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Contents contributed and discussions participated by J.Randolph Radney

J.Randolph Radney

Why I Don't Have Classroom Rules | Edutopia - 1 views

  • I have four of our foundational classroom principles posted on the walls: Be respectful to yourself because it sets the context for being able to participate in a community; to others because it is hard to be a student and everyone’s struggles merit your respect; and to the teacher because although it is a position of authority, the teacher should also be vulnerable and learning. Be engaged, because merely being present in the classroom does not necessarily qualify as participation, and a truly pluralistic community requires all voices. Be prepared, because informed conversation requires prepared members, and preparation transcends just the work that is assigned—and is closer to deep thought, sincere skepticism, and a general willingness to interrogate assumptions. Be courageous, because learning requires acknowledging that there are things we don’t know, skills we lack, and ways in which we might still be foolish—which is a scary prospect for everyone in the class, teacher included.
J.Randolph Radney

untitled - 0 views

  • Faculty members at many campuses have been debating whether they should ban laptops in class. At Cornell University, students are trying to change the discussion. The Student Assembly there adopted a resolution last month pushing for “greater freedom of student laptop usage” in certain classes.
  • But realistically, he said, faculty members can't develop a single, catch-all policy for laptop usage -- there is simply too much variation in class sizes, teaching styles, course levels and subject matter to expect the same policy to apply to every instructor.
  • Katherine Fahey, director of Student Disability Services, supports technology use in the classroom -- if not as a full-on policy, then at least in the sense that all students feel comfortable asking for an exception.   “In courses in which the instructor believes that learning is enhanced by students not using laptops, there should be an opportunity for any student to request an exception based on individual learning style, the impact of one’s disability or other factors,” Fahey said in an email. But even asking to overrule a professor’s classroom technology policy can be uncomfortable for many students, especially at the beginning of the semester when there is no established relationship.
J.Randolph Radney

Faculty Focus - 1 views

  • The idea here is not to find out what students expect and then provide it because that’s what they want. Rather, it’s about finding out if their expectations are correct and how well they align with yours. You may need to elaborate on your expectations or possibly modify course plans based on students’ expectations. It’s all about communication, and an activity like this helps to get everyone on the same page.
  • My colleague Lolita Paff shared the first assignment she gave in two sections of microeconomics. “Typical homework assignments ask students to ANSWER questions. This assignment is different. I’d like you to ask questions. What are you curious about? What problems or issues are important to you? What topics matter to you? What questions do you wish you could answer?” She writes that she was “blown away” by the questions students shared. Her post includes a long list of questions that don’t look to me like the kind of queries I’d be expecting from beginning students in a required econ course. She concludes, “It’s a little scary. I don’t have all the answers.
J.Randolph Radney

Future Ready Schools: Empowering Educators through Professional Learning toolkit | Offi... - 3 views

  • This toolkit provides leaders with a multi-step decision-making process, practical tools, and numerous examples for setting a trajectory of positive change, moving assertively toward achievement of student learning and improvement goals.
J.Randolph Radney

creative uses of moodle modules - Google Slides - 4 views

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    This is an interesting survey of how certain Moodle tools might be used in classes.
J.Randolph Radney

Ten Tips for More Efficient and Effective Grading Practices | Faculty Focus - 2 views

  • Bank Comments: Keep a bank of comments about frequent errors students make and organize them in groups for easy access. Consider grouping comments according to module, assignment, and chapter, or grammar, content, and organization. For example, if an instructor sees frequent errors regarding point of view, keep related comments grouped in the same area to access them easily.
  • Less is More: Instructors should avoid the temptation to respond to everything that calls for adjustments or changes. Brookhart (2011) reports, many struggling students need to focus on just a few areas or even one item at a time. If a student backs off from his or her paper because he or she is intimidated by the number of instructor comments, then all is lost. It is better to target two or three areas that need to be addressed for the student’s success on future papers.
  • Questions for Reflection: Consider inviting reflective, critical thinking and further conversation in a productive, scholarly exchange with the student. Instead of telling students what they did “wrong,” ask them to rethink their approach. For example, consider using a phrase such as “What is the most interesting aspect of your essay?” Or “What would draw your attention to this topic, as a reader?” This way, the student is not only prompted to make more thoughtful revisions, but also is given tools to use when considering how to write a hook for future essays.
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  • Douglas B. Reeves, author and educator, said, “Technology sometimes encourages people to confuse busyness with effectiveness” (Reeves, 2010). Instructors sometimes equate certain grading practices such as an authoritative tone, strong criticism, or copious comments with being effective. In fact, the more conscious and deliberate an instructor is when delivering feedback, the better that feedback tends to be. Instructors often feel as though they must sacrifice effectiveness for efficiency, or efficiency for effectiveness. By honoring these guiding principles, instructors will realize that they do not need to make a choice between the two.
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    Standard approaches to evaluation of work, but with a few nice (and new) ideas.
J.Randolph Radney

Instructions Not Included | Popular Science - 1 views

  • the transition from physical manuals to embedded help has been slow, steady, and apparently benign, like the proverbial tide that lifts all boats—who would argue against help after all?
    • J.Randolph Radney
       
      What if university instruction were re-imagined in such a way: Provide just-in-time help for skills on the job in order to address needs at the time they occur?
J.Randolph Radney

Community Toolkit | Community - 2 views

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    This is the actual community toolkit website.
J.Randolph Radney

A Must Have Google Drive App for Teachers ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning - 2 views

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    For those who want to grade Google Drive submissions online
J.Randolph Radney

This is How to Grade Students Work on Google Drive ~ Educational Technology and Mobile ... - 2 views

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    For those who want to grade Google Drive submissions online
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