Sometimes on early Monday morning or right after a holiday break, students seem to be "else where". I try not to shock them with a test or even a lecture right away. I try to ask them about their days off, did they get to see their family, did they get the needed rest. What movies have they seen (I teach in Game Design, and movies and games are a favorite topic to start off the week). We talk about animation, UI, and those elements in games and movies that directly connect to what we learn in class. This refreshes their minds and get them focused more on their career rather than the weekend.
All this makes the shy students "brave enough to participate" in project discussions later.
Hi Kevin,
What have you found to be an effective way of involving the quiet students in discussions?
Gary
