The first week of class is always filled with possibilities. Motivating students to create the life that they wish for begins during the initial class sessions, whether it be face-to-face or online. The aim during this time is to create that engaged relationship that will pay dividends throughout the semester. Dr. Mary Clement, who visited BRCC in the past and shared her best practices, suggests that we find out what type of high school experience our students had before we explain our expectations. Sharing the major differences between high school and college is vital for our first-time students. She notes, "How do we change this mindset going from high school into college? The number one way is to put your policy in writing in the syllabus. If the paper is due Monday, and the student is not in class that day, will the paper be accepted after Monday? Will it be accepted after Monday at all? If the answer is yes, until when and with what penalty?” Further, because there’s so much variation across different high schools in terms of homework, attendance requirements and making up for missed work, and grading practices, Clement recommends creating an interest inventory to give students during the first week of class. If it is anonymous, students may feel more comfortable answering the questions. You can find more suggestions here.
USING PEER REVIEW IN YOUR CLASS
Are
you looking to increase the amount of peer-review experiences in your
courses but are afraid that some of your students may not be ready? Here
is an interesting learning experience you can use that will provide
good feedback to students, allow students to practice this skill, and
alleviate some of the worry you may have. Dr. Trent Batson shares the following, "I
used the following technique that worked well in my writing classes:
the writer and
the peer reviewer both have a copy of the paper in print. They are both
sitting at computers and communicating via chat or some other real-time
tool. As the reviewer reads the paper, starting with the first
paragraph, she
types her immediate reactions and thoughts -- almost like a think-aloud
protocol -- thereby providing a strong sense of what any reader might be
wondering or reacting to as the reader goes through the paper. I
found that using chat made the communication more neutral and helped the
reviewing student "speak" (through typing) more freely and off-the-cuff.
The writer of the paper gets a strong lesson in reader-based writing
and
also gets good advice about where confusion arises or where good points
are
made. I
didn't ask the reviewer to evaluate the paper, just provide that
think-aloud
response." Dr. Robert Danberg recommends the book Beat Not the Poor Desk by Marie Ponsot as a useful resource for this active learning technique.
As you look over the professional development opportunities listed on the spring 2015 calendar that we distributed at the kickoff event last Wednesday, please note that the first Faculty Learning Community (FLC) is set to begin on February 6 at noon. We still have a few slots open for the FLC which will be using the common reader Inspired College Teaching by Dr. Maryellen Weimer. The book has been praised by new teachers and those with lots of experience. Some of the topics to be covered include maintaining instructional vitality (the midcareer challenge), feedback for teachers that improves learning for students, and reflection for growth and change. If you would like to join the FLC, please send an email to pourciaut@mybrcc.edu.
