Online teaching inherently involves technology. It is part of the deal. But all too often, technology can make us feel more distant from our students. It can be a barrier preventing connection instead of a tool to facilitate connection. If you have ever faced a
What does it mean to succeed without learning? That is a question I have wrestled with since last spring, when students in an introductory programming course I teach submitted assignments with computer code that was unusually advanced, well-structured, efficient, and carefully annotated. But when faced
John lost both his parents by the time he was 12. He moved around between different families, got himself into a lot of trouble, and eventually was expelled from high school. Fast-forward many years, and John, after earning degrees from Harvard, Columbia, and Yale, went
As coauthor Joe Keller prepared to revise his syllabus for the upcoming semester, he kept thinking about a moment from a previous course. A student turned in a research paper so polished he assumed they had help—and he was right. It was not plagiarism, but
As I examined students’ work and tracked their progress in the past few years, I observed a consistent pattern: many students were still repeating the same mistakes, showing limited improvement in conceptual understanding, and struggling with the language of mathematics. It became increasingly clear that
After discovering that we have both been applying Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering (2018) to our teaching, the two of us decided to compare notes. Parker’s book provides practical advice for creating enjoyable gatherings, from business meetings to bridal showers. Both of us were
It was midway through week four of the fall semester. The preservice teacher candidates sat in small groups, reviewing their assignments from the previous week. One student’s brow furrowed as she read her feedback, stopping on the comment “Add more differentiation for diverse learners.” She
Every day, educators encounter the challenge of assisting students in remaining engaged, demonstrating progress, and mastering the curriculum. What strategies can they employ to achieve this? The use of Mastery Paths is a feature in Canvas that allows instructors to customize the learning material to
In past essays, I’ve covered how students fool themselves into believing they have mastered concepts when they really haven’t and how faculty can fool themselves into thinking they have taught effectively when they haven’t. Now I want to focus on institutions of higher learning. I
If you use team projects and the grade comes only from you, you’re missing an essential opportunity. Including peer evaluations in your grades provides necessary information for you and gives your students a valuable team experience. Given that teamwork is one of the top skills
