Cindy Pury

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

@Rericksonhee @ajbauer NY Times in particular does this sort of thing: "Opinion editors are often keen on writers who can provide standing-with-surprise: the well-known environmentalist who supports nuclear power..." https://t.co/NqQu4escl8

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

@RyanRadia @ENPancotti @IrvingSwisher How many classes have you taught?

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

And I'm tired of articles like this one telling me (and my administration) that large classes are terrible for both students and teachers. Stop presuming that off the top and maybe it won't be that way. 23/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

I'm a college professor and I love teaching large sections. But in the world of higher ed there's so much presumption that I'm somehow "settling" for larger sections, or providing a lousy product with no inherent advantages. Case in point: 1/23
https://t.co/EXWqttITp4

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

Like many performers love a packed house, I love a packed lecture. I am more organized and more on top of my game in one. I have more fun teaching this way, and I think that energy makes me a better teacher. 22/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

And there's more, but for me it boils down to this: a large section is a joy. I get to share my passion for my field with hundreds of students at a time and that's rewarding. This is more than a "dent."21/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

Organization matters: Even improv comedy has a shit-ton of organization that goes on behind the scenes. There's nothing less interesting that watching someone go through their notes, live. 20/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

We have, to get a little bit Saganesque, billions and billions of images on Google now. Use them. 19/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

Visuals matter. I also got a lot better when I took words off my slides and replaced them with pictures. Words can go on the board if they are important, or in a handout. 18/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

A big part of storytelling is the slow reveal. I used to have slides with a thought-provoking question followed in the next line by the answer. NO! This is boring. Give people a chance to think about it. 17/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

Storytelling matters. How many people were inspired by Carl Sagan? He used storytelling to get millions of kids, including me, interseted in science. 16/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

I send them their anwers by request too. Using just a couple of Excel tricks, it takes me 15 - 25 seconds per student. 15/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

I also get exam answer keys back to students the same day. If you need to wait for days to find out how you did, you probably forgot what you were thinking when you put down that answer. 14/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

This is especially true for feedback. I use in-class response systems to have them answer one question at a time. As soon as that sucker is closed, I ask them what the right answer is and we talk about it. 13/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

Timing matters. True in comedy, true in music, true in large lectures. I got a lot better when I started a performing arts hobby that taught me good timng. 12/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

That's been exactly my experience. Large lectures are performances, even if you have tons of interactive activies. What does this mean? Here's what I've found works for me. 11/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

The article comes so close to getting it: stating that the professor who likes large sections but isn't quoted teaches in a performing-arts theater. 10/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

But there are also innovations that can just make a large group more engaging. We've got access to an array of live response and polling options. We've got access to almost whatever material we want to present on the internet. 9/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

No mention of the hundreds of technology innovations that can make large classes better. Yes, some can be used to make 300+ feel smaller: custom messages in an LMS and virtual office hours that can be quick checkins for some… 823

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

There's also no suggestion about how to do even this except to break the larger group into what effectively ammounts to smaller groups by using a small army of TAs and undergrad assistants. This isn't always possible. 7/23

[Cindy Pury @drcpury]

And there's really only one advantage listed, without any sort of direct quote from the person they interviewed who seemed to like large sections: making a "dent" in how the public sees your field. No inspiration, no joy, not even any sort of knowledge beyond a "dent". 6/23