"Students don't go over the assigned readings", "They come to class without having done research on the topic", "They don`t want to think"..
What do I do to change that? How do I engage students into doing what I "have-to-teach-them-because-it-is-in-the-syllabus?", do I create opportunities for them to use what they "have to" learn?
I think I want to start by creating blogs like this for each student and ask them to make a weekly comment in theirs and someone else's blog, as we do. This is because students should get into the habit of logging in to do an assignment. In that way I would move from facebook, which I am using for the habit formation, to blogger.
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteThis is my personal experience. My teenagers were a bit bored with the traditional style of lecturing. When I started sharing new techniques I am learning and when I suggested them to have a blog for our class they started showing more enthusiasm. Of course I have to be very careful now and continuisly add motivating exercises, links to music and other interesting activities... but I feel that they are proud to belong to a group and they make their best to write at least a few words in relation to the exercise or suggestion for the week.
It gives them a sense of formality but at the same time the sense of "belonging" and they feel good about this process. I would try it right away.
Regards,
Carol Ortiz