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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.

o0¢ 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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