Teaching in Large Classes

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Teaching in Large Classes
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Research

• Research
• Bibliography
• Our advantages
• Project Based Learning
• Alternative Assessment
• Planning time
• Technology

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Planning, planning, planning
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Room arrangements
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Instructional Strategies

• Cooperative Learning
• Layered Curriculum
• On-line presence
• Automating teacher functions

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Co-operative Learning Overview

• P ositive Interdependence
• I ndividual Accountability
• G roup processing
• S mall group skills
• FACE to face interaction

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Positive Interdependence

• Students work together to attain a common goal.
  They succeed or fail together.

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Individual Accountability

• Individual student performance is assessed and
  the results are reported to not only the
  individual but to the group. Each student
  contributes to the group's effort.

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Group Processing

• Students reflect upon what was learned, how it
  was learned and how well the group functioned.

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Small Group Skills/Teamwork

• Students must work together to reach goal.
  Students must attain skills for group to function
  successfully.

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Face to Face Interaction

• Students are put into heterogeneous learning
  teams of 2 to 6 members. Teams are seated to
  facilitate interaction. Team building allows the
  members to become promotive of each other's
  learning.

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Layered Curriculum

• Five steps to Project based, Differentiated
  Instruction

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1) Give the students the assignment options

• Giving the students the assignment options and
  rubrics ahead of time
• Provide a variety of options that will allow the
  students to master the topic. Include products
  catering to different learning styles and levels
  of technical proficiency

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Divide the unit assignments

• Each layer should represent a depth of study on
  the topic.

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C Layer

• Basic knowledge, understanding.
• Low level of technology
• The student builds on his/her current level of
  core information.  
• Worksheets, maps, reading, lecture, vocabulary
  games and puzzles (Quia/funbrain), basic
  powerpoint, flash cards, Timeliner, image
  collage, summaries, etc.  

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B Layer

• Application or manipulation of the information
  learned in the C layer.
• Problem solving or other higher level thinking
  tasks can be placed here.
• Research, commercials, hyperlinked powerpoint
  with appropriate media, creation of database,
  interaction with real world activities, writing
  assignments involving persuasion, small
  cooperative learning projects, web page or
  electronic textbook, etc.

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A Layer

• Critical Thinking and Analysis.
• This layer requires the highest and most complex
  thought as well as the most technical ability.
• Team video production, web page for teaching
  other classes, research and evaluation of web
  resources on a topic, etc.

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Resources

• Books
• http//www.help4teachers.com/index.htm
• http//differentiatedinstruction.com

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Automating your classroom

• Laptops are a huge advantage when you begin to
  shift towards a student centered classroom
• Class web page
• Video Streaming
• Microsoft Producer

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Automating teacher functions (lecture, discussion)

• Lecture
• Blackboard
• Grading
• Discussion Boards
• Make up work