Teaching Matters

Teaching students to think creatively about problems is a critical step in promoting metacognition, problem-solving, and even productive collaboration. A lifelong puzzle enthusiast, Eric Berlin has created a variety of resources, including puzzle-based mystery novels and free word puzzles, that can be used by teachers, parents, and students to promote creative thinking. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of using puzzles in a variety of settings, both in the classroom and at home. Through a free subscription to his website, www.puzzleyourkids.com, you can receive a weekly free puzzle.

Colleges and universities sometimes have an “arm distance” relationship with their communities. Alternatively, Dr. Jeffrey Partridge, Director of the Heritage Project at Capital Community College in Hartford Connecticut, offers a more productive approach. In a recent essay titled, “Higher Ed Approaches to Empowering Students,” which appeared on the Getting Smart online community, Dr. Partridge discusses the value of Place Based Pedagogy for student learning, community engagement, and empowerment.

In previous times, students who missed class either ignored the transgression, or were forced to address the issue with their teacher during office hours, or during a subsequent class period. Modern communication tools, however, offer new avenues for accounts, excuses, and apologies surrounding absences. In his recent book titled, Dear Professor: A Chronicle of Absences, Filip Noterdaeme presents over 200 emails that he received from students explaining and apologizing for absences. In this podcast, we explore Noterdaeme’s book, and lessons to be learned about the emotional nature of apologies between students and teachers. Noterdaeme’s book holds a 2016 copyright and is available from Punctum Books at: https://punctumbooks.com/titles/dear-professor-a-chronicle-of-absences/

It's back to school with another season of Teaching Matters! New podcasts will be uploaded every week on Tuesday morning. Thank you for all the support thus far! When students enter college, or undergo other similar transitions during their academic careers, they are at greater risk of academic difficulties. This episode features Wendy Merb-Brown, who is the Assistant Dean of University College at Ohio University. Wendy directs a campus wide learning community program for first-year students, which is designed to support students as they transition to a new stage in their academic career.

Dr. Stephen Hunt is Director of the School of Communication at Illinois State University in Normal Illinois. For several years, Steve and his colleagues have worked with the American Democracy Project, which is a program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, to integrate political engagement activities into college curricular and co-curricular experiences. Dr. Hunt discusses how this initiative has grown at Illinois State, assessment data on its success, and steps that teachers and parents can take to promote political engagement among students. To learn more about the American Democracy Program, visit: http://www.aascu.org/programs/ADP/

Ulrich Boser is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he examines education issues. He talks with Scott Titsworth about his recently published book, "Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything". For more information on the book, visit: http://ulrichboser.com/

As Basic Course Director in the Department of Communication at George Mason University, Melissa Broeckelman-Post is responsible for training and supervising 50-60 instructors who teach 3500-4000 students per year in the required introductory communication skills courses taken by all students, as well as developing curriculum, managing the program, and assessing learning outcomes. Dr. Broeckelman-Post discusses how different course structures and interventions facilitate learning.

Dr. Katherine Ziff is an assistant professor in the department of counseling at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC. Ziff’s recent book, Art Break: A Creative Guide to Joyful and Productive Classrooms, was published in 2016 by Swallow Press. In this episode, Ziff discusses the use of Art Breaks in elementary school settings as a potential therapeutic intervention that can improve students emotional orientation toward learning while at the same time centering them around productivity tasks like critical thinking, problem solving, and positive social interactions. Art Breaks, according to Ziff, are potentially useful for students in any classroom and can potentially be used by parents in home settings. Ziff’s book can be purchased through the Swallow Press website (http://www.ohioswallow.com/search?q=ziff) or through other online booksellers.

Dr. Angela Hosek directs the basic communication course in Ohio University’s School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication. Dr. Hosek discusses how group dynamics play a role in the learning process for millennial students, as well as how education approaches must adapt to the ways in which millennial students tend to learn.

Nathan Carpenter and Laeeq Kahn – Nathan Carpenter is the Director of the Social Media Analytics Lab at Illinois State University, and Dr. Laeeq Kahn is director of the Social Media Analytics Research Team Lab at Ohio University. Carpenter and Kahn discuss uses of social media analytics as a new arena for teaching millennial students a wide range of liberal arts issues, ranging from quantitative reasoning to critical thinking.

Dr. Mayhew is a professor of Music in the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University and Conductor of the Ohio University Women’s Ensemble and Ohio University Choral Union. Paul discussed the role of communication and creativity in the classroom.

Ruthi Engelke, a representative of a national organization called Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed, discusses how the theatre of the oppressed philosophy provides a meaningful learning experience for contemporary learners of all ages.

April is a teacher at Athens Middle School who teaches courses related to technology and other STEM areas for 7th and 8th grade students in the Athens City Schools. April has recently integrated coding into her curriculum and discusses effective practices in student-centered teaching, particularly in technology-related subjects.

Dr. Chabot is a professor of Child and Family Studies in the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University. Jennifer specializes in issues related to pediatric health care and discusses the changing roles of children as those changes potentially influence how children and young adults experience educational settings.

Dr. Ken Kiewra is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Dr. Kiewra’s comments explore how to best help students learn how to learn in a constantly evolving information landscape. He offers practical advice for educators, parents, and students to encourage academic success.

Linda Rice is professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio University. Linda, who has taught at various levels, discusses the process of learning as it relates to contemporary students and how educators must adapt to provide meaningful learning experiences.

Dr. Wendy Reinke and Dr. Keith Herman are Co-Directors of the Missouri Prevention Center, which brings together community members and researchers to help schools and families promote social and academic success. This interview focuses on a recent research article published by Reinke and Herman exploring dynamics of classroom interaction related to problematic behaviors in classroom settings. If you'd like to learn more about the work being done at the Missouri Prevention Center, visit: http://prevention.missouri.edu http://pbi.sagepub.com/content/15/1/39

Laura Harrison and Pete Mather are professors of Higher Education and Student Affairs in the Patton College of Education at Ohio University, and authors of a recently published book titled, "Alternative Solutions to Higher Education’s Challenges: An Appreciative Approach to Reform". Harrison and Mather discuss their book and its potential implications for using appreciative inquiry to transform teaching and learning.

Senior Vice Provost for Instructional Innovation at Ohio University, Dr. Cohen discusses various trends in educational innovation ranging from e-learning to learner-centered classroom spaces.