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%{\Large \sc AIMS in Lesotho}\\[0.25in]
%{\Large \bf Interactive Teaching Workshop}\\
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\author{{\sc{AIMS in Lesotho}}}
\title{Interactive Teaching Workshop -- Ideas to take away}
\date{}
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\begin{figure}[htbp]
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% \section*{teaching for understanding}
%Effective teaching
%\bit
%\item
$\bullet$ Encourage pupils \\[0.1in]  \hspace*{0.2in}
$%\left\{
\mbox{
\begin{tabular}{l}
  --   to think for themselves
\\
  --   to enjoy figuring things out
\\
  --    to criticise their own reasoning
% ;  and
\end{tabular}
}
%\right.
$ \medskip

%Effective teaching
% \item
% Effective teaching
$\bullet$   Turn students into teachers
%\eit
\end{minipage}
}
\end{figure}



\section*{Ideas to try}
%\ben
  \q Discuss lessons with 
 a teaching partner, before and after
 each class.
%%    (Reason: self-evaluation. Having a partner helps you reflect on your teaching.)
    
 \q
 {\bf Problem-based learning}.
   Plan your courses around projects chosen by the students. 
%  (If they have chosen  projects they are interested 
% in, they will be more motivated, and will learn more.)
 Their projects will then motivate them  to 
 learn relevant 
  science and mathematics. (For example, 
 if the project is `make a solar water-heater', then the 
 students will need to learn about {\sl pressure, density, 
 friction, radiation}; and if they try to optimize 
 their design, they will discover a need for {\sl calculus}.
 The project `understand the AIDS epidemic' will motivate 
 learning about {\sl physiology, cells, viruses}; about 
 mathematical functions 
 such as {\sl exponentials}; and about {\sl probabilities}.)
 When a project is completed, offer a new range of projects 
 that will motivate other topics from the science and 
 mathematics curriculum. 

\q
  Encourage students to {\bf ask questions}. And when a student asks a question,
   {\em{don't answer the question}}! Say `what do {\em you\/} think?'
    (Reason: students must be active.)

  \q {\bf Ask questions}.
  Plan each  lesson around one or two questions.
  Help the students discover answers to the questions. 
    (Reason: students must create the subject for themselves.)
  
  \q When you have explained a new idea, {\bf{ask a question}} to 
 find out whether the idea has taken root in each student.
  
  \q When asking the class questions, give {\em{all}\/} 
 the students time  to answer.
%  the   question, not just whichever student is quickest.
   And  ask the class to {\bf{criticise their own answers}}.
 For example, ask if they have 
  an alternative answer that they think might be correct.
%     Ask `are you sure?'
%  Does your answer make sense?'
  

  \q If students answer questions incorrectly,
%  and don't manage by  self-criticism to reveal the problem,
  {\bf{ask another question}}
 to  direct their self-criticism.
  
  \q  {\bf Peer teaching}. 
   Have students explain things to each other.
  
  \q Have {\bf seniors  teach juniors}. (This may be useless for the
   juniors, but it's great for the seniors!)
  

  \q Give students {\bf free time} to think and formulate questions.
     
  
  \q Put students in small groups to discuss things.  Have  groups explain their 
   thoughts to the whole class.
  
  \q  Have students evaluate their own presentations.
  
  \q  Have students evaluate each others' presentations.
  
  \q When asking a group  for opinions or feedback,  go through the
   group  from the most junior to the most senior.
  
  \q Encourage students to {\bf question authority}. 
        `Don't memorise -- argue!'
  
  \q
    Establish a group of teachers who meet for two days every 6 weeks to share
    teaching ideas.
%  \een

\section*{Remember}
%% \subsection*{When does learning happen?}

\noindent
{\bf Learning is 
% facilitated 
 maximized
%  most successfully achieved 
 when}: 
\ben
\item
%(1)
  the {\bf student participates completely
 in the learning process}, controlling
  its nature and direction,
\item
% (2)
 learning
% is primarily based upon direct confrontation with 
 addresses 
 practical,
 social, or personal {\bf problems}, and 
\item
% (3) 
 {\bf self-evaluation} is the
principal method of assessing progress or success.
\een


\end{document}
 
\subsection*{Balh}
 My personal views on effective teaching are that

   1. it should involve creative activity on the part of the students; and
   2. the teacher should ascertain, and be responsive to, the level of understanding of the students. 



For every class that you give:

\ben
\item
    Get a colleague to help you plan your class; ask them to sit in on the class too, and to meet for a post-mortem.
\item
    Center the class around a sequence of questions. Pose these questions to the students, and give them time to think about them. Get immediate feedback from the students, either by letting them work on some questions, and looking over their shoulders; or by having them vote on alternatives that you offer them; or, if the students are willing to talk, by verbal discussion.
\item
    A well-chosen sequence of questions will motivate the topic and will lead the students to figure out the subject for themselves.
\item
    After the class, discuss with your colleague:
\bit
\item
           What unexpected misconceptions came up?
\item
           What worked well?
\item
           What did not work well?
\item
           When were the class interested?
\item
           When were they bored?
\item
           What questions should you ask in the next class, to check that they have assimilated the latest material?
\item
           How could you give the class better next time?
\eit
\item
    Encourage the students to be self-critical, to ask themselves questions, and to seek out paradoxes. Persistently resolving things that do not appear to make sense is a route to excellent understanding. Formulating a precise statement of what does not appear to make sense is half the battle.
\item
    Don't give definitions: give examples. If you must give definitions, give an example first.
\een




\section{Suggestions}


\section*{Principles}
\ben
\item
 to have successful teaching, we
       need the students to be ACTIVE.
\item
 {\em{ self-evaluation}} is an
        essential skill that we should promote in our pupils.
\item
   we
       need the students to be MOTIVATED.
\item
 students need FREE TIME to think.
\item
 teaching is a great way to learn. 
 We should
       integrate {\em{explaining}} and {\em{peer-teaching}} into our classes.

\een


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 If problem-based learning is not possible, 
 you can  try interactive teaching methods 
 in a traditional classroom setting. See ideas 3--16. 
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