On Feb 25, 2010, at 7:56 PM, Zoghby, Kathy wrote:
> I truly hope she will not come back, and that solves the issue, but
> I also never want this to happen again!
Kathy,
I know you're focused on getting through the next seven weeks, and I
truly do empathize. But toward your final point above, I'm curious how
you (or we) might be able to prevent this by making the TBL format
explicit in a catalog or schedule of classes description for those who
are browsing, or a syllabus for those who register and show up the
first day. Do you describe the TBL format "in advance"? Do you include
links to the TBL site (which has video examples of TBL in action)? Is
it even appropriate, desirable or necessary to make one's teaching
delivery format explicit? Do other courses? Should they have to?
Apart from managing expectations of students, I think explicit
"previews" or descriptions also make a statement about your right to
teach the class in the way you see fit. If you happen to have evidence
that students do as well or better on standardized assessments
compared with traditional formats, great. But even without that, I
think your subject matter expertise also requires a continual
exploration of the best way to share it with students, and (better)
engage them to become more aware of their own learning and the role
others play in that.
As such, if students just can't stomach it, then they are free to drop
the class or not register at all. And if your enrollments drop, your
class won't continue. But until students actually vote with their
feet, if there is no other class (or format) that meets their
traditional expectations, I would hope your colleagues or dean would
support the notion that sometimes in life, our students will encounter
necessary challenges to their own thinking. As educators, we may even
have an ethical obligation to create such experiences to teach
students how to negotiate differences in thought or experience as
gracefully and respectfully as possible.
Hang in there,
John
John Fritz
Asst. Vice President
Instructional Technology & New Media
UMBC Div. of Information Technology
410.455.6596 | [log in to unmask] | www.umbc.edu/~fritz
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