Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Makila, EC is great in the way you describe, and I would agree anything that motivates a student is good. I am just leary of awarding points or some sort of grade to the EC assignment. For me personnaly, I just aoid EC assignments that alter, inflate, or modify a students true grade. Opinions vary, these are my biases. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using pretests as planning tools

Charlotte, Good - you're right that planning is the outcome or purpuse of pretests. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using a teaching journal

Abigail, Good luck! Remember, a journal is for wahtever you want it to be (chronological record, to document observations, to make notations about student engagement), whatever. It for your personal use, and it may change it's theme and focus over time. Happy reflections! Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Being a student-centered instructor

Michael, Good comment. When we can individualize our time and energies on specific student needs, all will benefit. Sensing when students need more time, a different explanation, another activity to reinforce learning - these are traits of being student centered. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using pretests as planning tools

Eddie, Good! Pretesting is a great tool, takes little time, but can provide great benefit to the teacher in knowing what areas need the most attention and what areas can be diminished. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Understanding yourself as an instructor

Shawn, Right. An authentic "me" will be received better by students, more than an artificial version of someone else. We all have had good teachers we admired and sometimes the temptation is to emulate their manner and ways. What will be missing is the unique, true, effective traits we each possess when we copy some body else. That doesn't mean we can't be inspired by others, and use teachniques learned or observed. But these attributes are best experienced through the real person standing right in front of them - their teacher. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using a teaching journal

Abigail, Great! Your proposed use of using a journal is perfect (for you) and I think you will find to whatever degree you use it, benefet will result at some later point. Good luck! Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Role of instructor personality in delivery selection

Nikki, Great! I think being my natural self distracts less and allows students to hear my message (rather than focus on the messenger). We all have a natural personality that can be effective in the classroom setting. Students will detect artificial versions if we deviate too much from who the real version of our natural personality. And I think students appreciate it when they feel their teacher is authentic, honest, and sincere in their presentation and affect. Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Selecting instructional media

Shawn, I think PPT slides are best as an outline that touch on major categories and provide a forum for the teacher to expand, amplify, discuss, or provide more in depth instruction. If I want students to read something, I will prepare that for reading (not copies of PPT). I feel I am the teacher, the subject matter expert. No resource or tool is better at sharing information than me. I can (and should) use supplementary resources and activities to reach the students, keep them engaged, and make the class interesting. If so inclined you could break students into groups,… >>>

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Reengaging off-task students

Shawn, Great! A case study, story, or situation related to past work experiences will garner the attention of most groups very quickly. I tend to stay away from video's as that passive activity requires little engagement, even if students take notes or know there'll be a quiz. Sometime, just a quick activity to regroup everyone is all that is needed to get student back on topic. Regards, Barry