Dr. Liya Sadovnikova MD, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of Anatomy San Diego Mesa College
This site provides examples of instructional resources created in a professional development program funded by the California Education Learning Lab and administered by the Foothill DeAnza Community College District.
Where I was.
I am a “student forever.” I like to learn new and exciting subjects, specifically if related to teaching techniques. I sensed that I needed some education to use progressive teaching techniques. The success of teaching in our time is extended far beyond Blackboard or Canvas platforms, even though my Canvas course is consistently organized. I was curious and open to learning new educational technology since, for my assignments, I use iPhone videos, Canvas studio, and Zoom potentials.
Where I am,
Now I've completed the academy, I am equipped with various new implements to start humanizing STEM online and on campus. On my Humanizing Academy sandbox, I have created new assignments that I will use for next semester's course. I am ready to publish my newly created The Humanizing Online STEM Showcase with a Liquid Syllabus.
I also designed a welcome video and new resources about my class for potential students. Adobe Express and Flip, are entirely new skills to me, which help humanize my new course for my students.
Where I am going.
I am going to start implementing my new tools right this semester. I will open a discussion board with a Wisdom Wall survey and ask my students to reflect on the prompt, where I was, and where I am to share their experiences in the current course with my future students. Over the next year, I plan to implement all the new strategies I am interested in fostering community with the students. I will use everything I've learned from this course in my classes. I am going to unfold more of the potential of the learned tech teaching. If I have this opportunity, I will be available for the new cohort to learn more from Humanizing Academy. After each course, I added more details to my Canvas pages. Now I plan to make significant changes with the help of my new learning technique education. I feel now like being A Revolutionary Professor.
The liquid syllabus is a more informative edition to start learning about your professor. It is more informative and objective than the Grading my professor link. My liquid syllabus is excellent information about me and the BIO 230 course I teach. It is available to the public even before enrolling in the class. The explicit material on the liquid syllabus is a newly upgraded tool for students to preview the course before enrolling and decide if this professor or this course meets their expectations. I humanize myself in this syllabus through videos, pictures, and warm, welcoming language
The image of my course card will welcome my students. In the picture are my former students with me, dressed up in colorful Halloween costumes; I am on the right end of the picture class. The image is friendly by sending the message that anatomy can be a fun course and promises students to learn with fun.
My home page is very organized; it has a welcome banner and a demo video of the mechanism of skeletal muscle contraction.
The idea of the colorful bright banner with the motto “Let’s do it” is to spur my students’ learning eagerness. The message sends the concept that let’s study as working out, this way to grow students’ knowledge. This image also motivates students in my human biology courses who take this class to learn kinesiology or regularly work out at the gym.
The short Muscle contraction video informs students what to expect in a class.
" Getting to Know You Survey" is the first opportunity to establish a welcoming, humanized classroom environment that lets students feel comfortable and openly talk about themself. From the first question, students decide what name the instructor will use to address students; the question asks the correct proposition of the name. All this shows respect and helps to build trust from the start of class. The questionary also cares about helping the student to succeed in classes. How do you learn best? What works for you? What doesn't?
In my self-affirming icebreaker, I offer my student an assignment to describe their memory about some medical issues in their family or friend's family and how it influences them to take a Human Anatomy course and replay to other students they fill a connection. Stories will illuminate and value students' differences and help students identify commonalities with their peers. These interconnections help to establish a sense of belonging and create identity safety in week one of your course before your students begin to engage with your content.
The Wisdom Wall assignment connects students across two classes and explains how it fosters metacognition and a growth mindset by having students speak about their learning progress over time. Wall also operates in the high opportunity zone, but it also humanizes the experience of students' understanding. The Wisdom Wall is a collection of "learning stories" recorded by students in an introductory class and listened to by students in a current style. In the video, students advise the next group of students on what helped or didn't help them prepare for the classes.
Integumentary System is a topic with a lot of memorization of the terms. Students can work on this video at home, stop to write questions if required, and then continue watching. I like that the bumper video allows students to concentrate on the essential part of memorization of the terms for the Integumentary System.
For my micro lecture, I choose the video to discuss the heart's anatomical structure, the electrical heart conduction, and the Technology of Fallow, the severe heart birth defect. In this 10-minute video, students can listen, pause, reverse, and access it enormously. A micro lecture is essential for fast reviewing necessary material before the exam. Using this format, with less capacity, provides students with easy-to-retain information.
