- Oct 2018
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www.chronicle.com www.chronicle.com
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what preconceptions students have about your course material
Not a "first five minutes" thing necessarily, but polling is a good way of activating prior knowledge. Prior to the first meeting, I often poll students (using Google Forms or PollEv) on what they've read.
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If students’ prior knowledge is faulty
Could get sticky with colleagues. "Foucault WHAT?! Who told you THAT?!..."
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That way, every student has the opportunity to answer the question, practice memory retrieval from the previous session, or surface their prior knowledge — and not just the students most likely to raise their hands in class.
I've seen folks do this with index cards: I think the small form factor and disposability emphasizes the spontaneity and makes students more likely to overcome anxiety. I would also add that this exercise is particularly good for introverted and/or insecure students: I think it feels easier to read something than to speak it, for many students.
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But instead of offering a capsule review to students, why not ask them to offer one back to you?
Twofer, I like it: a) cognitive psyche-based emphasis on repetition after an interval to cement the memory and b) emphasis on student-centered ethos, on the student becoming the master of what goes down in class.
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At the end, he returns to the questions so that students can both see some potential answers and understand that they have learned something that day.
I like that, especially since the students will have forgotten about the questions by the end in many cases. But will I remember to bring them back?!
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the first five minutes of a college class often get frittered away with logistical tasks
I think my teaching notes template actually says "fritter away five minutes" on the first bullet point under the heading.
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