Course Communication:

Instructor Contact

Vita Paramo

• Email: vparamo@ccsf.edu or vita.paramo@mail.ccsf.edu

• CCSF Phone: (415) 452-5193

• Office Hours: Mondays from 12:00 pm 1:00 pm Drop-In

• Office Location while on campus:  R212

• I will respond to all course emails within 24 hours Monday-Friday, exclusive of school holidays. Once the course begins, I prefer to get messages through the Canvas "Inbox". 

• You can visit my CCSF instructional website outside of Canvas

Communication Plan

• I will respond to your messages within 24 hours during the work week (Monday-Friday) excluding holidays or if you are notified otherwise.

• Your work will be reviewed and I will comment on it within 48 hours of the due date unless you are informed otherwise. Please note that you will receive private comments on your discussion posts, your course journal entries, and your project and final exams. Your weekly quizzes also contain feedback for your own self-assessment.

• I will participate in the weekly discussions, but will not respond to each individual student. You will receive private comments on your discussion posts.

• If you do not log in to the course,  you will receive a message from our early alert system "Starfish" to remind you to come back to the course. It is best to keep up as the semester goes quickly and because life happens!

• Office hours are Mondays from 12 pm-1 pm. 

Building Community

The heart of this class is the discussion forum. Each week you and your classmates will analyze and discuss the issues that come up in the material this week. Each time this class is offered, I am humbled by the thoughtfulness of all of you, your posts, and your responses to each other inform my understanding of the topics. We learn from each other, from our varied experiences, from our different world views. I look forward to participating in discussions with you.

Instructor Announcements 

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. 

Q&A Forum

• A “Q&A Forum” is located in Module 0. This forum is for you to ask for the assistance of your classmates or of the instructor.

Course Description:

LERN 10: 6-week class with required face to face class sessions

Our classes will meet on the third floor of the Rosenberg Library in R301.  Contact instructor prior to 1st class at vparamo@ccsf.edu

This course is an introduction to theories and methods of effective tutoring. Students will learn best practices, techniques, and strategies for effective tutoring. Areas covered will include, but not be limited to: the tutor role and responsibility, the tutor-tutee relationship, the tutoring cycle, strategies and techniques to implement when tutoring students of various backgrounds, learning preferences, academic abilities, and specific strategies for tutoring in identified subject-specific areas.

CRLA Certification Level I- International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) The Learning Assistance Department’s Tutor Training Program (LERN 10) is internationally recognized by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) for our high-quality tutor training. Tutors who complete the entire training through LERN 10 and complete 25 hours of direct one-on-one tutoring support, will be awarded an ITTPC recognition certificate through CRLA and the LAD.

Completing the LERN 10 course does not guarantee that the student will be hired as a Peer Tutor at the STAR Center (formerly known as the LAC).  If the student ends up not being hired as a Peer Tutor the student is not eligible to earn a CRLA Certificate.

Prerequisites/corequisites/advisories

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:

• 1. Identify the purpose, goals, and responsibilities of tutoring within an active learning environment.

  2. Apply cultural humility in the tutoring session.

  3. Identify tutee needs and apply appropriate strategies and techniques to help the tutee learn.

  4. Demonstrate tutoring best practices throughout a tutoring session to facilitate tutee responses.

  5. Identify and problem-solve issues related to tutoring.

Class Meetings

This course is 100% face to face.  The course is NOT self-paced though it is your responsibility to move through each module on a weekly basis.  LERN 10 is a short-term course that runs for six weeks.  We will be conducting four synchronous class meetings throughout the six weeks together.

LERN 10 is a late-start, 6-week, face-to-face class, with 6 live meetings. Live sessions are held each Wednesday. Contact instructor prior to 1st class. 

Expect Interactive discussions, lectures, videos, guest speakers, small group activities, role-playing, and CANVAS assignments. All assignments will be uploaded into CANVAS.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system [for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades].  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, Canvas help is the number to call.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-844-592-2198.

You can visit my CCSF instructional website outside of Canvas

Textbooks

Three-ring binder, journaling steno pad or notebook, pen or pencil, and an open mind.

Reading materials are FREE. The material we will be using throughout the course has been implemented through out each module, there is no need to purchase a text.  If you would like to dig deeper I highly recommend purchasing the textbooks below in the "Recommended Texts" section.

  Recommended Texts: The Master Tutor, A Guidebook for More Effective Tutoring (2nd ed., Medina) 

                          A Training Guide for College Tutors and Peer Educators (1st ed., Lipsky, Sally)

  Recommended Online Resources: http://actla.info/resources/, https://www.crla.net

Field Trips

There are no field trips with LERN 10

Course Technology:

Canvas

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system [for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades].  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, Canvas help is the number to call.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-844-592-2198.

Zoom Video Conferencing

If you wish to meet with me and you are unable to come to my office hours. We can meet via Calendly Appointments.

Required Software

• Adobe Reader (Links to an external site.)

• Update your browser (Links to an external site.)

Course Logistics:

Important Dates:

• Day Class Begins: October 2nd, 2024 (Canvas opens up this day and you can access Modules 0-1) meet in R301 (Rosenberg Library)

• Our First Class: October 2nd, 2024: meet in R301 (Rosenberg Library)

• Day Class Ends: November 10th, 2024

• Last Day to Add without the instructor's approval: October 2nd, 2024

• Last Day to Drop with a refund: October 2nd, 2024

• Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: October 2nd, 2024

• Last Day to Drop with a W: October 30th, 2024

• Final Paper Due Date: Due November 10th, 2024

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Pass‐NoPass (P/NP)

LERN 10 is only Pass/No Pass.  All students must choose the Pass/No Pass Option.  There are no letter grades for this course.  You must earn a 70% to be able to pass the course.  This class is based on participation, written assignments, and demonstrated skills. There are no written quizzes in this class. Your ability to pass the class depends on your active participation in class discussions, completion of weekly reading and reflection assignments, participation during in-class role-playing activities, and ongoing Canvas assignments. All students must also complete two observations of tutoring sessions and a final reflection paper. 

Attendance

Tutors are expected to attend all training sessions; however, they may be excused from some training sessions with the approval of the instructor due to special circumstances. Approvals must be made ahead of time. Missed sessions must be made up by the week following the last training session. If students miss more than two classes, they will be dropped from the class. Make-up assignments are described in the syllabus. 

Late Policy

Late work will be accepted only once for “Weekly Assignments”.  After the first late submission all other assignments turned in late will be deducted two points.  All discussions are graded by a rubric and if they meet all required content along with responding to at least two other classmates then you will receive full credit.  Every week we have an assignment, discussion, reading, and a small quiz which is equivalent to your "homework". Every Wednesday the discussion is due and every Sunday the responses to the discussion, assignment, and quiz are due.  *Note: I will not be responding to every discussion post I will only be jumping in sometimes to help motivate, clarify and fuel the discussion.  We will have small quizzes which can be re-taken and one big exam at the end of the course. All quizzes and exams are to be submitted on time though I am flexible as long as you stay in communication with me so that we can solve the dilemma together.

Grading:

Methods of Evaluation

Each week you will complete graded assignments. There is a Discussion and a Quiz each week. Quizzes may be taken three times. All of these assignments can be completed after reading the weekly modules, completing the assignments and the summaries in the content modules. 

Exams

There will be online quizzes throughout the course.  There will be NO online final exam.  Your final will consist of a final research paper. The material comes from the textbook, class lectures, and supplemental materials. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the online exams by the due date. 

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade weekly and post grades and comments on the online Canvas grade book.

 How do I view my grades, teacher comments, and an assignment rubric as a student?

Grades will be assigned as follows:

SEE NOTES BELOW 

If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the midterm exam and the final exam to pass the class.

An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated, and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum.

An “FW” grade indicates the student stopped attending a course after the “last day to withdraw” deadline and subsequently did not submit any work or participate in any exams. Please check with your counselor and financial aid advisor for possible implications of the FW grade on residency and financial aid status.

Academic Accommodations For Students with Disabilities

If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My office hours are by appointment either on the Ocean Campus (9-4 p.m., Monday through Friday) or by Zoom video-conferencing.

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. Please see the DSPS website for more information and alternate locations.

Standards of Conduct:

Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct. Violation of the code is the basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Office of Student Affairs.

Collaborating on or copying tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:

Encourage Academic Integrity and Prevent Plagiarism

Citing Information Sources

Expectations:

Equality and Respect In The Classroom

You will be exposed to a wide range of values, opinions, beliefs, identities, academic abilities, cultures, and viewpoints in college, and especially while tutoring, that might be different than your own. This classroom environment and the LAC are safe spaces for all students. We are all responsible for creating and maintaining a learning environment that promotes equality and respect for diversity of all students, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, class, religion, worldviews, culture, sexual or gender identity, citizenship, immigration, or legal status, and differing physical and emotional abilities. It is imperative that we practice being respectful of and towards each other and our tutees. Anyone who notices any discrimination within the classroom, or at the LAC, or who feels discriminated against, should immediately bring it to the attention of the instructor. 

Student Expectations 

You will succeed in this course if you meet the following expectations:

• Complete the assigned activities. Please let me know as soon as you can concerning difficulties that you may have in getting assignments in on time. 

• Complete the discussion posts and replies within the given window of time. Our discussions are much more vibrant when we all participate!

• Complete the weekly quizzes and the final project.

• Think critically about the weekly topics. Is something surprising? Is it new to you? How does it contrast with what you know about tutoring?

• Do your own and your best work. 

Instructor Expectations 

Here is what you can expect of me:

• I will respond to your email or message within 24 hours during the week unless I inform you otherwise.

• I will treat you and your ideas with respect.

• I will grade your weekly assignments and Discussion posts and replies most often within 48 hours. (If you have posted late work, it may take longer.) Grades on the final project and final exam will be done within a week.

• You will see your grades in the Canvas Gradebook.

• I will work hard to make this a great class.