Author Archives: Jen Garrett-Ostermiller
The Power of Five Minutes
I’ve been observing the red squirrels in my woods as they live up to the verb of their names – squirreling away food in anticipation of the upcoming winter months (they particularly love to “store” birdseed in my perennial beds, … Continue reading
Hold That Thought! Helping Students Choose Research Topics
Written by guest blogger Trina Magi, UVM Reference & Instruction Librarian This is the first in an occasional series of posts by UVM Librarians that addresses information literacy and using library resources in teaching. Students often believe that research begins … Continue reading
Welcoming and Supporting Students During Office Hours
Some content for this article was adapted from a submission to the Teaching Tips Consortium of the POD Network by Judy Ableser, Director Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Oakland University. For many years, a major part of my … Continue reading
Facilitating Classroom Discussions
This summer, I revisited the excellent book Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms by Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill. I’d like to share some key ideas from their text (and encourage you to … Continue reading
Blackboard for Beginners
I’ve only recently begun working at UVM, which means, like many folks out there, I’m learning Blackboard (Bb), made perhaps more challenging for me by having vigorously used Moodle for the past eight years! So, for those of you who … Continue reading
Managing Distracting Technology in the Classroom
Do you frequently attend meetings where technology is banned? I don’t. In fact, technology plays an important role in most of the meetings of which I am a part. On laptops, each participant can view the agenda and related documents. … Continue reading
Engaging Students on the First Day of Class
When I was an undergraduate, the first day of class was frequently predictable: syllabus, expectations, teacher’s introduction, a brief lesson, and early release. I tended to be more focused on who else was in the class (Do I know and … Continue reading
Creating Accessible Materials Reduces Stress Later
My mother’s words still ring in my ears: “Measure twice, cut once.” I did a lot of sewing growing up and have learned that one hasty snip of the shears can lead to frustration, loss of time, and cost of … Continue reading
3 Ways to Get Started Creating Accessible Documents
The following content was submitted to the Teaching Tips Consortium of the POD Network by Kevin S. Wilson, Instructional Design Consultant Center for Teaching and Learning, Boise State University Use your software’s formatting tools—especially styles—to create headings and subheadings. Text-editing … Continue reading
3 Ways to Get Started Creating Accessible Presentations
The following content was submitted to the Teaching Tips Consortium of the POD Network by Kevin S. Wilson, Instructional Design Consultant Center for Teaching and Learning, Boise State University Use the templates packaged with the slideshow software. Templates offer a … Continue reading