Old Methods vs LEDx: Different or Similar?

Old Methods vs LEDx: Different or Similar? 

I won’t even go into detail about my first experience teaching as a graduate student!  Well, on second thought it is exactly what I need to share.   I wish I had a picture from the example I am going to share.  Instead I will provide a narrative that will perhaps help you visualize the chaos I experienced.   

I was 22 years old excited to start my first semester of a graduate program.  I was contacted by the department the Friday before classes began and asked to teach two classes beginning the following Monday.  I was invited to join the course coordinator for a meeting at 7:30 a.m. Monday morning to pick up my book and syllabus and by the way, my first class began at 11:30 a.m. [same day!!!].  I took on the challenge but the experience was almost enough to send me running in the other direction.  The information provided was focused entirely around four major assignments and three exams.  What I did to get the students to accomplish those goals was up to me.  I remember using hundreds of post-it notes and covering my bedroom wall with important information that I needed to cover. It was my weak attempt to make connections between the content and the outcomes.  There was zero time or effort to think about what the students needed or details about the experience.  The syllabus and the VERY detailed grading rubrics provided to me were truly the only structure I had to guide the course.

Looking back over twenty-five years of teaching [eeks I am old!], I am far more organized, prepared and considerate of the learner, the experience , the support needed, and the connections learners will need to make real life applications.

How is it different?  Even still, my organization has lacked the clarity the LEDx and LEM offer.  The visual aspect is something I have used for years but LEM provides a more organized method and using LEDx includes the needs of the learner, the experience and the chance for innovation.