Strategies for Successful Teaching

Promoting more effective teaching and learning

8 tips for developing more effective lesson plans for college teaching

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Julie Dodd

by Julie Dodd

I feel like I’ve sat in on classes across the communications curriculum, as I’ve just finished reading a collection of lesson plans from the graduate students in Mass Communication Teaching.

I’ve been a part of group discussions, watched PowerPoint presentations, been assigned to a small group to compare print and digital versions of magazines, and looked for media examples to illustrate concepts discussed in class.

I’ve thought about the history of communication before iPads, televisions and newspapers. I’ve considered how best to tell a story. I’ve debated what media ethics should mean to reporters.

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5 resources to help you be more effective in college teaching

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Julie Dodd

by Julie Dodd

A major part of Mass Communication Teaching is having each class member teach class on a topic related to teaching, such as multiple-choice testing, learning styles, and incorporating discussion into class.

Each of those teaching topics is a big issue, but each teaching presentation is only 30 minutes. So a key part of developing the lesson plan is determining what are the most important aspects of the topic to talk about.

Another key part teaching class is demonstrating what we’ve been reading about in “McKeachie’s Teaching Tips” and “What the Best College Teachers Do” – which is promoting active learning and not just lecturing.

Part of the process of developing a lesson plan is doing research on your teaching topic. Here are five resources:

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