Teaching in Action: Open Classroom Series

Teaching in Action: Open Classroom Series

In the spirit of fostering a culture of open discussion and continual improvement of teaching, experienced teachers across campus invite you to observe them at work in their classrooms.

This year’s participants are the first graduates of the Maroon Academy for Teaching Excellence, having recently earned their certificates. Many of them will be showcasing best practices they learned or refined during the program, providing an inspiring opportunity to observe evidence-based teaching strategies in action.

Please use the sign-up form at the bottom of the page or you may complete the form by clicking this link: Open Classroom Series Sign-up Form

 

Katie Doughty

  • Class Title and Number: EN 1113-01 English Composition II
  • Days, Time, and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-12:15pm, in Allen 268
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 6th-27th any day, excluding February 4th, February 20th, and the week of March 4th. 
  • About the Class:  English Composition II is an introductory general education course emphasizing the expanded study of and practice in stylistics and critical thinking with focus on analysis, argument, and multi-modality through research. This course aims to incorporate strategies in inclusive teaching, scaffolding, active learning, and self-reflection to aid student motivation through the research project process.

Cody Fondren

  • Class Title and Number: FLG 1123 German II
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 1-1:50pm in Swalm 205
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 3rd-March 4th any day, excluding February 6th, February 10th and February 27th.
  • About the Class:  German II enhances communication skills and cultural awareness with an emphasis on real-world applications. Observations will include lessons on recycling and childhood experiences, incorporating active learning, collaborative group work, and cultural discussions to engage students.

Jeanette Fontaine

  • Class Title and Number: MU 1252 Diction II (German and French Diction)
  • Days, Time, and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:20am in Room 1130 Music Buildling
  • Open Classroom Dates: January 30th-February 25th any day
  • About the Class:  This is a course for voice majors to learn how to sing foreign languages with accuracy and clarity.  In the first half of the semester, we cover German diction.  Primarily, we focus on introducing students to the sounds of German using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).  This course incorporates interactive activities and group work to engage voice majors in learning foreign language diction effectively.

Amy Fountain

  • Class Title and Number: CO 1003 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9-9:50 or 10-10:50 in McComas 211
  • Open Classroom Dates: January 24th-March 5th any day, excluding February 7th, February 10th, February 12th, February 24th, and February 26th.
  • About the Class:  Fundamentals of Public Speaking is an introductory general education course that uses a combination of lecture and active learning activities. Depending on the day, observations may include lectures, think-pair-share, group discussions, or games to illustrate and extend concepts. Most days class will begin with brief student speeches.

Abigail Good

  • Class Title and Number: MA 1413 Structure of the Real Number System
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 11-11:50am in Allen 17 and/or Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-10:45am in Allen 18
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 10-24 any day
  • About the Class:  This mathematics course, specifically designed for Elementary and Special Education majors, incorporates active learning techniques like think-pair-share, group discussions, and educational activities to engage students in learning how to teach mathematics to young children through the development of the structure of the real number system.

Evan Kaplan

  • Class Title and Number: BIO 1134 Biology I
  • Days, Time, and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45pm in Harned 102
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 4-March 4 any day, excluding February 11th

 

  • Class Title and Number: BIO 2103 Cell Biology
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 11-11:50am in Harned 102
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 3rd-March 5th any day, excluding February 12th.

 

  • About the Classes: BIO 1134 (Biology I) and BIO 2103 (Cell Biology) are foundational STEM courses that introduce key concepts in general biology and cell biology, respectively. BIO 1134 is designed for BIO and pre-health students with little prior background, covering a broad range of topics. BIO 2103, on the other hand, is intended for students who have already gained a basic understanding of cell biology through BIO 1134, and delves deeper into these concepts. Both courses follow a traditional lecture format but incorporate engaging and relatable teaching methods, including analogies and visual aids, to help students grasp complex material.

Matthew Kilpatrick

  • Class Title and Number: MA/ST 2113 Introduction to Statistics
  • Days, Time, and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-11:50am in McCool 124, or Wednesdays and Fridays 11-11:50am in McCool 100
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 11th-February 28th
  • About the Class:  Introduction to Statistics is a one-term course that is required for many majors across campus. The goal of the course is to teach students introductory statistics measures (mean, median, mode, standard deviation), organization of data, probability basics, normally distributed data and interpretations, and the applications of these topics for solutions in one population mean. This course incorporates learning techniques such as group examples for probability concepts, in class examples of problem solving, and methods for visualization of statistical problems.

Morgan Green

  • Class Title and Number: ME 3313 Heat Transfer
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9-9:50am in Carpenter 301
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 3rd-March 5th, excluding February 5th, 17th, 19th, and 26th. 
  • About the Class:  This semester’s offering of Heat Transfer is a large class with approximately 100 students. Despite the size, active learning techniques are employed, particularly partner activities and group problem-solving. Interactive sessions of working example problems include the course instructor working through a particular scenario while discussing how changing one or more constraint alters the problem-solving approach.

Aswathy Rai

  • Class Title and Number: BCH 4804/6804  Molecular Biology Methods
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays 1:00-1:50 pm in Old Main 2240.
  • Open Classroom Dates: Any Monday or Wednesday in February.
  • About the Class:  Molecular Biology Methods is a comprehensive course that introduces students to modern techniques and methodologies fundamental to molecular biology research. Students will gain hands-on experience with essential laboratory procedures and emphasis is placed on understanding the principles behind these techniques, their applications in research and diagnostics, and troubleshooting common challenges. The course integrates experimental design and data interpretation and equips students with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary for advanced study and professional work in molecular biology and related fields.

Kim Smith

  • Class Title and Number: RDG 3223: Diagnosing and Assessing Reading Difficulties
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:30-1:45pm in Allen 268
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 3rd-24th
  • About the Class:  This Elementary Education literacy methods course includes an intensive field experience alongside class meetings. Active learning techniques, such as peer review, group collaboration, and the use of technology to enhance engagement, are integrated throughout the course.

Emily Stinson

  • Class Title and Number: EN 2990 Crime and Culture
  • Days, Time, and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-12:15pm in Old Main 3030
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 4th-March 4th any day, excluding February 11th and February 13th.
  • About the Class:  In EN 2990: Crime and Culture, students will become familiar with the genre of crime and mystery writing, assess the influence of historical events on the genre, and examine how the genre intersects with and is influenced by the social, political, and literary cultures of its time. Examples of active learning in EN 2990 might include self-assessments, large-group and small-group discussions, think-pair-share activities, author presentations, games, and in-class activities.

Sean Stokes

  • Class Title and Number: CH 4523 Organic Chemistry 2
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10-10:50am in Hand Lab 2231
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 5th-February 26th any day, excluding February 10th and February 12th for exam review.
  • About the Class:  CH 4523 (Organic Chemistry 2) is an advanced undergraduate course that builds on foundational organic chemistry principles to explore more complex reactions, mechanisms, and synthetic strategies. The course emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving in organic synthesis, reaction mechanisms, and the interpretation of spectroscopic data. Observers in CH 4523 will witness active learning practices, such as the regular use of a document camera for in-class problem-solving, which promotes interactive discussions and collaborative learning. Additionally, scaffolded problem-solving techniques are employed that will guide students through a gradual progression from simpler to more complex problems related to organic synthesis and reaction mechanisms.

J. Bryan Whittenton

  • Class Title and Number: PSS/ABE 2543 Precision Agriculture I
  • Days, Time, and Location: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-1:50pm, in Ag. & Bio Engineering 141
  • Open Classroom Dates: February 3rd-March 5th any day, excluding February 24th and 26th for exams.
  • About the Class:  This course is an exploration of technology driven decision-making in agriculture through a blend of traditional lectures, case studies, and class discussions.

 

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