Scenarios has really helped me to be reflective about my teaching. I feel like it helped me understand my students better and view them as the adult learners that they are in a clearer way than I had before the course.
I found the resources absolutely splendid, a great supplement to the actual scenarios/conversations - and I will treasure them for a pretty long time.
The biggest change (in my teaching) for me is planning. I need to really look at my courses — which I've been teaching since 2001 — and see where I can make improvements. Sometimes I feel like I don't have time to revamp my syllabi, but I need to MAKE that time. It's so easy to get in a comfortable rut, and that doesn't benefit my students. This class has really opened my eyes to the possibilities!
The main impact of this course is help me keep focusing on making my teaching more learning oriented and trying to engage the students more actively in their own learning process. I learned a lot of useful tips and techniques to foster more student interaction and participation in class, which I will incorporate in future classes.
My understanding of student learning has changed in that I have a greater appreciation for the process of student development and the process of learning and teaching. The Scenario activity has allowed me to delve deeper in student learning and how we as instructors and counselors can assist students in their learning process.
“Scenarios was an excellent course. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be so engaged at the onset. However, I was surprised at how pertinent the scenarios were to my actual teaching experiences. More importantly there were options provided to help along with my “learning bumps” along the way. The resources were excellent and ones that I continue to go back to for reference. The participant postings were also insightful, although I wish I had a bit more time to review and respond more thoughtfully. Thank you for the opportunity for allowing me to participate.”
“Scenarios helped me to keep things in perspective and gain new perspective by reading the posts of my colleagues. The program NEEDS to be implemented for the sake of new instructors who, as we’ve pointed out time and time again, do not receive any formal training in teaching, but are, more or less, thrown to the lions”
“I was already heading in the right direction, but having the college behind this confirmed for me that this is the direction we are going (being a learning centered college).”
“I really got the importance of getting students engaged from the beginning.”
“I benefitted from being able to talk with other faculty about Hawaiian culture and how teaching here is different.”
|
ScenariosOnline confirmed my belief that different teaching strategies are crucial to the success of the diverse learning styles of our students. I have added a number of new teaching strategies, suggested by fellow Scenarios cohort members and by the readings. Adding a reflection piece to a few presentation sections made me more aware of student learning. I have been more perceptive of student learning and the implications of utilizing various strategies to reach a diverse population of students.
SceariosOnline has been a pleasure to complete. I have learned a lot and feel that the time spent was most valuable.
The course gave voice to what I was feeling intuitively and therefore, strengthens my beliefs.
Learning about other Instructor’s problems/success stories, gave me a good boost. It is great to know that you’re not alone, and that everyone makes mistakes in the beginning. :) And even better to know, that it is doable. The job is rewarding, but not easy, and I’m glad I was told that at the beginning.
It's a common lamentation among many lecturers and first-time instructors that pedagogy, classroom management, classroom social skills and strategies aren't taught in graduate school. This course helps first time instructors find their way.
“Scenarios presented many approaches and tools that I didn’t know about. It’s been a good resource and I’ve printed out many pages we’ve come across. It has impacted my teaching style, and though I didn’t always look forward to working through the course I must admit I did get a lot out of it..”
“The tools have made my teaching and (I hope) my students’ learning much better. Otherwise, I would have just continued to just do plain lecturing day after day after day. That would have bored me as well!”
“I now feel more confident making spaces for individual interaction as a major component of my teaching”
“I have already invested in a a supply of index cards, having been awakened to a whole new dimension of their uses”
“I have picked up on some new (to me) instructional strategies which I can incorporate right away in my course.”
“Scenarios helped me become more conscious about the value of my teaching and the value of the education my students receive from me. It’s made me more aware that I need to make every class, every lesson, every lecture, and every assignment valuable and worthwhile to my students. They should look back on everything that the class offered and feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment. I want to thank my virtual friend “Steven” for demonstrating the sometimes disastrous results of “less-than-perfect” teaching.” |
