promoting faculty development what i did on my holidays mike wills

Promoting Faculty Development

What I Did on my Holidays

Mike Wills

Acknowledgements

• The MAA

• The United States Military Academy at West Point

• National Science Foundation under Grant No. 08-546

• The Thayer Hotel (at USMA)

http://www.dean.usma.edu/departments/math/courses/FDW/FDW_NSF/Details.html

A View of the Thayer Hotel

Paper Darts

Deadly with a Paper Dart

I forgot my identically dressed partner

Team Continental U.S. M.A.th

Why Did I Go?

Why Did I Go?

• Improve Teaching

Why Did I Go?

• Improve Teaching

• Faculty Development

Why Did I Go?

• Improve Teaching

• Faculty Development

• It was Free!

Current and Past Teaching Techniques

• Primary means of communicating math is via lecture.

• Occasional Group Discussions

• Student Board Work

Features of Lectures

• Efficient

Features of Lectures

• Efficient

• The Standard Paradigm

Features of Lectures

• Efficient

• The Standard Paradigm

• Require Limited Involvement with Students

Features of Lectures

• Efficient

• The Standard Paradigm

• Require Limited Involvement with Students

• Force Students to Learn Outside the Classroom

Features of Lectures

• Efficient

• The Standard Paradigm

• Require Limited Involvement with Students

• Force Students to Learn Outside the Classroom

• Rarely Discussed Explicitly at the Workshop

A Student Viewpoint?

Today’s Student?

Features of Board Work

• In an extreme form, leads to the Moore Method

Features of Board Work

• In an extreme form, leads to the Moore Method

• Used in abundance at USMA and also at the Air Force Academy

Features of Board Work

• In an extreme form, leads to the Moore Method

• Used in abundance at USMA and also at the Air Force Academy

• Students are more likely to engage in class

Features of Board Work

• In an extreme form, leads to the Moore Method

• Used in abundance at USMA and also at the Air Force Academy

• Students are more likely to engage in class

• Can lead to a loss in the amount of content covered

Features of Board Work

• In an extreme form, leads to the Moore Method

• Used in abundance at USMA and also at the Air Force Academy

• Students are more likely to engage in class

• Can lead to a loss in the amount of content covered

• May increases the likelihood of a “transformational experience”

Features of Group Work

Features of Group Work

• Collaborative

Features of Group Work

• Collaborative

• Dynamic

Features of Group Work

• Collaborative

• Dynamic

• Smoothes over differences in students

Features of Group Work

• Collaborative

• Dynamic

• Smoothes over differences in students

Features of Group Work

• Collaborative

• Dynamic

• Smoothes over differences in students

• Slow Paced

Features of Group Work

• Collaborative

• Dynamic

• Smoothes over differences in students

• Slow Paced

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and

over again and expecting

different results".-Albert Einstein

Needs and Motivation(Hierarchy Theory)

33

Self-actualization

Belongingness

Esteem

Safety & Security

Physiological

• Where are your students?• At what level should we expect

them?• To what level can we elevate them?

Deep vs. Surface Learning

Deep Learning (LT Memory) Surface Learning (ST Memory)

Involves analyzing new information, relating this information to prior experiences, and leads to understanding and long-term retention of the new information for use in problem solving in unfamiliar contexts.

Involves accepting new information as isolated facts, and leads to short-term retention of the information for use as “cookbook” solutions to problems that are not fully understood.

Characteristics

Looking for meaning Relying on rote learning

Relates previous knowledge to new knowledge

New knowledge and previous knowledge are unrelated

Focuses on the concepts needed to solve a problem (memorizes for understanding)

Focuses on reproducing solutions to similar looking problems (memorizes for regurgitation)

Approaches to learning, not attributes of individuals

35

Tactile Ideas

• Throwing balls to illustrate the concept of a function

Tactile Ideas

• Throwing balls to illustrate the concept of a function

• Exploring geometric transformations of functions through interpretive dance

Tactile Ideas

• Throwing balls to illustrate the concept of a function

• Exploring geometric transformations of functions through interpretive dance

• Bring in games like the Towers of Hanoi

Tactile Ideas

• Throwing balls to illustrate the concept of a function

• Exploring geometric transformations of functions through interpretive dance

• Bring in games like the Towers of Hanoi

• Go outside and use trig to measure the height of a tree

Other Teaching Ideas

• More writing assignments

• More real world applications

• Role-playing

Faculty Development

• Start small

• Attend each other’s classes regularly

• Share ideas about a course with colleagues before you/they teach it

• Regular discussions about development

A Useful Resource

Learning to Teach & Teaching to Learn

Matt DeLong and Dale Winter