In My Courses...

The Role of Religion, Culture & Education in Conservation

This is an activity that I develop for my conservation biology class. The main goal of the activity is to examine the role that education, as well as cultural, philosophical and religious beliefs, play in conservation.  

Step 1.  Students are requested to read 1-2 papers on the subject (i.e., the role of education, cultural background and/or religion in conservation).

Step 2. In class, students conduct the following activity.

Best/Worst Class - An Activity for the First Day of Class

The first day of class is one of the most crucial classes you will have during the semester. This class can also be the most challenging. Some instructors use an icebreaker and briefly go over the syllabus before dismissing their students 30 minutes early. Others feel the need to cover everything to the point where students are overloaded with information.

In my case, I use the first day of class to introduce the course, gain the students' interest - basically, I like to start the semester on a positive note.

Here is one activity that I conduct during the first day of class; it is called the "Best/Worst Class".

  I got this idea from a post written by Maryellen Weimer published in Faculty Focus. This is what I do:

"I divide the whiteboard in two parts and write the questions above. In small groups, I ask students to discuss the questions and share their experiences. After about 10 minutes, I ask students to write their answers on the board (without naming the course, department or instructor)".

Finally, I discuss key points/issues raised by students regarding best/worst classes and instructors. I emphasize that my goal is to make this class one of those "best class" experiences but I cannot achieve that without their help. Then, I review the syllabus and I carefully explain all the activities (exams, labs, projects, etc.) that they will conduct during the semester. 

I do not cover course content during the first day of classes. My intention for the first day of class is to get students talking among them and with me. I also hope that by running this activity, my students realize that although I am in charge of the course, I am also a regular human being.