3 Keys of SoTL

A response to the Three Keys of SoTL Activity
created by Jennifer Shelswell (@Jennifer.Shelswell)

Number of views: 223

  1. Meaningful Focus – Sherry Linkon mentioned that what she really likes about SoTL is that educators can choose questions that they are really interested in finding the answers to with regards to their teaching and their students’ learning. This resonated with me, because I am always trying to learn new ways to engage my students and promote a sense of belonging in my classroom environment. I feel that if I am focusing on an area of my teaching that I am interested in, and that impacts my learners, I will be much more engaged in this process, knowing that it will benefit my teaching and learning practice.
  2. Inquiry-based-teaching – Joanna Rene-Roe’s example of the importance of inquiry-based-teaching stood out to me. She mentioned the importance of inquiring not only about our own teaching practice, but also about student learning. This resonated with me, because I am a lifelong learner who needs to assess my teaching practice, learn what works best and what doesn’t, and adapt my practice by implementing new tools to engage my students in their learning.
  1. Reflective Practice – Barbara Gayle’s message about the importance of reflective practice stood out to me. She mentioned that educators need to plan curriculum, engage their students in the learning process, and reflect on how it went and what changes you could make to promote better student learning. This resonated with me, as I am always trying to obtain feedback from my students in order to learn what works well for them and what doesn’t, so that I can adapt my pedagogy in order to meet their learning needs.

The comments from my peers that I related to the most were by Anne Pearson and Bert Slessor.

First, Anne mentioned that importance of fostering curiosity through asking ourselves and students interesting questions, and keeping our minds open to new practices, current research and diverse points of view. I love this idea of fostering curiosity by asking ourselves and our students interesting questions.

Second, Bert mentioned the importance of increased reflection on teaching and learning among colleagues, and how this can be difficult for non-full-time faculty, as we may find this element challenging due to a lack of time spent physically at the college. This really stood out to me, as I am a partial-load faculty. In order to gain a sense of connection and belonging I have joined as many professional learning opportunities as I can, which in turn allows me time to collaboratemore with fellow colleagues and to hear what they are doing in their classroom environments.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *