Students need to know that they are empowered in these actions.
Yes, and most have been conditioned to believe that they have no power at all or very little. And, of course, there will always be instructors who will resist this kind of thing, thinking that they might be losing control of their courses. We have to realize that the instructor should be more of a guide than a dictator. Digital tools can help immensely in this area.
Students selected what they felt were pivotal passages from the text and created a digital gallery on the course website of their visual interpretations of the text.
Wow. Now that's something that I could use in my online English 102. Great!
learning alongside my students as we explore new technologies.”
Yes. Teachers should accept that even they do not know everything about their subjects. Admitting that maybe your interpretation could be wrong (or just allowing for different interpretations) is essential. When teaching literature, I get "educated" constantly by new interpretations from students, sometimes using them in future semesters. Good teachers need to be good students too.
Kris Shaffer has argued, “facilitate student access to existing knowledge, and empower them to critique it, dismantle it, and create new knowledge.”
Couldn't agree more. Sorry textbook industry, but it's time for a new business model.
that when instructors talk about their pedagogy, it should be outside of earshot of the students they instruct.
Students should be aware of their instructors' methods and philosophies concerning teaching. I honestly don't know how many of them read it, but I always explain this to students in my syllabi. I'm thinking that this might be the subject of a class discussion at some point. Students can lead too. I let mine start their own forums based upon their own questions. Guidance is required, of course, but sometimes I let a forum that was started by a student go on for a while before I chime in.
Behind these developments is a move toward asking students to “go meta” with their learning in order to identify, assess, and strategize about next directions.
Students are good about multi-tasking physically, why couldn't they do it with their minds also?
it builds habits of mind that prepare students to make informed judgments in the conduct of personal, professional, and civic life;
Yes. This connection to actual life is very important. Many students (especially at the community college level) take courses only because they are "required." And, let's face it: sometimes they DO learn topics that they seemingly never use in real life. Integrated Learning can remedy this.