tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216799050256639179.post2302246383255308129..comments2016-01-07T15:43:59.961-05:00Comments on Where's the Teacher?: When do I change?Penelopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577413050164476723noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216799050256639179.post-69931475013155463022008-01-02T19:33:00.000-05:002008-01-02T19:33:00.000-05:00Sean-Thanks for the comment on all this. There's a...Sean-<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the comment on all this. There's a lot in there to chew on, so I'll probably have more to add to the conversation later.<BR/><BR/>One quick note though-I need to do more asking them about why things did or didn't work. I often get to the "did it work?" stage and forget to ask them "why?"Penelopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05577413050164476723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216799050256639179.post-42655211801673771842008-01-02T00:21:00.000-05:002008-01-02T00:21:00.000-05:00Hi Penelope,Such great questions here, I can't hel...Hi Penelope,<BR/>Such great questions here, I can't help but respond.<BR/><BR/>I remember my first semester teaching as a graduate student. About five weeks into the semester, I was pretty sure I'd figured out why things weren't going well, and I totally redesigned the syllabus. I recall coming in proudly with a new syllabus to a group of bleary-eyed practically-high school students at 8:00 a.m. and presenting my new plan with flourish. Perhaps it's clear from my dramatics here that the new syllabus not only didn't solve previous problems with the course, but it also didn't really work.<BR/><BR/>Since that time, I've thought of teaching as a long-term endeavor. As you say, teaching takes time - completely true. But we also know that teaching is most fun and exciting when we can be spontaneous, take learning in new directions, etc. Some of my best lesson plans were written on my palm on the way to class (revisions to a previously well-considered plan). The question, then, is can we make changes without unproductive disruption?<BR/><BR/>In the online world, I work with course templates - fully integrated modules that include all lectures, assignments, discussions, etc. for the entire semester, and which really cannot be altered a whit once the term begins. In a case like this, change takes a *long time. But, it does occur. One advantage that I have is that, since I can't make spontaneous changes to texts or assignments, etc., I have the time to really figure out how a new technology or practice might work. In some cases, I think it behooves the land-based classroom teacher to do the same. Use the time in the unchanged classroom to reflect on how the changes might best be incorporated into the whole flow of the term, maybe.<BR/><BR/>Taking your example of the Quizlet, on the other hand, it occurs to me that you could potentially introduce this exercise spontaneously and without a full year of planning. I think the secret is: you don't make it count for anything, and you introduce it as an element of play. Also, as we like to do in the student-centered classroom, you could ask your students to sit around in a nice big circle and talk to you about the experience.<BR/><BR/>As I continued to teach after that first disastrous semester, I learned to put into my semester plans a degree of flexibility - days when I didn't necessarily have a plan of any sort - so that I could much more easily bring in new lessons, experimental exercises, and the like. In my last semester teaching, this became a daily ritual. Every lesson plan included a little extra time when nothing was required to occur. This left me time to expand on certain thoughts or ideas, clarify, ask for questions or feedback, do sudden writing exercises, etc.<BR/><BR/>These are just some thoughts. Hopefully helpful. I'm completely open to talking more about this subject too!<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>SeanSeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07702616565990800993noreply@blogger.com