College classroom design: Donald Ritzenhein at TEDxEMU

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations) There's nothing wrong with teachers talking. Teacher talk clarifies and updates subject matter content, challenges, encourages and inspires student commitment. General purpose classrooms, for the most part, are designed to facilitate this teacher talk function: a defined front, rows of listeners facing ahead, tablet arm desks for note taking, and high tech presentation tools. But everything we know about how students learn, and what they need to learn, argues for classrooms where student engagement, problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity are facilitated, not frustrated, by classroom design. Fortunately, there are models of learning-centered classrooms that can inspire change at our own institutions. Don's first connection with EMU began when he was in high school in nearby Belleville and his dad taught him to play tennis on the EMU tennis courts. Today Don brings the experiences of a 30-year career in teaching, labor relations, advancement, and higher education administration to his persuasion and public speaking students at EMU.