It can be frustrating to face a classroom of college students who
appear uninterested in the material and topic of the course, or to ask a
question of the class and receive only silence in response. How can you
increase class participation? Engaging students in learning can be a
challenge, but there are many techniques you can use to grab the
attention of your college students and hold their interest.
In some cases, you can integrate elements of pop culture into their assignments." Continue reading here.
James Lang writes, "I have always been less concerned about those students than with the
collateral damage they’re causing. If students choose to distract
themselves in my classroom, they will find a way to do so whether they
have a laptop or not. The real problem arises from their ability to
distract others who may be trying valiantly to pay attention and learn
but whose eyes are continually drawn to the video playing on their
neighbor’s laptop." Continue reading here.
David Gooblar writes, "So much of the work that goes into teaching is necessarily invisible. Nobody sees your best teaching days — when everything clicks, when you get your class to truly see the world differently — except for the students in the room. Most of us don’t teach for plaudits, but it’s a shame that our best work in the classroom is usually unseen by our peers and superiors. It’s also a shame that those of us who want to improve as teachers don’t get the benefit of learning directly from excellent teachers in our fields." Continue reading here.
