{"id":141,"date":"2022-10-12T06:00:54","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T10:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/?p=141"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:55:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T20:55:10","slug":"ready-for-anything-building-our-swiss-army-knife-of-teaching-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/2022\/10\/12\/ready-for-anything-building-our-swiss-army-knife-of-teaching-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready for Anything: Building Our Swiss Army Knife of Teaching Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"

What tools do you quickly have at hand to make a good impact on your learners? What can we learn from reflecting on our competency levels?<\/p>\n

Did you know that there is a<\/span>\u00a0historical town in Switzerland<\/span><\/a> (Swiss Family Fun 2015) where you can learn about the history of the iconic Victorinox company<\/span>,<\/span> and build your own Swiss Army Knife?<\/span><\/p>\n

I had the opportunity to visit <\/span>Brunnen<\/span>, Switzerland<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> when my husband and I lived in Zurich several years ago. Since that visit, I\u2019ve adopted the Swiss Army Knife as a symbol for all things teaching,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>particularly since the COVID pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

During the pandemic, faculty <\/span><\/span>were forced to rethink instruction. For some, it was a simple sharpening of skills in online teaching and learning. Others had to build from scratch. My hope is that <\/span>all of<\/span> that hard work and dedication continues in some way post-pandemic. Once you add a tool or accessory to your Swiss Army Knife it should always remain \u2013 in case of emergency!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Swiss<\/p>\n

The Competence Continuum<\/h2>\n

Living through the COVID-pandemic with Ball State faculty<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>reminded me of the research of <\/span>Dr. Therese Huston,<\/span><\/a> cognitive scientist at Seattle University. She wrote a book called <\/span>Teaching What You Don\u2019t Know<\/span><\/a> (Huston 2012), where she dives deeply into how we, as humans and learners, function within varying competency levels. She describes a continuum that ranges from unconscious competence (being able to do something well without thinking about it) to unconscious incompetence (not knowing what you don\u2019t know). <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what does this have to do with Swiss Army Knives? It\u2019s important that we understand and constantly assess what knowledge, skills, and tools we currently have in our pocket and which ones may be missing from our repertoire. It also reminds us that we don\u2019t know what we don\u2019t know, and to be ready with the energy and humility to learn no matter where we are in our professional journey.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are Your Competency Levels?<\/h2>\n

Consider, what specialized knowledge have you harnessed? What instructional approaches are you comfortable using in the classroom and which ones would you like to practice further? Where do you need to grow? What do you need to learn next for the sake of your learners?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following<\/span> is a graphic which lays out the different competency levels. Consider your competencies as they pertain to your content area, skills, and tools\/supports available to you at Ball State.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Get new posts by email<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

Let’s Break it Down Further<\/h2>\n