Teaching Underprepared Students
Two teaching experts provide a wealth of proven strategies for eliminating bad habits, instilling an appreciation for rigor, and boosting student performance.
Sometimes you have to unteach students before you can teach them.
High schools tend to reinforce some unfortunate habits: excuse-making, an indifference to deadlines, an overreliance on handholding, and a focus on grades over learning, among other things. Students often carry those behaviors right into college.
You need to unteach those things before you can get down to the real business of teaching subject matter.
Teaching Underprepared Students can show you how. In this five-part Online Course, Brigham Young professors Tyler Griffin and Ken Alford provide a wealth of proven strategies for eliminating bad habits, instilling an appreciation for rigor, and boosting student performance.
You’ll find a wealth of supplemental materials to support the course content, including handouts, full transcripts, readings, and links to online resources. A final check on learning leads to a certificate of completion.
“This Online Course was well presented. Having the hesitation that it was going to be ‘reading and doing’ was deferred when videos and reading encouraged ‘practice-preach’ of the seminar. The resources and downloads provided opportunity to truly “apply and reflect” to address student’s needs in the college environment.” - Dr. Mary Ward, Faculty
Kenneth Alford, PhD
Kenneth L. Alford is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University.
After serving almost 30 years on active duty in the United States Army, he retired as a Colonel in 2008. While on active military duty, Alford served in numerous assignments, including the Pentagon, eight years teaching computer science at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and four years as a department chair and professor teaching strategic leadership at the National Defense University in Washington, DC. He has published and presented on a wide variety of topics during his career.
Tyler Griffin PhD
Tyler J. Griffin is an associate professor in the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. With degrees in electrical engineering and instructional Technology, combined with 18 years of professional teaching experience, Tyler has three major focal points in his work: (1) Best practices for teaching & learning (2) Best uses of technology to increase the scope and scale of learning, and (3) best practices for teacher development/inservice.
He teaches over 1,000 students per semester and loves how technology can help to "shrink" large classrooms. He has also developed two major online training programs that have since grown into robust online learning communities of teachers and students. He is also actively involved in designing and developing 3-D immersive learning environments for his students.
Two teaching experts provide a wealth of proven strategies for eliminating bad habits, instilling an appreciation for rigor, and boosting student performance.
Sometimes you have to unteach students before you can teach them.
High schools tend to reinforce some unfortunate habits: excuse-making, an indifference to deadlines, an overreliance on handholding, and a focus on grades over learning, among other things. Students often carry those behaviors right into college.
You need to unteach those things before you can get down to the real business of teaching subject matter.
Teaching Underprepared Students can show you how. In this five-part Online Course, Brigham Young professors Tyler Griffin and Ken Alford provide a wealth of proven strategies for eliminating bad habits, instilling an appreciation for rigor, and boosting student performance.
This 5-hour idea-filled course will help you:
- Establish clear expectations and consequences regarding quality and accountability
- Encourage students to take ownership of their coursework
- Build engagement by offering choice in assignments and assessments
- Develop ways to instill respect for deadlines
- Give students frames of reference for good and bad work
- Create an environment that makes students comfortable taking risks in learning
You’ll find a wealth of supplemental materials to support the course content, including handouts, full transcripts, readings, and links to online resources. A final check on learning leads to a certificate of completion.
Learning Goals
After completing Teaching Underprepared Students, participants will be able to:
- Instill a healthy respect for deadlines
- Communicate expectations of work quality
- Build a sense of responsibility and accountability
- Establish a safe place for students to explore and take risks
Who Will Benefit From This Course:
- New faculty
- Graduate assistants
- Teaching assistants
- Adjunct faculty
“This Online Course was well presented. Having the hesitation that it was going to be ‘reading and doing’ was deferred when videos and reading encouraged ‘practice-preach’ of the seminar. The resources and downloads provided opportunity to truly “apply and reflect” to address student’s needs in the college environment.” - Dr. Mary Ward, Faculty
Meet Your Presenter
Kenneth Alford, PhD
Kenneth L. Alford is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University.
After serving almost 30 years on active duty in the United States Army, he retired as a Colonel in 2008. While on active military duty, Alford served in numerous assignments, including the Pentagon, eight years teaching computer science at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and four years as a department chair and professor teaching strategic leadership at the National Defense University in Washington, DC. He has published and presented on a wide variety of topics during his career.
Tyler Griffin PhD
Tyler J. Griffin is an associate professor in the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. With degrees in electrical engineering and instructional Technology, combined with 18 years of professional teaching experience, Tyler has three major focal points in his work: (1) Best practices for teaching & learning (2) Best uses of technology to increase the scope and scale of learning, and (3) best practices for teacher development/inservice.
He teaches over 1,000 students per semester and loves how technology can help to "shrink" large classrooms. He has also developed two major online training programs that have since grown into robust online learning communities of teachers and students. He is also actively involved in designing and developing 3-D immersive learning environments for his students.
Course Content
After completing Teaching Underprepared Students, participants will be able to:- Instill a healthy respect for deadlines
- Communicate expectations of work quality
- Build a sense of responsibility and accountability
- Establish a safe place for students to explore and take risks
