THATCamp Community College 2015 Notes

Here are my notes from the day. We had a small group for THATCampCC, so instead of sessions we had a longer conversation where we bounced around discussing the proposals campers had made in the morning. We did something like that last year as well and I believe this might be something we continue in the future.

  • We began by discussing doing peer review outside the classroom.
    • Can we do meaningful peer review outside the classroom?
    • Building student bonds outside of class.
    • Students need to learn good criticism skills to be better peer reviewers.
    • Chris Gazzara suggested having students review a paper like they would a film or book.
    • Collaborate is a Blackboard tool for peer review.
    • VoiceThread is an app for leaving comments.
    • SHOULD statements important during peer review.
  • We then discussed prior formative non-stressful learning assessments.
    • Differences between scaffolding and expectations.
    • Can visuals help with assessing prior knowledge?
    • How women use Instagram to bypass the male gaze and invent safe spaces to present themselves.
    • How information literacy is taught at different schools in the room.
    • I discussed cutting down on secondary source requirements.
  • We then discussed annotating silent films, which led to a wide ranging discussion.

ThatCamp Philadelphia 2014: Working With Students Who Have Low Technology Skills In Distance Education

This was the session I proposed and moderated at ThatCamp Philadelphia 2014.

  • So much automation today...students do not learn to code, html, like a lot of us did back in the day.

  • What is the library's role?

  • Who is responsible for technology skills, students, or colleges?

  • Students are often scared to break something, so do not try to fix things because K-12 is so punishing of mistakes.

  • How can we make basic digital skills something worth learning?

  • Tell students to look for answers on Youtube.

  • What about a forum on Blackboard for students to help each other with technical problems?

  • What about a distance education scavenger hunt?

  • Is this an institutional issue or a student issue?

  • Many of these issues could be resolved at orientation, but it is not mandatory at many schools.

  • Make a list of resources for help on Blackboard for technology problems.

  • How do we support students after disasters?

  • Why aren't there tests to see if students are ready for technology requirements?

Center For Learning & Instruction: Working With Students Who Have Low Technology Skills

Here are my notes from the lecture I gave to BCC's Center For Learning & Instruction in the spring of 2012. Sherrie Block, our paralegal program director took these notes, which I have added some hyperlinks to for further information. If you want to watch the video of my lecture, look below.

Working With Students Who Have Low Technology Skills – William Wend, English Lecturer Center for Learn and Instruction: Thursday, April 5th, 2012 Presentation

  • Mr. Wend is constantly hearing from BCC faculty dealing with students who possesses low technology skills; he, for example, wishes students would do page breaks before starting their citation page

  • Topic was voted for at Conference; At ThatCamp, there is no planned schedule until the morning of the conference. Participants suggest topics and they are democratically voted on.

  • William ran panel and had nice hour and half chat there and is now bringing this presentation back to BCC (a more final version). He hopes to do this more in the future.

  • He found that many attendees faced common issue,  dealing with them on a day-to-day basis:

    • Finding ways to remove hindrances to learning; easy for students to fall behind if they cannot put together a document properly on a computer

    • Example Student: had low computer skills...almost dropped William’s class

    • Met with student: “this is a mouse”

    • Technology skills are important not only in class, but also in the job market

  • Digital Citizenship is something that is important; this is a workforce issue that will set you apart from the rest of job applicants (know how to use word processor, etc. – jobs won’t train on this anymore- resources , money, and time wasted for employer)

    • Mother’s best friend tried to apply at Wal-Mart  a few months ago – application had to be filled out on computer – she never used a computer before and she was dumbfounded; they had to sit there and walk her through app – she didn’t get the job

    • Mr. Wend teaches word processing skills in his English classes

    • Building template in MLA style paper for his and other classes (header, page numbers, page-break before citations) – formatting on name – emails to them so that they have for future papers

    • That is a good percentage of his classes’ paper grades (this template)

    • Students learn how to do APA template for Psychology classes, etc. (Chicago Style, etc.)

    • Need to know what proper form to use in the specific class

    • Email Assignment at the beginning of the term – Students send Mr. Wend an email (counts as quiz grade) from BCC account so that there is proof that they know how to use email (if password needs to be reset , etc., this will be resolved very early in the semester). Email account needs to be checked frequently – proposed that this be done institutionally.

  • Mr. Wend’s classes are heavily based on technology.

    • An instructor in the Liberal Arts Division sends Study Guides to students’ email but does not always tell her students; it is their responsibility to check (BCC sends job listings on the mymail account, etc.).

    • At ThatCamp talked about a 1 credit technology class that students can test out of, but would need to take – possibility at BCC perhaps?

    • Another issue – in English dealing with Information Literacy (talking with Martin Hoffman and Dave Peterson) – What is next step after mandatory ENG 101 Library Session? - What can they do with resources?

    • Mr. Wend’s class does a follow up exercise after the mandatory library day

    • At ThatCamp, talked about students who have a hard time deciphering what good sources of information is online (students click on sponsored link not knowing that this was paid for and may not be the correct link for them; search Othello for example and Spark Notes is the second link)

    • Students in Mr. Wend’s class cited from Yahoo Answers (comes up first often doing using a Yahoo and/or Bing search – versus using Google)

    • Mr. Wend will create a blacklist to get rid of some bad resources so that students know not to use; proposes a mandatory Library Day in ENG 102 – next steps for evaluating sources or citing properly (second year research)

    • Concern from Librarians to not just outsource this to Library – this is a collaborative effort with them

  • Idea also to do Coffee Sessions with Faculty to gain more allies in various disciplines to become go-to people for these sorts of issues

  • This does not have to come from the classroom; should come from the curriculum-end,  as well

  • Panel: List should be given to students as to what students need to know in terms of technology skills by the end of this year (this would be decided on a school-by-school basis)

    • Mr. Wend proposes that this technological information should be built into the handbook that students have, to check email on a regular basis, etc.

    • Students need to be in email so that they are aware of deadlines as they come and not find out after because he or she read the email too late

  • Panel: Some schools have technology across the curriculum (like writing across the curriculum); some schools require instructors use a content management system (whether the schools or their own, Blackboard, Wiki, etc.)

    • – Digital aspect to a class - to get from Flintstones (print; analog) to Jetsons (21st century) – Teachers must be comfortable with technology

    • Requirement of Information Literacy in K-12 curriculum

    • Panel: we can reach out to local school districts (principals, etc.) regarding curriculum, to open up dialog.

      Mr. Wend proposes also that students with high technology skills help other students with lower skills (formatting, computer skills, etc.); students can buddy up and help one another or if not happening naturally, instructors can help to formalize this. If students are struggling to put together a paper, etc. this leads to plagiarism and lower success. (Mr. Wend interviews these students and 1 in 5 don’t know how to evaluate sources or put together.)

  • Schools, discipline coordinators, and individual instructors of classes can do surveys to gauge students’ technology skills and gear class with this information in mind (Google survey in class, survey at time of registration maybe, etc.)
  • Online students – the list of what needs to be known to be successful in class can be handed out as well, surveys can be given
  • Citation managers (Moodle, etc.); Portable Apps can be used if they do not like what is in computer lab –  Mr. Wend shows in Secondary Level classes
  • Students do not all realize that they can put BCC email on their phone. In class, Mr. Wend will take time to help them set this up while students doing class exercises.
  • Students these days communicate through Facebook, Skype and text messaging. They are resistant to going on the web. Everything is app based for them. They do not need a separate mental note now o remind them to go check email.
  • Mr. Wend emphasizes task managers in class (Remember the Milk is one Mr. Wend uses, etc.)
  • Add Calendar to phone, as well (Google Calendar, etc.) to get into routine; task management. Foolish to not take advantage of this.
  • BCC should publish Academic Calendar to ICS file (Google file) to students’ calendars. – Should be public not just on web. Can be on phone. Students do not always see paper posters of events.
  • William Wend, Sherrie Block, and Gina Yanuzzi will start doing technology presentations for the student body (monthly maybe) – building a word processing template for papers – students use of Gmail accounts- not all know they have access to Google Docs and Google Calendar as well. Teach the students how to use these resources. (Student requests) – Also, Mr. Wend to present additional topics for Faculty at CLI presentations, such as this.
  • Please get in touch with us if you want to be involved in this project!!
  • Online Video on this presentation and Google Doc will have links for you.
  • We have pieces in place but we need to connect the dots. Let’s collaborate and work together on improvements to improve student success.

Tri-State Best Practies: Teaching With Technology

While at the Tri-State Best Practices conference last month, the most interesting panel I attended was the one on teaching with technology. I had spoken earlier in the day about wikis, so I was interested in seeing what others would do.

Rich Lauria spoke on wikifying your classroom

  • More than a blog, less than a CMS
  • Can do things Blackboard cannot
  • Wikis organize your work
  • A lot of attendees interested in paperless syllabus because students lose them
  • I am interested in getting them info immediately
  • In other words, if it is Saturday and we don’t meet until Wednesday they need and deserve access even if they lost it.
  • Rich uses PBWORKS too
  • Some debate about whether wikis should be viewable by all or only logged in students
  • Every semester I have a number of students who show my eng101 wiki to their friends to help them with their work

Maria Schrita from Hudson CCC up next on using Youtube in classroom

  • Students can view Youtube at home or their convenience
  • Using short youtube videos to intro debateable issues

Jessica Fargnoli from Bergen speaking on using audio/video captures in the classroom.

  • This is something I would like to do more of in the future.
  • 84% of internet users download or watch video
  • Echo 360 is a popular software
  • A lot of people in the room curious about why you would publish student work publicly versus privately

End Of Semester Roundup

Prof Hacker’s end of semester checklist post suggested writing some sort of “End of the Semester Roundup” post so I thought I would write one up. This semester was one of great advancements for me. I taught my first college level courses and had a great time doing so. Originally, my schedule involved teaching two sections of Composition I but during the first week of the semester I ended up adding a section of Composition II as well.

Comp I was a lot of work, but well worth it. I saw a lot of advancement in my student’s work as the semester went on. I also saw a lot if disappointing efforts from others. Teaching writing and grammar also allowed me to sharpen my own skills and talk about some of the adventures I have had over the years as a student and academic. Check out the class weblog for more information.

Composition II was a great joy to teach. I got to teach a lot of my favourite canonical authors like Chopin, Gilman, and Ibsen. An unconscious theme of discussing gender and women’s liberation became a focus of our close readings as the semester advanced through short stories to plays (A Doll House, Othello) and then to poets like Plath and Dickinson. Immediately, a handful of students stood apart from the rest of the class but I also saw many others slowly begin to contribute more and more as they became more comfortable with their own close reading skills. My focus in class was on what my students wanted to discuss. Of course, I would bring lecture notes with ideas I wanted to highlight. However, after our daily, randomly selected, journal readers I would ask the class where they wanted to begin, what they wanted to discuss, and that is where we would start. I could talk for hours about most of the texts we read, but I am more concerned with what my students wish to discuss.

One student in particular started the semester off very slowly only to eventually be the first to raise their hand almost every class. Another only contributed on Fridays, somehow, but always blew our minds with their ideas. Almost every student in class had a day where they stood out and shone brighter than anyone else.

The week of my classroom observation by Dr. Alexander coincided with my favorite week of the semester: the week we discussed (post)modern authors like Borges, Coover, and Auster. I was very impressed with my students and their ability to tackle these difficult texts. I can’t wait to teach 102 again and hope I get a chance to pick up a section in the spring. Check out our course weblog.

This semester I ran our course weblogs on WordPress and am thrilled with the results. I have run WP on a number of websites, including this one, for the past four years and couldn’t be happier with the results. In the spring I think I am going to try the dreaded Blackboard for my classes. As an offsite alternative, I believe I am going to wade my toes into the world of Drupal as well. I am going to spend some time over break considering my options.

I also guest lectured for two classes in Dr. McCadden’s upper level class ENG203 The Origins of Literature. I presented two lectures: “Telemachus & The Search For the Ideal Son in Classical Greek Literature” and “The Odyssey & Nonlinear Reading.”

Another project I am going to finish over break is the long-awaited draft of my article on Shelley Jackson for The Quarterly Conversation. I was supposed to have this completed for the winter issue, but the hectic nature of the fall semester got in the way. Veronica Esposito was gracious enough to give me an extension. I’m hoping to have something to him early in the new year.

I have a handful of journal article proposals that I need to send over break as well. A few of them are spinoff projects from my MA thesis and others are ideas that I have brewed for a period of time. Hopefully some of them will be publishable.

in the spring, currently, I am teaching two sections of Comp I. One is MWF, the other TT. This isn’t the most ideal schedule, but hopefully I will pick another Comp I, a Comp II, or another class. I am very happy to have a few weeks off to get some of my work done and prep for the spring. However, I am also excited to get back to Burlington and begin teaching again.