Hi Kimberly,
Sometimes it does take a lot of energy. Continue to try!
Patricia
Hi Christina,
Silent students do exist in both areas. Continue to be creative to bring out the best in these students.
Patricia
Hi Joannie,
I've discovered silent students also have silent answers. Normally, they have good answers, but they will just tell you enough to slightly participate. I probe the students for more.
Patricia
Hi Darla,
Of course, they blossom. They don't have to see anyone. This is a great way to get quiet students involved.
Patricia
Hello Kym,
Add this to your methods of teaching! It works beautifully!
Patricia
In order to involve silent students, I make a point to stand in close proximity to the student. Most of the "silent" ones sit near the rear of the class. I constantly walk or stand in close proximity to those students. I also ask specific questions to them and then let others chime in. Usually, their comments are thought provoking and I can use it to build great discussions from the "not so silent" students.
Hi Patricia,
Generally, they are embarassed whenver they are called upon, and they are unable to answer.
Patricia
I have found that silent students are either shy or not sure of thier knowledge of the question being asked. Most times its the latter.
Calling on them in class can nudge them to study more but may not resolve the issue. I agree that putting them into small groups makes them interact a lot more.
Thank you for that tip about the portal discussions. I believe in mixing up the methods of instruction and if that is a way to improve the participation of the silent students, by golly I'll try it!
Our school uses a Portal on which instructors ca post assignments, handouts, sample student work, etc. The Portal also has a forum function, such as this. Each week a forum question is posted for students to discuss. Student responses are brought into class the next week when we get to that subject. (You can use reply all email string in the same way.) Often, the quieter students blossum during the forum discussions.
I have found that several of the writings in the course tend to focus on traditional environments rather than online environments. However, in the online environment, silent students exist as well. This requires interaction through questions and encouragement. Every student has something they can relate to and I encourage them to tell me about their experiences in the work environment. I can usually get them to open up.
I had a student this term and it took every thing i had to finally get her to speak.
Hi Tany,
Super idea with the card. What a great way to add interesting discussion topics.
Patricia
I like to ask students if they have personal experience with the topic we are discussing. I teach a nutrition class and usually at least some of the students have experience with a family member or someone they know following a diabetic diet, following the DASH diet for high blood pressure, etc. It really helps the other students when they hear personal stories too. Then it is not just information in a book, it is something that happens to real people.
Also, the first day of class I have the students fill out a card at the end of class with 3 things they learned that day and one thing they want to learn. Then when we cover the subject each one wanted to learn I can include them in the discussion of that topic.
Hi Karen,
Obviously, some people are just very shy. Continue to encourage the student, the student may eventually come out of their shell. We can not change people, we can only do the best that we can.
Patricia
That is one of the obstacles I have to deal with it seems in every class that I have. I've tried to pull the student out by encouraging them to answer a question, complimentibg their work but what about when this does not work?
