Alexis Ulseth

One thing that stood out to me while I was reading the discussion was how important EI is in the "real world." Yes, it might help students complete a project in my course, but it can also alter the projection of their lives! Employers, friends, family, the world benefits. 

One idea that really stood out to me is that education is not a one-size-fits-all. It depends on IQ, EI, culture, background, and personal experience. What works for one student might not work for all, so it is important to present information in multiple ways.  

EI is something that needs to be taught or developed because it affects both empathy and motivation. These are two characteristics that are necessary for school, workplace, and life. 

EI is the idea of emotional intelligence. This is the idea of how we work together and use social skills. This is important both to teach and in education because it deals with real life skills. 

I like the concept that to do a substantial and meaningful amount of learning, students must read, write, and engage with the material. I also really like the idea of problem-based learning. I could use this when teaching about power sources and renewable resources. 

Active learning might look different than teacher-centered learning, but it is still composed of the same parts- like content, learning, and assessments. It might just look slightly different. For example, in an active learning environment, you might give students a project rather than a multiple-choice test, but they might cover the same topics. 

Active learning can be helpful to each part of a learning situation. Students take a more involved role in their education, and teachers can take a step back from lecturing to create new material. There are not so many drawbacks as there are reasons the transformation might be difficult. Learners might feel that their needs are not being met and instructors may not feel comfortable giving so much more room for students. 

The idea of "closing the loop," involves many different methods of evaluation by yourself, your students, and your stakeholders. It is important that you take feedback as constructive, and consider it in both qualitative and quantitative ways. This is the best way to ensure that you are doing right by your students. 

First, there should be several types of assessment, both summative and formative. Both give you feedback about not only what the student is learning, but how you are teaching it. Feedback on assessments is just as important as it emphasizes what the student did right, or what they can work on. A good example of this is a rubric. 

A good syllabus is critical for students to know what they are supposed to be learning. It also helps with communication between students and students (and students and instructors, etc.). Additionally, you need to think about students' prior knowledge and experience because not every student is comfortable with the same work and learning system.