Sabrina SegalCHEP

Interactivity The first step toward a more interactive and animated discussion is faculty members who guide the learning experience. The instructor’s actions and interactions are what drive activity in the classroom. In order to make your job more fulfilling, working with your colleagues and lead faculty to update discussion assignments is something you should consider. Interactive methodologies of faculty-student contact in our online student environment, is a powerful retention tool and can add value to both internal and external marketing missions. As competition heats up in the online educational universe, the time is now to gain market share based on… >>>

Working with adults is as much of a science as it is an art. Unlike students in their early 20s, the more mature learner has amassed a repertoire of skills & wisdom commensurate with age. Most often, students in their 50s bring a much different skill set to the classroom than those in their 40s or even 30s. Adults return to school for very different reasons than those who move immediately from the secondary school environment. Adults want to learn. The adult learner is more interested in application that is interdisciplinary in nature and can incorporate the proficiencies they have… >>>

In order to be a successful hybrid facilitator of learning, one must also be versed in the pedagogy of campus-based and online education. The demand for online faculty members continues to rise since learning can, and often does take place very effectively through the appropriate use of technology as institutions attempt to deliver superior value. Faculty members should become online students first and learn the pedagogy of online education in order to create a healthy learning environment. Understanding its practical application, successes, challenges, and best practices can be of great assistance as a starting place. Education using blended pedagogies and… >>>

Are you being perceived negatively by students in your classroom? After we set aside the hard grader and tough policy enforcement arguments some of which are not entirely valid, we are left with how students perceive us as faculty in chat, email and in the classroom. When we are sharing life-changing and positive advice, our approval ratings are through the roof! But when it comes time to deliver the bad news, many fall short. - How do you explain why plagiarism is not acceptable, but not viewed as an ogre? - How do you counsel a student on not giving… >>>

Outside Resources I use other technology outside of that provided by the university. To have some fun in the classroom, I subscribe to www.animationfactory.com – I get cool animated gifs and great powerpoint backgrounds. As silly as this may sound, students comment on the FUN graphics and how it makes everything come to life and seem more interesting. Every session a few students email me weekly and say that they look forward to seeing what crazy graphic will be used on an email or a posting. Anything that can make a student look forward to information about an assignment is… >>>

STARTING OFF STRONG Instead of asking a student about his/her previous class experience, some faculty members require a CREATIVE initial post. First issue that comes up: student posts the “normal” intro…hello! Guess what, this student may not READ anything that is posted...ALARMS. On the flip side, the content of the introduction provides an insight into one’s creativity, abilities, and how much energy a student will expend in the class. At what level of Bloom’s taxonomy is s/he functioning? These postings are often quite telling. Other things that can be gained from the postings: grammar, spelling, development of an idea and… >>>

DIVERSITY Let me first start by saying that I experience few diversity issues in my classrooms. My extensive exposure and research to international studies at university, along with master and doctoral studies, has enabled a broad and thorough understanding of the educational barriers international students face in American schools, and has provided me the opportunity to apply my knowledge to aid in their assimilation—this, in addition to teaching master classes in Shanghai and Manaus and special US-based classes for Taiwanese and Thai students. Having been an educator in the international community for years, leading countless faculty at numerous institutions of… >>>

When Failure is Imminent A certain number of students fail classes every session. This is a hard fact. While we do everything in our power to help students succeed in the early weeks of class, some students will arrive at a point of no return where they no longer can pass a class. Our messages now need to shift. Confronting failure is a serious blow to a student’s ego, make no bones about it. How can an instructor mitigate the circumstances and nurture a failing student's willingness to take the class again next session? And feel good about doing it?… >>>

FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVES: TECHNOLOGY Perhaps the most common student technical impediment is lack of internet access. Depending on the situation, there are a number of solutions. • Free wifi at places like Starbucks (for laptop users) • Free, trial or low cost temporary internet: http://www.free-internet.name/country/United-States/ • Public computers (libraries, community colleges) • Internet cafes or pay by the hour services for students who are travelling Communicate with the student and find out if any of the solutions can work for them. Open up dialogue and work together to overcome. You need to be smarter than the obstacle. Use your… >>>