Class Sessions
Week 1: Introduction and Expectations
Ice Breakers - Get to know the Integrative Coach & Peer Mentors
- Syllabus Review
- How to use Planner
What do you expect:
- From yourself
- From your mentors
- From each other
Week 2: Goal Setting
PRE-WORK: Come to class with your brief statement of short term and long term goals.
- What do you hope to achieve this semester (or academic year)?
- What is your long term vision? Where do you see yourself in 4-5 years?
- Be prepared to share your projected goals in class.
- Complete page 3 in planner (to the best of your ability - we will finish in class)
- Bring planner to class - every week.
SMARTGoalWorksheet_retrieved_082819.pdfIn class exercise:
SMART Goal Worksheet
- Process: Translate these goals into Planner on page 4 and 5
- Introduction of Digital Portfolio
- Peer Mentors will present their Digital Portfolios
Week 3: Time Management and Study Strategies
POST-WORK:
- Turn in SMART Goals Worksheet (see handout in class session week 2)
- Complete the following pages in your planner, My Team and Goals
- Collect all your course syllabi and write all important deadlines/due dates in planner
- Sign up for a Digital Portfolio Lab Session - offered all Fridays in September or makes use of drop-in hours. Due by September 30: URL submission. See Resources for awesome flyer!
- Make sure to log into Moodle and either submit last weeks Short Term/Long Term Goals or state that you handed in class.
- Schedule a one-on-one with me - 15-minute check in
Reminder: Last day to add/drop a class for a clean drop is this Monday, September 9.
Weekly Schedule Example - Mayes 2019In class exercise:
Weekly Schedule
- Write in all "non-negotiable time" such as classes, athletic practice, weekly meetings, work, etc.
- How do you structure your day?
- How can we "reframe" time in between class?
- What about the time in the morning or in the evening?
Week 4: Learning Styles & Study Skills
PRE-WORK:
Complete online "VARK Questionnaire, learning styles self-assessment" - email Christina M. results and bring printout to class.
Now that you have a sense of your learning syle(s), consider the following questions:
1) What's the difference between studying and learning?
2) Would you rather study harder to make an A on a test or teach the material to the class?
In class discussion topics:
Bloom's Taxonomy and The Study Cycle
Week 5: Communication Skills
Listening is a skill. "The average person talks at about 225 words per minute, but can listen up to 500 words a minute, so our minds are filling in those other 275 words. Stephen Convey said it best, "Most of us don't listen with the intent to understand, we listen with the intent to reply.""
Are your communication skills working for you or against you?
In class discussion will be led by Peer Mentors, Manee and Christina.
- Take the Conflict Style Quiz (University of Colorado Boulder). Are you a Bee, Lion, Turtle, Mouse or Owl?
- Explore Conflict Resolution Videos
Week 6: Preparing for Advising
PRE-WORK (emailed on 9/25/19):
- Create the foundation of your Digital Portfolio. Attend one of the 1-hour sessions held this last Friday of September (9/27/19). Register here. Or you may create it on your own. Digital Portfolio Support
- Confirm creation of Digital Portfolio - Register URL (any platform is welcomed such as Google Site, Wix, Medium, Education Weebly, etc.).
- Write a draft for your "About Me." This is a personal statement which will eventually make it's way to your Digital Portfolio. Please follow "About Me" writing prompt.
ACADEMIC ADVISING PREP
- See Academic Calendar for Important Dates
Academic Advising Period:
- October 14 to November 8
Priority Registration:
- November 11-14
In class discussion topics:
- The value of your "About Me" statement and connection to academic advising.
- How to register for courses.
- How to navigate degree requirements.
ADVISING BASICS
- Honors Program and Student Athletes receive priority registration.
- Academic Advisor List by Major & Minor.
- You can also go to Self Service - Class Schedule, to see who is assigned to you this fall term.
- Check in with your home programs for a reminder on how to arrange an "Academic Advising Session."
- Explore degree requirements in Academic Catalog 2019-20.
- Expectations: Some programs expect you to reach out to them directly, whereas others will be reaching out to you.
Timeblock_Weekly_2019.pdfWeekly Timeblock
Week 7: Discover All You Can DU
CLASS LOCATION: CREEKSIDE
STUDENT PANEL
- Discover All You Can DU -
Listen to the stories of our students to "Discover All You Can DU."
Discover All You Can DU Handout Fall 2019.pdfWeek 8: Self-care and Well-being
PRE-WORK: Read article, "Self-Care for the Busy College Student ."
Self-Awareness & Reflection
Refer to planner pages 6-7, keep track of your daily or weekly "a moment of awareness."
Wherever you are, take a moment to observe and appreciate the input you receive from all of your senses. Can you notice something new about your surroundings each time?
Right now_____________date____________time_____am/pm
- I see
- I hear
- I taste
- I smell
- I feel
Week 9 (October 22, 2019): Budgeting and Finance
PRE-WORK
- Record your money habits for one week. It doesn’t matter what it is for, how tiny the purchase, how petty the amount. Petty cash is still cash.
- Each day, date a page and count what you bought, what you spent and who it was for. Be meticulous. Be thorough. And be non-judgmental. This is an exercise in self-observation—not self-flagellation.
- How much goes for meals out when you have a pre-paid meal plan or food in the fridge. How much money goes for convenience, such as taxis, dry cleaners, or take-out food? Don’t judge your actions. Simple record what gave you satisfaction and what was a waste of money.
- Ideally this exercise will teach you what you value in terms of your spending. Often our spending differs from our real values. We fritter away cash on things we don’t cherish and deny ourselves those things we do. For many of us, counting is a necessary prelude to learning creative luxury.
Budget Exercise and Financial Wellness
Discussion Questions:
1) What was it like to track your expenses for a week?
2) Did you notice any spending habits?
3) How much does it cost to miss a class?
40-Money-Management-Tips for College Students.pdf40 Money Management TIP$
Week 10 (October 29, 2019): Values and Identity
PRE-WORK:
1) Create your "six word memoir." Can you describe your personal story in six words? Turn into class a print out of your six words as well as a brief write up on the backstory to these six words. For reference, check out The Six Word Memoir Project and also view, "I would have, but you never asked," by Larry Smith (TEDxTalks, published on June 17, 2015).
2) View/listen "The danger of a single story," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (TED, published on Oct 7, 2009).
Come prepared to share your "six word memoir."
"The danger of a single story."
- What is your personal story?
- How do you share your "before Dominican" narrative?
- How do your values intersect with how you identify as a human?
- When interacting with a another, how does your story typically unfold?
Week 11 (November 5, 2019):
POST-WORK
1) Complete Focus 2 Career online, "Work Interest Assessment."
2) Write a brief reflection on completion of this assessment. How might this information become a factor in how you work in groups or individually? What are your thoughts on how your personality traits may connect to a possible profession?
Relationship Equality Wheel.pdfWeek 12 (November 12, 2019): Working in Teams
FINAL TEAM PROJECT PREP
1) Develop teams of 4-students.
2) Conduct in class exercise, "MARSHMALLOW CHALLENGE."
3) In class discussion on process this challenge.
4) Share outline of Team Based Project, due December 10 (deadline extended).
For this assignment, you will work in a small group to create an artifact that can you will produce. This artifact can be a brochure, video, board game, website, infographic, podcast, survey, etc. In designing your artifact, consider a student who is preparing to navigate the transition to college. Create a visual artifact which can be used to educate incoming students about Mastering College topics covered during the semester. You can also choose to create a teaching tool for Mastering College
Each group will select a topic that has been discussed in the course, such as time management, budgeting, effective communication, etc. This project is not just a reiteration of the subject matter. You are expected to take a “deeper dive” into the topic utilizing outside resources to research additional strategies, reasons why this topic is important to first-year students, new and interesting facts not shared in class, etc. Each student in the group will have an assigned role to complete this group project.
Assigned roles can include:
- Facilitator/Presenter
- Designer/Webmaster/Technical Lead
- Editor/Checker
- Recorder/Writer Lead
Role Descriptions:
Facilitator/Presenter: Manages the group by helping to ensure that the group stays on task, is focused, and that there is room for everyone in the conversation. Presents the group’s ideas to the rest of the class. This person would be ready to summarize the group's progress and findings to the instructor and to other groups. This person should rely on the recorder’s notes to guide their report.
Designer/Webmaster/Technical Lead: Provides the general overview and layout of project. As directed by Facilitator, creates project outline and how to support in areas of technology and design. Helps group consider elements for possible artifact created and other creative aspects to appeal to various audiences.
Editor/Checker: This student is in charge of organizing the final product of the project, be it a paper, a presentation, etc. That doesn't mean technical details, but of making sure that the project meets the standards set out by the instructor (often as a rubric), plus any extras stipulated by the group. These standards generally include punctuality and completeness. Double-check data, bibliographic sources, or graphics for accuracy and correctness.
Recorder/Writer Lead: This person takes notes whenever the group meets and keeps track of group data/sources/etc. This person distributes these notes to the rest of the group highlighting critical points relevant for their parts of the project. Supports general writing points. All team members are to contribute as directed by Recorder/Writer Lead.
"Build a tower, build a team," Tom Wujec, TED, Published April 22, 2010.
Week 13 (November 19, 2019): Deep Dive
CONNECTING THE DOTS TO YOUR DIGITAL PORTFOLIO
IN CLASS WE WILL TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO WORKING WITH TEAMS TO FURTHER DEVELOP GROUP PROJECTS.
PLEASE BRING PERSONAL LAPTOP OR CHECK ONE OUT FROM LIBRARY.
DIGITAL PORTFOLIO
1) "ABOUT ME" STATEMENT, due Nov. 19, 2019.
Showcase your "About Me" on your Digital Portfolio with the intention to be viewed by multiple audiences. How much of "you" feels relevant to share with academic, personal, and projected outside professionals? How can you present an authentic self, yet with the understanding of being viewed from various perspectives?
2) UPLOAD FINAL TEAM PROJECT, due Dec. 10, 2019.
Showcase your team based project on your Digital Portfolio. Ensure you give credit to all team members as well as any other necessary citations. Offer a justification statement with this artifact noting what you learned from this group project experience and any other notable takeaways such as how you will approach a team based project in the future, what may you do different or the same? What worked and/or didn't work? What do you enjoy most about working in a team format?
TEAM THEMES, ASSIGNED ROLES, AND SELECTED ARTIFACT TYPE
TEAM 1: Communication Skills
Artifact type: Google Slide Presentation
- Kami, Designer
- Jaxon, Recorder
- Angely, Editor
- Erica, Lead Presenter
TEAM 3: Budgeting
Artifact type: Printed Brochure
- Maggie, Recorder
- Andrew, Lead Presenter
- Therese, Designer/Webmaster
- Brennan, Editor
TEAM 2: Mental Health and Self Care
Artifact type: Google Slide Presentation
- Joe. Lead Presenter
- Edee, Editor
- Aly, Designer
- Catherine, Recorder
TEAM 4: How to survive first semester of college. Time management.
Artifact type: Printed Infographic
- Danny, Designer
- Connor, Editor
- Mady, Lead Presenter
- Taylor, Recorder
WEEK 14 (November 26, 2019): Communication in Relationships
Post-work: Final Reflection Essay DRAFT 1
The end of the semester final reflection provides an opportunity for you to reflect on your growth, development, and the achievement of the goals you set yourself at the beginning of the semester. The final reflection is a minimum of 2 pages, typed, double-spaced. Please respond to the following prompts in a thoughtful, well-written composition.
Reflect on the progress of the SMART goal you completed in your planner.
- Evaluate the goal’s relevance/pertinence/value to you at this point in the semester
- How will you continue to develop/achieve this goal next semester?
- In what ways are you different, and the same, since you began college in the following areas:
- social, cultural, personal, emotional, academic, professional, physical, familial
- What would you do differently if you were giving advice to yourself?
- What will you start, stop, and continue?
Deadline extended for Final Team Project Showcase. Each team will have 10-minutes to present their collaborative work with class during finals week on Tuesday, December 10, 2019.
DONUTS!!! Nov. 26
Peer Mentors Christina and Manee will bring donuts to help facilitate a discussion on relationships and communicating with loved ones.
Dr. Bettina Lee will also open with a fun Kahootz game.
Week 15 (December 3, 2019): Overview of Team Project and Final Reflection Part 2
