Sometimes, I have a difficult time drawing a through-line from one reading to the next. For example, we read Gottschalk and Hjortshoj about integrating writing into the classroom - no matter what the topic may be - but then we read a Moodle chapter on computerized quizzes and Christina Haas's study on the effects of writing tools on mental processes. What is the connection? Really, it all comes down to thinking and output. The thinking can take the form of teaching methodology, planning before writing, or creating/taking quizzes in Moodle. The output is the course itself, the written word, or the answer to a quiz question. This all brings back the idea of "safety," which Gottschalk and Hjortshoj stress as a critical inhibitor of learning. Instructors learn from students and vice versa. I myself sometimes feel "unsafe" in the classroom, simply because I have never taught a class before, nor have I had the responsibility of ensuring the learning of 25 students. It can be a heavy burden, but I believe that if I can draw a through-line from one classroom discussion to the next, then I can provide myself with a direction for instruction, and I can explain to the students how each topic is relevant to the next. If these readings are teaching me anything, it is how to relate one subject to another.
Sometimes, I have a difficult time drawing a through-line from one reading to the next. For example, we read Gottschalk and Hjortshoj about integrating writing into the classroom - no matter what the topic may be - but then we read a Moodle chapter on computerized quizzes and Christina Haas's study on the effects of writing tools on mental processes. What is the connection? Really, it all comes down to thinking and output. The thinking can take the form of teaching methodology, planning before writing, or creating/taking quizzes in Moodle. The output is the course itself, the written word, or the answer to a quiz question. This all brings back the idea of "safety," which Gottschalk and Hjortshoj stress as a critical inhibitor of learning. Instructors learn from students and vice versa. I myself sometimes feel "unsafe" in the classroom, simply because I have never taught a class before, nor have I had the responsibility of ensuring the learning of 25 students. It can be a heavy burden, but I believe that if I can draw a through-line from one classroom discussion to the next, then I can provide myself with a direction for instruction, and I can explain to the students how each topic is relevant to the next. If these readings are teaching me anything, it is how to relate one subject to another.