Wednesday, February 12, 2014
The Inspiring Teacher Series: Interviews with Master Teachers from K-12 to College
My favorite blog posts over the years involved interviews with great teachers who've inspired students year after year. This blog post brings all of those interviews together.
The Inspiring Teacher Series: Interviews with Master Teachers from K-12 to College
Enjoy!
Questions included:
What inspired you to teach?
What teaching methods are most helpful in guiding students towards their goals?
What would you like to improve about your teaching?
What is the one thing you wish you'd known when you started your teaching career?
Kindergarten
Bridget Robbins
Middle School
Travis Tingle
High School
Paul Cohen
Brendan Halpin
Barry Hantman
College
Jody Blanke
Greg Henley
Mara Mooney
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Top Takeaways: Success in College Life, Career Direction & the Classroom
TOP TAKEAWAYS: SUCCESS IN ADJUSTING TO COLLEGE LIFE
- Every college has many social and career-focused organizations. Figure out which groups to participate in for fun and for your future.
- Learn what your strengths are and how to use them in stressful situations. You already know what your weaknesses are – now figure out how to compensate for them.
- Live life with no regrets but understand the consequences of your decisions, whether they relate to classes, your future, or personal matters.
TOP TAKEAWAYS: SUCCESS IN PICKING A MAJOR OR CAREER PATH
- The media shapes our impressions of what different careers are like. Research the benefits and challenges of your major and career path by interviewing people who work in that industry, and by securing an internship in that field.
- Keep an open mind when choosing a major or career path. Base these decisions on your likes, dislikes, personality, and work style, rather than on the expectations placed on you by family and peers.
- Don’t let anyone crush your dreams. However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.
TOP TAKEAWAYS: SUCCESS IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM
- Seek out a friend in every class you take, so you can share lecture notes and maybe even study together.
- Develop and stick to a firm studying schedule. Procrastinators often claim to be self-motivators and need to consider working like structure people.
- Your professors are rooting for you to succeed. Ask them how they would study for their own exams. Request practice quizzes, with the answers explained in class.
Excerpt: 99 Motivators for College Success
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Teacher who dropped out recalls experience to inspire at-risk students
Excellent and inspiring article for students of all ages, for this holiday season:
Tears well up in Deborah LaPlante’s eyes as she sits at the back of the Orleans Arena, watching intently as her students file one by one across the stage to receive their high school diplomas.
As with most graduations, it’s a joyful occasion. Parents are smiling, teachers are beaming and students are radiating pride and hope for the future.
LaPlante, a 51-year-old teacher at Chaparral High School, never experienced the triumph of a high school graduation. In 1976, she dropped out of Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif., just a few weeks into her junior year. She was 16.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jun/21/chaparral-teacher-uses-personal-experience-inspire/
Saturday, August 17, 2013
The Case for Humor in the College Classroom
My light thoughts for a new semester...
As college professors nationwide prepare for a new academic year, my message for them is simple: Lighten up! Your students just might engage and learn.
I never dreamed of being a college professor. Does anybody? When my third grade teacher asked us about our dream job, Molly said an astronaut; Evan, an actor. Perry: Obtain a terminal degree and lecture on legal morasses.
Whether the subject is law or nuclear physics, every student wants a good laugh. As teacher accountability objectives collide with shorter attention spans, laughter is the secret ingredient to keep everyone on task. Humor can even be found in the most stressful situations. ...
Continue reading
The Case for Humor in the College Classroom
The Huffington Post, College Section
Perry Binder
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Closing Speaker at The Future of Education conference in Florence, Italy
I was honored to present "Motivating Students Toward Success" for The Future of Education conference's 300 attendees. This two-day conference "aims to to promote transnational cooperation and share good practice in the field of innovation for Education." It focuses on the following thematic areas:
- Innovative Teaching and Learning Methodologies
- Education and New Technologies
- Media Education
- E-learning
- Learning Games
- Studies on Education
- Studies on Second Language Acquisition
- Art Education
- Music Education
My wrap up session was based on 99 Motivators for College Success, and was attended by higher education colleagues from around the world. It was a fun adventure for me to interact with great people.
Closing Speech
Motivating Students towards Success
Perry Binder
Legal Studies Professor, Georgia State University and
Author of 99 Motivators for College Success (USA)
Conference Details:
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The 5 Best High School Graduation Gift Books
What's the lamest high school graduation gift you've seen? How about a good book instead, for college prep or just for pure fun. Hey, I had to sneak my book onto this list.
The Best High School Graduation Gift Books
via Amazon Lists
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Graduation Speech from 99 Motivators for College Success
Your Graduation Inspires Me
Excerpt from 99 Motivators for College Success
When I participate
in graduation ceremonies, I often imagine delivering my own speech to the
graduates, as if I were the commencement speaker:
Good morning
chancellor, president, deans, faculty members, staff, students, friends, and
family members. And to the graduates:
Every one of
you is special.
Every one of
you is a productive member of society.
Every one of
you is what inspires ME - because…
Every one of
you has a story to tell.
I just wish I
had the time to hear every one of them, and to be there as your career paths
unfold.
You have
already accomplished a huge milestone on that journey. The biggest step
though was just showing up. That’s it. The secret most people don’t
get until it’s too late. Just showing up as young freshmen was a
threshold event. Trying something which may be hard for the first
time. Experiencing new things, even if it’s unknown whether the objective
is attainable.
To me, the
greatest barriers to success, however you define that, are a fear of the
unknown, a fear of change, and a fear of failure. But you need a
game plan, and hopefully you can lean a little on what you learned in school to
figure out that route. No matter what you do in life, you always will
have your education.
I hope you made
some lifelong friends here. Frankly, I learned more about life from my
peers than from my professors. And I hope you got more than knowledge
from your profs because you can get that from a book. I’m hoping you
gained insight on whatever subject, and then stamped your own original perspective
on how to resolve issues and solve problems.
Many times the
things you do won’t work. And you will fail at some things you try.
That’s just a fact of life. Abraham
Lincoln once said: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but
whether you are content with your failure.”
And you will
make mistakes. A lot of them! Both in your careers and your
lives. That’s just another fact of life.
But that’s okay. The trick is figuring out how to deal with
setbacks. Your family and friends will always be there for you. And
your education will continually serve as a foundation to get you back on track.
Franklin D.
Roosevelt said: “We are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of our own
minds.” Graduates, each of you must
unlock your mind and blaze a path built on reason and purpose. Life is
too short to spend it bouncing around like a random and aimless ball in a game
of Pong.® And whether you are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 years young,
it is never too late to test the boundaries of your dreams.
Finally, I want
all of you gathered in front of me to please lose the title of “former”
student, because you will be my students for many years to come. And I
expect in return that I can become your student, as I learn about your
professional successes, trials, and tribulations.
Every one of
you is special.
Every one of
you is a productive member of society.
Every one of
you is what inspires me – because...
Every one of
you has a story to tell.
What will your next
journey be?
Excerpt from 99 Motivators for College Success
c 2009-2013 Perry Binder, LLC
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Article: Social Networks and Workplace Risk: Classroom Scenarios from a U.S. and EU Perspective
Social Networks and Workplace Risk: Classroom Scenarios from a U.S. and EU Perspective
Now available for free online. Click here:
Social Networks and Workplace Risk: Classroom Scenarios from a U.S. and EU Perspective Perry Binder and Nancy R. Mansfield, Social Networks and Workplace Risk: Classroom Scenarios from a U.S. and EU Perspective, 30 J. Legal Stud. Educ. 1-44 (2013)
Social Networks and Workplace Risk: Classroom Scenarios from a U.S. and EU Perspective Perry Binder and Nancy R. Mansfield, Social Networks and Workplace Risk: Classroom Scenarios from a U.S. and EU Perspective, 30 J. Legal Stud. Educ. 1-44 (2013)
Introduction
The explosion of social networks and the growing concern over privacy in the digital age—both in the United States and Europe—have provided an opportunity to introduce students to the legal risks of using social media in the workplace. In general, the U.S. legal system views privacy as a legal right, while member states of the European Union (EU) view privacy as a human right. In fact, the EU Directive on Data Protection of 1995 mandates that each EU member state create a Data Protection Authority to protect each citizen's privacy rights and investigate breaches. However, novel transborder legal issues have complicated protection of privacy rights in the twenty-first century, as EU nations attempt to balance cherished privacy with the free speech evidenced on U.S.-based social networks.
Continue reading:
Monday, April 22, 2013
Top Takeways: Success in the College Classroom
TOP
TAKEAWAYS: SUCCESS IN THE COLLEGE
CLASSROOM
- Seek out a friend in every class you take, so
you can share lecture notes and maybe even study together.
- Develop and stick to a firm studying
schedule. Procrastinators often claim to
be self-motivators and need to consider working like structure people.
- Your professors are rooting for you to
succeed. Ask them how they would study
for their own exams. Request practice
quizzes, with the answers explained in class.
PERSONAL
MOTIVATOR GOALS
Based
on Motivators 34-66, list three specific goals you will work on this year.
1.
2.
3.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Conference Paper on Using Classroom Response Systems to Teach Ethics
I'm presenting this paper in the next few months...
The
Intersection of Ethical Decision-Making Modules and
Classroom
Response Systems in Business Education
Perry Binder, J.D.
Assistant Professor of Legal Studies
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Georgia State University
Abstract
I would trade all of my
technology for an afternoon with Socrates. Steve Jobs, 2001
This paper supports
the idea that cutting-edge classroom technology tools can blend seamlessly with
“old school” teaching techniques, and produce a higher quality of student learning. More specifically, it discusses how Classroom
Response Systems (CRS) provide the crucial classroom ingredient for frank
ethical discussions in business courses: Anonymity. To teach ethics in business, I use a module
entitled Ethical Decision-Making in Contract Negotiations (business scenarios
fraught with ethical dilemmas), and ask questions which challenge students’ moral
codes and levels of empathy. With an old
school “raise your hand” feedback method, there is a high probability that
students will not provide candid responses (or they may not respond at all),
for fear of what peers and/or the professor may think. Alternatively, by utilizing CRS, I get
anonymous feedback and 100% class participation. However, there is an ongoing debate in
academia on whether Clicker (Hardware) Technologies should be utilized or the
emerging Free Application Technologies.
The former is an effective tool, yet it is expensive for students to
purchase and their professors may use different devices in class. On the other hand, all of my students bring a
smartphone, tablet, or laptop to class, thus permitting the use of free CRS
apps. These apps are easy to use and are equipped
with multiple choice, short answer, and true/false questions/polling
features. The results of each question
are instantly viewable by students on the classroom projection screen, whether
the professor uses a computer or a document camera to project data from a
smartphone or tablet. In sum, this
paper details my model to teach ethics, which is adaptable across the
curriculum. The model is divided into
three sections: (1) CRS student reaction multiple choice questions on ethics,
leverage, and empathy, prior to discussing the Ethical Decision-Making in
Contract Negotiations module; (2) Introduction and discussion of the module;
and (3) CRS post-module reinforcement multiple choice questions which assess
what students learned about themselves.
Finally, this paper addresses the classroom limitations of merging
traditional teaching methods with app technology, most particularly when the
technology fails.
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