Thinking About Teaching and Learning: Developing Habits of Learning with First Year College and University Students

Thinking About Teaching and Learning: Developing Habits of Learning with First Year College and University Students

by RobertLeamnson (Author)

Synopsis

Written by an author who combines the disciplines of biology and education to show how people learn and how knowing this can help teachers to teach effectively. This book deals with teaching based on new biological understandings about how the brain assimilates new knowledge and deals with what teachers most need to know, that is, how to teach so successfully that classroom discipline ceases to be an issue. This book is intended to help students to develop habits and skills that will make learning easier. The author describes how a philosophy of teaching develops and why it's important to have one;learning as brain change rather than brain use;language and the questionable utility of unexpressed ideas; first-year students - their culture, motivation and preparation; how the way we teach affects the way students learn; what students are really doing in the classroom; writing and other technologies, old and new. He is alert to the psychology of students, understands and has experiences the frustrations teachers feel when students ingeniously elude their teachers' loftiest goals and strategies. Most important, Robert Leamnson has good advice about how to cope with the challenge.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Publisher: Stylus Publishing,U.S.
Published: 15 Mar 1999

ISBN 10: 1579220134
ISBN 13: 9781579220136

Media Reviews
His zeal for the value of authentic knowledge, his love for his vocation as college teacher, and his deep affection for students shine through his writing. --Brian Wilkie, Professor of English University of Arkansas
Leamnson's book is an excellent mix of theory and practice. He explains what works, why it works, and how faculty can use his ideas from the first day of class on. An excellent guide to narrow the gap between expectations and performance in the college classroom. --Tom Edwards, Associate Academic Dean Castleton State College, Vermont
Here at Ball State, we conducted a week-long Core Curriculum Institute with 54 faculty members who teach core (i.e. general education) classes. Each participant was provided with a copy of Thinking about Teaching and Learning. I wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much I appreciated your book. Anyone who reads it has to seriously reexamine how he/she teaches, even courses for students beyond freshman year. As a professor who attempts to engage students in a variety of ways, your insights were extremely valuable. Thank you for providing the distinction between taking notes, and making notes. I have intuitively resisted the temptation to provide detailed handouts, but could never adequately explain my reluctance. Your explanation helps me tremendously. I just thought you might like to know how your text was used here this summer. --Dom Caristi, Associate Professor, Dept. of Telecommunication Ball State University
We have been using Thinking About Teaching and Learning at BYU in connection with a large-scale freshman year initiative. The program, consisting basically of multiple learning communities, involves some 22 academic departments and 120 faculty members who serve 1750 freshmen (about 40% of BYU's entering freshman class) each fall semester. We are providing a copy of this book for each faculty member, as well as for several academic support and university administration officers. The ideas, practices and recommendations are first-rate; we appreciate (the) work in putting the volume together. (It is) particularly good, in my judgment, in helping faculty distinguish between the game syndrome and genuinely mindful learning. --Clark Webb Brigham Young University
Fascinating, compelling, sensible and provocative. It has set me thinking--hard--about how I go about my job. --Mark Wasserman, Professor of History Rutgers University
Thinking About Teaching and Learning is a gem. Bob Leamnson has done solid homework on the topic of teaching, and his practical, positive insights in this book are simply great. --Ed Nuhfer, Director, Teaching Effectiveness & Faculty Development University of Colorado at Denver
This well-written and easy-to-read book offers practical suggestions and insights into teaching first-year college students. Some academicians may disagree with the author's stance that part of teaching is getting students ready to learn. Teaching would be much easier if students arrived on the college campus with the learning skills necessary to cope with academic rigor, but that is not the reality experienced by many of us who have taught first-year students. While the author places the responsibility on the professor for providing activities that have the potential for facilitating learning (i.e., teaching), he places the burden for making mental changes (i.e., learning) on the student. --AAHE Bulletin
While this book is essentially a study of pedagogy, it is not in the least dry or intimidating. It flows wonderfully and is written with humor and compassion...This book is highly recommended for experts and novices alike. It has practical ideas for classroom techniques, balanced by thoughtful, well-researched ideas about the nature of teaching. For anyone who teaches in a classroom, this is a quick and enlightening read. --Nursing Education Perspectives
This book is for teachers of first-year students. Although many of its themes are standard, it is well worth reading for its wisdom, unusual perspective, and refreshing style. These qualities reflect the author's personality and his background as a biologist and a very experienced teacher at both secondary and tertiary levels. A strong appeal is the author's delightful style, and his memorable imagery and anecdotes. I recommend this thought-provoking and enjoyable book to anyone involved in teaching first-year students. --Educational Developments
The central message of Robert Leamnson's Thinking About Teaching and Learning is captured in the subtitle, Developing Habits of Learning with First Year College and University Students. The book is written in a clear accessible style... The book offers a useful, practical guide to issues surrounding teaching and learning drawing on a body of educational research. --Citizenshp, Social and Economics Education
Author Bio
Robert Leamnson was Professor of Biology and Director of Multidisciplinary Studies at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.