As fall semester approaches, how to get students engaged...

Another listserv that should be of interest to AT! readers is POD, which stands for "Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher Education." There's a link to their archives on the left side of this page. I suggest going there, navigating to the "August" posts, and reading entries in the thread called "Praxis: What are your favorite game-changing practices?" Here's an example (actually, the entry that started the thread):

Dear POD Friends,

I'm about to resume teaching after finishing my Ph.D. in philosophy and am looking for some fresh inspiration. I've been hunting through the POD archives seeking discussions of concrete practices, but have (so far) been encountering mainly discussions of abstract concepts (e.g., intrinsic motivation, sharing power, student centered classrooms, utilizing the affective domain, metacognitive exercises, etc.) -- but less discussion of concrete practices. I'd really like to hear about concrete teaching practices that make a big difference for you and your students. Hence my question:

What are your favorite game-changing practices?

I'll start. A number of years ago, after a difficult first year of teaching as a grad student with no pedagogy training whatsoever, I tracked down and attended Boot Camp for Profs. A simple practice that made a big difference in my classroom was a variation on Think-Pair-Share. If I wanted to inspire students to engage in collaborative inquiry and discussion, instead of asking, "So what do you think about X?" (and being met with silence), I would ask students to get out a piece of paper and write a paragraph on what they thought about X; then to pair and discuss X; then follow up with a class discussion of X. Rudimentary, perhaps -- but it made a terrific difference in terms of engagement, quality of discussion, and -- dare I say -- learning! This has become a favorite of mine.

I'd love to hear some of your favorite ways of creating a course structure & classroom environment in which students are more likely to engage, learn, and enjoy the process. I am imagining that such a discussion might also provide fresh inspiration to others in the group. I look forward to hearing from anyone who would be open to sharing such practices!

Many Thanks,
-Hans