Keeping Students Engaged Using Current Events Background: Junior college student class size 3 credit courses PowerPoints, websites, chalk talk, lab activities Mostly non-geology majors Mostly non-science majors Aphanitic, phaneritic, porphyritic, pyroclastic, phenocrysts, groundmass, rhyolitic, acidic, felsic, silicic, granitic . zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzz Keeping Students Engaged: Geology in the News Frequently starting class with a geologic current event Goals: Illustrate the relevance of geology- connecting it to the students real world Real-time learning Developing a comfortable dialogue that may extend to dinner table, friends talking Execution Internet:Internet: photos, near-real time and recent video Execution Internet: photos, near-real time and recent video Newspaper articles Execution Internet: photos, near-real time and recent video Newspaper articles USGS live webcams Execution Internet: photos, near-real time and recent video Newspaper articles USGS Earthquake Notification Service, Earthquake Hazards Program USGS live webcams geology.com Positive Outcomes Maintaining a level of interest Students relax- personal experiences- dialogue; reducing self-consciousness in class Relevance outside of class Converts Figure 4.5b Challenges Figure 4.5b Challenges Digression Timing Figure 4.5b Timing How far along in the semester? How major an event/story? Some events supersede any timing of introduction of a subject Looking at some of the same events at the end of the semester Assessment Student appreciation, understanding Maintaining a geologic tie to the world outside the classroom A similar event at the beginning, middle, end of the semester