CI 512: Teaching and Learning
Summer 2011
Teaching is much more complex than simply walking into a
classroom and doing what you remember worked well for you
when you were a student.
- Grant and Sleeter
Class Outline
 Introductions (9:00-9:30)
 Community Standards
 Small Group (9:30-9:45)
 Whole Class (9:45-10:00)
 Theory Reading and Break (10:00-10:20)
 Theory Discussion (10:20-11:00)
 Teaching Style Self-Evaluation or Syllabus (11-11:30)
 Wrap-up (11:30-11:50)
 Note-taker:
 One note-taker each class
 Create a written record of class activity, including important
written and verbal class contributions
 Useful for both absent students and as a record of class
activity
 Notes should be posted to the class wiki no later than 24
hours after class
 Observer:
 One observer each class
 Observer should pay attention to elements of the class
environment of the observer’s choosing
 Observer provides respectful, extrospetive comments at
the conclusion of each class
Introductions
Name
Area of study
Positive memory of a learning or
teaching experience
Community Standards
 Brainstorm a list for the following:
(a) Goals of classroom discourse
(b) Ways to promote productive discourse
bell hooks
 American author, feminist, educator
and social activist.
 Writing focuses on the
interconnectivity of race, class,
and gender and their ability to produce
and perpetuate systems
of oppression and domination.
 Primarily through
a postmodern perspective, hooks has
addressed race, class, and gender in
education, art, history, sexuality, mass
media and feminism.
“Engaged pedagogy emphasizes mutual
participation because it is the movement of ideas,
exchange by everyone, that forges a meaningful
working relationship between everyone in the
classroom… Engaged pedagogy makes the
classroom a place where wholeness is welcomed
and students can be honest, even radically open.
They can name their fears, voice their resistance to
thinking, speak out, and they can also fully
celebrate the moments where everything clicks and
collective learning is taking place.”
“In an engaged classroom students learn the value of
speaking and dialogue, and they also learn to speak
when they have something meaningful to contribute.
Understanding every student has a valuable
contribution to offer to a learning community means
that we honor all capabilities, not solely the ability to
speak. Students who excel in active listening also
contribute much to the formation of community. This
is also true of students who may not speak often but
when they speak (sometimes only when reading
required writing) the significance of what they have
to say far exceeds those of other students who may
always openly discuss their ideas. And of course
there are times when an active silence, one that
includes pausing to think before one speaks, adds
much to classroom dynamics.”
-bell hooks. (2010). Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical
Wisdom. New York: Routledge
Reading Questions
 Why are there multiple theories on learning?
 Why do we study theory?
Theory
Definition: A theory is an idea or
concept that is proposed based upon
previous knowledge
Why Study Theory?
 Gain a broad foundation of knowledge
built by “distant colleagues” who have
devoted their lives to the improvement of
teaching and learning
 Thorndike (Behaviorism)
 Brownell (Anti-behaviorism)
 Dewey (Progressive/Pragmatist)
 Piaget (Constructivism)
 Vygotsky (Social Learning)
Why Study Theory?
 Identify your personal learning theory
 Choose instructional methods with
intentionality
 Defend instructional methods with
informed rationale
Conclusions
 ClassWiki
http://ci512-summer2011.wikispaces.com/
 Syllabus
 First Assignment