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VOLUME XII, NUMBER 23

NNOVATION ABSTRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

 

I Know It When I See It: Great Teaching

At Brookdale Community College we have produced
a video series on teaching excellence. All of the videos
incorporate actual classroom footage and an interview
with the instructor explaining his/her techniques or
strategies. Some examples follow.

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Solving World Problems

The demonstration performance method is used as a
key strategy in teaching students how to solve problems
in a math class. The instructor demonstrates and
explains the techniques, then guides the students at the
chalkboard in performing the skill. Students can be
seen working and thinking through the process. The
benefits of the demonstration method and the chalk-
board as a supporting tool are featured.

Doubling

Teaching students to portray feelings and emotions
are taught via the demonstration method. In Socio
Drama, the instructor helps students to express inner
feelings of a third party. The method takes on an
unusual focus of learning an affective skill.

“Lost on the Moon”

The students, in small group discussion, are led
through the simulation game “Lost on the Moon.”
Students are seen working in small groups in an
attempt to problem solve for their survival on the
moon. They are given a list of items to prioritize, and
their survival is based on their score. An interview with
the instructor clarifies her agenda for engaging students
in a unique problem-solving process, as well as in the
dynamics of gaming.

Teaching: The Art of Having Fun

This instructor allows his students to view English
and French law via a new perspective. Situations of law
are placed in a setting that forces the student to laugh
and smile. The style of lecturing supports the theory
that teaching and learning can be fun for students and
instructor.

Enthusiasm in the Classroom

The Battle of Lexington and Concord is the lesson
topic in this American Civilization history class. The
student is given a vicarious experience of the battle via
dramatization. Through the use of the chalkboard,

storytelling, quotations, dramatic gestures, voice
changes, and humor, the battle comes alive. During the
interview the instructor uses the same charm and
techniques to articulate the philosophy behind his
approach.
Using Examples

The instructor is teaching Human Growth and Devel-
opment; it is the first day of the semester, and the lesson
topic is assimilation/accommodation. The concept
involves how children learn and acquire new informa-
tion. The instructor uses three forms of examples
(communication) to teach the concept. The first illustra-
tion (enactive) is having the student physically learn a
new (physical) skill. The second example (symbolic)
has the student listening to how a young child reacts to
different objects being rolled across the floor. The third
example (iconic) has the student examining a spoon-like
object in an attempt to classify its use. Footage is
interspersed with comments from the instructor’s
interview: how examples are selected, their purpose,
and their importance to students.
Role-Playing

Charlie Russell, a Western American artist (late
1800’s/early 1900's), visits the classroom. The dialogue
is a mixture of Charlie’s quotations and stories told in
his unique Western drawl. Humor and wit of the artist
are threaded throughout the visit. Charlie is inter-
viewed in costume and answers questions that reflect
his views on role-playing as a teaching technique.

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In the literature there seems to be no consensus on
what constitutes an excellent teacher, but we all know a
great teacher when we see one. The dilemma is not
recognizing excellence, but identifying its specific
characteristics.

Frank Paoni, Coordinator, Center for Educational Research
For further information, contact the author at Brookdale

Community College, Newman Springs Road, Lincroft,
NJ 07738.

 

 

EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin

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