Richard Converse

Location: cincinnati

About me

Hello everyone!

I began as an adjunct instructor with Cincinnati State in 2004. I completed both my undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Cincinnati, after which, I began research in biodegradation in the UC Department of Molecular Genetics. I currently hold an M.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Cincinnati and have over 25 years of research experience as a Molecular Biologist—during that time, I studied plant genetics, biodegradation, muscle development, corneal disease, heart development, brain development, cancer, and, the genetics of Herpes Simplex Virus latency. I have worked in bacterial, mouse, and yeast systems during this period. My interests include: gene regulation, evolution, human development, molecular genetics, biochemistry, and, of course, teaching.

Since 2004, I have instructed courses for the University of Cincinnati, Sinclair Community College, Xavier University, Antonelli College, the University of Phoenix, and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. The courses I have instructed include Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology, Ecology, and Health & Wellness.

I'm excited to be a member of this community!

Sincerely,

Richard--

Interests

nfl, college basketball, science

Skills

molecular biology, teaching

Activity

Richard Converse

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My teaching philosophy

Attached is my teaching philosophy.

Richard Converse

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Mesa County Muscle System Models

For those of us who teach A&P!

Richard Converse

Blog Comment

Making a Good First Impression

This is so important:

The first impression should show the students that:

you know the material
you have the proper credentials to teach the class
you want them to succeed in the classroom
you can explain to them why this class is important to their career advancement

If you can pass these tests, then your class will trust you and make every effort to master the material.

I welcome all comments!

Richard--

Richard Converse

Discussion Comment

Meeting the needs of various generations

Dan:

I have to agree. This can be a challenge when attempting to draw analogies and reference "real-life" experiences. I find that sculpting these aspects of my lecture to meet the greatest percentage of my target audience is essential. The closer you get to applied knowledge, the more likely you will retain interest in the subject matter.

Thanks!

Richard--

Richard Converse

Discussion Comment

The Importance of Training

This is a valuable topic--the most important aspect here is to establish that the content of the training has been comprehended by the trainees. To address this, and assessment is necessary, and the assessment needs to be effective. A Q&A over basic content is useful, but questions in which the knowledge is applied will provide a better tool to assess the effectiveness of the training. Questions containing scenario-based case studies will be the most useful here. I welcome all input! Thanks! Richard--

Richard Converse

Blog Comment

Time Management

The best practice here is to delegate time and a half for any task--this gives you a buffer zone if a particular task takes longer than anticipated.

I welcome any input!

Richard--

Richard Converse

Discussion Comment

Be CLEAR about delegating tasks..

Communication is the key here. If your employees either don't understand, or have an incomplete understanding of the task they are being delegated, this will result in costly and time-consuming errors. The best approach is to explain the task to the delegee, and then Q&A them regarding their understanding of the task as completely as possible. Another excellent practice when delegating authority is to WRITE DOWN what was agreed to and have it SIGNED by both the boss and the delegee--this protects both the boss and the delegee and provides a record of the delegated task. I welcome any input!… >>>

Richard Converse

Blog Comment

Short Attention Span: how do you keep students engaged?

The best way to keep students engaged is to CONTINUALLY remind them why what they are learning is important! you must be able to answer the dreaded question "Why do we need to know this?" with a convincing and accurate answer. Otherwise, you can't teach the subject at hand!

I welcome any comments!

Richard--

Richard Converse

Discussion Comment

Creative Thinking..

The biggest challenge here is to decide when a conventional or non-conventional approach is needed. Often, a conventional approach will yield an idea that seems good on paper, but when put into practice, it falls flat. The conundrum then becomes..should we stay with the same conventional approach, or should we use a non-conventional approach to solve the problem? The only way to find the solution is to test ideas using both methods, then you will have your answer. I welcome any feedback! Richard--

Richard Converse

Blog Comment

Small class size challenges

I've taught classes as small as a single student. I actually prefer small class sizes because of the personalized instruction. One of the major challenges is that there is no way to curve on exams and tests (in any real sense), so the student basically works against their own performance in that scenario.

Other than that, attendance can sometimes be an issue (it's easy for half...or all of the class to miss a session--in which case I often either repeat the lecture, or make it available via YouTube.

Video podcasting has proven a VERY effective tool for many of the… >>>

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