This fall will be the first time I teach multiple sections of the same class. . .
One thing to consider is that I could experiment by trying different things with my different sections. For instance, I could stick with my regular old quotes for one section, have students write journal entries related to quotes in another section, and do more open-ended journalling assignments in the third section. Or, have the third section be the control group that does computers only.
The benefit is that I could try several different things and compare the outcomes (as percieved by me, such as how the class seems to react/engage, whether it is comfortable for me, etc.). Additionally, since my classes are only 8-weeks long, I could modify my ideas for the second half of the semester and experiment even more.
A drawback is that conducting different activities in each section would entail some additional prep work, which might not be feasible considering my schedule this fall. Another drawback is that the validity of this type of comparison could be comprimised by the chemistry of the different classes. What I mean is every class is different, so even if a technique doesn't seem to work well with one particular group, it might be very well received by a different group.
All in all, experimenting with is an idea worth considering. It might be fun to try!
1 comment:
If there is to be any large-scale experimenting, it has to be from one semester to the next. I am overwhelmed as it is with the amount of grading and preparation I have to do for three sections of the same class.
I do occasionally accidentally present information in a slightly different way from one period to the next, and I learn from that.
But actually planning different lessons--no way! Not enough time.
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