Nordic Studies Professor Ben Teitelbaum Nominated for ASSETT Teaching with Tech Award
In preparing for a lectureÌýaboutÌýdueling Nordic poets, CU Boulder Professor Benjamin TeitelbaumÌýwas remindedÌýof a modern rap battle.Ìý Not one to miss an opportunity to reach his students, Teitelbaum searched for and found aÌý(French) rap battle to play for his Scandinavian Studies class.Ìý Such an entertaining class session is not an isolated incident for his Nordic Studies students.ÌýÌýTeitelbaumÌýconstantly searches forÌýtraces of historic Nordic lore in modern society.Ìý For example,Ìýif he finds aÌýSwedish or Norwegian commercial to be particularly emblematic of Nordic culture, he may include it in a PowerPoint lecture.
TeitelbaumÌýhas been teaching at CU Boulder for two years now, and this spring,Ìýstudents in Scandinavian Studies 2201, Introduction to Modern Nordic Culture and Society,ÌýnominatedÌýhim for an ASSETT Teaching with Technology Award.Ìý StudentsÌýpraised Teitelbaum's inclusion ofÌýthe clips of films thatÌýhelp illustrateÌýNordic society.Ìý Students also praised hisÌýclicker questions.Ìý Teitelbaum says that he quizzes students with clickers so that he canÌýtakeÌýthe, "Opportunity to have an instant discussion," with the class about a topic.
Next year,ÌýTeitelbaumÌýhopes to incorporate clips from the NBC sitcom Welcome to Sweden into class.Ìý Finally,Ìýhe returns the compliment: "We have wonderful students,"ÌýTeitelbaum says of CU Buffs.