Dear TBers,? Just my two cents, but this discussion seems to me like a group of carpenters arguing over which tool is always best. One says he only uses a hammer, another a screwdriver, and a third is dedicated to a saw. The best carpenters will tell you that part of the art of the job is to choose the tool that works best in a given situation. I believe that the same thing holds true in teaching. If you only use one tool you will be right now and then, but to really do the job well you have to evaluate the situation and chose the best tool for each case. Cordially, Harry Harry E. Pence SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus SUNY Oneonta ________________________________ From: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Wilkerson, Bill Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 7:49 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Lecture Me. Really. Really? You may have seen the op-ed in Sunday's NY Times, "Lecture Me. Really.<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/opinion/sunday/lecture-me-really.html>" It was the latest defense of the lecture. It has gotten a lot of discussion in social media. It is an interesting read, and if you haven't done so already, I encourage you to take a look. But I would also encourage you to take a look at a few well argued replies. These replies are quite powerful on why active learning strategies are important. None of them say never lecture, but there is excellent research support that says we shouldn't lecture all the time, or even for a long period in any single class. Active Learning Is Not Our Enemy: A Response to Molly Worthen,<https://josheyler.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/active-learning-is-not-our-enemy-a-response-to-molly-worthen/> Josh Eyler, Director, Center for Teaching Excellence, Rice University In Defense of Continuous Exposition by the Teacher<http://derekbruff.org/?p=3126>, Derek Bruff, Director, Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching Professors Shouldn't Teach to Younger Versions of Themselves<http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2015/10/professors_shouldn_t_only_teach_to_younger_versions_of_themselves.html>, Slate Active Learning in Mathematics, Part V<http://blogs.ams.org/matheducation/2015/10/20/active-learning-in-mathematics-part-v-the-role-of-telling-in-active-learning/#sthash.KqErQUCK.dpbs>, AMS Blog Bill