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Community college students are more likely to come from underserved populations and are inclined to feelings of self-doubt in academic settings. When learning online, our students need to know they have an instructor who cares and is there to support them, and that they are part of a vibrant learning community. Effective online teachers mindfully cultivate their presence at the course level and one-on-one with students. These interactions foster a relationship based on trust, which is the foundation of a learning community.
Reflections
Reflections
Where I was.
Where I was.
One concept I had not given much thought to was how to take action on supporting my students in their success and equity by revamping my syllabi. I did not consider the somewhat harsh wording on my syllabi, and I didn’t give much thought to adding images. However, looking back on the syllabi from graduate school that I liked so much, I remember that they had links, were digital (and print), and had lots of colors and images.
Where I am.
Where I am.
This semester, to support equity and foster student success, I’m using contract grading for the first time. I decided to delve into it after discussing it with peers in a recent @ONE course and talking with a colleague on my campus about her use of contract grading. I was also able to compare two contract grading syllabi. These interactions were so incredibly useful. I told my students that it’s my first time using the contract grading system, and that I will welcome feedback on how useful they find it in terms of supporting their academic success.
Where I'm headed.
Where I'm headed.
In the next 1-2 years, I would like to word harder to come up with ways to meet the AB-705 changes with equity. I don’t want to feel upset about it the changes as I have been in the past; rather, I want to focus on moving forward with student success. My campus’s most recent Student Equity Plan states that they want to increase the completion of transfer-level Math and English within the first year by 75%! I would like to learn how to make the right kind of changes in my classes without compromising the integrity of the course and my expectations for student writing (I teach English). I believe I can do this by working across multiple departments to gather data and ideas for assignments that can keep my students developing a growth mindset.
Examples
Examples
New Student Teaching Philosophy
Below is my rewritten teaching philosophy with the student as audience. This is now placed directly into my course syllabi.
I teach because I believe in the great value of developing writing, reading, and critical thinking skills. I know that you will use these skills in your college career as well as in your day to day activities. Every semester, I work to create a student-centered classroom for you that helps you become an active participant in your education instead of viewing it as necessary “schooling.” I truly believe that it is my duty as an educator to show you how to take responsibility for your life through choice theory—the idea that I can give you the tools to be empowered in taking ownership of your academic choices while still satisfying your five basic needs: survival, love, power, fun, and freedom (Glasser). To do that, I work hard for you to give you differentiated instruction based on your personal, cultural identity. That is, I will use your identity to make the class meaningful for you! I want to give you new understandings and appreciations of the values inherit within yourself and others, which fosters self-expression that can be used both in your academic and personal lives. In turn, this will help you realize your unique voice and the relevance of written communication and critical thinking.
Old vs. New Syllabi Policies
I revised my Late Policy that I had been using for quite some time; ,this revision was important so that it could be updated to match the theories behind Contract Grading (that is, a system that allows students to submit late work for any graded assignment). My old policy really lacked clarity because it states that I will approve late work on a "case by case basis." I don't think my students will understand why I approve some and not others, or they simply won't think it's fair.
OLD LATE POLICY--Late/Emailed Work Policy:
Late assignments are not accepted unless you have made arrangements with me BEFORE the due date. I will approve late assignments on a case by case basis, so please do not assume you can turn in late work. Otherwise, all assignments are due on Canvas by the due date and time. You will receive an automatic F/0 score for assignments not turned in by the due date listed on the syllabus. I will also not accept assignments sent to me via e-mail.
NEW LATE POLICY--Late Assignments:
It is better for you if you turn in work on time. My feedback will be more useful to you, and you won’t fall behind. But again, things can happen. I do allow late work as long as it is submitted within one week of the original due date. There is no grade penalty for the work being late, and you are allowed to turn in four (4) 1-week late assignments and still pass the class. There are four exceptions: The final draft of the research paper, the midterm, and the final exam may not be late.
Syllabus Redesign: Liquid Syllabus
The link to the left is my liquid syllabus for all of the course I am currently teaching (Spring 2020). I chose to create the liquid syllabus on Google Sites because I really liked the idea that students could bookmark the site on their phones, that it had all of the syllabi and calendar information, and that it's mobile-friendly! There is no log-in required, which makes visiting the liquid syllabus much easier than logging in to accounts and clicking on many links to find the PDF syllabus I've placed on Canvas.
Google Sites
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