Ask-Dr-Kirk

Tips To Preventing Plagiarism

Nathan Grimm just shared this great list of resources on how to handle plagiarism in the classroom including sample policies, a list of online tutorials to help students understand what plagiarism is, and tips for discouraging plagiarism. As he notes:

Plagiarism is one of academia's most common problems and a constant concern for teachers. While the Web may have made plagiarism as easy as a few simple clicks, it's also made detecting plagiarism just as easy. If a student can find the essay in seconds, so can you—if you know where to look.

Studying For Final Exams

I went down to the coffee shop on campus Monday morning and found at least half of my class studying for the final to be given later that day.  This isn't something I typically think to suggest but I think it's a great idea for students to study in groups...they learn from each other as well as from me!

Workshop On Classroom Management January 3-5, 2008

There are still a few seats available for the workshop on classroom management being held in St Petersburg, Florida, on January 3-5, 2008.  This would be an excellent workshop for either new faculty or faculty who are struggling with this current generation of college students.  Click here for more info or to register.

Teaching Workshop For College Professors On January 3-5, 2008

I will be teaching a three day workshop for college professors January 3-5, 2008, in St Petersburg, Florida.  The course, Classroom Management: How to Teach Like a Pro, is for college instructors of all disciplines.  The tuition is covered by a grant from the National Science Foundation and thus the cost to faculty is only a $50 application fee.

The workshop will address issues such as:

• How to establish and maintain your credibility as the instructor from day one
• What to do that first crucial day of class to set class expectations
• How to convince students that your class is critical to their future success
• How to motivate students to take responsibility for their success or failure in class
• What classroom policies to include in your syllabus
• How to deal with those difficult students who come in late, disrupt class, sleep in class, dominate the class discussion, turn papers in late, etc.
• How to get responsible and useful feedback from students to improve your teaching!

The workshop is equally useful to those faculty members who are beginning their teaching careers, new faculty in the first few years out of their educational programs, or experienced faculty with questions as to how to manage this “new” generation of college students.  In general, if you want to become a better classroom manager and improve your classroom evaluations, this workshop is for you.

The workshop is limited to 20 participants.  Contact the regional director, Dr. Tony Irving, for more information at chautauq@u.washington.edu

Summer Classroom Management Workshops

There are still seats available for two summer workshops on Classroom Management: How to Teach Like a Pro.  The National Science Foundation offers grants that provide free tuition for college professors who are beginning their teaching careers, new faculty in the first few years out of their educational programs, or experienced faculty with questions as to how to manage this “new” generation of college students.  In general, if you want lots of teaching tips to help improve your teaching and classroom evaluations, this workshop is for you.

Dates for workshops:

• June 7-9, 2007 at Columbia University, New York City
• July 12-14, 2007 at University of Washington, Seattle

The workshop will address issues such as:

• How to establish and maintain your credibility as the instructor from day one
• What to do that first crucial day of class to set class expectations
• How to convince students that your class is critical to their future success
• How to motivate students to take responsibility for their success or failure in class
• What classroom policies to include in your syllabus
• How to deal with those difficult students who come in late, disrupt class, sleep in class, dominate the class discussion, turn papers in late, etc.
• How to get responsible and useful feedback from students to improve your teaching

In addition, participants of this interactive workshop are encouraged to bring their own questions about classroom management. 

The workshops are limited to 20 participants each.  Contact the regional director, Dr. Tony Irving, for more information or to register today at chautauq@u.washington.edu

Two Workshops on Classroom Management Scheduled For Summer

The National Science Foundation offers professional development courses for college professors.  The tuition is free and the application fee is only $50.  Two Chautauqua workshops on teaching are scheduled for this summer. The course, Classroom Management: How to Teach Like a Pro, is for college instructors of all disciplines.  It is equally useful to those faculty members who are beginning their teaching careers, new faculty in the first few years out of their educational programs, or experienced faculty with questions as to how to manage this “new” generation of college students.  In general, if you want to become a better classroom manager and improve your classroom evaluations, this workshop is for you.

Dates for workshops:

• June 7-9, 2007 at Columbia University, New York City
• July 12-14, 2007 at University of Washington, Seattle

The workshop will address issues such as:

• How to establish and maintain your credibility as the instructor from day one
• What to do that first crucial day of class to set class expectations
• How to convince students that your class is critical to their future success
• How to motivate students to take responsibility for their success or failure in class
• What classroom policies to include in your syllabus
• How to deal with those difficult students who come in late, disrupt class, sleep in class, dominate the class discussion, turn papers in late, etc.
• How to get responsible and useful feedback from students to improve your teaching

In addition, participants of this interactive workshop are encouraged to bring their own questions about classroom management. 

The workshops are limited to 20 participants each.  Contact the regional director, Dr. Tony Irving, to register at chautauq@u.washington.edu

A Few Seats Available At Workshop on Classroom Management

There are still four seats available at my three day workshop on "Classroom Management: How to Teach Like a Pro" being held at St Petersburg College in St Petersburg, Florida, on January 4-6, 2007.  Topics will include:

How to establish and maintain your credibility as the instructor from day one

What to do that first crucial day of class to set class expectations

How to motivate students to take responsibility for their success or failure in class

What classroom policies to include in your syllabus

How to deal with those difficult students who come in late, disrupt class, sleep in class, dominate the class discussion, turn papers in late, etc.

How to get responsible and useful feedback from students to improve your teaching

In addition, participants of this interactive workshop are encouraged to bring their own questions about classroom management.  At the end of the workshop, you should feel more confident about your ability to manage your classroom.

The workshop is appropriate for college instructors of all disciplines and is offered as part of the National Science Foundation's Chautauqua program.  Contact Dr. Tony Irving to register.

Workshop on Classroom Management to be held in St Petersburg Florida in January 2007

The Chautauqua workshop on January 4-6, 2007, in St. Petersburg, Florida, is filling up quickly.  The course, Classroom Management: How to Teach Like a Pro, is for college instructors of all disciplines.  It is equally useful to those faculty members who are beginning their teaching careers, new faculty in the first few years out of their educational programs, or experienced faculty with questions as to how to manage this “new” generation of college students.  In general, if you want to improve your classroom evaluations and become a better classroom manager, this workshop is for you.

Contact the regional director, Dr. Tony Irving, to register at chautauq@u.washington.edu

technorati tags: Chautauqua workshop Classroom management Delaney Kirk St Petersburg Florida

Associated Press Article on Classroom Management Workshop

The Sioux City Journal, WHOtv.com, Des Moines Register, and other newspapers around the country picked up a recent AP article written about the workshop on classroom management I did earlier this month at Drake University. 

As I told the reporter, I'm not being mean or arbitrary by insisting that the students conform to my policies on attendance, coming to class on time, and turning in assignments when due.  I just think it's better for them to learn good work habits in the classroom than to show up for work late the first week after graduation and get fired.  My job is to help them be successful both in the class and in their careers.

Should Universities Have Dress Codes?

I spend a great deal of time when I conduct workshops on classroom management talking about first impressions in building credibility with your students.  Some of the workshop participants resist the idea of having to "dress" for class--they believe that the content of what they are saying should override what they are wearing.  However, others are agreeing with me that there is a dress code expected, even if it is unwritten.

Santiago Iniguez, Dean of the Instituto de Empresa Business School, states on the BizDeans Talk weblog that "formal dressing shows respect for others."  He mentions Patrick Harker, Dean of the Wharton School, who recently "announced the adoption of some measures at his school to strengthen etiquette and discipline, which included respecting a basic dress code..."

Teppo at OrgTheory.net agrees that "formal dress (anything close to business casual suffices) for class creates a more respectful learning atmosphere. "

Gavin Heaton of Sydney, Australia, discusses his university experience in directing students in plays.  As he notes, there was a "difference in the style, presentation and effectiveness of the performances based on how I dressed. When I dressed in a blazer the performance was better than when I turned up in ripped jeans. It was pretty clear to me that if I wanted to achieve a high level of team performance, I needed to dress a certain way."

Mike Wagner, a national expert on branding, states, "If you agree that nothing important is going to take place in your classroom, then don’t pay any special attention to your appearance. But then don’t complain when your students get your message and respond in kind. Show your class how important this is to you and you’ll make the right impression."

Our students need us to both act and look the part of someone who is credible.

technorati tags: Dress codes Tips for teaching Building credibility Classroom management

Your Chance to Vote on Sites for Future Workshops

Thank you to all the participants of the July 13-15 teaching workshop in Seattle for making the session both productive and fun (it wasn't all about the shoes!)  They have suggested that we use this weblog to share links, rubrics, articles, tips on teaching, etc.  I will post requests for specific information on a regular basis (such as asking that you share your makeup policy or a rubric you use to grade student presentations) and ask that you respond in the comment section so that everyone can benefit.  Also, feel free to e-mail me if you want to do a "national survey" on any particular topic.

To start with, the Director, Tony Irving, is trying to decide where to schedule the Chautauqua workshops for next summer.  So far, we are considering New York City for Workshop II in June and Vancouver for Workshop I in July.  Please use the comment section to let me know if you think these sites work or if you have other suggestions.

technorati tags: Chautauqua Teaching workshops Delaney Kirk