In The Classroom With Stan Skrabut

We are going to tap into a learning method that is over 2,000 years old. It is the Socratic discussion method. The Socratic method flips the classroom instruction from one where the instructor shares information on a topic to one where students share what they know about a topic. This dialogue is achieved through open-ended questions. Through this method, you will help students discover what they know about a topic like peeling back the layers of an onion. This episode will take a closer look at the elements of the Socratic discussion method, tips for putting it into practice, and ideas for taking it online. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc108  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

Each term that I have been working as an instructional technologist, I have offered to show faculty members how each of the classrooms works. Only a handful of instructors take me up on it and test drive their classroom. As can be expected, they have fewer issues than many other instructors who did not capitalize on the opportunity. When rehearsing your first class, it is important to do it in the classroom you are going to teach. You want to run through different scenarios to ensure everything runs smoothly. The last thing you want to have happened is for an issue to develop while you are teaching. Unfortunately, term after term, I see upset instructors in their classrooms. This is not the experience that we want to first present to our students. We can avoid this disruption with a rehearsal. This episode will take a closer look at the importance of rehearsing your first class. We will focus on the time spent before the first class. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroo

Reading is a fuel source for lifelong learning. If you want to be competitive in today’s world, you must continue to read and learn. Our students have not yet figured this out so we must guide them. The bottom line is that students will assess your class and make a value judgment on whether they should dedicate time to reading. If you do nothing with what students have read or do the reading for them, they will never read. This episode will take a closer look at strategies for encouraging reading in your classroom. Most of the strategies focus on making the reading assignments count as part of their grade. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc106  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

I had just finished reading Small Teaching by Dr. James Lang. He devoted an entire chapter to the concept of practicing. It certainly generated a lot of ideas. When I was in the Air Force, practicing was central to everything we did as we improved our knowledge and skills. I, like Dr. Lang, believe more can be done in our classrooms to help students become more successful. We can pack our courses full of content, but if students do not get a chance to get their hands dirty, they will not grasp the concepts as well. This episode will take a closer look at practice in your classroom. In addition to explaining why you should include more practice, I will highlight three strategies to consider. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc105  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.co

Because of my new role as a director of an academic library, I have been taking deep dives into how libraries can help in the classroom. While I have always appreciated the role of the library, I now have a better understanding of libguides and how they can serve you and your students. I was probably typical of most college students. I used Google and the general library database search engine. I was unaware of what libguides were and how they could help me. Instructors are in the best position to guide students to these tools. Libguides can help reduce cognitive load as well as teach students about resources used in a discipline. This episode will take a closer look at libguides. Specifically, we will examine why you would want to use a libguide for your course as well as ways to develop a libguide that will be used. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc10

Rubrics help to add grading consistency to assignments that can be difficult to grade. Adding a grading structure makes grading assignments easier and faster. Completed rubrics provide immediate feedback to students that is meaningful. Used as a formative tool, rubrics can point out areas for improvement as students develop course products. A well-designed rubric clarifies assignment requirements. This episode will take a closer look at rubrics. Specifically, we will examine why you would want to use rubrics and strategies for developing rubrics that will raise student performance. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc103  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

Scholarship is a conversation. At each instance, where it is a journal article, a class essay, or a conference presentation, we are contributing and extending the conversation. Too often students launch in a monologue rather than a discussion. They often present what they “know” without acknowledging those who contributed to their knowledge. Information literacy stresses the importance that scholarship is about dialogue. his means that we need to be teaching information literacy in every class. According to the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries (ACRL), “Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” This episode will take a closer look at the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. Specifically, we will examine each of the six frames and discuss strategies for incor

I am a huge fan of using technology to improve performance but I also understand that technology can also quickly cause damage. It is how you use it. Turnitin is one of those tools that can improve performance but you can do a lot of damage if you use it incorrectly. Turnitin checks paper submissions for originality. In other words, it does text matching to see if the content matches previously reviewed content. It will then generate a similarity report with a score. Consider Turnitin as a check engine light. The check engine light lets you know that there may be an issue but you still have to check it out. Blindly reacting to a similarity score without understanding the underlying cause will result in a break of trust with your students. This episode will take a closer look at Turnitin. Specifically, we will examine strategies that will help you turn it into a teaching and learning tool. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tu

In this episode, we are going to celebrate our first 100 episodes by highlighting what you found popular. I will countdown the top 10 downloaded episodes. When I looked over the list, there were only a couple of surprises but they were pleasant surprises. Come and hear what you and others found to be worth listening to. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc100  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

Professional athletes, musicians, CEOs, and other successful entities use coaches to take their abilities to the next level. During my time in higher education, I noticed that faculty are reluctant to use coaches. While workshops and conferences are beneficial learning opportunities, they pale in comparison to coaching in learning a new skill or raising a performance level. We ask our students to use tutoring or coaching services because we know it works. Shouldn’t we also serve as role models by using coaches to improve our performance? This week, I will be exploring instructional coaching. I will be looking at reasons why faculty shy away from coaching, reasons for using coaching, and tips for getting the most out of coaching. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc99  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpa

The decision to switch LMSs has already taken place. It is now a matter of executing the decision. In this episode, I am going to focus on the migration plan. When building your migration plan, you need to gather information about all the steps that you will need to take. You need a place to build out this project plan. This week, I will be talking about my process to develop a migration plan, the tools I am using, and key elements that I will be including in my plan. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc98  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

What is a lit trip? Basically, you plot book character or scene locations on Google Earth. You can follow the journey of the characters. Lit trips help bring stories to life. It is a form of augmented reality. When you are done creating a lit trip, you can then export the file and share it with others. You can also narrate the lit trip by creating a screencast. English teacher and technology-integration coordinator Jerome Burg helped to develop the concept of lit trips and put it on the map. This week, we are going to explore the concept of lit trips and explain how you and your students can get started. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc97  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

I once had an instructor come to me complaining that none of her students completed a web creation assignment. After further investigation, I discovered that the assignment was worth only 3%. I commented that I would not have done the assignment either. The grade has to demonstrate value. Likewise, creating practice quizzes with no grade attached will not get many takers. Students have been conditioned by the education system that anything worth doing has a grade attached. If you want students to practice more, then make the grade worth more. This week, we are going to explore nine strategies for using grades and your grade book to help shape learning. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/ Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc96  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

Trying to stretch dollars, students will first purchase a mobile device before investing in a computer. In terms of convenience, students will have a mobile device in their possession virtually 24 hours per day and leave their computers at home. It only makes sense that they will try to use their mobile devices to support their learning. By creating mobile-friendly content, you can make learning easier for students and increase classroom success. Strategies for accessibility and Universal Design for Learning will certainly increase the likelihood of mobile-friendly content. However, there are other techniques you should consider. In this episode, we are going to cover 11 methods for making your courses more mobile-friendly. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc95  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander 

You can more quickly learn how to use new software by employing a method that Professor Allen applied at San Diego State University to help students learn new software. The method is called the Menu Item Search Strategy or more commonly known as MISS. The MISS method helps you quickly identify what you already know and what you need to learn about a piece of software. I will be employing this strategy as I help my faculty transition to a new learning management system. In this episode, we are going to be covering the MISS method. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/ Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc94 Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/ Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

I would like to take you on my journey as I hand over operations in Jamestown and start working at Dean College. I want to let you know what I am thinking about as I settle into my new instructional technology role. First, I am going to talk about the strategies I used to plan my job search. Then I will share some of the things I did to help with the transition away from JCC. Finally, I will talk about what I am doing to prepare to go to Dean College. I will actually start my first day when this episode releases. I will then start putting other strategies and tactics into motion as I settle into the new job. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/ Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc93  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

Audio files are a wonderful way to supplement the content already in your courses. They can provide an alternative to text files. Additionally, students can listen to lectures over and over again at a speed of their choice. This is good for review and note-taking. In this episode, I will share six ways to capture an audio file that you can upload to your course. These methods include: Using Zoom audio recordings Recording a lecture with an audio recorder Converting text to speech Recording podcasts Converting YouTube to MP3 Saving videos as MP3 files during processing Also, come join me next week when I talk about a new learning journey that I am about to embark upon. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc92  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/textexpander  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/read-to-succeed/ 

The SAMR Model is a four-tiered framework created by Dr. Ruben Puentedura. The tiers include: Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition These four levels will help you look at your current instructional strategy and help you find an appropriate technology equivalent. Because of the need to move to an online or remote teaching format, there is an increased interest in using technology to increase engagement as well as accomplish tasks that were previously analog. The SAMR model provides a thoughtful approach to incorporating technology to enhance learning. This week we are going to take a closer look at SAMR. Specifically, we will take a look at each tier and provide ideas for implementing this instructional technology model. Come learn more. Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InTheClassroomPodcast/  Other podcast episodes: https://tubarksblog.com/intheclassroom  Show notes: https://tubarksblog.com/itc91  Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/  Sponsor: https://tubarksblog.com/

I first learned about the SQ3R method while I was a student at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School. It is a strategy that has helped me as I worked through all my degree programs and during my career in the Air Force. It is a strategy that I think will help your students do better in their classes. I thought this strategy so important that I included it in my book, Read to Succeed: The Power of Books to Transform Your Life and Put You on the Path to Success. The SQ3R method simplifies the process that Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren outlined in their book, How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. Adler and Van Doren provide a detailed process for analyzing a book. Most students will not go to such lengths; however, SQ3R will help them better read. SQ3R is a five-step process for active reading: surveying, questioning, reading, reciting, and reviewing. Students believe they are meeting the spirit and intent of a reading assignment when they passively read a chapter

I just finished reading Brain Rules by John Medina. It was a fascinating look into how the brain works. Medina talked about sensory memory, short-term or working memory, and long-term. If we want our students to remember what we are teaching them, we have to obey the rules the brain puts into place. For long term memory to form, we need to keep strengthening the connections already formed. It is a lot harder to remember something if you do not have experience with the topic. Experts are able to learn new concepts quicker if they are related to their discipline because they can recognize patterns quicker and tie new information to prior knowledge. Novices struggle with new knowledge because they do not have prior knowledge or do not recognize how it connects to previous experiences. This week we are going to take a closer look at activating prior knowledge. Specifically, we will take a look at why this is important and 13 different ways to help connect new information to prior knowledge. Come learn more. Join