Kathy Pilger

The information in this module are all good reminders for an instructor to constantly be improving their teaching skills. I always try to leave a class thinking, what worked well and what did not work well. If I identify some bad element then I try to analyze the cause and make note of changes that need to be made the next time I teach that material or have that response from a student. A teacher is ever learning.

Rubrics are particularly useful in Active learning environments where projects and papers are used for assessment. The use of rubrics gives the students information about what is expected in the assignment. However, I have found that rubrics encourage students to "perform" at a minimum, instead of excelling to their highest potential. I believe it is good to put an evaluation category in the rubric at the top end of the scale that says "the student has exceeded or gone beyond what is expected and required." This encourages students to be creative and think beyond the minimum to get a good… >>>

I find that in the midst of a semester or school year it is difficult to keep up with current technology. How do you keep up with all of the planning needed for instruction, as well as new technology, uses of these, and keep up with daily instruction? Is it delegated to summer institutes, continuous training, online training, or other and how do you find time to do this type of training during the school year when you are teaching?

Active learning is an up and coming method in education. Students take more control of their own learning and discover methods of learning different than listening and writing notes. The teacher does not get a break however. There is much planning to be done to develop and active learning environment for students. Preparing can be quite laborious. Finding problems and real life situations related to the problem is often difficult. 

Adjusting to this new method of teaching is a challenge for those who have been educated with lecture techniques. The classroom comes alive with this method of teaching. Ideas are… >>>