Welcome to the Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Toolbox!
Jefferson College promotes a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. The student-centered approach asserts that course content is best learned when instructors relate course content to students’ prior knowledge and experiences and provide learning experiences where students are active in their learning, both inside and outside the classroom. Jefferson College encourages instructors to present course content in ways that provide opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking skills, social skills, and self-regulation skills. The Center for Teaching and Learning provides specific information to instructors as they apply theory to the classroom.
The First Day of the Semester
The first day of class sets the tone for the entire semester, so it is critical to establish a strong framework for student success, beginning on day one. Consider reading this list of 9 tips: How to Engage Your Students from the First Day of Class.
Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Ejournal
The Transformative Dialogues Journal is focused on conversations that exchange the results of innovative and professional practice in the Scholarship of Teaching and learning. The methods of teaching that the journal promotes are not bound by specific fields, but are applicable across disciplines. The current issue is lined above, past issues are available here.
Lecture as Active Learning
With small changes, instructors can transform the lecture format into an active learning experience for students. Read Lecture as Active Learning to discover simple strategies to transform your lecture from a passive learning experience to an active learning experience. The University of Minnesota's Center for Teaching and Learning has great suggestions for promoting student engagement during lecture. To view their tutorial, please click on the following link: Active Learning with PowerPoint.
For more active learning strategies which can be easily integrated into lectures, read Chapter 18: Teaching Methods to Use with Lectures, in the book, What's the Use of Lectures? by Donald A. Bligh. Chapter 19: Some Combinations of Teaching Methods, provides examples of various combinations of lecture and other methods. For example, the Buzz Groups-Lecture combination is a strategy that quickly accomplishes the objective of promoting critical thinking on the part of students. The book is available in the Center for Teaching and Learning, Library room 201.
How can I get students to do the reading? Consider using the Pre-reading Throwdown technique developed by Dick Harrington, Faculty, English (Emeritus), Piedmont Virginia Community College (VA).
Teaching Unprepared Students
A transcript of the Magna Online Seminar on teaching unprepared students is available for checkout in the CTL. Consider taking a look at these selected Strategies for Teaching Unprepared Students.
Lecture vs. The Flip
What is a flipped classroom? It is more than just using video instead of lecture. Here is a website that provides useful information about making this transformation.
Overcoming Student Resistance To A Flipped Classroom
It takes time for students to get used to a change in classroom environment. A useful resource for helping students with the transition to a flipped classroom can be found at this website.
College (Un)Bound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means For Students (2015) by Jeffrey Selingo. Find this book on the second floor in our library.
The Missing Professor: An Academic Mystery (2006) by Thomas B. Jones. This is available in electronic format through our library or in print version through MOBIUS.
Susan Todd recommends "Make It Stick: The Science Of Successful Learning" (2014) by Peter C. Brown. This book is in the CTL.
The Other Wes Moore (2010) by Wes Moore. This book will be part of a reading circle in Fall 2015.
Self Driven Learning (2013) by Larry Ferlazzo- this book is available trough MOBIUS
Look for these at our campus library early in the Fall 2015 semester:
Time For Learning: Top 10 Reasons Why Flipping the Classroom Can Change Education (2014) Kathleen Fulton
Higher Education In America (2015) Derek Bok