This site provides examples of instructional resources created in the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, a professional development program funded by the California Education Learning Lab and administered by the Foothill DeAnza Community College District.
I considered myself a pretty relatable, personable, instructor. I used to say that I "taught with love." What I meant by that is that I understood that treating students with kindness and compassion led to better results in the classroom. I knew that relationship building was a key component to inclusive, equitable teaching and that students
I have learned so much from the Humanizing STEM Academy, and for that I am thankful. Even though I considered myself to be in-line with the philosophies presented, this academy has given me so many tips, tricks, and tools that I can put into place immediately. It's empowering to have some many concrete examples of how I can improve my craft and improve my connections with students.
Finally, the academy helped me to see the importance of prioritizing relationships with my students, over pedagogy. Even though I espoused the principles of the academy, this is something I have previously struggled with. I can now confidently say that people come first.
The skills that I learned in the Humanizing STEM Academy are ones that I know I will utilize going forward. I am ready to embody warm demander pedagogy. I am more motivated than ever to be everything that my online (and other) students need me to be. I am ready to bring trust, empathy, and social presence to my courses. I am ready to foster community and collaboration for my students. I will fight imposter-syndrome by ensuring all of my students feel that they are welcome, and that they belong.
I will be more present than ever in my online classes by participating frequently in discussions, and providing warm feedback that is relevant and timely. I also plan to include asynchronous video and/or voice discussions to create a more culturally responsive course culture.
The liquid syllabus serves as the student's first impression of the course, and of their instructor. I believe that my liquid syllabus demonstrates that I am approachable, gives students a feel for my teaching philosophy, and uses inclusive language. The syllabus is accessible and optimized for mobile use, this is important since most students will be using a mobile device to access the syllabus. The syllabus celebrates diversity and collaboration.
My course card serves as a warm welcome to my course. I chose to avoid the use of any math symbols or notation here because, for some students, that can raise anxiety. I wanted the course card to avoid anything streessful or intimidating. The flowers and the colors here feel safe and inviting.
This homepage serves as a landing point for students. My priority is to let students know that I am available to help. My contact information is there, including my phone number. My office hours are clearly listed. My Zoom link is there, in case I need to meet with students outside of office hours. I've also included important due dates, and current announcements. I'm showing strong support for my students and making it easy for them to reach out for help.
I wanted to keep most of the questions in my 'first day' survey open-ended. This gives an opportunity for students to tell me whatever they think is important for me to know. I asked questions such as:
"What is one thing that you wish your classmates and me could know about you?"
"What is one thing I can do to get to know you better?"
"What is one thing you'd like to do better as a student?"
In this assignment I ask students to identify a personal item that is significant for them in some way. The students introduce themselves to their classmates, and to me, by describing why the item is significant for them. The idea is to highlight the similarities and embrace the differences in student group. It says, loud and clear, to the students that their unique experiences are valued.
The ice breaker is conducted over Flip, where students either create a video, or an audio introduction. This adds an element of storytelling to the assignment, which is important for neuron activation.
This was my favorite assignment that I completed for the Humanizing STEM Academy. Not only did I learn to use the software (yay - new tools!) to make the video, I forced myself to be vulnerable and share things that I do not usually share with students. I can already tell that this is going to improve the first impression that I make on students, and I am proud of the work that I did here.
This video serves to introduce a difficult concept - the "related rates" problem. This is a topic that first semester calculus students tend to really struggle with. This video use pictures to explain conceptually what exactly is happening when we talk about related rates. This is not a "lecture" as the students will see many examples, but the video introduces the topic.
This micro-lecture was on implicit differentiation. It is the perfect length to introduce the subject. The lecture consists of a single problem, followed by a set of steps to follow. The length ensures that students can process without getting overwhelmed. The lesson is targeted, student-centered, and laser focused.
