Kris Hanks
1.) How can I be a peer who attempts to give out as much input as I get from others?
2.) Being able to talk with classmates, to hear their ideas & concerns AND to feel both challenged and supported by them, is an invaluable part of my learning experience. I am a learner who benefits greatly from classroom interactions with peers. In last weekÕs class, I had someone confront me with a question that I hadnÕt asked myself and that question has helped me work through this current phase.
3.) Forming peer support groups outside of class might greatly help some people (I know it is something I am going to need to help me throughout this process).
4.) I am concerned that those people whose projects are a bit more ÒunformedÓ than others get the support they need from the rest of us. If someone is having trouble teasing out their ideas, or they are stuck, I hope they will not be afraid to ask for help. If nothing else, we can be sounding boards for ideas and confusions. I also hope that there will be ample time in class for us to talk about our troubles and confusions with each other because sometimes, these are the very things that keep us from moving on (or we convince ourselves that we are Òway behindÓ and that everyone else Òhas it all togetherÓ, which usually isnÕt the case).
5.) So many times we say ÒI canÕt do thisÓ because we donÕt have proper support when we need it. We get behind, convince ourselves we donÕt know what weÕre doing and then its easy to take the ÒotherÓ option – to quit, to give up. But I donÕt think this should be an option for us, not when this class is filled with so many incredible supportive, intelligent, kind people who want to help you AND want to be helped by you. I think itÕs important to pay attention to peers who look like they are really struggling and to ask: How can I help? We are all going through this process together and weÕd want someone to help us get back on track if it looked like we were having problems. The key seems to be learning to ask for help when you need it, but this is really hard for some people to do – I think we need to be aware of this.
Crystal King
1. Initiative
does seem to be the key. A student needs to be internally driven to do the
project, regardless of the teacher. How can more emphasis be placed on
motivation, passion and excitement for the student's project? Where will the
project take the student?
2. I think that
this class is so process driven that it can be intimidating and in some
ways to some people, inhibiting. How do you create initiative when the process
can sometimes detract from that?
3. How big
should the ideal class be to help support that motivation and initiative? My
sense is that the class as it is at the moment is too large to effectively give
the attention needed to individual projects, both on a teacher and a peer level
(although I understand why this is--in trying to rush students through the
curriculum due to cuts).
4. If the student experiences new
opportunities as part of the project (i.e. the project takes on new life, or a
direction that wasn't previously thought of), will the current process detract
from the student taking that direction? It's difficult to pull out of the
mindset that materials and a more fleshed out project need to be turned in at
the end of the semester for a grade, especially with such a detailed process in
place.
5. What can be done to continue momentum throughout the semester?
In my experience, there is a point in nearly every class where difficulty
occurs, either as a result of too much work, confusion about the work,
unsurety about direction, personal (i.e. non-class) issues,
inertia, etc. Are there things that can be done to help the student maintain
initiative and motivation?
Rob Norris
1)
Statement:
Class is extremely important in keeping a student focused, driven, and
on track. Some people are less apt
to self-motivation. Seeing others
invested in the same process and having deadlines is a strong benefit for
people (like me) sometimes lacking in self-motivation.
2)
Statement:
Making connections with peers on your projects (primarily content-wise)
can save countless hours of time in research. Meeting someone with the info you need from a class member
(or through a class member) can advance oneÕs research immensely.
3)
Reservation: Students learn differently. How can one possibly address every personÕs style of
learning within a large class structure?
4)
Reservation: With so many possibilities for topics derived by the
students in the class there is a danger of a personÕs research scope getting
out of handÉof the project getting too big for a person to complete
satisfactorily by the end of the semester. This scope can be broadened by just one studentsÕ driven
nature affecting others.
5) Question: Should the teacher of the class act as
an educator, guide, coach, or peer in the process?
1. I feel like the class has had different starting points. Some people came in with definite ideas. Others had no idea for a project. I wish I had entered the class with a viable idea. It may benefit the ability of the class to be a support if everyone started at the same place.
2. Because we only meet once a week the examples of work assignments in the syllabus are very helpful as a coaching structure.
3. The topics for projects are so widespread. Will this hinder the class functioning as a support?
4. I am happy this is one of the final classes because most of the faces are familiar. It will be easier to be supported by people whom I trust and already know.
5. The availability of all members of the class through email and web group is a great support and way of information sharing.
AnnaYangco
� Even though sharing in class is a difficult thing for me in the big
group, I think peer or small group sharing is an effective means of getting
feedback and support on my project.
� I feel different activities for class sharing keep things not only
interesting, but it allows various issues to be focused upon.
� A few sharing activities that have worked for my students which I
would also feel comfortable with:
o Pair activity: Speaker talks for 5 minutes without interruption.
Listener takes notes or writes questions for follow up. Follow up/feedback
time. Then switch -> speaker becomes listener, etc.
o Focused conversation with specific ORID questions have been useful for
sharing amongst my students.
� Sharing in class has been extremely helpful for me, especially since
everyone has different backgrounds, experience, and thinking styles.
� For me, structure is the most important element for peer support in
class.
Pin-Yu Chen
Charly Rauscher
Statements (S), questions (Q), reservations (R), or reflections (RE) about the class functioning as a support & coaching structure to help students finish their work
R - people work at varying paces based on their project and work attempted; sometimes hard to exert one methodology for completion of tasks
S - an outline presentation by each student (or volunteers) might be helpful, especially to those who might be unclear of their focus and how to organize data
S - organizing class teams might be helpful to students, each brings their questions, concerns to each other, peer to peer rather than peer to professor is sometimes less threatening; one of the roles of the team could be to recommend speaking with the professor when advice is lacking
S - coaching and support has relevance for those who are having blocks, issues, constraints on their projects, individual attention is usually required
RE – ultimately the task of research and paper completion is on the student, no amount of coaching and support can replace student initiative; peers and professor can only help as a guide.
1. Listening to others is encouraging to me. It lets me know that others have the same or similar concerns and difficulties as I do.
2. Pairing up with a specific partner to do check-ins, specifically around deadlines, might be helpful.
3. I like the use of examples directly from others work. It gives me ideas and helps me to feel more confident about what I am doing.
4. Some days I feel that this project is huge...that it has a life of its own. How can the group help that???
5. I think I need someone to to be critical with comments about what I am doing, ( other than Peter as instructor) so that I hear a different voice and get insight into what is working and what isn't. I am thinking of this from an angle other than "the grade" aspect.