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Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Have you ever thought that the longer you teach, the more you expect students to know certain things – such as that coming to office hours is useful or to reach out before an assignment or problem set is due to ask for help or for an extension? What …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-5-the-unwritten-academic-rules-of-college/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? What can you do when students in small groups seem reluctant to talk? You might already pair students up to talk about a concept in class. But have you paired them up and then still heard crickets? It could be because the students feel uncomfortable – uncomfortable speaking with …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-4-going-for-a-stroll-as-a-teaching-strategy/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? We have all been there, having to endure lengthy meetings or long class periods where there are limited opportunities to get up and move, challenging our abilities to stay focused. Dozing off and droopy eyelids can be a thing of the past by using Brain Energizers in your classroom. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-3-energizing-and-reigniting-tired-or-busy-brains/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Overheard on campus: Student 1: I am so confused about this assignment. I don’t even understand what the professor is asking me to do. Student 2: Maybe you should go talk to her during her office hours about the assignment. Student 1: Oh, I don’t want to bother her. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-2-demystifying-office-hours/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? As professors, we want our students to succeed. We diligently prepare curriculum, devise pedagogical strategies and set expectations. But when our students don’t progress, we often struggle to find a way to help them without lowering the bar. How much help constitutes support, and where do we cross the …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/11-1-supporting-versus-coddling/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Last week’s SIP discussed reasons why faculty might want to use Student Response Systems. This week’s SIP extends the discussion and provides tips for iClicker use. With more than 7 million student users, iClicker is the most popular SRS in the U.S. today. Along with 1,100 other institutions, several Metropolitan State …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/10-15-tips-for-successful-iclicker-use/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Engaging a room full of students can be challenging. Simply asking “who can tell me … ?” or using one of its different forms – “does anyone know the answer?” – usually leads to the same result: the same few students raise their hands, and their responses serve as a …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/10-14-student-response-systems/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? The trifecta of effective online instruction comprises social presence (see SIP 10.10), instructor/teaching presence (see SIP 10.2) and cognitive presence. Cognitive presence is a combination of active learning, critical thinking and reflection. Most people learn best by actively working with new concepts and ideas, rather than passively reading about them …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/10-13-using-active-learning-strategies-in-online-courses/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Extracurricular activities support student success, and the ever-expanding recreational and competitive gaming industry – otherwise known as esports – is another way for students to engage and get involved on campus outside the classroom. Extracurricular activities positively benefit involved students, as data shows that they tend to miss fewer …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/10-12-recreational-and-competitive-gaming-on-campus/
Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? We acknowledge that some individuals prefer being addressed as “autistic”, and others prefer “person with autism”. In this article, we use person-first language and not identify-first language. Aaron is a bright 28-year-old with a diagnosis of autism. He wants to be a physicist. He always aces his math and …
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Permanent link to this article: https://sites.msudenver.edu/sips/supporting-learning-in-students-with-autism-strategies-that-benefit-all-students/