Re: What to do now

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

Another way to get conversation going is to ask a question of the Mazur
type, have the students discuss what they think the answer is and then
have a vote.  To encourage risk taking, have the students close their
eyes when then vote.  With the results on the board, you have a sense of
the distribution of ideas in the class and can work off of
that.  Generally if the response is mixed, I ask for someone to defend
each of the views and get into a discussion.  If only a few miss the
question, I generally ask for an explanation of the majority view.

Good luck

On Tue,
18 Sep 2001, Vic Decarlo wrote:

> Rather than you asking students if they have any questions
> (and getting dead silence), turn it around - you ask them
> questions, and from their responses, get some sense of what
> it is they do and don't understand.   Use this information as
> a framework for further class discussion.
>     As for the kinds of questions to ask, use the "two-minute"
> problems popularized by Eric Mazur in his book "Peer Instruction"
> and also used by Thomas Moore in his "Six Ideas That Shaped
> Physics" textbooks.  If anything, it'll get your students more
> involved in the class activities.
>
> Vic DeCarlo
> Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
> DePauw University
>
> Tina Fanetti wrote:
>
> > Hello all
> > And now for something completely different.
> >
> > I was called into my supervisor's office yesterday.  My physics stude=
> > nts think I am a bad teacher and accuse me of not answering questions=
> >  etc etc.
> >
> > I am like they don't ask questions.  I ask them if they are getting i=
> > t and I get no response. =20
> > They just had their first test.  They did horrible.  This is a calc b=
> > ased class and they are all going to be engineers at a much tougher s=
> > chool than this.
> >
> > I don't know what to do.  I can't slow down anymore.  I have to do so=
> > mething.
> >
> > I also have a problem relating to some of the foreign students.  I wo=
> > uld like some advice regarding this too.
> >
> > I had a long talk with my students today begging them to ask question=
> > s telling them I can't help you if I don't know what you don't get.  =
> > It makes perfect sense to me and if you don't tell me that it doesnt'=
> >  make sense to you...I assume you got it.
> >
> > Tina
> >
> > Tina Fanetti
> > Physics Instructor
> > Western Iowa Technical Community College
> > 4647 Stone Ave
> > Sioux City IA 51102
> > 712-274-8733 ext 1429

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr.               219-284-4662
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556