Have you ever heard someone say, “If you can teach a thing then you know you know a thing?” Well, I find that to be true although you can know something and not be gifted with the ability to teach someone else.
In fact, I remember when I was an undergraduate student at Winston-Salem State University, there was an accounting professor who was known to be a horrible teacher. One student who lived on my hall was an “A” student and a chancellor’s scholarship recipient who had to get a tutor to pass his course. I recall her running down the hall to her room, crying one day after making an “unfavorable grade” on one of his tests. She later explained that he just did not know how to break down concepts so that they would be easy to understand for the novice. He may have been a masterful accountant, but he could not teach the subject to “save his life” as the elders used to say.
Well, since I am a teacher educator, it is critically important that my students CAN teach, so I create assignments that require them to do so. The group project that I am sharing with you today requires them to do so. It is called “The Manual.”
This group project challenges students to apply their learning by creating an instruction book for parents of infants and toddlers. The course focuses on program development for infants and toddlers and through this project students showcase their understanding of appropriate activities that develop five domains in infants and toddlers—cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, communication, and social/emotional. They also get to practice the art of collaboration and thereby cultivate all the incredible skills that come along with teamwork.
Now, you may be thinking, “Kellie, I do not teach courses about infant and toddler program development, so how would this project be relevant?”
Great question.
I provide a litmus test, if you will, that allows you to determine whether creating a manual would be an applicable assignment for your course in the video. So, watch the video to learn the five ways to determine its relevancy and if you decide that it is, you will also learn the steps, stages, and the instructor responsibilities for this assignment. When students complete the project, you will be able to assess how well they know concepts, procedures, or skills and your students will have a digital product that they can more than likely share with their target audience. It is a win-win situation.
Once you have watched, let me know if you are considering assigning “The Manual” or whether you already assign a project that is very similar. Leave a comment here or on YouTube. I look forward to “hearing” from you.