Sean Akers

Sean Akers

About me

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I had a great professor in college who, in introducing different kinds of public speaking projects, actually performed the introduction in the method. It was a great way to get an example of how the project should work. And it has stayed with me for 20 years. Now, when I have the opportunity to demonstrate a skill as I am teaching, I have found that it works far better than describing the skill and then moving into a lab to work on a project. Showing is better than telling in many cases and then, the hand-on practice just supports the demonstration.

I work in a field where projects can be technically completed, but are not "finished." For example, a student might edit a film, but the final work doesn't flow well. It can be hard for students to understand, particularly students who come from non-US culture. In some cases, I have students who feel that once they have completed the basic requirements for the work, they are done. And the project should never be touched again. In film, that doesn't work... as the film could be terrible. How do I approach a student who has grown up in a culture where… >>>

I had a great teacher who told us to "Never reinforce a negative behavior." I wonder what people might think about this as a blanket statement.

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