Faculty Profile
"Hello. I'm Prof. Angela Heath and welcome to my
Computer class. This semester we'll explore major issues
in computing that affect our society.
My email is (blah, blah, blah) and
my phone number is (blah, blah, blah).
I will have office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
This is the way that most faculty introduce themselves to classes every semester. I used this intro for 15 years in my computer courses. I admit that it's effective, short and to the point but a little dull. It doesn't engage students or really even interest them. What I've found over the years is that students will ignore this until they need it later in the semester.
So, the question ???is how can you spruce up your faculty intro to your students. I, myself have started to explore different options for this very compulsory task at the beginning of a course.
After looking at different ways of introducing yourself to classes, I have found that great faculty introductions are ones that -
- catch students' attention
- present more your than name, email, office hours
- present some personal information
- present information in a visual way
- get students to share information about themselves
Here are some ways that you can spruce up your faculty intros -
| Easiest - less work |  "Can you make a prediction about where computers will be in 5 years?" OR "what is your favorite technology, company or computer product and why?" (This question was a real hit in my class last semester.) Also, you could list two interesting things about yourself or display quotes about what other students' have said about your course. (only if they are good ones!) |
| Not too hard - a little more work | I use a free glogster account to create fun displays information about myself. Then, I link students to it from my LMS class account. My Glogster site is: http://aheathtech.edu.glogster.com/heath-glog-8759. Other ways you can do this are with www.Padlet.com (visual wall), www.Voki.com (talking video characters) and www.Animoto.com (video). These sites offer interesting ways to make introductions. Note: I do not require students to open accounts at these places because it's not fair to force them to register for extra accounts and services to take my courses. |
| Not "rocket science" - more work required | For example, make an infographic to introduce yourself. This requires a little more work with the graphics and layout but there are some neat services (such as www.piktochart.com) to help you do this. Prof. Horn, a visiting professor at Stanford has created a wonderful infographic to share with students. I think its a unique way of sharing the full picture of yourself with your students. |
My bottom line with faculty intros
While I love being creative with my faculty introductions, I must admit that I don't spend an inordinate amount of time on them. I do like to make good first impressions though. I find that if I make a good introduction, then students will, in turn, spend more thought on their own class introductions. As a result, the first week in my online classes are very active with students posting back and forth. I find that students feel more comfortable and that translates in the online discussions throughout the semester.
 | Remember Heath Information Services for your content development (offline, online), research and training needs. Contact me at: angela@heathinformationservices.com |
