When I started this semester, I really didn’t know how well I would do in this class because geology felt like such a foreign concept to me, so it makes me especially happy that I got a lot out of this class and finished this semester with more confidence in myself and a new appreciation for geology and our planet. I made it my goal to engage with the material as best I could and ask any questions that came to me, and doing so absolutely helped me. This class wasn’t easy and some concepts came quicker than others, but with the effort I put in and my interests to guide me, I’ve been able to come out of this class feeling great about geology and my work. Based on my experience, I definitely feel I’ve earned an A.
Geology is something that I had almost no previous background in, despite the fact that the subject encompasses so much. A lot of what I knew before this class was due to whatever documentaries I came across (I love documentaries!). But as a result, I felt I just knew the basic things about the planet that we call home. I knew that it eventually resulted from the Big Bang, but I definitely wanted to learn more about the specifics on that and Earth’s development across time. It has a core (which is super hot), a mantle, crust, and a shifting magnetic field, though how exactly they all come into play I didn't quite know. I was also aware that the interactions of tectonic plates are responsible for things like the formation of mountains, earthquakes, continental drift, and volcanoes. And that weather and life also play a role in shaping our planet, while they are, in turn, affected by Earth themselves. We often take this planet for granted and act carelessly as a result, which is a reason why I wanted to learn more about geology overall (and still do).
In starting this class, my initial impression of the student learning outcomes was that of hesitancy, since I knew I wasn't equipped to handle any of them, but I was hopeful that I’d be able to accomplish them later down the line. I felt the ones that would be the most challenging were the outcomes that involved identifying and classifying minerals and rocks, since I wasn't used to doing that and I struggle with names in general. The objectives that caught my interest involved identifying the dynamics of earth’s interior and plate tectonics, as well as geologic time and the geologic chart. I wanted to focus on those two as I found them the most interesting then. As for the objective regarding map scale and location, I didn't even really know what that entailed so I didn't have an opinion on it.
As mentioned in my goals page, my goal for this class was to engage with the material as best as I could and explore my own interests in geology, as it would hopefully also reflect positively in my assignments. Now that the semester is over, I can conclusively say that I met those goals and some things worked out even better than I expected. Though, I think I could have spent a bit more time on some assignments. My goal for the semester was to try and give ample time to assignments in order to turn them in on time, which I did for most part but there were a couple assignments that were turned in late and I could have planned ahead a little better.
My methods to achieve my goal had been to formulate and ask questions whenever I'm in class, and to especially ask questions when it comes to subjects that I don't fully understand. One thing I especially wished to avoid was letting information go in one ear and out the other. This was to keep myself engaged and not only help me remember and understand the material, but also find my own personal interests.
Even though my method was on the vague side, I think it worked wonderfully for me in all the subjects of this class. I worked hard to pay attention and ask questions, and as a result I felt more engaged and confident in the material. It was also more fun than I expected too, as not only did asking questions help clarify things for myself but they could have also helped others who might have needed the same clarification. I definitely caught myself missing out on information the first time around, and realizing that was a big help in staying on track.
One result of my methods that I had underestimated was just how much I was able to better understand my own interests, which I feel made a big difference in the quality of my SLOs. In the beginning of the semester, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to come up with good topics or ideas for my ePortfolio learning objectives. And yet, my interests served as an invaluable guide and source of inspiration.
I also feel like I spent a good amount of time on the material and my assignments overall. Though, I didn't really keep track of how many hours a week I typically put in this class, as each week would vary based on the assignments and the material, but my guess is that I put in about 7-9 hours outside of class each week. Basically I spent as much time as I felt I needed in a given week until I felt confident enough with a given concept or assignment, and I think it worked well for me. I did start feeling lazy in the final stretch after getting sick, which resulted in me procrastinating two labs as well as delaying my final SLO, but I was able to get back on track in the end. I had to work at an accelerated pace to finish my final SLO submission, which was a combination of SLO 4 and 5, but thankfully I had everything planned out for a while, so I’m very proud with how it turned out.
Conclusions/Discussion
Overall, I was very engaged and involved in this class, in no small part thanks to my methods. I managed to fully complete all but two assignments (which were unfortunately more rushed than I would have liked). I also made it to class whenever I could, only missing one day when I was sick. I know for me personally, staying involved like this really helped in general.
I also really liked that, with this class, I was able to practice some more general skills and build confidence in myself. One example is my whole ePortfolio! This is my first ever website, so I wanted to see how well I could do, given that I’ve been considering going into UI or UX design. It was really fun to make and it was great to just to try things out and play around with it. My group teaching assignment also gave me the opportunity to try new things, like working with a group and presenting—both of which I’ve hardly done.
I feel I understand the things covered in this class really well. In fact, I’ve even ended up teaching my family and girlfriend a lot of the concepts just for fun! I know the basic concepts and connections from this class, but I also know a lot of specific things thanks to my research for my SLOs and group teaching project. For example, I loved getting to research and document my own local hiking spot since it’s a very special place to me, and now I have a much better understanding of how the area came to be the unique place it is today thanks to plate tectonics and erosion. I feel great about plate tectonics, minerals, rock types, geologic time, and topographic maps; though, I would say geologic maps in is my weakest subject, since we didn’t have much time in class to go over it.
This class has definitely impacted my view of our planet as a whole. I’ve especially come to really appreciate and respect the landforms around me, as they underwent incredible processes far outside my own lifespan. And because I live in the High Desert, I feel closer to them than ever. Out here things might look like a bunch of sand and rocks, but really the types of rocks, formations, and history are all be quite different and I can really see that now. It’s humbling, honestly.
I really am proud of everything I’ve accomplished in this class, but I think I’m most proud about my group teaching assignment on the Mariana Trench. I had never done a presentation like that before—especially not with a group. At first I was really hesitant and nervous to present to the class. I initially intended to just do research and stick to what I knew; after all, I’m a very introverted person. But as I kept researching, I realized that I needed to be the one to present because I knew my topic best. It was a last-second decision, but I think everything worked out wonderfully. Naturally I was nervous, but I also had a lot of fun and I felt like I did well! I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.
All in all, I would give myself an A for this class. I worked hard and I feel that effort and knowledge is reflected in my work. This class was a great experience, and I'm happy to have taken it!