Blogging about blogging....metablogging?

I enjoyed the blogging aspect of this course, if not for the simple fact that it allowed me to type my reflections instead of writing them out longhand. I liked how I could edit my reflections as I went without crossing them out with violent black pen slashes. If I were to employ something like this, I might use or a blog, or just have them word process a quick reaction. I like the idea of introducing them to the great blogosphere, though, since I enjoyed my first foray into it. :)

Seven! Sept! Siete!

From what little I saw of CWO, I thought it would make a good resource for texts. I enjoyed the diversity of topics and their organizations by subject matter. How much I incorporate them into my course, however, will hinge on my reaction to it after some more thorough reading. I think it might make an interesting course supplement. I might mine it for ideas for my own lessons, as well. I enjoyed the suggestions in TIP to "mess around with texts" and the texts in CWO might prove to be very mess-worthy.

Dr. Nord had some useful suggestions...the one I found the most beneficial was messing around with (there I go again using "messing around" again) the Styles function of Microsoft Word to create more legible online responses. I did appreciate some of his simpler suggestions ("Just email everything to them! Nice and easy!"), I'm so plugged into UCompass at this point, that I'll probably just do most everything through that. I have the feeling I'll remember something of his midway through the semester when I'm trying to think of a creative way to accomplish something online.

Blog Number Six

I'm all about the technology, so I plan to integrate a good portion of it into my course. The only reason I say this, though, is because I see a direct application of it in my curriculum. Normally, I have been the advocate of chalk-and-blackboard technology in courses...I have had so many classroom experiences where the instructor utilized technology that seemingly had no useful purpose in the lesson. The teacher either spends 20 minutes fiddling with it, or does a PowerPoint presentation whose sole purpose seems to be so that we can watch every letter of the lecture notes zoom onto the screen, accompanied by the sound of a car engine that sounds like a mosquito on helium. UCompass's accessibility and ease of use, on the other hand, makes its use directly releveant to my course.

Blog Number 5 (The Sequel)

Three cheers for mentor groups! I've experienced the most practical application of this course's materials with my mentor (who, by the way, rocks). Jess is willing to bring in anything of hers that will help, share with us her "war stories", and see to it that we're getting what we need out of our time with her. I appreciate how Dr. McClure has given us a good chunk of time with our mentors. His lecutres have been really high on the practical application thing in the first place, but time with the mentors is even more beneficial. I know I'll feel very prepared to teach by the end of this period.

...and Number 5

I have found this course to be extremely helpful so far. I appreciate how Dr. McClure is coming at this from an "education" perspective and not necessarily a pedagogy-free "English" perspective. The guest speakers have been a nice change of pace, too...especially Dr. MacKenzie and Dr. Ross. Every now and then the lectures get a bit on the lengthy side, and I haven't had the chance to ask some of the questions I've wanted to pose. But all in all, I have been very, very satisfied with both the instructor and content of this class. I look forward to Week 2.

Blog Numero 4

I found the grading and commenting activities greatly helpful, since this was the aspect I was feeling the most nervous/anxious about. While correcting papers, I was proud of how I was able to look at global issues first...though I really had to quell the urge at the beginning to start marking all the grammar errors in red pen. I think the toughest part about grading will come in getting into the student's head when reading their paper, trying to delve into their writing process. For example, it would have been very easy to write off the fishing memoir as unfocused and incomplete. Instead, it took fairly unconventional (for me, anyway) thinking to see the beginning of the memoir as a prewrite and to note his understanding of the assignment requirements and awareness of revision. Working from the global level down: will keep this in mind.

Reactions to Day 3 Readings

“Students [tend] to misinterpret early praise as a guarantee of success."

This idea surprised me a bit. My first thought was that early praise would put confidence in the student's ability as a writer and encourage him/her to work hard in their assignments. But according to this author, early criticism fosters an attitude of revision. Criticism right off the bat might also acclimate students to the college atmosphere; not all their first drafts are going to be "A" material. Break 'em in rough, right?

“Anything can be made fun and interesting by simply mixing the old inner child into an otherwise dull lesson plan."

I completely agree. I want to have fun in the class just as much as the students, after all! I think some teachers discount so-called "goofy" pedagogy as just being fun for fun's sake or a grovelling attempt on the part of the teacher to be friends with their students. And I think in some cases, this is true--I remember a teacher I had in eighth grade whose lessons were often simply half-hour long stand-up comedy routines. Sure, the guy was hilarious, and I left class most of the time with my stomach hurting from laughing so hard, but often his monologues served absolutely no purpose other than to entertain. "Goofy" teaching techniques like that ones suggested by Diesenhaus and Leary in IOV can be extremely effective...so long as they serve an educational purpose. And when they do, this is where a teacher stands the possiblity of being a truly innovative pedadgogue.

TA Mentor Groups

Jess Smith: Tuesday, 4 or 5 PM
Colleen Godfrey: Wednesday, 11 AM
Brian Baumgart: Monday, 1-2 PM
Greg Nicolai: Friday, 10ish or 12ish

Reflection on TA Concerns and Strengths

In response to technology concerns--the best way to combat techno-phobia is to work with it at every chance you get. Just like with any unfamiliar territory, the more you poke around with it, the more at ease you feel about it. I think most of the TA concerns will be dealt with simply by time and experience (a not very comforting response, I know). Confidence concerns dwindle with time, as do authority ones, etc. Sometimes it just takes time.

An approachability strength lends itself well to more individual conferences. If students can approach a teacher without their knees knocking together, it makes sense that the teacher should maximize the opportunities for the students to come to them.

Answers to the First Three Questions

1) I am most anxious about evaluating my students’ assignments in a fair manner…make that having enough time to evaluate them all in the same way. I don’t want to sit down and do a thorough job on the first three papers only to slam through the last twelve in a caffeine-induced stupor.

2) I feel I have a strong enough presence in the classroom that I, at the very least, will be able to engage the students enough to pay attention to me (heh heh…we’ll see at any rate). And with a bit of luck, I might get them to actually care about their assignments! Also, I’m approachable enough that I don’t foresee students feeling terrified coming to me with questions…though I know it’s natural for all students to feel at least some trepidation in approaching an instructor. Though not a dyed-in-the-wool computer guru, I also know my way around technology and can incorporate it into my curriculum moderately well.

3) I hope to learn what the objectives and learner outcomes are for students in Comp 101. I find it most effective to plan my lessons keeping the objectives of the students in mind. This way, I can shape my lessons to ensure that the students leave with the abilities and skills with which they were supposed to leave. Concrete, specific ideas for lessons are always appreciated too!