Author: shiqiang225

Comment on Avoid Distraction from Electric Devices   by shiqiang225

Posted on by shiqiang225

Digital distractions are like double-edge sword, even myself will constantly check my phone for incoming emails and/or messages. Still, I prefer keeping the classroom setting simple and trying not to use too many technologies except PPT slides, if I’m the instructor. I took the communicating science class, and any digital devices were not allowed. The instructor just let us sit in one circle and talked to us in person without PPT slides. The class environment was quite inviting, and we were all engaged in this class actively throughout the 3 hours.

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Comment on Who Knows How to Use a Screw Driver? by shiqiang225

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Using the idea of cooking for critical pedagogy is brilliant. Everybody needs to eat, and we can practice our cooking skills every now and then. This helps us master the skills quickly, and we can practice lots of innovative cooking ways/ingredients. In higher education, we also need to put things we learn into practice and try to deal with real issues. Depositing knowledge into students’ brain without linking them to their life experience will not equip them what they need to excel in their later career and best tap their potential. Just like the example in the post, we need to teach engineering student how to use these daily-life tools/equipment, like a screw driver, and their connection with the existing knowledge in the textbooks.

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Comment on The second album by shiqiang225

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It is really fascinating that we all learn something new from this pedagogy class and start to rethink about our teaching style. Finding a universal teaching style is mission impossible considering you are dealing with students having diversified backgrounds. Sometimes we get to know a new way of teaching and want to practice it in class, and in the end it may not meet your expectations. I’m quite agree with you that we just need to follow our inner voice and stay true to be teacher you are most comfortable with. Sometimes the most simple way is the most efficient way in teaching.

Comment on I want my voice be heard in class. by shiqiang225

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Some students can be introvert, and hence it can be difficult to let them express the problem during the class. Solving the issue in a face-to-face setting after the class is the best solution. I always feel that office hours is a great way to enhance the teacher-student bond since one-to-one experience can be a little bit more private, and students are more willingly to talk. I really appreciate that nowadays school and university are offering all kinds of opportunities to facilitate the student-centered learning, since every feedback is valuable in the learning process.

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Comment on DISCOVERING YOUR AUTHENTIC TEACHING SELF by shiqiang225

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Sometimes I feel the teacher-student relationship go both ways. Students want teachers to be energetic and engaging, while teachers also want to see their hard work and preparation pay off. I know that in some class, though the teacher is quite confident and very familiar with the content, students in the back row are still sleeping or doing other things (like reading the social media and sending messages). From the teacher’s perspective, seeing these behaviors can be quite frustrating, and they may not have enough time to get to know this student’s background for only one semester.

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Comment on WHAT DOES A GRADE MEAN? by shiqiang225

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Ranking associated with grading system can definitely be scary to lots of students. It promotes competition between peers and hinders efficient learning. We need to come up with a better evaluation system in higher education rather than a simple GPA. With multiple assessment approaches, we can know one specific student from all aspects. The journey is long, but I know lots of universities are actually trying different ways to assess all students. That’s some progress.

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Comment on TAKING EVERYTHING TEACHERS TEACH IS NOT ENOUGH by shiqiang225

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Thanks for sharing your personal story. Teachers can only provide us the basic knowledge and some limited experience. As students, we need to take advantage of these basic information and then explore the world in front of us on our own. It takes interest, courage, passion, persistence and perspiration, instead of burying inside between books and simple instructions. I’m glad that mindful thinking works so well in learning a new instrument, and you can definitely achieve more with this golden rule.

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Comment on Be Knowledgeable Before Being Creative by shiqiang225

Posted on by shiqiang225

In the past, we always believe that only the most talented and knowledgeable scholars can stay in the ivory tower. However, things started to gradually change in the digital era. I agree with the author that sometimes we emphasize too much on fostering imaginative and innovative students while ignoring the fact that they do not even have a solid background in math and/or science. Students born in the digital era learn how to google everything, including fundamental knowledge, instead of remembering them. Technologies guarantee people high efficiency but also makes people lazy. Should we also plan for the worst if one day there is no electricity and no Internet? Can the students in the digital era survive with over exaggerated imagination?

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