Tag: Classroom

  • Being Genuine in the Classroom  – Faculty Focus

    Being Genuine in the Classroom  – Faculty Focus

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  • West Virginia Executive Order on ‘DEI’ unconstitutionally limits university classroom discussions.

    West Virginia Executive Order on ‘DEI’ unconstitutionally limits university classroom discussions.

    West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order yesterday to eliminate certain diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in state agencies and organizations that receive state money. While the state may limit certain programs or activities of state agencies, the executive order is written so broadly that it applies to classroom instruction in higher education. As such, the executive order violates the First Amendment and must be rescinded or amended to make clear that it does not affect what’s discussed in college classrooms. If the order is not rescinded or amended, West Virginia’s public institutions must protect faculty academic freedom rights and make sure that classroom teaching is not affected. 

    If you are a faculty member whose teaching may be impacted by Executive Order 3-25, FIRE is here for you.

    Provision 1.b. sweeps in an enormous amount of expression protected under the First Amendment protected expression at West Virginia’s universities and colleges. It provides: 

    [No] entity receiving state funds, shall utilize state funds, property, or resources to . . . Mandate any person to participate in, listen to, or receive any education, training, activities, procedures, or programming to the extent such education, training, activity, or procedure promotes or encourages the granting of preferences based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over that of another.

    This language violates the First Amendment, reaching college classroom instruction and discussion. It is viewpoint-discriminatory, prohibiting faculty from sharing any material that “promotes or encourages” a view while allowing them to criticize that viewpoint. And while other states’ anti-DEI efforts have included language that might protect discussions in university and college classrooms, West Virginia’s does not — instead, it applies to any agency receiving state funds. West Virginia’s public universities cannot both comply with the executive order and their obligations under the first Amendment. 

    Governor Morrisey should rescind or amend the Executive Order to make clear that it does not affect higher education classroom instruction. 

    Whatever authority states might have to regulate other state agencies (including K-12 education and non academic higher education programming), the university classroom context is different. The First Amendment protects the right of faculty members at public universities and colleges to discuss pedagogically-relevant material in their courses, even if that material is offensive to students, colleagues, the public, or lawmakers. As the Supreme Court held in Keyishian v. Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York (1967), state officials cannot use the law to impose an “orthodoxy over the [college] classroom,” where students learn “through wide exposure to that robust exchange of ideas,” not “authoritative selection,” wrote Justice William Brennan.

    FIRE has defended this important right across the ideological spectrum in courts across the country, successfully suing over Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act” and maintaining an ongoing challenge against California’s requirement that faculty incorporate ‘anti-racist’ viewpoints into their classroom teaching.

    Executive Order 3-25 violates those First Amendment rights. Under Executive Order 3-25:

    • A law professor teaching constitutional law cannot present Supreme Court opinions arguing in favor of race-conscious admissions at universities and colleges, including the dissenting opinions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College or the plurality or majority opinions in Bakke and Grutter.
    • A college professor cannot recount other arguments in favor of affirmative action or racial preferences, which remain legal in many other circumstances outside of the university context.
    • A professor discussing reparations — including proposals recently introduced in the United States Senate — can only criticize reparations, but could not present arguments in favor, even if they want to dissect those arguments.
    • A history professor would have to think twice before presenting materials relating to historic immigration policies that limited immigrants by national origin, as that might “promote” preferences based on national origin.
    • A political science professor cannot present materials arguing in favor of continuing to limit Selective Service (i.e., the military draft) registration requirements to men, or limiting combat roles to men, as those arguments would “promote” preferences based on sex.

    Diversity, equity, and inclusion statements FAQ

    Issue Pages

    Vague or ideologically motivated DEI statement policies can too easily function as litmus tests for adherence to prevailing ideological views on DEI.


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    Worse still, it is impossible for an educator to know what might “promote or encourage the granting of preferences” with regard to a particular student. For instance, since students reading the Supreme Court decisions in Bakke and Grutter may find their arguments convincing, even teaching about these landmark cases would risk violating the executive order. This cannot be reconciled with the First Amendment and academic freedom rights of West Virginia students and professors.

    The plain language of the provision clearly conflicts with West Virginians’ constitutional rights. Governor Morrisey should rescind or amend the Executive Order to make clear that it does not affect higher education classroom instruction. If you are a faculty member whose teaching may be impacted by Executive Order 3-25, please contact FIRE: https://thefire.org/alarm.

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  • A crisis of trust in the classroom (opinion)

    A crisis of trust in the classroom (opinion)

    It was the day after returning from Thanksgiving break. I’d been stewing that whole time over yet another case of cheating, and I resolved to do something about it. “Folks,” I said, “I just can’t trust you anymore.”

    After a strong start, many of the 160 mostly first-year students in my general education course had become, well, challenging. They’d drift in and out of the classroom. Many just stopped showing up. Those who did were often distracted and unfocused. I had to ask students to stop watching movies and to not play video games. Students demanded time to talk about how they were graded unfairly on one assignment or another but then would not show up for meetings. My beleaguered TAs sifted through endless AI-generated nonsense submitted for assignments that, in some cases, asked only for a sentence or two of wholly unsubstantiated opinion. One student photoshopped himself into a picture of a local museum rather than visiting it, as required by an assignment. I couldn’t even administer a simple low-stakes, in-class pen-and-paper quiz without a third of the students miraculously coming up with the same verbatim answers. Were they cheating? Somehow using AI? Had I simplified the quiz so much that these were the only possible answers? Had I simply become a victim of my own misplaced trust?

    I meant that word, “trust,” to land just so. For several weeks we had been surveying the history of arts and culture in Philadelphia. A key theme emerged concerning whether or not Philadelphians could trust culture leaders to put people before profit. We talked about the postwar expansion of local universities (including our own), the deployment of murals during the 1980s as an antigraffiti strategy and, most recently, the debate over whether or not the Philadelphia 76ers should be allowed to build an arena adjacent to the city’s historic Chinatown. In each case we bumped into hard questions about who really benefits from civic projects that supposedly benefit everyone.

    So, when I told my students that I couldn’t trust them anymore, I wanted them to know that I wasn’t just upset about cheating. What really worried me was the possibility that our ability to trust one another in the classroom had been derailed by the same sort of crass profiteering that explains why, for instance, so many of our neighbors’ homes get bulldozed and replaced with cheap student apartments. That in a class where I’d tried to teach them to be better citizens of our democracy, to discern public good from private profit, to see value in the arts and culture beyond their capacity to generate revenue, so many students kept trying to succeed by deploying the usual strategies of the profiteer—namely cheating and obfuscation.

    But could any of them hear this? Did it even matter? How many of my students, I wondered, would even show up if not for a chance to earn points? Maybe to them class is just another transaction. Like buying fries at the food truck and hoping to get a few extra just for waiting patiently?

    I decided to find out.

    With just a few sessions remaining, I offered everyone a choice: Pick Path A and I’d instantly give you full credit for all of the remaining assignments. All you had to do was join me for a class session’s worth of honest conversation about how to build a better college course. Pick Path B and I’d give you the same points, but you wouldn’t even have to show up! You could just give up, no questions asked, and not even have to come back to class. Just take the fries—er, the points—and go.

    The nervous chatter that followed showed me that, if nothing else, my offer got their attention. Some folks left immediately. Others gathered to ask if I was serious: “I really don’t have to come back, and I’ll still get the points?!” I assured them that there was no catch. When I left the room, I wondered if anyone would choose Path A. Later that day, I checked the results: Nearly 50 students had chosen to return. I was delighted!

    But how to proceed? For this to work I needed them to tell me what they really thought, rather than what they supposed I wanted to hear. My solution was an unconference. When the students returned, I’d ask each of them to take two sticky notes. On one they’d write something they loved about their college courses. On the other, they’d jot down something that frustrated them. The TAs and I would then stand at the whiteboard and arrange the notes into a handful of common themes. We’d ask everyone to gravitate toward whatever theme interested them most, gather with whomever they met there and then chat for a while about ways to augment the good and eliminate the bad. I’d sweep in toward the end to find out what everyone had come up with.

    So, what did I learn? Well, first off, I learned to temper my optimism. Although 50 students selected Path A, only 40 showed up for the discussion. And then about half of those folks opted to leave once they were entirely convinced that they could not earn additional points by remaining. To put it in starker terms, I learned that—in this instance—only about 15 percent of my students were willing to attend a regularly scheduled class if doing so didn’t present some specific opportunity for earning points toward their grades. Which is also to say that more than 85 percent of my students were content to receive points for doing absolutely nothing.

    There are many reasons why students may or may not have chosen to come back. The size of this sample though convinces me that college instructors are contending with dire problems related to how a rising generation of students understands learning. These are not problems that can be beaten back with new educational apps or by bemoaning AI. They are rather problems concerning citizenship, identity and the commodification of everything. They reflect a collapse of trust in institutions, knowledge and the self.

    I don’t fault my students for mistrusting me or the systems that we’ve come to rely on in the university. I too am skeptical about the integrity of our nation’s educational landscape. The real problem, however, is that the impossibility of trusting one another means that I cannot learn in any reliable way what the Path B students need for this situation to change.

    I can, however, learn from the Path A students, and one crucial lesson is that they exist. That is very good news! I learned, too, that the “good” students are not always the good students. The two dozen students who stuck it out were not, by and large, the students I expected to remain. I’d say that just about a third of the traditionally high-performing students came back without incentive. It’s an important reminder to all of us that surviving the classroom by teaching to only those students who appear to care is a surefire way to alienate others who really do.

    Some of what the Path A students taught me I’ve known for a long time. They react very favorably, for instance, to professors who make content immediate, interesting and personal. They feel betrayed by professors who read from years-old PowerPoints and will sit through those courses in silent resentment. Silence, in fact, appeared as a theme throughout our conversation. Many students are terrified to speak aloud in front of people they do not know or trust. They are also unsure about how to meet people or how to know if the people they meet can be trusted. None of us should be surprised that trust and communication are entwined. Thinking more fully about how they get bound up with the classroom will, for me, be a critical task going forward.

    I learned also that students appreciate an aspect of my teaching that I absolutely detest: They love when I publicly call out the disrupters and the rule breakers. They like it, that is, when I police the classroom. From my standpoint, having to be the heavy feels like a pedagogical failure. My sense is that a well-run classroom should prevent most behavior problems from occurring in the first place. Understandably, committed students appreciate when I ensure a fair and safe learning environment. But I have to wonder whether the Path A students’ appetite for schadenfreude reflects deeper problems: an unwillingness to confront difficulty, a disregard for the commonwealth, an immoderate desire for spectacle. Teaching is always a performance. But maybe what meanings our performances convey aren’t always what we think.

    By far, though, the most striking and maybe most troubling lesson I gathered during our unconference was this: Students do not know how to read. Technically they can understand printed text, and surely more than a few can do better than that. But the Path A students confirmed my sense that most if not a majority of my students were unable to reliably discern key concepts and big-picture meaning from, say, a 20-page essay written for an educated though nonspecialist audience. I’ve experienced this problem elsewhere in my teaching, and so I planned for it this time around by starting very slow. Our first reading was a short bit of journalism; the second was an encyclopedia entry. We talked about reading strategy and discussed methods for wrangling with difficult texts. But even so, I pretty quickly hit their limit. Weekly reading quizzes and end-of-week writing assignments called “connect the dots” showed me that most students simply could not.

    Concerns about declining literacy in the classroom are certainly not new. But what struck me in this moment was the extent to which the Path A students were fully aware of their own illiteracy, how troubled they were by it and how betrayed they feel by former teachers who assured them they were ready for college. During our discussion, students expressed how relieved they were when, late in the semester, I relented and substituted audio and video texts for planned readings. They want help learning how to read but are unsure of where or how to get it. There is a lot of embarrassment, shame and fear associated with this issue. Contending with it now must be a top priority for all of us.

    I learned so much more from our Path A unconference. In one of many lighthearted moments, for instance, we all heard from some international students about how “bonkers” they think the American students are. We’ve had a lot of laughs this semester, in fact, and despite the challenges, I’ve really enjoyed the work. But knowing what the work is, or needs to be, has never been harder. I want my students to see their world in new ways. They want highly individualized learning experiences free of confrontation and anxiety. I offer questions; they want answers. I beg for honesty; they demand points.

    Like it or not, cutting deals for points means that I’m stuck in the same structures of profit that they are. But maybe that’s the real lesson. Sharing something in common, after all, is an excellent first step toward building trust. Maybe even the first step down a new path.

    Seth C. Bruggeman is a professor of history and director of the Center for Public History at Temple University.

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  • The Case for Restricting Cell Phones in the Classroom 

    The Case for Restricting Cell Phones in the Classroom 

    A 2024 National Education Association poll found that 90% of teachers support prohibiting student cell phone use during instructional hours.

    Devon Espejo did not enter the teaching profession to spend her time policing cell phones in her classroom. An art teacher at Santa Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, CA, she has watched as phones and social media have tightened their grip on her students.  

    Educators are deeply concerned about the impact social media has on students’ mental health and believe those negative effects are another reason to limit access to phones at school. However, is the relentless, intolerable, and exhausting disruptions that have made their presence untenable. 

    “It takes up too much time. I don’t want to be the phone police,” she says. “I want to teach.”  

    Protecting the learning environment

    Santa Barbara educators took their case to the district, and the district, eventually, listened. In the 2024-25 school year, Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) enacted a new cellphone policy called “Off and Away” that requires all high school students to park their phones in “cell phone hotels” — numbered pouches hanging either on classroom walls or over doors — before they sit down in class. 

    For educators in the district and an overwhelming majority nationwide, these restrictions are welcome and overdue.  

    A 2024 National Education Association poll found that 90% of teachers support prohibiting student cell phone use during instructional hours. Seventy-five percent favor extending restrictions to the entire school day.  

    A 2023 student survey by Common Sense Media found that, on a typical day, the average student receives hundreds of notifications on their phone, about a quarter of which arrive during the school day. 

    “Students are so reassured by that sound. They’re flipping it over and looking at the screen without even realizing that they’re doing it,” says Noelle Gilzow, a science teacher in Columbia, MO, where a new restrictive cell phone policy was introduced in middle and high schools in 2024. 

    It is a step more schools are taking. Cell phone bans never went away, but prior to the pandemic, many districts were looking for a middle ground. Current trends, however, suggest that any lingering patience with the devices has faded.  

    “We’re definitely seeing more schools tighten up their policies,” says Elizabeth Keren-Kolb, professor of educational technologies at the University of Michigan. “The question is how far these bans should go.” 

    Considering all perspectives

    Currently, these bans or restrictions are limited to the classroom, where, says San Marcos English teacher Frank Koroshec, there really isn’t any convincing pedagogical reason to allow student access. “We have other resources in classrooms — iPads, Chromebooks — so I don’t think we need phones in the classroom for learning.”  

    Still, when designing and implementing a new policy, the voices of all stakeholders must be considered, says Victor Pereira, co-chair of the Teaching and Technology Leadership Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. “You need to listen to everyone. This is a complex issue, and all those folks come with very different perspectives.”  

    Many parents’ fear that they will not be able to reach their children during an emergency has fueled some opposition to more ambitious cell phone restrictions.  

    Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, cautions that cell phone communication during emergencies can increase safety risks. “During a lockdown, students should be listening to the adults in the school who are giving life-saving instructions, working to keep them safe,” Trump explains.  

    So far, parent support for the restrictions in place at San Marcos High has been encouraging, and educators there report that the learning environment has improved since “Off and Away” went into effect.  

    There are some holdouts among the parents, says Espejo, “but if they were to sit through a class with kids who have access to their phones and then sat through one where phones were not allowed, they would endorse it. It’s like night and day.” 

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  • How Technology Can Improve the Classroom for All

    How Technology Can Improve the Classroom for All

    Since going viral with her “Gen Z history” TikTok series, teacher Lauren Cella is using her platform to advocate for strategically utilizing — not restricting — technology in the classroom.

    How did you get started in your career in teaching, and what led you to start sharing your journey on social media?

    I didn’t initially plan on teaching. I studied journalism at San Diego State, inspired by movies featuring magazine editors. I later chose history as a minor just for fun. After college, I pursued journalism, but I eventually tried substitute teaching, loved it, and got my credential in history. 

    During COVID, my students encouraged me to post lessons on TikTok, where I shared content in a humorous, easy-to-understand way. My Russian Revolution video went viral, which led me to keep creating these quick, story-like history lessons. I love reaching people worldwide and making history engaging. My videos are only about a minute long, which helps with attention spans, although I know they simplify complex topics. My hope is these videos spark curiosity, encouraging viewers to explore history further. 

    What are some emerging trends in technology that you think are shaping the future of education or that you have used in your classroom to engage students? 

    AI is a major topic in education now, especially around how its used and the ethics of it. Initially, my school blocked ChatGPT but then allowed it when teachers started using it to adapt lessons for different reading levels or languages. In my journalism class, we discussed the ethics of AI. My students agreed it wasn’t ethical to let AI write an article for them, but they saw value in using it to generate interview questions. These discussions highlight that we can’t avoid new technologies — we need input from students, teachers, and administrators to navigate them responsibly. 

    Companies like Adobe are creating student-friendly versions of AI tools, helping ease the burden on teachers. I also use AI to caption videos, which saves time. Students heading into creative fields need to learn these tools, as AI proficiency is essential. Just as learning to type or use email became necessary, so will understanding AI. 

    Do you have any advice for balancing the benefits of technology with the need for face-to-face interaction in the classroom?

    Teaching during the pandemic proved technology can’t replace teachers. Students need human connection. While tech has its place, it should be used to build specific skills, not just replace traditional methods. For example, students should still use a pen and paper daily, as it activates different brain functions and builds motor skills. Using technology in class should go beyond digitizing worksheets; it should add real value, like using AI in art to analyze creative elements. Ultimately, tech should support, not replace, essential hands-on learning for students’ overall development. 

    Do you have any tips for teachers looking to stay organized and efficient so they can focus on engaging their students in the classroom? 

    My biggest advice: Don’t grade everything. It’s okay to assign work as practice without grading it. Focus on priority standards — what students truly need to know — and build multiple assignments into one when possible. Trying to do it all leads to burnout without improving student outcomes. Start small, establish routines, and add more gradually to avoid overwhelming yourself and your students. 

    Is there any technology that you recommend that helps with the behind-the-scenes side of teaching, like lesson planning and grading? 

    I recommend using tools like Illuminate and Google Classroom extensions like Brisk and Magic School to manage data effectively. For one-to-one schools, Google offers many helpful extensions, and programs like IXL provide valuable insights. The key is to focus on areas where students struggle most, using data to streamline your lesson planning. With large classes, pulling reports helps make sense of data and can guide your approach without being overwhelming. 

    Are there any key digital safety practices that teachers should be implementing to protect students online? 

    It’s challenging when schools block tools like ChatGPT or YouTube, as they can also be valuable educational resources. We’re at a crossroads and need more digital citizenship education to teach students about online risks and the lasting consequences of their actions. Many students don’t realize that certain online behaviors, like sharing inappropriate images, can have serious legal consequences. They’re also vulnerable to scams, online blackmail, and bullying, particularly on group chats and gaming platforms. Parents should be aware that even if kids aren’t on social media, they’re still interacting with others online. We must educate young people on these dangers, as laws haven’t fully caught up to technology. Parents, teachers, and students need to support each other, staying vigilant and reporting harmful situations online just as they would in real life. 

    Do you have any advice for teachers who are facing burnout or mental health struggles right now?

    It’s not you; it’s the system. You’re not doing anything wrong, and you can’t change everything on your own. If you burn out, they’ll replace you, but students benefit from experienced teachers. High turnover isn’t good for schools or students. 

    Social media can distort reality, making it seem like everyone is angry and divided. In reality, most people are not like that. Social media algorithms promote outrage, which skews our perception of others. Many teachers online appear to have perfect classrooms, but that’s often not the case — they face the same challenges as everyone else. I try to share positive experiences to stay motivated, but I’ve encountered many difficulties that I don’t discuss publicly. 

    It’s also easy for students to idolize influencers, but most of what they see online is curated and not real. They should focus on real-life skills instead of just consuming online content. Encourage students to engage in offline activities like sports, arts, or social groups to foster real interactions. For example, in my classroom, I limit phone use during free time to promote conversations and social skills. 

    To support students academically, tools like Canva and Google Classroom can help organize assignments and instructions in one place. This is important because students juggle multiple classes and responsibilities. They need resources to manage their workload effectively, like accessible rubrics and checklists. Technology allows students to take ownership of their learning, especially during emergencies. Teaching them to use project management tools can build important skills. At my school, we even grade time management alongside project quality. Overall, digital organization and project management are valuable skills for students and teachers alike.



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  • 9 Pedagogical Approaches for Higher Ed Explained [Plus: 40+ Free Strategies to Implement in Your Classroom]

    9 Pedagogical Approaches for Higher Ed Explained [Plus: 40+ Free Strategies to Implement in Your Classroom]

    This article will provide you with an understanding of what ‘pedagogy’ is, why it’s important for every classroom and how pedagogy has been evolving to take 21st-century skills and learning into account.

    You’ll learn about the different aspects of pedagogy, as well as some common pedagogical knowledge and approaches. Examples for each will provide greater insight into how you can apply different pedagogical teaching styles to your own classroom.

    With tips on creating your own pedagogy, including taking into account how digital technology and online and collaborative work are changing teaching, you’ll understand why and how having a clear and concise pedagogy can support your curriculum. 

    There are countless pedagogies that can work for your course. Download our free guide, which highlights and explains 9 different pedagogical approaches and how they can be used to keep your students motivated and engaged.

    Table of Contents

    1.0. What is pedagogy?

    1.1. Why is pedagogy important?

    1.2. How do you say ‘pedagogy’?

    2.0. Different types of pedagogy

    2.1. What is constructivist pedagogy?

    2.2. What is inquiry-based learning?

    2.3. What is the Socratic method?

    2.4. What is problem-based learning

    2.5. What is collaborative learning?

    2.6. What is integrative pedagogy?

    2.7. What is reflective pedagogy?

    2.8. What is critical pedagogy?

    2.9. What is culturally responsive teaching?

    3.0. Creating your own pedagogy

    3.1. How can pedagogy support your curriculum?

    3.2. How does pedagogy impact the learner?

    4.0. How is pedagogy changing?

    4.1. Online learning

    4.2. Personalizing pedagogies

    5.0. Conclusion

    Pedagogy is often confused with curriculum. The definition of pedagogy refers to how we teach—the theory and practice of educating. Curriculum refers to the material being taught. Pedagogy, meaning the relationship between learning techniques and culture, is determined based on an educator’s beliefs about how learning takes place. Pedagogy requires meaningful classroom interactions between educators and learners. The goal is to help students build on prior learning and develop skills and attitudes. For educators, the aim is to present the curriculum in a way that is relevant to student needs.

    Shaped by the educator’s own experiences, pedagogy must take into consideration the context in which learning takes place, and with whom. It isn’t about the materials used, but the process and the strategy adopted to lead to the achievement of meaningful cognitive learning.

    In a literal sense, the word pedagogy stems from the Greek word that effectively means “the art of teaching children.” More specifically, agogos means leader in Greek, and pedagogue refers to the teacher. Paidagogos were slaves tasked with taking boys to school and back, teaching them manners and tutoring them.

    Pedagogy vs. Andragogy

    Pedagogy is the teaching of children or dependent personalities. This means that it is up to the instructor to determine how, what and when course concepts are learned. Andragogy is the facilitation of learning for adults, who are self-directed learners. Adults are primarily driven by intrinsic motivation and can solve complex problems relying on past experiences. This must be taken into account in order to best support them in retaining new ideas, learning new ways of problem-solving, and strengthening independent thinking.

    1.1. Why is pedagogy important?

    Having a well-thought-out pedagogy can improve the quality of your teaching and the way students learn, helping them gain a deeper grasp of fundamental material. Being mindful of the way you teach can help you better understand how to help students achieve deeper learning. And it can, in turn, impact student perception, resulting in cooperative learning environments. The proper pedagogical approach helps students move beyond simple forms of thinking as defined in the Bloom’s taxonomy pyramid, like basic memorization and comprehension, to complex learning processes like analysis, evaluation, and creation. Students can leverage their preferred learning styles with a teaching process that supports them, and the way they like to learn.

    1.2. How do you say ‘pedagogy’?

    Pedagogy is pronounced differently in various countries. The International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciation is ˈpɛdəˌɡoʊdʒi/ /ˈpɛdəˌɡɑdʒi/. In both the U.K. and U.S., it’s often pronounced “ped-a-gaug-gee” (as in “geese”) though some use the “j” sound and pronounce it “paidag-o-jee” (as in the seventh letter of the alphabet, “g”.)

    Others, particularly in the U.K., say “pe-de-gaw-jee,” with more of an “ugh” sound in the middle, and replace the “go” sound with “gaw.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary suggests it should be “pe-de-go-je” (or ga).

    2. Pedagogical strategies

    There are countless pedagogies that can help you engage students. By implementing activities from different pedagogical techniques in your classroom, you’ll ensure students can tackle learning in a way that best meets their needs. Here, we outline nine pedagogical approaches that help students develop higher-order thinking skills and provide a more nuanced understanding of how their learnings fit into the world around them.

    2.1. What is constructivist pedagogy?

    Constructivist teaching strategies help students understand the meaning of their learning materials, instead of just passively ingesting content. Rather than focusing on the subject or lesson being taught, educators are encouraged to focus on how the student learns. 

    An example of a constructivist pedagogical practice:

    KWL(H) Charts are a great way to get an overview of student progress throughout the term. After finishing a unit or series of lessons, have learners fill out a chart with the following fields: What we know, What we want to know, What we have learned, How we know it.

    2.2. What is inquiry-based learning?

    Inquiry-based learning encourages students to ask questions and complete research while learning various concepts. The pedagogy focuses on helping learners acquire the skills necessary to develop their own ideas, as well as question themselves and group members in a constructive way. The four steps of inquiry-based learning are:

    • Developing problem statements that require students to pitch their question using a constructed response, further inquiry and citation.
    • Researching the topic using time in class where the instructor can guide students in their learnings
    • Presenting what they’ve learned to their peers or to a small group
    • Asking students to reflect on what worked about the process and what didn’t. Students focus on how they learned in addition to what they learned, to activate metacognition skills (or thinking about thinking).

    An example of inquiry-based learning: One way to incorporate inquiry-based learning in your classroom is through oral history projects. Ask students to research the personal histories of an individual of their choice, conduct interviews with the person (if possible) and create a presentation that includes artifacts, a feature article, a personal memoir and a photograph.

    2.3. What is the Socratic method?

    The Socratic method is a traditional pedagogy named after Greek philosopher Socrates, who taught students by asking a series of questions. The principle underlying the Socratic method is that students learn through the use of critical thinking, reason and logic. 

    An example of Socratic learning:

    To implement Socratic learning strategies in your classroom, arrange students in inner and outer circles. The inner circle engages in discussion, while the outer circle observes and takes notes. The outer circle then shares their observations and questions the inner circle with guidance from the instructor. The Socratic Method is one of many tools that professors at the University of Chicago Law School use to help theirstudents become lawyers. Elizabeth Garrett writes that “The Socratic Method provides all students greater confidence about talking to large groups, allows them to develop the ability to argue forcefully and persuasively, and teaches them to think critically. “

    2.4. What is problem-based learning?

    In problem-based learning, students acquire knowledge by devising a solution to a real-world problem. As they do, they acquire knowledge, as well as communication and collaboration skills.

    An example of problem-based learning pedagogical practice:

    Concept mapping is an engaging activity that helps students tackle complex course concepts. Divide the class into teams and present them with a course-related problem. One team member writes down a solution and passes the sheets of paper along to the next team member, who builds upon that idea and then passes it along to the rest of the team. In the end, a spokesperson can present their ultimate solution. In a study monitoring the learning of students in an Engineering course, the research found that participants’ learning gains from problem-based learning were two times their gains from a traditional lecture.

    2.5 What is collaborative pedagogy?

    Collaborative pedagogy rejects the notion that students can think, learn and write effectively in isolation. Collaborative pedagogy is a learner-centered strategy that strives to maximize critical thinking, learning and writing skills through peer-to-peer interaction and interpersonal engagement.

    An example of collaborative pedagogical practice:

    Set up stations or posters in a few locations around the classroom and get students to participate in a gallery walk. Divide students into small groups and have them rotate between each station together sorting their observations into categories. Finally, ask them to write down a list of questions about the source material they are viewing.

    2.6. What is integrative pedagogy?

    Integrative learning is the process of making connections between concepts and experiences so that information and skills can be applied to novel and complex issues or challenges.

    An example of integrative pedagogical practice:

    Hands-on learning experiences, like community service, are a great way to bring integrative pedagogy into the classroom. Holding fundraisers, volunteering at local schools or eldercare homes or preparing meals for those experiencing food insecurity are forms of experiential learning that can help students take part in community service activities, like volunteering at food kitchens, tutoring children in local schools, or working in local prisons and detention centers to help with literacy skills, like Queen’s Students for Literacy.

    2.7. What is reflective pedagogy?

    Reflective pedagogy encourages the instructor to reflect upon lessons, projects and assessments, with the goal of improving them for future use. Students are also encouraged to reflect on their performance on assessments and look for areas where they can improve.

    An example of reflective pedagogy:

    Conversation stations are a great way for students to engage with their peers and reflect on their own learnings. Instructors start by sharing a list of discussion questions pertaining to a course reading, video or case study. Students are put into groups and given five-to-ten minutes to discuss, before rotating to another group. The students who have just joined a group have an opportunity to share findings from their last discussion, before answering the second question with their new group. Similarly, reflective pedagogy is useful when used as a complement to placement-based internships. These pedagogical strategies allow students to understand what they have learned and experienced on a deeper level.

    2.8. What is critical pedagogy?

    Critical pedagogy asserts that issues of social justice and democracy are not distinct from acts of teaching and learning. It is a theory and practice that helps students question and challenge prevalent beliefs and practices—and achieve critical consciousness.

    An example of critical pedagogy:

    Flipped classroom strategies aim to increase student engagement and learning by having students complete readings at home and then work on live problem-solving during class time. These strategies allow instructors to orient their teaching to be knowledge-based, focusing on the development of critical thinking skills and understanding what it means to create a just society.

    2.9. What is culturally responsive teaching?

    Culturally responsive teaching is a more modern pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to and celebrates fundamental cultures. It strives to offer equitable access to education for students from all cultures.

    An example of culturally responsive teaching:

    Use learning stations in your classroom to accommodate a variety of student learning styles at the same time. Whether due to culture, socialization, preference or learning needs, students respond differently to a variety of content. You can provide a range of material to each student by setting up learning stations where students can play a game or watch a video.

    3. Creating your own pedagogy

    To create your own pedagogy, start by forming a personal philosophy of teaching statement. This is a crucial step in the profession of teaching. This helps students manage their expectations about your teaching methods and better approach your curriculum. Critically, make sure to support students in finding the best ways to understand the subject matter and encourage engaging discussions in the classroom.

    It’s also important to be mindful of the different educational experiences students have and their preferred methods of participation, as well as their personal experiences and backgrounds. That might include monitoring for cues like wait time between talking in a conversation, eye contact or using written forms of communication, like discussion threads. You can use real-world experiences to demonstrate abstract concepts, and link them back to everyday experiences to which students can relate. Followed by activities that are purpose-built to involve students, this helps learners break down course concepts in their own ways.

    3.1. How can pedagogy support your curriculum?

    Pedagogy can allow students to gain a deeper understanding of subject matter and can help them apply their learnings to their own personal experiences outside the classroom. Teachers can work together with students to come up with the best way for subject matter to be studied.

    Once you’ve created your own pedagogy in higher education, you can then develop course material and activities that are challenging for students. This will assist them in cognitive development, ensuring that they advance their understanding of concepts to higher levels.

    With a clear understanding of your pedagogy, students can follow your instruction and feedback clearly. They know what they need to do and how to do it, and can respond in kind. This encourages engaging dialogue between educators and students, as well as among students themselves—that’s because everyone shares ideas, questions, and knowledge to explore concepts and deepen their knowledge.

    3.2. How does pedagogy impact the learner?

    With a clear and concise understanding of pedagogy, everyone is on the same page. Students can comfortably share ideas and understand how curriculum will be approached and what’s expected of them. 

    Students expand their knowledge base, but also understand how to use their learnings in authentic and relevant real-world contexts. They can draw on their own cultural knowledge as well to come up with unique and personalized thoughts and opinions. Concrete evidence, facts and data, are combined with the exploration of cultural differences of others to further expand knowledge. This allows students to reflect on new concepts and open their minds to different approaches.

    Through your pedagogical strategies, students can also learn what approaches work best for them: Which learning activities and learning styles they tend to gravitate towards—and how to develop concepts and build mental models to further their learning—are all important elements to consider. Overall, active learning makes student engagement rise. Students get to participate in personalized teaching strategies, rather than be mere spectators in the classroom.

    4. How is pedagogy changing?

    Pedagogy has been evolving to better support 21st-century skills and ideas. The traditional classroom lecture is no longer as effective as it once was. Teaching has expanded to include new forms of learning, like interactive and collaborative projects and online and remote curricula, and to accommodate more flexible schedules.

    Real-world scenarios and cultural differences are being taken into account, affording students new ways to acquire, construct and organize their learning. Pedagogy is shifting focus beyond basic memorization and application of simple procedures to aiding students in higher-order learning, including critical thinking skills, effective communication, and greater autonomy.

    4.1. Online learning

    Online learning has become a significant part of higher education. Any modern pedagogy must account for students finding, analyzing and applying knowledge from a growing number of online tools, platforms and sources. Higher-order skills, like critical thinking and the ability to learn more independently, as well as in larger groups, are essential for engaging in online learning in a meaningful way.

    Students must be comfortable using technology to help them learn, and to access, share, and create useful information and gain better fluency in a subject. Educators, in turn, can use technology to enhance course materials and further support their pedagogies through blended learning that combines classrooms with online teaching, flipped classrooms that provide materials students can access after class, like videos, lecture notes, quizzes, and further readings, and overall wider access to sources and experts online.

    They can integrate new forms of technology to teach, like videos, animations, and simulations through sources like YouTube channels, podcasts and clickers. Digital textbooks can incorporate content like video and audio clips, animations, and rich graphics that students can access and annotate. All of this content enhances the experience for students, and particularly benefits students who are struggling. It can also reduce spending since students have plenty of valuable, real-time updated information at their fingertips for free.

    4.2. Personalizing pedagogies

    It’s critical that what you’re teaching students is relevant and meaningful, and personalized to their experiences. The increase in non-formal, self-directed learning methods means that students have more access to information than ever before. It makes it easier for educators to track their learning through digital activities. But it also requires more attention in guiding them to the right sources, adjusting lecture content and adopting approaches purpose-built for engagement and collaboration.

    In many innovative pedagogies, there’s a power shared between educator and student. Students learn more independently, instead of following a set course of lectures and textbooks from an instructor. In many cases, students thrive in self-directed learning methods, while educators can use lecture time more effectively for discussion and collaborative work.

    The educator, then, becomes a critical guide and assessor for students, linking them to accepted sources of information and emphasizing the importance of accreditation. They are no longer the only source of information, delivered in chunks via lectures. And this requires an overhaul of the strategy towards how student learning is achieved, monitored and assessed.

    5. Conclusion

    Pedagogies are constantly evolving. You can develop your own, inspired by common ones and modified for 21st-century learning. A pedagogy must fit your audience, and focus on helping students develop an understanding of the material beyond basic memorization and surface knowledge. Students should be able to relate concepts back to the real world, and even their own lives.

    Every pedagogy is different. A good starting point is to create a philosophy of teaching statement that outlines your communication goals as an instructor, and how you plan to relate the work you do in the classroom to professional development once the student moves on to a career. Then, design classroom experiences around this philosophy, work with students to adapt methods to encourage positive responses and determine how you will evaluate and assess their performance. It’s also worth considering how you will integrate technology into lesson plans and classwork, as well as promote inclusivity.

    Taking all of this into consideration makes for a great recipe for a successful pedagogical approach. The more aware you are of the way you are teaching, the better you’ll understand what works best for your students.

    Download the free guide: 9 Pedagogical Approaches—and How to Use Them in Your Course

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  • What it is and How to Use it in the Classroom – Sovorel

    What it is and How to Use it in the Classroom – Sovorel

    I recently published a book to help all educators deal with the new technological phenomenon which came about on 30 November 2022 known as ChatGPT by OpenAI (https://chat.openai.com). My book, ChatGPT AI in Education: What it is and How to Use it in the Classroom, available as a paperback or ebook on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/ChatGPT-AI-Education-What-Classroom-ebook/dp/B0BRWXPVB7 covers all of the main aspects of this AI as applied to education. Here is the book’s Table of Contents:

    What is AI and ChatGPT

    AI What is ChatGPT

    Exactly What Can ChatGPT Do?

    ChatGPT Limitations

    How Can ChatGPT Be Used in Education

    How to Use ChatGPT in the Classroom

    1. Use ChatGPT as an Essay/Assignment
    2. Creation Checker
    3. Prompt Skill Development Competition
    4. Reflect and Improve
    5. In-Class Preparatory Process
    6. Full Incorporation Option
    7. Reflection of Why
    8. Maximize the Localization and Personalization of the Assignment
    9. Use More Dynamic Assessment Techniques
    10. Feedback Provider
    11. Scaffolding Creator
    12. Instructor Assistance
    13. Virtual Guest Speaker
    14. Virtual Experiment Conductor or Guide
    15. Research Assistant

    Ethical Considerations

    Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

    AI Policy and Privacy Concerns

    Educational Institutions’ Policy on Use of AI

    Privacy Concerns

    Teachers’ Jobs Taken Over by AI

    Future of ChatGPT and AI

    More Integration

    This is Just the Beginning

    Call to Action

    Additional Resources

    AI Guides

    Videos

    Glossary

    References

    About the Author

    Feedback

    Other Available Books

    In addition to the book, I have provided a large number of guides, information, and infographics via Twitter (https://twitter.com/BrentAAnders) as well as multiple videos through the Sovorel YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sovorel-EDU/videos



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