Team-Based Learning, OTA Adjunct Faculty Reflection
TEAM BASED LEARNING REFLECTION
This past year I have struggled with teaching a high school class for Medical Anatomy and Physiology as well as some of my college classes. Not that I was a bad teacher. I have implemented many things that I have learned over the years with Active Learning and Service Learning and going beyond the classroom. The part that I struggled with was that I felt that there was not much discussion. When I would try to initiate discussion and more critical thinking there would be a definite DUHHH what are you talking about moment. No one would read there text books or have any sort of idea before what the subject was. I would end up lecturing between activities and students look bored and most of the rest of the learning was passive. I didn’t want it that way. I kept encouraging them to read the material first to be prepared and still they wouldn’t read. I made chapter reading and answering questions as part of their grade and still they wouldn’t read or they would copy off a neighbor.
The team based learning seminar taught me another way that I can work on fixing this problem. With the guidelines I learned in this seminar I can give the students back the responsibility and make them more accountable for learning as well. I had sort of given them some accountability before this course but not enough. Team based learning focuses on individual accountability and team pressure for accountability. I have had many group projects and other activities for active learning, but now I think students will be better prepared for those projects and integrate higher learning with critical thinking skills and application of knowledge.
What do I plan on doing? I will have chapter reading mandatory before starting a unit. They will have to turn in the question for the chapter before we start discussion. They will not get points for late chapter readings. Then I will give them a readiness aptitude test individually and then as a group before we start discussion and group activities for application. I will also have the group rate each other on these projects on how much they contributed.
I think this approach will work much better in my college classes as there is a little more intrinsic motivation from the students. It will be interesting to see if it will work with my high school students as some of them don’t seem to care too much about their grade as long as it is a D- or above and think that any class work must be done in class and not at home. Hopefully I will at least get more of them involved.
Preventing Death by PowerPoint
I think you can see that there was something that I learned from the discussions today.
First, I tried to use simple slides with limited text involved.
Second, I used bold pictures to convey the message and meaning.
Third, I tried to use text that would elicit discussion on the topic rather than me lecturing. (I am using the original powerpoint for my notes only.) At the end of my powerpoint I put in an assessment picture to see if they can see what is actually wrong after discussion on correct splinting.
I really enjoyed the active learning workshop today. It really makes me think about my approach to teaching and even when I think I am doing a good job, I come to see how I can be more effective.
This past year I have struggled with teaching a high school class for Medical Anatomy and Physiology as well as some of my college classes. Not that I was a bad teacher. I have implemented many things that I have learned over the years with Active Learning and Service Learning and going beyond the classroom. The part that I struggled with was that I felt that there was not much discussion. When I would try to initiate discussion and more critical thinking there would be a definite DUHHH what are you talking about moment. No one would read there text books or have any sort of idea before what the subject was. I would end up lecturing between activities and students look bored and most of the rest of the learning was passive. I didn’t want it that way. I kept encouraging them to read the material first to be prepared and still they wouldn’t read. I made chapter reading and answering questions as part of their grade and still they wouldn’t read or they would copy off a neighbor.
The team based learning seminar taught me another way that I can work on fixing this problem. With the guidelines I learned in this seminar I can give the students back the responsibility and make them more accountable for learning as well. I had sort of given them some accountability before this course but not enough. Team based learning focuses on individual accountability and team pressure for accountability. I have had many group projects and other activities for active learning, but now I think students will be better prepared for those projects and integrate higher learning with critical thinking skills and application of knowledge.
What do I plan on doing? I will have chapter reading mandatory before starting a unit. They will have to turn in the question for the chapter before we start discussion. They will not get points for late chapter readings. Then I will give them a readiness aptitude test individually and then as a group before we start discussion and group activities for application. I will also have the group rate each other on these projects on how much they contributed.
I think this approach will work much better in my college classes as there is a little more intrinsic motivation from the students. It will be interesting to see if it will work with my high school students as some of them don’t seem to care too much about their grade as long as it is a D- or above and think that any class work must be done in class and not at home. Hopefully I will at least get more of them involved.
Preventing Death by PowerPoint
I think you can see that there was something that I learned from the discussions today.
First, I tried to use simple slides with limited text involved.
Second, I used bold pictures to convey the message and meaning.
Third, I tried to use text that would elicit discussion on the topic rather than me lecturing. (I am using the original powerpoint for my notes only.) At the end of my powerpoint I put in an assessment picture to see if they can see what is actually wrong after discussion on correct splinting.
I really enjoyed the active learning workshop today. It really makes me think about my approach to teaching and even when I think I am doing a good job, I come to see how I can be more effective.
