WAC principles have been used in my teaching, which emphasizes scaffolding, the process of learning, and welcomes revision, peer and collaborative works. I think it would also be good to include some writing exercises to reflect on the purpose of their learning and making some meaningful connections.

Also, I found Kyoko Kishimoto’s article about…[Read more]

To create the audio, I began by writing down a few key points I wanted to convey–a brief intro to myself, and encouragement for students to engage and ask questions. I then practiced speaking through the outline a couple of times before recording. I chose to write only an outline because when delivered, it maintains a more natural tone. From…[Read more]

I think the chart of “Build Connections” in 2.9 It’s Specific: Pedagogical Ideas is a helpful exercise that I would like to use in my class to guide students to build connections between the course content and future personal lives. I think the key here, as the title suggests, is specificity. Being specific in students’ lives is important.…[Read more]

I use ice-breaker activities such as finding something in common in a small group, and sharing with the whole class their interests and what they are passionate about through using some photos/images.

To navigate the challenge I did not want to face and I were successful, like the suggestions from Cynthia and Diana, a to-do list to scaffold the big task would help! I also would like to add that I would reflect on the meaning of the task (of course sometimes it’s meaningless!), and sometimes it would remind me of the connections to some major…[Read more]

For me, the purpose of higher education is to allow students to grow and to be a better human. Students are not only to be trained in their fields for their future career, but also have a broad sense of knowledge and practice in various disciplines, which is the value of General Education. This in turn may build interesting connections to the…[Read more]

In my writing class, I intend to try the method of ungrading and self-grading. I think this will allow students to better understand the goals of the assignment and what they can do to improve their writing.

The messaging strategy I intend to try is to emphasize students’ effort and learning process when giving feedback. If there is room for improvement, I will highlight one or two key areas (without overwhelming them) and engage in thinking together about how to improve and why those areas matter. I will conclude the message by framing these…[Read more]

I can model a growth mindset by showing vulnerability and difficulties in the learning process, and how to embrace challenges, and to reflect on setbacks as opportunities for growth. Sometimes, I share with my students my own messy writing drafts to let them know the difficulties in my writing process and how I deal with the challenges.

I can…[Read more]

The purpose of higher education is to expand one’s world and mind to examine ideas and have experiences one would not get in daily life. Taking GE courses is a key component of higher ed since these course allow students to go beyond their comfort zones and learn about subjects which they would not ordinarily choose to to learn about.

Students…[Read more]

An addendum: I participated in an international conference in Tarragona, Spain in the summer of last year. Part of my 17-minute presentation in Spanish was to introduce the concept of growth mindset (mentalidad de crecimiento), a new topic to some attendees.

I’m participating in a Writing Intensive training program at Queensborough Community College this semester. I’m amazed at the benefits for students of adding writing assignments and how to make them look not as extra or too much work. Since I can add short reflection papers or discussion boards about their learning process, I can insert myself by…[Read more]

The first discussion board we responded to was about the quote, “Failure is a greater teacher than success.” I commented that it was the idea of falling and getting up as many times as necessary. It was the way to succeed at something. And that quote relates to Angela’s concept of grit: passion and perseverance to achieve our goals. It is an ess…[Read more]

The first word I tell my students in a welcome video, email, or in-person meeting is ‘Welcome’ in Spanish and English. I want them to feel welcome in my class.  In addition to my name, I tell them I am Colombian, from Barranquilla, and have worked for a long time at QCC. That is the easy part. I find it challenging to choose what I want to say…[Read more]

Hi Lara,

Writing about how they overcome a challenge is a good idea. You get to know students better, and they reflect on it.

Hi, Katherine.

Working with students once we convince them to visit us during our office or during student hours allows us to discover some difficulties or wrong ideas they have about us or the subject matter. I have also seen good results with most students who speak with me outside the classroom.

I have used many of the strategies mentioned in this module, and I think they are very relevant to teaching. We should not assume that students already know the college’s resources, for example. I shared that information on the first day of classes and posted it on one of the modules in Brightspace. Fortunately, we have a food pantry; my students…[Read more]

At all stages of my college career, I permanently joined a group. I needed to belong to a small group with whom I could share ideas and study. I thought we all benefited from it, and we all did. After joining a small group of classmates, I would try to connect with other students. A new classmate I met would connect me with others. It was a way to…[Read more]

I teach Spanish and instill in them the idea that it will be helpful to them in one way or another. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it does for the vast majority. I teach them words that have to do with current events. I ask them to go to one of the museums in town. We discuss healthy eating in class, and I regularly mention something I learned…[Read more]