Liquid Syllabus

By welcoming my students with a photo of myself "in my element", I introduce myself to my students in a warm and embracing manner, which is the foundation of trust. Explaining to them what they can expect of their instructor, of the first week of class and of course in general, for requirements and support is important to feel prepared and comfortable to begin something new. At the same time, students need to be aware of what is expected of them. This syllabus is like a warm handshake, in which we promise to do our best for each other.

Course Card

I selected this course card because the German flag in the background speaks to the course topic "German", while the people in the forefront include a diverse student body learning German. The students depicted all smile and seem positive about the prospect of learning German or their experience having learned German. I want to relate this positivity to my new students. 

Homepage

This homepage serves as a kindness cue of social inclusion students as it aims to signal that ALL students are welcome. What I especially like is the banner image which includes the German flag and a diverse group of students. The group of students in the picture includes more diversity in age, which may resonate with returning students.

Another aspect of the homepage includes my instructor photo and contact information as one of the first pieces of information. This may be especially important to students who feel anxious about an aspect of the course and want to reach out for reassurance.

Getting to Know You Survey

This survey includes several kindness cue of social inclusion for students. Such kindness cues begin with my interest in my students' names and the proper pronunciation. Students also receive the message that I am interested in their success by asking what works for them when they learn and what interferes with their learning. Furthermore, the one-word description of how they feel at the beginning of the course as well as what excites them and what they would like to learn lets students know that I am concerned about their learning outcome and interested in what excites them. In addition, such questions relate the feeling of approachability.

Wisdom Wall

For my course's Wisdom Wall, students describe at the end of the semester how they feel about their knowledge and skills and compare it to how they felt and what they expected/feared at the beginning of the semester. Students are also encouraged to share at least one tool/technique that helped them with their learning. The contributions can be in audio or video format and will be up for viewing/listening - with student permission - for the students who join the following semester. The Wisdom Wall can be an incredible support and tool of confirmation for new students, as they hear their potential anxieties, fears, and insecurities through the voices of students who successfully came through. This feeling of "I am not alone" fosters a sense of belonging and connects students with each others' real-world experiences. In addition, we all might learn about helpful tools and techniques that help us in our learning experience.

Bumper Video

Time is one of the fundamental aspects of learning German. In many aspects, the way to tell time in German is very close to English, however, there are elements that are different and provide a significant challenge for some students. By focusing on just the elementary parts of time, allows to zero in on the more complex aspects. This allows students to focus on the few most important elements, that often cause confusion, rather than discussing every part of the concept and getting confused and lost. Overall, I imagine that singling out potentially troublesome issues and focusing on how to solve them will improve the learning experience and the learning outcome. 

Microlecture

Pronouns are a fundamental part of learning German. To know pronouns enables learners to comprehend, speak and write at an introductory level. As with every linguistic concept, this includes recognizing German pronunciation. Furthermore, there are additional pronouns in German that distinguish between a formal and an informal address, thus, communicating a fundamental cultural concept expressed through language.

Pronouns need to be understood and learned before students can move to the concept of verb conjugation. Providing students with an individual video of a linguistic building block enables them to focus and master such a base concept before moving on to a follow-up concept. My expectation shorter videos, each with a singular focus, will be a less confusing, more satisfying learning experience and will improve the overall learning outcome.