Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Eunita, I agree it's a good idea to "fess up" for those times we aren't eactly sure of an answer. It's really no surprise that students are more forgiving when they see sincerity and honesty, much more than an instructor trying to wing it to save face. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Brenda, Yes, knowing where a stuident stands is helpful to the instructor and obviously helpful to the student. Improvement is based on performance, and discussion of that performance is key to adopting a game plan that addresses any weaker areas. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Reengaging off-task students

Brenda, I agree, and I do this very thing. Nearly everything that is a discussion or lecture item probably has some form of practical or demonstration activity that, with a little thought, can be done on the fly. That's what I do, both scheduled oand on the fly deomonstrations or mini labs. It does break up the routine. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Reasons for evaluating students

Amalia, Sure, unless we measure performance regularly, the measure of a students progress is uncertain. And the last thing we want is to have surprises at the end of the course. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Reengaging off-task students

Verna, Sounds good. I try to come up with my own strategies as I've found students will tend to offer suggestions that are easy or don't require as much work, which may or may not lend itself to significant learning. But taking a break, resetting the tone, and maybe changing activities works well for me. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Developing instructional backup plans

William, Some publisher PPT slides are good, especially the ones that have good images embedded within them. Others seem to be not much more than a mere outline of the chapter and not so dynamic. I like to make my own slides whenever I can. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Role of instructor personality in delivery selection

William, That sounds great. Enthusiasm is hard not to be contagious in a classroom setting, especially when it is a lecture format. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Reasons for evaluating students

Stephanie, Good or bad reports are best shared early on, either to encourage or to clarify so that that there no surprises in the end. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Kelly, Yes, especially adult learners. Life experiences have trained them to look for progress, and also look for glimpses of hope and support from their instructor. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Developing instructional backup plans

Kelly, Good idea. Can't be too prepared. And varying the content adds variety and maybe increased interest in the topic. Barry Westling