I give a mini lecture on a concept I learned from being a Celtics fan and watching Kevin Garnett!! It is the concept of "ubuntu" an african philosophy of community. I am who i am because of who we are. It reminds everyone that at every point of their lives they ARE a part of some team and all of our individual goals will be accomplished more successfully if we work together.
Jennifer,
Good way to involve students and get everyone engaged in the discussion. This is how learning communities are established.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I order to make students feel like they are a part of the class, I make sure that I learn each of their names and ask them by name to read a question or for an answer etc. I also ask everyones opinion about what we learned, how I presented it and to make sure each of them understand the lecture and if not, I explain the information a little better.
first day not only do i introduce myself but i have them do their own intro and tell why their here.
Miriam,
Good points about student interaction and their engagement. These types of activities are what keeps the students coming to and participating in the class throughout the session.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I am trying to engage my students in class discussions: we complete activities as a group on the board, we take turns reading and correcting quizzes, etc. The more interaction the more the student will feel part of the class.
Ty,
I use learning groups a lot in my teaching and it is very effective when we do case studies and problem solving. Has this been your experience?
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
sometimes I have them number off and put them in groups to perform problem solving.
Get them involved. Encourage them to use their strengths in group settings and help them to develop in areas where they may not be as strong.
Joseph,
How do you set these various activities up in your classes?
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Conducting study groups, group projects, team work activities.
Cristina,
What are some games that you use that have been successful in getting your students engaged?
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
ask question play games..tell the class something good about themself.
Tell the class something about themselves...Play a game to get them excited and involved..
There are a few strategies that can help students feel part of the class. Instructors can give group activities so studnets can get to know their classmates. Also instructors should encourage students to reach out to fellow classmates because they are all put of the same class or program
I like to have a get to know one another session first (and not just the standard: say your name, where you are from, and why you signed up for this class [or whatever]; instead, we tell a story about ourselves, and I ask questions in order to find out more about my students and break a lot of ice at the same time). Beyond that, I give a type of pep talk where I tell the students that they are on the verge of spending a lot of time together, so they better start bonding -- now. For the rest of our time together as a class, I try to include everyone, ask opinions from all my students, and get group discussions going whenever possible.
I like to use personal stories that each student may have while working in our field of study. I encourage any open discussions about experiences or lessons learned and involve the whole class.
Bridgette,
Teamwork and cooperation are two essential for career success so the more exposure our students get to how these two methods work the better prepared they will be in the workplace.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Encourage students to help each other, to participate in groups, projects, etc.
Have the student to write about what they are learning to see if they are comprehending materials.
Class participation efforts are always good ways to make students feel like they are a part of the class. Group assignments builds class rapport as well.
