Hi Readers,
April's progress report didn't end with flying colors BUT it did break even with March. Nonetheless, we can still learn from it so we can improve and be more efficient ( in meeting students' needs ). Here it is:
Hours and # of Students-
For April, the Writing Center was open for 80 hours, and we worked with 109 students ( dedicating at least an hour per student as a result of simultaneous sessions ). The students' attendance slowly rose and slightly dipped on the 3rd week when a campus wide "walk-out" broke our 6 students per day average that week. We reached a monthly high of 45 students on the last week ( before closing for the summer ). We almost matched March's attendance record (110) but missed by 1.
Outreach
Project Facebook continues ( a presence and reminders for students online, a way to connect through instant announcement, comments, and birthday remembrances ) maybe good for internet presence but in terms of student participation outcome, it's not clear. Drexel even contacted me to take a survey whether having a facebook page is effective or not. It's too early to tell.
-As of April 2011 we have 112 friends.
Events/Workshops
-APA Workshop
-End-of-the-Semester Party
Mini-Projects
-In progress ( flyers, log-in sheet, website, handbook, research, journal article, questionaires, and conference presentation, and Youtube video )
-Newsletter ( welcome note, mission, tips, student shout-outs, faculty, stats, events [past/future] )
Scholarship and Discussion
-Book Review of Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life of the Great American School System...
-Professionalism for writing consultants
Future Conferences/Journals
-NCET
-4Cs
-WCA
-IWCA
-MAWCA
-Writing Lab Newsletter
-English Journal
-College English
-CCC
Future Collaborations
-Honor Students
-Peer Mentoring Program
-English Honor Society
-Residence Life
Classes to do Presentations
-English and Communication courses
-Writing Intensive courses
-Freshman seminar courses
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Writing Center: Party!
Hola Readers,
The Writing Center had a party to celebrate the end of the semester ( we're not open during Finals' Week ). The word 'party' is code for: bring sweets and other treats.
Our supervisor made brownies ( very chocolatey with walnuts ), while Colleague N made Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing from scratch. Colleague R brought chips and candies, and I brought BBQ chips and Cinnamon Swirls.
Some lucky students who saw our party sign in the hallway got treated to homemade goodies. 3 of our regular students responded to a Facebook invite and stopped by. We gave them copies of our newsletter, and we played Boggles and Mad Libs with them.
When the students left, we had a mini-staff meeting briefly discussing a reflection prompt ( more on this later ) and an agenda for next semester. Our supervisor told us that the Chair and the Provost ( Vice President of Academic Affairs ) strongly liked our newsletter ( good enough to include online and in the Provost's report ).
The Writing Center had a party to celebrate the end of the semester ( we're not open during Finals' Week ). The word 'party' is code for: bring sweets and other treats.
Our supervisor made brownies ( very chocolatey with walnuts ), while Colleague N made Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing from scratch. Colleague R brought chips and candies, and I brought BBQ chips and Cinnamon Swirls.
Some lucky students who saw our party sign in the hallway got treated to homemade goodies. 3 of our regular students responded to a Facebook invite and stopped by. We gave them copies of our newsletter, and we played Boggles and Mad Libs with them.
When the students left, we had a mini-staff meeting briefly discussing a reflection prompt ( more on this later ) and an agenda for next semester. Our supervisor told us that the Chair and the Provost ( Vice President of Academic Affairs ) strongly liked our newsletter ( good enough to include online and in the Provost's report ).
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Professional: a glimpse of NCLB
What's Up Readers,
Reading Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life... gave me a better understanding of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and related events that happened to me in the past: rejection from Teach for America (TFA), and an experience as a Supplemental Educational Services (SES) tutor.
Rejection from TFA was both sad and a relief. I didn't understand why I got rejected for this volunteer work ( with a minor stipend ) in spite of my credentials and experience. Looking back I speculated that one of the reasons I didn't get the position was because I didn't engender the super teacher mentality that they were looking for ( aka blind idealism ). Throughout the day-long interview, the TFA agents asked questions pertaining to the elimination of poverty through the leadership of super teachers, who can achieve this in spite of few resources, unmotivated students, overwhelmed parents, etc. I responded using my parents' life as an example; they learned how to make do with what they had, and they found motivation to learn from all types of teachers, who weren't crutches for them. My parents still had to carry their weight.
I didn't articulate enough how to instill this motivation, nonetheless I was relieved that I didn't get the position. I don't think I can follow blind idealism. Two weeks later, I was interviewed for a SES tutor position, and I got the job. It was part-time, but at least I would be trained in the Wilson Reading System and I got to work with kids ( continuation of my interest in Children's Folklore ). However, the "cons" soon outweighed the "pros." Accountability went to another level ( annoying meticulousness ). Tutoring had to happen outside the school ( unless of special circumstances ); signatures from student, tutor, parent, and tutoring company had to be obtained; a progress report had to be completed every 12 hours; and missed sessions had to be made up outside the agreed-upon schedule. If any of the above was incomplete then no one got paid.
I worked with 2 students ( a total of 6 hours per week ). One student and her family was responsible and timely, while another one wasn't. 40 hours time-frame, snow cancellation, and missed sessions ( without [timely] notification ) added to the nuisance of it all. It seemed that the primary one who suffered from "accountability" was the tutor (me). SES was free for qualified students, and it provided parents a resource. Tutoring companies, who did 20% of the work and received 50% of the total compensation, could still thrive even if they lost a tutor. The tutors, who did 80% of the work, could have their paycheck withheld from them unless they got the family's cooperation, and they completed the paperwork.
The experience was frustrating. At times I felt I was babysitting, but "I" was still accountable for improving the student's grade ( not necessarily the student's educational experience ). There was a moment when the irresponsible parent went all "high and mighty" and started lecturing me about monetary priorities ( revealing her ignorance about the financial matters on my end ). There was an instance when the tutoring company showed that their "trusted" employee was dispensible. There is no collaboration in NCLB and other business model type of educational reform; there are only winners and losers. And at the moment, WE are all losing.
Reading Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life... gave me a better understanding of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and related events that happened to me in the past: rejection from Teach for America (TFA), and an experience as a Supplemental Educational Services (SES) tutor.
Rejection from TFA was both sad and a relief. I didn't understand why I got rejected for this volunteer work ( with a minor stipend ) in spite of my credentials and experience. Looking back I speculated that one of the reasons I didn't get the position was because I didn't engender the super teacher mentality that they were looking for ( aka blind idealism ). Throughout the day-long interview, the TFA agents asked questions pertaining to the elimination of poverty through the leadership of super teachers, who can achieve this in spite of few resources, unmotivated students, overwhelmed parents, etc. I responded using my parents' life as an example; they learned how to make do with what they had, and they found motivation to learn from all types of teachers, who weren't crutches for them. My parents still had to carry their weight.
I didn't articulate enough how to instill this motivation, nonetheless I was relieved that I didn't get the position. I don't think I can follow blind idealism. Two weeks later, I was interviewed for a SES tutor position, and I got the job. It was part-time, but at least I would be trained in the Wilson Reading System and I got to work with kids ( continuation of my interest in Children's Folklore ). However, the "cons" soon outweighed the "pros." Accountability went to another level ( annoying meticulousness ). Tutoring had to happen outside the school ( unless of special circumstances ); signatures from student, tutor, parent, and tutoring company had to be obtained; a progress report had to be completed every 12 hours; and missed sessions had to be made up outside the agreed-upon schedule. If any of the above was incomplete then no one got paid.
I worked with 2 students ( a total of 6 hours per week ). One student and her family was responsible and timely, while another one wasn't. 40 hours time-frame, snow cancellation, and missed sessions ( without [timely] notification ) added to the nuisance of it all. It seemed that the primary one who suffered from "accountability" was the tutor (me). SES was free for qualified students, and it provided parents a resource. Tutoring companies, who did 20% of the work and received 50% of the total compensation, could still thrive even if they lost a tutor. The tutors, who did 80% of the work, could have their paycheck withheld from them unless they got the family's cooperation, and they completed the paperwork.
The experience was frustrating. At times I felt I was babysitting, but "I" was still accountable for improving the student's grade ( not necessarily the student's educational experience ). There was a moment when the irresponsible parent went all "high and mighty" and started lecturing me about monetary priorities ( revealing her ignorance about the financial matters on my end ). There was an instance when the tutoring company showed that their "trusted" employee was dispensible. There is no collaboration in NCLB and other business model type of educational reform; there are only winners and losers. And at the moment, WE are all losing.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Writing Center: gaps in education
Hey Readers,
Working with students as a Writing Assistant, I'm lucky to learn different things. This semester, I learned a bit about: Mill and Kant's philosophy in relation to 2 movies ( ex. You Don't Know Jack [Kevorkian] - Mill's utilitarianism and Kant's Good Will and Motives according to the student I tutored ); a documentary called Black Candle ( Kwanzaa ); Langston Hughes' novel Not Without Laughter; Sickle Cell Anemia; Civil Rights figure Angela Davis; author John Edgar Wideman's experimental form and point of view; various personal narratives and their cultural tid bits, and many more.
Sometimes this information --novel to me at times-- makes me wonder about gaps in my education; but the great news is that I can follow along ( even with the vaguest hint of the event's place in history ). This is a nice surprise in general. But then I start to wonder: If I have gaps in my education and I already have a MA, then "What kind of educational gaps do other College students may have?"
I was tutoring a student, and to illustrate a point, I made an analogy to the Cold War. I'm not an expert on this topic, but unlike this particular student, I at least have an inkling of the main ideas behind this event. Another student needed help writing a literary analysis of Chaucer's Wife of Bath Prologue. He made many spelling mistakes, and when he read excerpts from the text, he skipped words he couldn't read, or he changed the words to the closest word he knew. This was especially dangerous in such an activity where misreading texts could mislead interpretation and analysis. In addition to this obstacle, this student had to apply this in writing ( another skill level more complex than spelling and reading ).
These two students are a few from the many students I've worked with. Somewhere along these two students' educational journey, it seemed to me that an injustice was done to them. They were struggling with some basic skills, yet their teachers ( et. al. ) still passed them off as "proficient" ( evading the problem in the hopes of having the next teacher resolve the issue ). Wouldn't it be more just to hold back students ( giving them more time to practice ) than pass them off as proficient when they aren't?
Working with students as a Writing Assistant, I'm lucky to learn different things. This semester, I learned a bit about: Mill and Kant's philosophy in relation to 2 movies ( ex. You Don't Know Jack [Kevorkian] - Mill's utilitarianism and Kant's Good Will and Motives according to the student I tutored ); a documentary called Black Candle ( Kwanzaa ); Langston Hughes' novel Not Without Laughter; Sickle Cell Anemia; Civil Rights figure Angela Davis; author John Edgar Wideman's experimental form and point of view; various personal narratives and their cultural tid bits, and many more.
Sometimes this information --novel to me at times-- makes me wonder about gaps in my education; but the great news is that I can follow along ( even with the vaguest hint of the event's place in history ). This is a nice surprise in general. But then I start to wonder: If I have gaps in my education and I already have a MA, then "What kind of educational gaps do other College students may have?"
I was tutoring a student, and to illustrate a point, I made an analogy to the Cold War. I'm not an expert on this topic, but unlike this particular student, I at least have an inkling of the main ideas behind this event. Another student needed help writing a literary analysis of Chaucer's Wife of Bath Prologue. He made many spelling mistakes, and when he read excerpts from the text, he skipped words he couldn't read, or he changed the words to the closest word he knew. This was especially dangerous in such an activity where misreading texts could mislead interpretation and analysis. In addition to this obstacle, this student had to apply this in writing ( another skill level more complex than spelling and reading ).
These two students are a few from the many students I've worked with. Somewhere along these two students' educational journey, it seemed to me that an injustice was done to them. They were struggling with some basic skills, yet their teachers ( et. al. ) still passed them off as "proficient" ( evading the problem in the hopes of having the next teacher resolve the issue ). Wouldn't it be more just to hold back students ( giving them more time to practice ) than pass them off as proficient when they aren't?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Writing Center: behind the newsletter
Hi Readers,
In the Writing Center, collaboration and teamwork are crucial to its success. This semester, we collaborated many times, and our ability to work in a team was tested when we created the end-of-the-semester newsletter that would help us inform the University community about the Writing Center ( mission, testimonials, activities, etc. ).
Since the beginning of the semester, we wanted to make a newsletter. Finding a time when all of us were in the office was a bit difficult. Our supervisor had classes to teach, and Colleague R had a MA thesis to complete and classes to take. Thanks to the convenience of the internet, Colleague N and I were able to jumpstart the project while updating the others through emails.
First we brainstormed for content before delegating responsibilities. Our supervisor could write the 'Welcome Note' and provide us the 'Mission Statement' and 'Writing Center Tips.' Colleague R could do layout and design, since she has a Mac Book, and she had been designing our events' flyers throughout the semester. Colleague N was technically savvy so she could do the segments: 'Student Usage Graphs' and 'Semester Events.' I could collect 'Student Testimonials,' and write a 'Faculty Article.'
Then our share of obstacles started popping out. Our supervisor became swamped to write the 'Welcome Note,' so Colleague N volunteered and used her background in public relations writing to complete the task. Students weren't responding to our Facebook prompt, so I had to elicit testimonials after each tutoring session ( students didn't mind and were happy to oblige ). Faculty were also too swamped to respond to my emails, so it took some time before I was able to interview them in person.
In the end, everything came together. After we emailed our assignments to Colleague R, she found stock images and placed the articles in a template using our suggestions. At the last minute before the deadline, our supervisor was able to write the "Closing Remarks;" we also had space to include our pictures and brief bios in the back.
We copyedited our 4-page newsletter using a modified AP style and the general rules of good design. The whole process was challenging, and it was also exciting for us to practice other skills, such as communication ( writing and formatting ), computer ( emailing, editing, and designing ), and interpersonal ( interviewing and teamwork ).
In the Writing Center, collaboration and teamwork are crucial to its success. This semester, we collaborated many times, and our ability to work in a team was tested when we created the end-of-the-semester newsletter that would help us inform the University community about the Writing Center ( mission, testimonials, activities, etc. ).
Since the beginning of the semester, we wanted to make a newsletter. Finding a time when all of us were in the office was a bit difficult. Our supervisor had classes to teach, and Colleague R had a MA thesis to complete and classes to take. Thanks to the convenience of the internet, Colleague N and I were able to jumpstart the project while updating the others through emails.
First we brainstormed for content before delegating responsibilities. Our supervisor could write the 'Welcome Note' and provide us the 'Mission Statement' and 'Writing Center Tips.' Colleague R could do layout and design, since she has a Mac Book, and she had been designing our events' flyers throughout the semester. Colleague N was technically savvy so she could do the segments: 'Student Usage Graphs' and 'Semester Events.' I could collect 'Student Testimonials,' and write a 'Faculty Article.'
Then our share of obstacles started popping out. Our supervisor became swamped to write the 'Welcome Note,' so Colleague N volunteered and used her background in public relations writing to complete the task. Students weren't responding to our Facebook prompt, so I had to elicit testimonials after each tutoring session ( students didn't mind and were happy to oblige ). Faculty were also too swamped to respond to my emails, so it took some time before I was able to interview them in person.
In the end, everything came together. After we emailed our assignments to Colleague R, she found stock images and placed the articles in a template using our suggestions. At the last minute before the deadline, our supervisor was able to write the "Closing Remarks;" we also had space to include our pictures and brief bios in the back.
We copyedited our 4-page newsletter using a modified AP style and the general rules of good design. The whole process was challenging, and it was also exciting for us to practice other skills, such as communication ( writing and formatting ), computer ( emailing, editing, and designing ), and interpersonal ( interviewing and teamwork ).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)