As my semester winds down for the classes I would have been teaching on campus, I put together an anonymous survey to ask some specific questions about our transition to a virtual learning environment. The responses were....confusing.
As we moved to a virtual learning environment, what aspects of this class became more challenging? Student A: Not getting personal feedback was a bit irritating because there is only so much information that can be conveyed digitally. Student B: I think that not much became challenging because we were still able to get feedback from the professor and the students. If virtual learning were to continue, what advice do you think professors need to have? Student A: Maybe be more clear for due dates. It was hard for me right away Student B: Also having a weekly agenda and due dates was very beneficial. What other feedback would you like me to have at this time? Student A: I loved how your ZOOM meetings weren't really focused on learning material or instruction as it was more like getting a coffee and sitting down and having a conversation. Student B: Zoom should have been used a lot more for group activities and class session to teach in. Being able to be with the others students and have more teacher/student interaction would make it better to complete activities. Because I know myself (Enneagram 2), I will spend the summer thinking about the negative responses and how I can make necessary changes in the fall if we continue in an online environment, but I also realize that like all teaching, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for every student. Just as some students dread peer review while others find it incredibly helpful, some students will want regular required meetups and others will prefer to work through assignments on their own. I don't know the answers. I don't like not knowing the answers, not being able to grasp what the future holds. This state of uncertainty is maddening, as are all of the conflicting reports I see of how distance learning is going in other houses around the world. I see Twitter threads about how teachers aren't doing enough followed by a thread on how teachers are asking too much of students. On Facebook I see conversations of parents who are ready for the school year to just be over already followed by comments of parents who are considering homeschooling indefinitely because their kids are thriving in the setting. I see it in my own house where one son wakes early and diligently completes all schoolwork for the day while his brother sleeps late and pushes off all schoolwork until the very last possible minute each week. But I know teachers. Most (not all, I will admit, but most) will work tirelessly this summer, assessing and reassessing, learning new tools and reading about new strategies. I will be with them. I will grade finals this week and then spend some time in the garden before I roll up my sleeves and do the necessary work to be ready for a new semester -- whatever that semester might looks like.
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Last night at our small group at church we talked about King David and the results of his sin. Yes, he repented and received forgiveness, but he also suffered consequences for his sin for the rest of his life: the death of his infant son, the rebellion and death of his son Absalom, the rape of his daughter Tamar. The list goes on. Yes, David was a great and mighty king, but his story also teaches that our actions do indeed have consequences. How does this connect to teaching? I'm getting there. This week I gave a vocabulary quiz over 16 words from Of Mice and Men. We discussed these words, created associations for them, and quizzed ourselves using Quizlet flashcards. One particular student received a low score on the quiz and immediately asked, "Can I retake this? I forgot to study." I get similar questions when students earn a low score on an Article of the Week reflection. "I forgot to do this until last night. Can I resubmit it?" "I didn't get that done, so can I turn it in later this week?" Our school has various policies by department. Some teachers allow retakes no matter what; other teachers allow retakes after some kind of "corrective" work. Other teachers don't allow any retakes. I've struggled with this decision. On the one hand, the ultimate goal should be learning, not just getting a grade. With that perspective, then, I should allow retakes in the hopes that redoing the Article of the Week reflection or retaking the vocabulary quiz will lead to greater understanding and mastery of the material. And from a Christian perspective, I'm also showing my students an extension of grace. On the other hand, I see more and more what it is like to live in a world where it seems there are no consequences. In a world of post-truth and fake news, it feels imperative to teach my students that their actions ultimately do have consequences. What am I teaching them but to game their way through the educational system? "Sure, it maybe took me 18 tries, but by attempt #19, I aced the test." And should that student earn the same grade as the student who studied throughout the unit and knew all of the words by test day? Today I struggle with these questions. I recognize that this is a broader philosophical question, not just the simple question of "Do I allow my students to redo assignments and retake quizzes?" In the meantime, I'm grateful for any feedback my 12 readers could provide. |
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September 2020
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