student presentations

Using the Peer-Review Process to Stimulate Classroom Discussion

by Bryan Zeitler, Molecular and Cell Biology
One thing I find particularly frustrating is achieving a meaningful class dialogue after student presentations. Despite repeated calls for questions or comments from the class, it is not unusual for me to be the only one speaking after a student talk…[so] I implemented a written and oral peer review process that encouraged students to actively participate during and after student presentations.

The Renaissance Lyric Poem as Pop Culture

by Kimberly Johnson, English
My students approached the readings for my course with a combination of resentment and trepidation…They were reluctant to believe that these alien, stiff, wrought verses could be understood by a 21st-century readership, much less that they could provoke any passion other than boredom.

Understanding the Lives of Ancient Egyptians

by Deanna Kiser, Near Eastern Studies
The daily activities and concerns of the earlier society’s participants are lost on modern people, who view the entire culture as dead. This affects new students to the field in particular… I have found that helping Egyptology students to identify with the ancient Egyptians generates more enthusiasm for the subject matter and makes it meaningful to them.

Cultural and Communicative Approaches to Teaching Music

by Mathew Gelbart, Music
I feel strongly that a course of this nature should not give musically experienced students an unfair advantage, especially since it is nominally geared toward those with little to no musical background. I want the less experienced students to come away not with an inferiority complex, but rather, with a new interest in some exciting music.

Not Exactly Dick and Jane: Using Children’s Books to Make Theory Accessible

by Anne Marie Richard, Education
I…[had] students divide into teams and create a children’s book that reflects the issues and concepts of one of the topic areas of the course. Each group was thus challenged to convey complex theoretical issues in simple and practical terms through developing a story (either fiction or non-fiction) that included a plot and illustrations.

Reciting Latin Verse

by Edan Dekel, Classics
A sensitivity to the oral aspect of the language not only reinforces material learned through traditional means, but also opens a window into the sublime quality of Latin which can serve as motivation for further study. With an eye towards the latter benefit especially, I have included an oral component in all my introductory Latin classes. This consists specifically of the study and practice of Latin poetic recitation.