Blog Entry #9

Feedback - I feel feedback is extremely important when being a college professor. Students should be able to feel comfortable giving feedback related to assignments, concerns, or how the professor is doing. The information provided early in a course can help turn things around for a student(s) before it is too late. When I taught a class last summer, I was encouraged by my advisor to send out an anonymous mid-term survey. I have never completed a mid-term survey for any of my classes, so it seemed odd. I was able to get a couple constructive points (such as spacing out assignments more) that I incorporated right away. I notice in COMM 702 we are going to submit mid-term evaluations, so I believe this is the right thing to do for the students as well as for myself. When I teach my next college class, I will ask the students to complete a mid-term evaluation and a end of the course evaluation. This will more than likely be done on blackboard. I like the idea of asking open ended questions rather than asking for simple "yes" or "no" responses. I do not like the idea of formal feedback (such as having one-on-one conferences). I feel students (especially undergraduate students) would not be willing to share if they had any major concerns or suggestions for improvements. I would thing you would get your occasional student who would provide honest feedback, but at an undergraduate level, this would be rare (in my opinion). At a graduate level this would be different. I can see have formal feedback sessions with graduate students. The time commitment would be an issue. To do a good job soliciting feedback during one-on-one sessions would take a great deal of time. I am not a supporter of have small group feedback sessions for the sack to save time. The only way I would use this type of approach would be for graduate level students with classes of no more than 15-20. A nice rubric for online instructors is: http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/rubric/fsf.shtml. This should prove to be helpful since I plan on teaching online courses in the future.

Reading Feedback - Initially, I use to cringe when I had to read feedback I received from people. In my "past life" I needed to ask for feedback on my presentations and programs I coordinated. As time when on, I was more comfortable reading the feedback and deciding if it was worthwhile to make changes. When I taught my class last summer and had students complete a mid-term and final evaluation, I was OK with the constructive comments and were able to make changes the students felt were necessary. I like the suggestions the book made related to related to reading evaluations. I agree with not reading the evaluations before teaching a class since it could cause a a person to lose focus on the teaching topic and make it obvious that the comments affected the professor. Reading evaluations with a friend for moral support is also a good idea (especially if the class was somewhat difficult). I would imagine the person you are reading them with (if they also teach) have had similar comments. Lastly, I plan on rereading the positive comments since often times people forget the positive comments and well only on the negative ones. This would be helpful to be sure I stay positive and constantly grow as a college instructor. I know there are many sites online that asks for professor feedback. Apparently, students can look up a certain profesor to see if they would like to enroll in the professors class. One such site is Know Your Professor (http://www.knowyourprofessor.com/). I wonder if any professors check out this site to see what students write about them. Is this feedback helpful? I am not sure. I looked for Dr. Platt's name, but no luck. I think I would check out the site and take the information with a grain of salt. Some of the information might be helpful.

Teaching Large Classes - I would like to think things have changed since my very first class I attended when I was a undergraduate student (739 students). This class was strictly lecture with very little interaction with the professor and no small group discussion. If you had a question, the professor asked for your social security number and did not care about your name. I am not sure how many large classes like this still exist, but I do know the professor cannot ask for your social security number. As the book mentioned, due to decreasing government support and increasing enrollment, some universities still have large classes without small group discussion. I would be fine with have the lecture part of my Wellness undergraduate course having 150-200 students, but at least one a week, they need to meet in small groups (less than 10 students) to discuss the material. I liked the idea ad plan on incorporating "study groups" so students can work together outside of class if small group sessions during class time is not possible. Getting students to interact in large classes is important (as mentioned in the book). They discussed using technology since many student might not feel comfortable answering question in a large lecture setting. This technique would be helpful in the field of wellness since many topics covered are somewhat sensitive (such as STDs, Drugs, Alcohol, Mental Health Issues, etc.). NDSU has the Personal Response System (PRS) which some classes use. It is my understanding that many students have these devices. I have been through training related to PRS, but never used them in a class (as a student or instructor). I also plan on using the "Poll Everywhere" Internet program shared in COMM 702. It seems like at least 95% of students have a cell phone and can text their responses to the site. I have never used this as an instructor, but as a student, I found this a great tool to use. I am not sure what I would do if a student or two did not have a cell phone. Barrow a friends? Use mine? I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there. I liked the article from the University of California, Berkley "Tools for Teaching" (http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/largelecture.html). Tips suggested include: Change the pace of the lecture every 15 minutes due to the students attention span. Prepare a detailed syllabus for student's and to visit the classroom before the first class. Many of tips are mentioned as well.

Blog Entry #8

Low-Stakes Writing - I like the suggestion of allowing students to do low-stakes writing in a mode of free writing. This skill is important to allow students to be creative and not to worry so much about grammar and sentence structure. This activity does not how to take a great deal of time (just 5-10 minutes is sufficient). When I taught in a public school setting, I would have students participate in free writing about once a week. The topic typically dealt with the topic at hand and usually centered around an ethical issue. A simple example could be, "do you think people without insurance should receive the same quality health care as someone with insurance"? I can see myself using this in a wellness class a few times during the semester. This would allow students to express themselves on a wellness topic. A topic in an introduction wellness course could be, "Which dimension of wellness is most important and why". This should prove to be beneficial for students who do not like to speak up in class. A nice site to get ideas related to low-stakes writing is: http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/gems/bfghs/lowstakeswritingassignments.pdf

Peer Learning - It appears that most students enjoy working with students on assignments, but not all students. I remember some of my high school not liking to work in groups because of past experiences when someone did not "pull their weight". I believe I would make them work in a group using the analogy that they need to learn how to work in groups in "real life". I feel that most college students are able to work in groups. I could honestly see group activities as part of my course objectives. I like then tips noted in the book such as:
*Give students a few minutes at the end of class to make plans.
*Move around and listen to be sure students are not lost and confused.
*Have students discuss what contributes to effective group functioning.
*Set short and long-term goals.

The Learning Cell - I really liked this idea and feel this would be an effective way for students to learn. I like when students read the same materials and ask each other questions. I have personally participated in this type of activity when I would read a chapter, and two others would each read a different chapter. In groups of three, we would then teach each about the chapter we read. I found this activity fun and a nice way to learn. I can see myself using this technique in my classes, but would be sure as an instructor to hit the "high points" of each chapter to be sure nothing was missed.

Games - I am a strong believer in games in the classroom. Games can not only teach important concepts, but can also make the class fun. In the past, my high school students have participated in "pictionary" and "family feud" type games to help them learn about health topics. There are "buzzers" and other devices that can be purchased to be used in class. I have used "buzzers" in a workshop when the instructors wanted to assess learning. It was really fun and helped to reinforce what the presenters taught. I plan on having games and maybe even using "buzzers" a few times during the semester when I teach at the college level. Buzzers can be found at: http://www.trainerswarehouse.com/products.asp?dept=122

Blog Entry #7

Social Goals and Motivation - I really liked the section of the reading. To be honest, I never read any research related to this concept, but it makes sense that it would be extremely important. Having a student work briefly with another student and helping them form study groups is a great idea. Not only does this concept help students to get to know each other, but it also should prove to help learning be more enjoyable. Even though I have never read any research related to this, when I taught in a high school setting, I would often have students would together for these various reasons. As I look into future college teaching experiences, I would like to incorporate small group activities. Also, as the reading indicated, this will help with the social aspect of the student. With mental health issues being a concern for many students and universities, this approach could help strengthen their social dimension of wellness and increase learning. A nice article printed on August 27, 2009 in the Los Angeles Times describes the prevalence of mental illness in college students. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/college-students-pack-a-heavy-bag-of-mental-illness.html

Teaching Culturally Diverse Students - I found this area was important with many culturally diverse students attending NDSU. Some tips that I will need to keep in mind include:
Eye Contact: I always new some students do not have good eye contact. As the reading mentioned, some ethnic groups looking away may be indicative of careful attention. In fact, the book mentioned that in the Asian Cultures, staring at a person of higher status is considered rude. I am going to keep this in mind when teaching. I honestly have not taught many people from different cultures, but in the college setting, this would be a different story. So, note to self, "lack of eye contact does not mean the student is not listening".

Reluctant Speech: I agree with the section related to building trust with students so they feel more comfortable. For many students (not only culturally diverse students), it will take some time to build trust so they feel comfortable speaking up. Instructors do not know the backgrounds the students come from, so their could be a variety of reasons they choose not to speak up initially. As a future college instructor, I need to be aware of my nonverbal cues (stance, body language, facial expressions), and how I word my questions I ask my class. When a student answers (as mentioned in class a couple weeks ago), I need to find at least the "kernel of correctness (even if the answer was wrong)" and build on each student response so hopefully toward the end of the semester, they feel more confident in speaking up. Providing a follow-up response to the student's response and being positive should prove to be beneficial. A nice site listing tips related to teaching culturally diverse students is: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/resource/6039.html

Lastly, I liked the comments toward the end of the reading related to taking time to chat. I feel it is important (if at all possible) to come to class a few minutes early to "chat" with the students and show them they are human. Talking about the football game, current events, or even the weather should show students the professor is a real person. I also plan (if possible) to not be in too much of a hurry to leave the classroom so students can come up after class to ask questions or to share concerns they may have. Hopefully this approach will show my future students that I care and am willing to take time for them.

Blog #6

Meeting with Students - I never thought too much about office hours and locations until the this weeks reading. I strongly recommend meeting in the departmental office rather than a coffee shop or other similar location. I feel this causes some possible boundary issues and might even lead to uncomfortable situations. I feel in this day and age that a professor needs to be very cautious and not cause any reason for rumors or accusations. This would not help the professor, especially a new one. Also, the book brings up a good point related to privacy. It would be hard to ensure privacy in a coffee shop or other venue. I again would not need with students outside of the office and outside of business hours.



Plagiarism - In many ways, I feel plagiarism is a sign of disrespect. Granted, there could be many reasons why a student chose to plagiarize, but if a student had respect for the professor, I do not feel they would plagiarize. I would like to think that a college student should have a decent idea of what is plagiarism. Am I wrong? I like the tips suggested in the book related to signs or signal's of plagiarise. I like the example in the book related to the professor handling two students turning in the same paper. The professor had to change his decision after discussing the situation with another professor. That professor felt like his authority was lowered after that. I guess I would agree. It would be important to find out right away if the university or department has specific ways to handle these types of situation. What is NDSU's policy on such behavior? When a situation occurs, the professor should discuss the issue with the student, and not just give them a lower score. I have noticed that there are online sites a professor can use to help detect possible plagiarism. One such site is copyrightspot (http://copyrightspot.com/). Another such program is Copyguard (http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=11466). Regardless of what software (if any) a professor uses, they still need to discuss the issue with the student and think of plagiarism as a learning opportunity.



Student Complaints - I honestly feel that if someone has enough time on their hands and a little negative energy, they will find fault in anybody. The key issue is if the complaints are persistent. I think students need to understand chain of command and know where they can go if they disagree with a professor. I liked the suggestion in the book related if they threaten to go to the professor (if you are a TA) or the department head, encourage them to do so. Often times, this will not take place, and the student will focus on their studies. It would also be important that the professor and the department head are on the same page so the student does not manipulate a situation.



Letters of Recommendations - I liked this section in the book because I have had issues with this in the past. I enjoy writing letters of recommendations for students who deserve good ones, but what do I do if a average student or poor student asks? I hate this. I have done what the book has said (be honest), and it has cause some hard feelings. Maybe it was what I said to the student. I feel, it is not what you say, but how you say it. In the future, I plan on informing students to be sure to ask right before putting me down as a reference and that not everyone will get a "glowing recommendation". About.com has some excellent sample recommendation letter a faculty member can use. I have not had to write a great deal of recommendations, but will use the site as a guide when needed. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay also has a nice site for faculty and staff to assist with writing letters of recommendations (http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/Recommendation_Letters.htm).