Part of what made Steve Jobs so successful is that he approached design from the user’s perspective. From a teaching standpoint, that translates into a learner-centered approach rather than a teacher-centered approach. Effective course design can make the difference between passive, disengaged students and students who are actively involved in coursework and invested in the professions for which they are being prepared. Faculty who want to re-engage passive students will benefit from participating in this session where the presenters will provide information ranging from course construction to instructional delivery and assessment basics designed to involve students at meaningful levels.

Dr. Cynthia Wilson is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Illinois at Springfield.  She teaches a capstone seminar course for elementary student teachers and courses in literacy in addition to serving as Chair of the Department.  After teaching middle and high school English and social studies for 23 years, she came to the University of Illinois at Springfield, where she has been for the last 12 years.

 

 Dr. Victoria Childs is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Illinois Springfield.  She currently teaches methods courses in mathematics and science to elementary preservice teachers and supervises student teacher candidates during their clinical practice experiences.  Dr. Childs served as a teacher in K-12 schools for 21 years at both the elementary and middle school levels before going on to serve as a school administrator for ten years.

 

Dr. Brian Kahn is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Illinois at Springfield.  He currently teaches courses in social studies methods, middle school methods, and general secondary curriculum, as well as supervising student teachers in their final clinical placements and teaching the secondary capstone course that accompanies student teaching.  Prior to coming to UIS, he served for 23 years as a teacher at the 6-12 level and is in his 14th year serving in higher education.