Do what you're going to do every other day.
So most of the days what I do is exercises.
And so we're going to start with an exercise.
And I know that you don't know anything about the topic, but that's okay because you're
going to start from there.
We're going to sort of even maybe challenge some of our assumptions.
So, first of all, I'm a very organized and very structured person, so we go over all
of the how I'm going to assess, the course outline with the dates and nothing is going
to change: sort of the contract between the students and me, and that's the way I present
it.
And then they have a chance to ask questions.
But once that's out of the way, we usually - so in advertising class, I'll show them
a series of maybe 6 ads and say "are these good ads or bad ads?"
And I'll pick ones that are ... you're not sure.
And so they have to sort of start thinking about and defending what's a good ad, what's
a bad ad, how do I know, how do we measure that, and that's what we're going to be talking
about throughout the year.
And actually every advertising class, I start the class with an example of an effective
and a non-effective ad and why are they.
And so ... and then the fun thing is the last day of class I show them the same six ads
that they had the first day and then we have a completely different discussion and they
realize how much they have learned based on the first day to the last day.
My previous approach was always what my instructors had done.
We'd come in, hand out the syllabus, read through the syllabus line by line by line
for the entire class.
And so six years ago I thought "is this the best way to use this first 5 minutes of class
when students have probably the greatest curiosity that they'll ever have regarding that course?"
And so I've changed it so that when students come into class, I say "welcome to my class,
you're in the right place, I'll be your professor, my name is this, you can call me that, and
let's get started on a problem."
And I have them work together in teams of 2 on a problem that is representative of the
nature of the material that will come later in the course.
Now it's not ... it doesn't require a high level of in-depth knowledge to complete the
problem, but what they learn through this exercise - and it runs for about 30 minutes
- is they get a really good glimpse of what the course is going to be like.
They'll be working in pairs quite often in class, they'll be expected to share their
thoughts and to ask questions to try to find their way through the problem.
And so, like I say, after 30 minutes, they already know what the entire course is going
to be like.
And part of what I've sprinkled into this problem are some topics that will come up
later and so, as we discuss this little problem, after they've worked on it for a while, I'm
able to say "oh, that's a great idea and a great observation.
We'll talk about that in the fourth week of the course" or "that will come up in week
nine."
And so it allows me to foreshadow what's going to come up later on in the courses as well.
Sometimes too it helps people who aren't interested in the material or the class to see - because
I only teach electives - so, this is not for me, you know, this isn't how I'm going to
enjoy it.
And try and incorporate lots of ways to bring the students into actively engaging with whatever
you're going that day.
So, if it means having them read part of the syllabus aloud or discussing the assignments
in smaller groups or discussing the themes of your course.
Sometimes I have a couple of options in the syllabus that we vote on or discuss or kinda
clarify.
And I think it's important to set a great tone for what's to come, so to get people
engaged and excited about it.
So, you know, if you've got any fun kinda splashy material, then that's the time to
bring it out, right?
To get it set up, to introduce things, and to get people engaged, but also to make sure
there's no confusion.
You know, you need to get everyone on the same page so the students have a very clear
understanding of what you're going to expect and what they need to do to participate in
the class.
And so I never try to leave my classroom on the first day without accomplishing those
basic tasks.
I also give them background on who I am so they know more about me and hopefully this
helps them make a better connection and ... or more interested in the course as a result
of that.
They also have to complete a - it's a form I give out - a Who Am I form and it's stuff
I want to know about them.
So, this is an undergraduate course in the College of Education, so I want to know where
they are in their program and what are their teaching areas and what are their interests,
but I also want to know what their experience is with educational technology, so I know
where we're starting from.
And in a way, it's almost like a pre-assessment in that I'm gaining knowledge from them through
that form.
And I can refer back to that form throughout class when I'm putting them in groups or when
I'm trying to come up with activities and share knowledge that I want to really make
them interested in it and so I try and connect with something that's actually meaningful
to them.