Barry Westling

Hi Victoria: I agree with you, and think there are advantages to electronic and "instant" reporting of grades and associated assignments. I don't think this should be a substitute for face-to-face dialog because connecting personnaly with students is very important too. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: The use of grading rubrics is very good. It is a way of providing a more objective approach to grading and the students can determine from the start what is required to earn points or a certain grade in the classs. It also infers a degree of fairness that some other evaluation methods don't offer. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: There are many variations. A well written course will have Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's) and course objectives. If we teach to these, the stuednt will have been exposed to the most appropriate learning. A pretest could be a sampling of some of the objectives, or more towards critical thinking, asking some questions related to the SLO's might be beneficial. It may require trial and error to find what works best in a given class. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: You've got a good exercise there. Reengaging, resetting, or refocusing can consist of of a major transition, or something as simple as just a break in the pace, tone of voice, asking a question when not expected, - just something to reset the attention of the topic, then move on. At times, it is necessary to make a major shift, and being sensitive to when this is needed is an important observational skill good teachers learn to recognize. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: I think we have some control over our behavior, but it is such a mixture of past experiences, education and training, attitudes and preferences - we have a persona that we can perfect but the foundation is there to stay. And that's not a bad thing at all. It's a reality we all have our ways, strngths and areas we could improve upon. Being open to adjusting or modifying ourselves is one of the most valuate attributes a teacher can possess. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: Great plan! If we tie the lesson back to the SLO's and course objectives, selecting the resources and delivery methods should be an easier task. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: Nice axiom. We are facilitators as much as teachers sometimes. I believe the more the student participates in their learning, the more meaningful and memorable their studies will be. So we can be all things to our students, helping them along as the need demands. Regards, Barry

Hi Pamela: Yes, and there are many successful (and some not so successful) methods to achieving these outcomes. It takes some planning and thought, mixed in with availability of resources, coupled with an effective delivery style that uses a variety of media. All together, then the teacher is ready. Regards, Barry

Hi Victoria: You've describe a good basic outline of one version of a prepared and organized teacher and classroom environment. It comes down to being ready, with all the needed resources planned ahead. Regards, Barry

Hi Jocelyn: I would add that if a course has Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's) stated, then the goal would be to assure the SLO's are met. Correctly written SLO's determine the "what" part of the lesson component. Regards, Barry