come up where I will have to give out my phone number or if they can do without it.
Its only been a week now, well four class periods, that I have actually been teaching, and so there are still many things I would like to incorporate.
One of those things, as I mentioned in our class discussion, is the ability to plan. No more of this 'wing-it' stuff. I want to be able to plan out not only my day, but my week.
I would also like to learn how to learn an effective strategy of teaching. I have not yet used any Powerpoint in my class or the board, I just speak- they write. Before trying new methods, I want to know more about the pros and cons of each.
As a teacher of public speaking, I think it would be best if I not only teach my students how to give a speech without numerous notes, but teach myself how to do it as well. By doing this I would be a more effective teacher and become more credible to myself and the students.
I recommend this reading:
http://lesson-plans-materials.suite101.com/article.cfm/teaching_public_speaking_classes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
