Reading Notes #1

Reading Notes #1

The reading over the syllabus was very helpful in describing what is needed and what is important for students to know. The most interesting part would be understanding how vital it is to list minor details that normally would be overlooked but appear to be important to students. Things such as availability of office hours, how to find your office, and how to make students feel comfortable contacting you all are important.

            One piece of advice I find particularly important would be dealing with setting up the course objectives. This seems to be the core of the syllabus that helps everything else fall into place. The only problem would be how to set it up more like a “promise” as opposed to a tyrant principle. This portion of the syllabus helps students understand what they will get out of the class and also why it will be beneficial for them.

            Some of the points of discussion that I would like to further explore would be class size and the most effective way to help students learn. If I teach a class over 100 students how can I make sure that they are keeping up with the reading without spending massive hours of grading. On the other hand, if my class size is twenty or less are there new technological medias that I can use to help pique the interest of my students? I think tips of how to help students in both situations would be greater beneficial.

            One of the topics brought up that I never have dwelled on before is the Student Accommodations sections. I have never had a student in any of my classes with a special need and was curious about what types of services are out there and what problems students face. I know that some students need an extension on time for exams or they might need someone to read aloud to them, but I was curious about how to accommodate for a blind or deaf student.

            Another topic would be Academic Honesty. Discussing previous encounters with cheating or plagiarizing and also how to rate the severity of such an instance would be of great help. I don’t have any experience with teaching so it would be interesting to discuss more of the unexpected events that take place, such as disruptive behavior and outbursts in class. Planning the expected stuff such as schedules and assignments would be easier than the impromptu interruption or rude comment.

           

Kristine Farrell