Spring 2012 Reflections
This term was an interesting one, which required students to adjust to several changes over the course of ten weeks. I believe the group actually came together as a community due to the need for flexibility, the group work required in sessions, and maybe even due to some of the activities provided in mentor sessions! Students seemed to communicate and even hang out outside of class more than any term I have mentored previously.
The term began with the use of discussions in class and on D2L. However, the D2L portion was later dropped by Faculty Partner Teresa Schmidt, in order to focus more fully on the class interactions. I was pleasantly surprised to see that students had regularly completed the readings and were fully engaged in the discussions, despite some uncertainty during the middle portion of the term. I also found that students appreciated the structure and grading rubrics provided by Ms. Schmidt.
Finally, I am pleased with how the session presentations turned out. I believe the introduction of the use of Prezi and the division of topics into subgroups helped students to better understand the structure of a clear and effective presentation. The students were required to determine what they would talk about in the weeks before the class presentation, so the groups felt more organized and unified. Several students stated that they were happy to have this tool in their tool belt for future classes, as well. In general, I believe my term goal of improving small groups was achieved.
The term began with the use of discussions in class and on D2L. However, the D2L portion was later dropped by Faculty Partner Teresa Schmidt, in order to focus more fully on the class interactions. I was pleasantly surprised to see that students had regularly completed the readings and were fully engaged in the discussions, despite some uncertainty during the middle portion of the term. I also found that students appreciated the structure and grading rubrics provided by Ms. Schmidt.
Finally, I am pleased with how the session presentations turned out. I believe the introduction of the use of Prezi and the division of topics into subgroups helped students to better understand the structure of a clear and effective presentation. The students were required to determine what they would talk about in the weeks before the class presentation, so the groups felt more organized and unified. Several students stated that they were happy to have this tool in their tool belt for future classes, as well. In general, I believe my term goal of improving small groups was achieved.