Thursday, August 27, 2009

What's Your Drama! (Ice breaker activity)

Lashun Griffin had the brightest idea for engaging students while still giving late-comers a chance to double-check financial aid paperwork, get their books at the bookstore, or find an empty parking space. Students in her freshman English composition class received a handout with the following:

“Human beings love stories. We put them everywhere—not only in books, films, and plays, but also in songs, news articles, cartoons, and video games. There seems to be a general human curiosity about how other loves, both real and imaginary, take shape and unfold. Some stories provide simple and predictable pleasures according to the conventional plan. But other stories seek to challenge rather than comfort us, by finding new and exciting ways to tell the tale or delving deeper into the mysteries of human nature, or both” (Gioia and Kennedy 5).

What is your story? What led you here? What are your fears and failures? What are your triumphs? What keeps you going? What stops you in your tracks? What conflict are you battling? After stating your name and major, please answer tow of the questions listed above. Be ready to answer pertinent follow-up questions.

What makes this such a great idea? She says students were able to unload their drama. It cleared their minds to talk about the trouble in their lives that particular day. They felt l they were seen as people rather than as numbers. They felt connected to others in the room because they shared common challenges and triumphs. And it is an excellent way to introduce the personal narrative, which is a specific assignment in freshman English.

This icebreaker could easily be used in any class where story is a part of the curriculum: developmental writing, freshman English, general speech classes, psychology, sociology, video storyboarding…If you are teaching Second Start classes, you might try this great little idea next week. The rest of us can store the idea in our GIFT bag because we’ll be starting over in four months.

Collaboration: Joyce Boatright

If you would like to collaborate with the blog by contributing with your GIFTs (Great Ideas for Teachers) email Joyce boatright (LSC-North Harris Faculty and Staff Center Director).

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Reading Circles: Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject


“You can tell students what they need to know very fast,” begins the preface of Mel Silberman’s book Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. We know that, which is why we teachers lecture so much.
But here’s the rub: when we tell them what we want them to know, Silberman guarantees—and he has the research to prove it—“they will forget what you tell them even faster.”
What’s the solution to a generation of students who are coming to college underprepared? We’re pretty sure it isn’t a lecture series.
Faculty & Staff Center is launching a series of reading circles around sound ideas for student engagement and active learning.
We’re looking for faculty who will gather and talk and share what works and what doesn’t work in their classrooms (both face to face and online). We’re looking for fire starters who will enlighten the rest of us regarding and motivate us to burn those old lecture notes and become better teachers for the “millennial” students who are filling our classrooms.
Email Joyce.Boatright@LoneStar.edu if you’d like to facilitate a group of your peers.
The first reading circle will meet noon – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22 in the FSC, which is located in LB 203. You can sign up on MyWorkshops. Bring your lunch—we’ll provide drinks and dessert.Mel Silberman’s book Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject will be provided at no cost to you as a lagniappe (a little value added) for joining the reading circle. The book is an excellent addition for your professional library.
If you already read the book and/or are interested in blogging about this book? Email your article or request direct access to the blog to: Juan.Primo@lonestar.edu.