Carnegie Grant, Fall 2005

Chris’ Notes for Week 3

In meeting with Denise and Angela before their classes this week, I observed that both instructors seem to have things under control. Denise is surging forward with her comprehensive implementation of the pedagogy, while Angela pursues her exploratory mode. Once again, I assisted them with basic tasks related to the class website.

In past semesters, I have always taught English 189 (a MWF format) in a regular classroom on Mondays and Tuesdays and in the computer lab on Fridays. This arrangement worked out fairly well, though it was somewhat difficult for these developmental students to embrace the class website with only a brief introduction to it on Fridays in the lab. This semester, fortuitously, Denise’s 189 class was scheduled full-time in a computer lab. As it turns out, this is a huge advantage for getting the students “wedded” to the class website, for Denise can have them open up the website during every class meeting to review the materials and help them with basic tasks, such as the calendar, quizzes, wordbank, and My Progress. By revisiting the website during every class meeting of the first weeks, the students come away with a more immediate and profound understanding of the use and necessity of this resource. Denise’s students are completing the electronic homework in a more efficient and timely fashion than my students did in the past. (It would usually take four or five weeks of prodding before I could get the stragglers to use the class website.)

Because Angela’s 189 class meets only once a week in the computer lab, her students are not embracing the website as they should. Fortunately, I was able to switch Angela’s classroom to the same computer lab where Denise’s class meets. As of this Wednesday, Angela’s class will now meet full-time in the computer lab, and it will be quite interesting to observe her students’ progress with the class website.

Both instructors are exhibiting an initial comfort and enthusiasm in their use of the PPT presentations. By reviewing a presentation several times (once with my input), they seem fairly confident and well-equipped to deliver the presentation. Often, the dynamic components and sequencing of the slides are quite intricate, so it can be quite challenging to navigate the whole thing, presenting the content smoothly and effectively to the students. It’s great that Angela and Denise both feel fairly relaxed about this “juggling” act. In addition, both instructors are excited about the students’ response to these electronic materials; they report a higher level of involvement and energy among the students.

I have spent time this week making corrections to quizzes, slideshows, and the like. I have also worked on our Carnegie Full-Emersion website and revised PPT presentations for my English 191 class.