Some Thoughts On Pedagogy

Here is a start on some thoughts born out of teaching arts students a weather and climate course.

I submit that the most important learning especially for first year classes is not the content but the development of problem solving, communication, analytical, and critical thinking skills. Yet many intro courses are structured around memory work and truckloads of concepts that will likely be forgotten a month after the final exam.
Given the above, I have structured my "Weather and Climate" course as a course in "thinking like a scientist" using weather and climate as a case study.
As an example, I section my weather and climate course around the following key questions: a) what determines temperature? b) what determines precipitation? c) what determines weather? d) is the climate changing? if so why, in what ways, and what should be done about it? In the first class, the students collectively develop a plan to address question a).
I have found that in-class pair exercises greatly increases student involvement and attention. It also gives the instructor a chance to wander around and make individual contact with students.
Get students out of their seats and animated. Eg, instead of describing 3 modes of heat transport, have a group of students actively figure it out with a box of tennis balls. After such displays, key concepts are much more strongly anchored in student minds.
Have students identify what they don't know and rank it in order of importance.
Make extensive use of classroom assessement techniques. Eg, at the end of lectures on difficult topics, have the students summarize what they thought were the key points and write one question on a 3 x 5 card to be returned to the instructor.
Teaching Tips is a good first stop for ideas on everything from "Dealing with stress" to course design and "101 Things the First Three Weeks".
The most important learning tools for my own children are: wonder, curiousity, and play. How can we promote these in education?

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