30-Second Expert
Topic
 Peer instruction
Rationale
 Similar to Think-Pair Share. This activity can be used to introduce
material or to review a text that has already been read. This activity
gets students thinking about texts or topics in a non-threatening
way.
Objective
 Engage students in a brief collaborative learning experience
Materials/preparation
 30-Second Expert Worksheet
Instructions
 To complete this activity, students form pairs and take turns
sharing what they know about a particular topic. Each student
shares for 30 seconds. The 30-Second Expert Worksheet provides
more information about how to implement this strategy.
Student Handout 2.8
30-Second Expert
To complete this activity, take a few minutes to fill in the left column, “What do I know about this topic?” Once
you have written all that you know about the topic, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Stand and find a partner. Stay standing.
Step 2:One person shares his or her thoughts while the other listens. You have 30 seconds to share.
Begin by saying, “I am an expert on this topic because I know…”
Step 3:The listener will summarize what he or she has heard. Begin your summary with “According to”
(insert name) and summarize what you heard. After your summary, ask, “Did I get that right?”
Step 4: Reverse roles. Speaker becomes listener and listener now speaks.
Step 5: Be sure to thank your partner when you are finished.
Step 6: Record any new knowledge in the right column.
Topic or prompt: ___________________________________________________________________________
Partner’s name: ____________________________________________________________________________
What do I know about this topic?
28
AVID Critical Reading
What new knowledge or understanding have I gained
from listening to my partner?
32-Day Commitment
(On Course)
Topic
 Self-management
Rationale
 See 32-Day Commitment Worksheet
Objective
 To establish a new positive learning habit or extinguish an old
negative habit
Timeline
 A consistent amount of time each day (depending on the habit) for
32 consecutive days
Materials/preparation
 32-Day Commitment Worksheet
Instructions
 Have the students reflect on a reasonable habit or daily action they
would like to establish to be successful in the class, such as:
 Student must commit to performing the action for 32 consecutive
days, and check off each day. The number of days can be modified
for this activity, however, i.e. a 10-Day Commitment.
 A helpful psychological trick for carrying out this commitment is
to set a goal of not breaking the chain of check marks and focus on
that each day, rather than focus on completing the entire
commitment, which may seem overwhelming.
 Students should receive recognition for completing their
commitment.
3-2-1 Quickwrite
Quickwrites require a writing prompt of some type, such as:
 The clearest point of today's class was;
 The muddiest point of today's class (or something that confused
me or I want clarified) was:
 How I prepared for class today:
 What I liked best that helped me learn:
 What I wish had been discussed during today's class:
For a 3-2-1 Quickwrite, students are asked to respond to the following
prompts:
 List 3 that you learned during today’s lesson.
 List 2 things about today’s lessons that you have questions about.
 List the 1 thing in today’s lesson that you found most interesting.
Learning Strategies Quiz 1. A learning strategy to facilitate peer instruction is: A. 32‐Day Commitment B. 3‐2‐1 Quickwrite C. WWHOW Test Review D. 30‐Second Expert 2. The main purpose of the 32‐Day Commitment learning strategy is to facilitate: A. Summary and reflection B. Peer instruction C. Self‐efficacy and personal responsibility D. Self‐management 3. Which learning strategy could be used help reduce a student’s anxiety about responding to questions in front of the class? A. Think‐Pair‐Share B. WWHOW Test Review C. 3‐2‐1 Quickwrite D. KWL 4. The main purpose of the Practicing Creator Language learning strategy is to facilitate: A. Self‐management B. Peer instruction C. Self‐efficacy and personal responsibility D. Summary and reflection 5. Which learning strategy would typically be used near the end of class or after class? A. 30‐Second Expert B. Trello Board C. WWHOW Test Review D. 3‐2‐1 Quickwrite Borrowed from On Course I Workshop Handbook (www.oncourseworkshop.com) Adapted from Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman Borrowed from On Course I Workshop (www.oncourseworkshop.com) Practicing Creator Language
(On Course)
Topic
 Self-efficacy, personal responsibility and developing a growth
mindset
Rationale
 Researchers have known for a long time that the socialpsychological dimensions of learning play a hugely important role
in academic settings. That is, students’ beliefs, attitudes, thoughts
and stereotypes about learning are critical factors in determining
their ultimate success. Recent research suggests that interventions
designed to influence these social-psychological dimensions can be
both surprisingly simple and effective. (Mindset by Carol Dweck is
a good reference for this topic.)
Objective
 Provide a structured model students can use to dispute selfdefeating beliefs about learning and get into the habit of thinking
within the loop of academic improvement.
Materials/preparation
 Practicing Creator Language Worksheet
Instructions
 Many students, even some of the most academically capable, enter
higher education doubting that they are “college material.” For
years, they have internalized the criticisms of them by important
people in their lives or society. Their past experiences with formal
education have often been frustrating, as they have failed to live up
to their own or others’ expectations. They may arrive on campus
with negative core beliefs about their own academic abilities or
even personal value, which may be reinforced by cultural
stereotypes. They allow low self-confidence to contaminate their
choices, limiting what they will attempt and achieve. They may be
prone to adopting a “fixed” mindset as opposed to a “growth”
mindset. By empowering students to believe in themselves, we
expand the boundaries of what they think is possible for them.
 The Practicing Creator Language Worksheet can be completed at
any time, but may be more effective after a specific test or
assignment. First students make a numbered list of items
responding to the prompt in the first column.
 Next, students respond to the prompt in the second column for
each item in first column. Students can use the sheet Four Ways to
Dispute Your Inner Critic for suggestions.
Practicing Creator Language Worksheet
This is a private activity. No one will see what you write here unless you choose to show them.
Victim/Critic Language
Creator Language
Your “inner critic” may tell you that you are not good at
math, that you are a bad writer, or that you are not college
material, for example. Your “inner victim” may tell you that
your level of ability is in-born and cannot be changed, that
your future success is determined by luck or forces beyond
your control, or that others are to blame when you are not
successful. While such thoughts are natural for everyone, it
is important to recognize that thoughts are not always facts.
They are often just myths we use to defend ourselves and
can be self-defeating, if we become convinced they are true.
Write down some statements your “inner critic” or “inner
victim” has used or may use to explain your performance in
college, in this class, or on a test or assignment.
Your “inner guide” uses creator language to tell you
that outcomes and experiences are natural
consequences of your choices. Your inner guide
believes you have ownership of your life and
encourages you to actively plan for success. Your
inner guide knows that your abilities and intelligence
are not fixed, that they can grow and develop over
your entire lifetime through practice, feedback and
reflection. Skills and knowledge are learned – they
are not in-born traits. Use the language of your inner
guide to dispute the statements in the left-hand
column. See the sheet Four Ways to Dispute Your
Inner Critic for suggestions.
Model Readiness Assurance Task about Metabolism Matter (atoms and molecules) cycles through living things in ecosystems. Carbon is one such atom. It is present in the atmosphere mostly as carbon dioxide (CO2). Plants and other photosynthetic microbes are the only organisms that can take this form of carbon into their cells and convert it into an organic form. Making large molecules from small ones takes energy. The process that does this is photosynthesis, and the energy for it is provided by sunlight. Photosynthetic organisms make glucose, sucrose and all the other organic molecules it needs, such as cellulose, starch, lipids, DNA and proteins. Plants do not take up these organic molecules from the soil. All living organisms (including plants) oxidize (burn) these sugars in cellular respiration. The released energy is then captured in a convenient form that cells can use, ATP, which is often called the energy currency of a cell. Respiration provides a complex set of steps that release energy in a controlled way from sugar, fat and protein. Food can also be used for building new cellular components (biosynthesis). Learning Goals You should be able to: 1. Identify reactants and products of cellular respiration and photosynthesis from a given equation. 2. Distinguish between photosynthesis and respiration in terms of energy use and energy release 3. Distinguish between matter recycling and energy flow during cellular respiration and photosynthesis 4. Explain the process by which dry biomass of the plants increases or decreases (identify the responsible atom or molecule). Readiness Assurance Test 1 Name________________________________ Team#______ 1. Identify the product(s) of Respiration a. Oxygen b. CO2 c. ATP (energy) d. B and C 2. During photosynthesis, CO2 is fixed into…….. a. Organic molecules (such as glucose: C6H12O6) b. Oxygen (O2) c. Water (H20) d. All of the above 3. An acorn grows into an oak tree. What is the main source of the additional dry biomass (i.e. excluding water) present in the oak tree? a. nutrients from the soil b. sunlight c. organic molecules from other organisms d. CO2 from the air 4. A healthy radish plant growing in a greenhouse is covered with a screen box that blocks sunlight. After 10 days, the mass of the plants will have ___________ . a. increased b. decreased c. not changed d. can’t say based on the information provided Plant Growth Experiment Modified from Plant Growth Puzzle by Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities. A plant physiologist investigating plant growth grew radish seeds in three growth conditions (Table 1). In each growth condition (treatment), the researcher put three replicate batches of seeds, each weighing 1.5 g. After 10 days, the biomass in each replicate was dried at 60 °C overnight to remove water and its mass was determined. 1. For each growth condition in Table 1, predict whether the seeds will germinate and grow into plants (hint: in what conditions do seeds germinate naturally). Table 1. Experimental growth conditions for radish seeds. Growth Condition Will plants germinate? Light, no water A. yes B. no Light, water A. yes B. no No light, water A. yes B. no 2. Seeds contain a lot of starch and oil to provide energy during germination and initial growth. Think about the change in biomass you expect to observe for seeds in the three different growth conditions. Based on your answers to previous question, predict for each growing condition in Table 2 the average biomass of the three replicates after 10 days (hint: seeds have very little water, so each batch of seeds began with ~1.5 g of dry biomass). Table 2. Predicted biomass changes for radish seeds in three growth conditions. Growth Condition Predicted Biomass at 10 days Observed Biomass Light, no water A. < 1.5 g B. ~1.5 g C. > 1.5 g _____ g Light, water A. < 1.5 g B. ~1.5 g C. > 1.5 g _____ g No light, water A. < 1.5 g B. ~1.5 g C. > 1.5 g _____ g Trello Board
Topic
 Time and self-management
Rationale
 Trello is a website (www.trello.com) and corresponding smart
phone app that functions as sort of an electronic “collaborative” todo list. It has a lot of functionality, but it’s easy to use as just a
fancy version of an old-fashioned to-do list. To-do lists are a great,
basic time and self-management tool for everyone – especially
overcommitted freshmen. One recent university study indicated a
typical freshman can have 80 or more assignments per month to
manage, whereas juniors have perhaps half this number! So it is no
surprise freshmen often feel overwhelmed. To-do lists can help
relieve the anxiety associated with this workload.
Objective
 Create and maintain a to-do list (i.e. Trello “Board”) to assist with
time and self-management
Materials/preparation
 Trello Board (paper or electronic)
Instructions
 Trello Boards are organized into three lists: a list of things To Do,
a list of things you are currently Doing, and a list of things that are
already Done. The goal is to move items from the To Do list to the
Doing list and ultimately to the Done list. With electronic boards
this is done through simple app commands, and the items can be
annotated in various ways. On paper we will simulate this
movement by drawing a horizontal arrow from one list to the next
and adding notes, as shown on the Trello Board below. The goal is
to have all possible arrows drawn.
Trello Board
Board Notes:_______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
To Do
ex. HW 3.1
ex. Read ch. 3
Doing (item notes)
Started 10/17
Read first 10 pg.
Done (item notes)
Finished, got 95
WWHOW
Topic
 Test and assignment review
Rationale
 Research tells us there are important differences between the way
successful and unsuccessful students review tests (and other graded
assignments).
 Grade C, D, F students typically do not look beyond the
grade.
 Grade B students look at the grade and then focus on the
“right answer.”
 Grade A students look at the grade and then ask “Why did I
miss this?”
Objective
 Provide a structured model students can use to review tests and
other graded assignments, to duplicate the behavior of A students.
Materials/preparation
 WWHOW Student Worksheet, WWHOW Instructor Worksheet
Instructions
 The WWHOW Student Worksheet is completed after a test or
assignment. First students make a numbered list of items
responding to the questions in the first column. Caution students to
be thoughtful and complete in their responses.
 Next, students respond to the questions in the second column for
each item in first column. Students need to be encouraged to not
give superficial answers, e.g. “I lost the points because I didn’t
know the answer,” or “I didn’t know how to do that.” Why did
they not know the answer? Had they not done the HW or readings?
Are they not engaged while reading? Were they absent or not
participating in class? Were their notes poor or poorly reviewed?
Etc.
 Finally, based on the reasons given in the second column, students
make a concrete plan to improve each item.
 Review students’ worksheets and provide feedback at least once.
 The instructor participates in this activity as well, by completing
the WWHOW Instructor Worksheet and getting feedback from the
class.
WWHOW Student Worksheet
What did I do well?
Why did I lose
How can I fix these
What did I not do well?
points? Why did I
problems? How can I
Where did I lose points? make these mistakes? adjust? How do I plan
to do better?
WWHOW Instructor Worksheet
What did I do well?
Why did students lose How can I fix these
What did I not do well? points? Why did the problems? How can I
Where did students lose students make these adjust? How do I plan
points?
mistakes?
to do better?