Identify a concept that is often misunderstood in your discipline. Next, extend your thinking on this misunderstood concept. Can you think of an analogy that can help make the concept make sense to students? Does this analogy take into account where students are coming from in their previous experiences? Or how could you break that more… »
Teacher for Learning Activities
Designing effective learning activities and experiences that are grounded in research-based principles of learning.
Syllabus Concept Map






Created by Ontario Extend (@extend) • 2121 views • 52 responses • 3 resources
Mind mapping has been found to be an effective means of helping students organize new learning while reinforcing previous learning and improving information retrieval. Keep in mind that mind maps are not just good for students, they are great for teachers too. When planning your course, you could use a mind map to decide what more… »
Cornell Notes






Created by Ontario Extend (@extend) • 1696 views • 45 responses • 1 resource
Try watching a TED talk or conference keynote video yourself to practice your own note-taking skills using Cornell Notes. Split your page so that it looks like Cornell notes (see image below) Take notes that make sense to you in the right-hand (two-thirds) space. When you are done, use two different colour markers to highlight more… »
WIIFM






Created by Ontario Extend (@extend) • 1911 views • 46 responses
Brainstorm a list of WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) from a student perspective. If you can’t think of more than “because you should know it,” then you need to talk to your students and get a better sense of where they are in their learning and where they are going. If you know your more… »
Like Driving a Car






Created by Ontario Extend (@extend) • 1677 views • 44 responses • 2 resources
To learn to drive, you require many component skills, including knowing where the gas and brake pedals are and when to use them, how to steer, when and how to use your mirrors, all while following the rules of the road. Experienced drivers find it very difficult to think of each component separately, not as more… »
Thought Vectors and Nuggets






Created by Ontario Extend (@extend) • 1508 views • 44 responses • 1 resource
Find and make meaningful a “nugget.” Review The Faculty Patchbook, a collection of faculty authored overviews of specific pedagogical skills. Then, select one article that resonates with you. Select a passage from the article that grabs you in some way and prepare to make that passage as meaningful as possible. It could be a passage more… »
Your Metaphor






Created by Ontario Extend (@extend) • 1530 views • 45 responses • 3 resources
Throughout the Teacher for Learning module we’ve explored various types of metaphors for teaching and learning. Prior learning was baggage. Motivation was drive. Mastery and organization of knowledge are like component building blocks toward a cohesive structure. Self-direction and metacognition are like our own internal GPS signaling our own personal wayfinding. Now it’s time to more… »