Saturday, August 22, 2009
Spelling
I've spent the last few days going over and over my syllabi. I've had some wonderful friends provide me with invaluable input. However, no one noticed one glaring error that I MADE! In saving the English syllabus I spelled my own name wrong in the file name! GEEZ LOUISE! How does one spell her own name wrong?? Stress, I presume. Luckily, I noticed it at the very last minute and before I posted it for 150 students to view!
Friday, August 21, 2009
First day of Faculty Meetings
Yes, it's been two days. I have fallen behind blogging because I am addicted to making my syllabi perfect. One down and one to go.
Wednesday was the "faculty report" day. We had one ENG meeting and one COM meeting. The ENG one went smoothly. The COM was another story. There seems to be some struggle between long term faculty members. However, it was most entertaining for the new kids on the block. The strife? How long to make the time requirements on speeches for COM121. People were arguing over 5 to 7 minutes overall, 4 to 6 minutes overall, or having each speech be a different time requirement. Are you kidding me? It was hilarious. Finally, one of the smart old-timers suggested 4-8 minutes on each and every speech requirement and profs could tailor it to their own needs. Wow. Thank God for the smart blonde in the group (no, it wasn't me). She has a great way of cutting to the chase.
The Dean is going to another school and she put her hubby in charge of the COM group. Interesting choice and it apparently rubbed some of the old timers the wrong way thus the battle of time blocks.
I visited one-on-one with a sweet, dear old man who has been teaching English for nearly 30 years. He is due to retire in a year or so. I enjoyed talking with him and soaking up his vast amount of knowledge. He always has a pot of coffee so I'm sure I will be knocking on his door all semester. If not for advice, then for the coffee! He collects coffee mugs. I'll have to dig out a Gator and Cowboy mug to add to his collection. I'm sure I have some extras collecting dust around my desk ... well, somewhere.
The prof dev speaker was excellent. He is a business colleague of mine so I am bias. I enjoyed watching from the sidelines. Apparently, there is overall disagreement among the administration, the faculty and the board members. It was entertaining to observe the reactions to the speaker's suggestions. Unfortunately, he did not roll up his sleeves to reveal his totally tattooed arms. I thought he was heading there when he removed his suit jacket and started to roll them up, but he just didn't get them rolled up high enough. I would have loved to have seen their reaction to his tattoo sleeves. He gives an excellent discussion about stereotypes in class and reveals his tattoos. Perhaps he thought this audience was a bit too conservative.
My suggestion for ending some of the strife is to bring some new people in! The ones who have taught the same class the same way for 30 years need to update or retire. I've read through some syllabi that have nearly bored me to tears. I can only imagine how the kids feel. Wow. I've planned for guest speakers all throughout the semester. I don't want the students to only listen to me. Nope, they need some real world lifers to visit and share. I think it will be a good semester.
We shall see!
My COM syllabus is finally done. Now to the ENG one.
Oh! I'm so glad that I'm working from one of the satellite campuses. I can wear jeans and no heels. Those darn high heels that I wore on Wed put blisters on my toes. Ouch!
Wednesday was the "faculty report" day. We had one ENG meeting and one COM meeting. The ENG one went smoothly. The COM was another story. There seems to be some struggle between long term faculty members. However, it was most entertaining for the new kids on the block. The strife? How long to make the time requirements on speeches for COM121. People were arguing over 5 to 7 minutes overall, 4 to 6 minutes overall, or having each speech be a different time requirement. Are you kidding me? It was hilarious. Finally, one of the smart old-timers suggested 4-8 minutes on each and every speech requirement and profs could tailor it to their own needs. Wow. Thank God for the smart blonde in the group (no, it wasn't me). She has a great way of cutting to the chase.
The Dean is going to another school and she put her hubby in charge of the COM group. Interesting choice and it apparently rubbed some of the old timers the wrong way thus the battle of time blocks.
I visited one-on-one with a sweet, dear old man who has been teaching English for nearly 30 years. He is due to retire in a year or so. I enjoyed talking with him and soaking up his vast amount of knowledge. He always has a pot of coffee so I'm sure I will be knocking on his door all semester. If not for advice, then for the coffee! He collects coffee mugs. I'll have to dig out a Gator and Cowboy mug to add to his collection. I'm sure I have some extras collecting dust around my desk ... well, somewhere.
The prof dev speaker was excellent. He is a business colleague of mine so I am bias. I enjoyed watching from the sidelines. Apparently, there is overall disagreement among the administration, the faculty and the board members. It was entertaining to observe the reactions to the speaker's suggestions. Unfortunately, he did not roll up his sleeves to reveal his totally tattooed arms. I thought he was heading there when he removed his suit jacket and started to roll them up, but he just didn't get them rolled up high enough. I would have loved to have seen their reaction to his tattoo sleeves. He gives an excellent discussion about stereotypes in class and reveals his tattoos. Perhaps he thought this audience was a bit too conservative.
My suggestion for ending some of the strife is to bring some new people in! The ones who have taught the same class the same way for 30 years need to update or retire. I've read through some syllabi that have nearly bored me to tears. I can only imagine how the kids feel. Wow. I've planned for guest speakers all throughout the semester. I don't want the students to only listen to me. Nope, they need some real world lifers to visit and share. I think it will be a good semester.
We shall see!
My COM syllabus is finally done. Now to the ENG one.
Oh! I'm so glad that I'm working from one of the satellite campuses. I can wear jeans and no heels. Those darn high heels that I wore on Wed put blisters on my toes. Ouch!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Decision made: I will have three quizzes for the COM class. However, the quizzes won't encompass as many points as the speeches, interview assignment, or papers. Despite how the "seasoned" instructors see it (book? what book? you mean the students had to spend $100 on a book and I was supposed to test on it? Oops), I just can't overlook the whole textbook issue. I also decided to give both the COM and ENG classes an opportunity to earn extra credit points. The assignments for doing so will be:
1) Participating in The National Day on Writing. I've created a local gallery and students will post an original writing to its website.
2) Participating in a discussion thread on Blackboard. Students must create two original posts and reply to 4 posts of their classmates.
3) In COM, presenting an Impromtu Speech about a current event (of my choosing, of course). I will creatively suggest that students watch ESPN prior to class because I am a football freak! If they can stand up and give a two-minute summary about how great (or bad) one of my teams played in the most recent game, then they get extra credit. Football is a religion in my family and it's most certainly a worthy "current event." At least until February.
In ENG, ditto but they will need to write about the "current event."
I'll need to rotate the opportunities for extra credit choice #3. Perhaps I'll put all of their names in my football candy dish and choose two per week to participate. Would that be fair & equitable?
1) Participating in The National Day on Writing. I've created a local gallery and students will post an original writing to its website.
2) Participating in a discussion thread on Blackboard. Students must create two original posts and reply to 4 posts of their classmates.
3) In COM, presenting an Impromtu Speech about a current event (of my choosing, of course). I will creatively suggest that students watch ESPN prior to class because I am a football freak! If they can stand up and give a two-minute summary about how great (or bad) one of my teams played in the most recent game, then they get extra credit. Football is a religion in my family and it's most certainly a worthy "current event." At least until February.
In ENG, ditto but they will need to write about the "current event."
I'll need to rotate the opportunities for extra credit choice #3. Perhaps I'll put all of their names in my football candy dish and choose two per week to participate. Would that be fair & equitable?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
To Test or Not to Test
I wish today's quandary involved a beach ball, a beach, or even one of those cold, refreshing beach cocktails delivered to me by a cabana boy. But, no such luck. Today, I'm faced with the question: to test the students or not to test the students?
One of the coures I will be teaching at a local community college is called "COM101 Fundamentals of Communication." For this course, students are required to purchase a $100 textbook, however they are not required to read it. Yes, you read that correctly: they are NOT required to read it.
I've reviewed several syllabi (for this course taught by various instructors at the same community college) and none of them outline any reading assignments from the book. None. Not once did I come across something such as "Read Chapter 1: The Foundations of Communication" or "Read Chapter 13: Organizing Your Speech."
Instead the syllabi is filled with assignments centered around public speaking, group interaction, and interviewing skills. Just over one-half of the class assignments are graded on public speaking (51%), another 20% says it is based on tests/quizzes/exams (all of which do not exist), the balance is based on small group problem-solving assignments and two short papers.
Now, this is where the institutional geniuses lose me: the 20% of required tests is NOT listed in any syllabus. Now, I'm certain an old business colleague that now works at the Board of Regents would absolutely flip if she knew this was happening. However, I can't tell her. I'd get fired from my new job before I even started it. So I sigh deeply.
My gut feeling is to test the students. Why have them buy the book if they are not responsible for reading it and learning the context? How else are they going to learn the concepts of communication and how the concepts will apply to life without studying it? Life isn't all about standing in front of a podium and giving a speech that you may or may not have memorized. It's helpful, in life, when you know how to communicate in any given situation. So, wouldn't I be selling the students and myself short if I ignored teaching them the basics and just let them be talking heads? I think so.
So the question remains: to test or not to test? What would you do?
It's after 11 p.m. Where's that damn cabana boy anyhow? I need a decaf coffee with a shot of Bailey's and Kaluha. Does that count as a beach drink? Maybe he will put a little umbrella in it for me. Hmmmm.
One of the coures I will be teaching at a local community college is called "COM101 Fundamentals of Communication." For this course, students are required to purchase a $100 textbook, however they are not required to read it. Yes, you read that correctly: they are NOT required to read it.
I've reviewed several syllabi (for this course taught by various instructors at the same community college) and none of them outline any reading assignments from the book. None. Not once did I come across something such as "Read Chapter 1: The Foundations of Communication" or "Read Chapter 13: Organizing Your Speech."
Instead the syllabi is filled with assignments centered around public speaking, group interaction, and interviewing skills. Just over one-half of the class assignments are graded on public speaking (51%), another 20% says it is based on tests/quizzes/exams (all of which do not exist), the balance is based on small group problem-solving assignments and two short papers.
Now, this is where the institutional geniuses lose me: the 20% of required tests is NOT listed in any syllabus. Now, I'm certain an old business colleague that now works at the Board of Regents would absolutely flip if she knew this was happening. However, I can't tell her. I'd get fired from my new job before I even started it. So I sigh deeply.
My gut feeling is to test the students. Why have them buy the book if they are not responsible for reading it and learning the context? How else are they going to learn the concepts of communication and how the concepts will apply to life without studying it? Life isn't all about standing in front of a podium and giving a speech that you may or may not have memorized. It's helpful, in life, when you know how to communicate in any given situation. So, wouldn't I be selling the students and myself short if I ignored teaching them the basics and just let them be talking heads? I think so.
So the question remains: to test or not to test? What would you do?
It's after 11 p.m. Where's that damn cabana boy anyhow? I need a decaf coffee with a shot of Bailey's and Kaluha. Does that count as a beach drink? Maybe he will put a little umbrella in it for me. Hmmmm.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Teacher Crack
I've always loved pens, pencils, stationary, backpacks, and notebooks. Now, I know why. Simply because it's teacher crack. Forget collecting shoes, Precious Moments, or travel-the-USA spoons. I am collecting the supplies of my new found career: teaching. Now, it's perfectly acceptable to go into Wally World and plunk down $$$ on post-it notes, composition notebooks (that I will never use but purchased them because of the cool cover designs), pens, markers, pencils, and a beach ball. Yes, a beach ball.
I read somewhere that as an ice breaker one should toss a beach ball around during the first day of class. Students catch it and answer a question - the one closest to their left thumb (after catching the beach ball). And, of course, I had to purchase several different Sharpie markers to write on the beach ball. I have varied the size and color of the ink. Now, do I write the questions directly on the beach ball or on one of the many shaped post-it notes and then stick those to the beach ball?
Wow. First day decisions. We never had this kind of trouble in corporate America. There were no beach balls.
I read somewhere that as an ice breaker one should toss a beach ball around during the first day of class. Students catch it and answer a question - the one closest to their left thumb (after catching the beach ball). And, of course, I had to purchase several different Sharpie markers to write on the beach ball. I have varied the size and color of the ink. Now, do I write the questions directly on the beach ball or on one of the many shaped post-it notes and then stick those to the beach ball?
Wow. First day decisions. We never had this kind of trouble in corporate America. There were no beach balls.
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