Category: Instruction

Class Report: ENGL 1213 at NOC, 20 April 2016

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After addressing questions from previous classes, discussion asked after student impressions of the ResPpr, the FV of which was to have been submitted before the beginning of class time. The FinPort and FinEx also received attention.

Students are reminded that afternoon office hours on Friday, 22 April 2016, will largely be taken up by a meeting with Oklahoma State University faculty.

Students are asked to bring printed copies of the prefatory statement, table of contents, and summative statement for their FinPort on Monday, 25 April 2016, so that they may be reviewed in advance of the FinPort being due.

Students are further reminded of the following due dates:

  • FinPort (due online before class begins on 27 April 2016)
  • FinEx (in the regular classroom at 1400 on 2 May 2016)

The section met as scheduled, at 1300 in North Classroom Building Room 311. The roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the previous class meeting. Six attended, verified informally. Student participation was reasonably good.

No students attended office hours since the previous class meeting.

Class Reports: ENGL 1213, Sections 015, 023, and 040–20 April 2016

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After addressing questions from the previous class meeting and before, discussion inquired into student progress on the SOQ, of which the Update is due via D2L before class begins on Friday. It also publicized information about the FinEx.

Students are reminded that afternoon office hours on Friday, 22 April 2016, are likely to be wholly occupied by another meeting.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • SOQ Update (via D2L before class begins on 22 April 2016)
  • SOQ FV (via D2L before class begins on 29 April 2016)
  • FinEx, in Morrill Hall Room 106 at the date and time noted by section below:
    • Section 015: 2 May 2016, 1000-1150
    • Section 023: 4 May 2016, 1000-1150
    • Section 040: 4 May 2016, 0800-0950

Regarding meetings and attendance:

  • Section 015 met as scheduled, at 1030 in Classroom Building Room 217. The class roster showed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Fifteen attended, verified informally. Student participation was good.
  • Section 023 met as scheduled, at 1130 in Classroom Building Room 121. The class roster showed 14 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Thirteen attended, verified informally. Student participation was subdued.
  • Section 040 met as scheduled, at 0830 in Morrill Hall Room 206. The class roster showed 12 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. All attended, verified informally. Student participation was adequate.
  • No students attended office hours.

About Writing References for Students

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From time to time, students, colleagues, and friends ask me to write them references for one thing or another. In all cases, I find it flattering to be asked, even if I cannot necessarily provide a helpful reference for the person asking (and there have been times I have not felt I could be of service to those who have asked me for recommendation); I consider the request to be a validation of my insight and judgment, and I flatter myself in both regards. A question about my willingness to do so came up in a recent class, and it occurred to me that I had not updated my reference policy towards my students since its appearance some time ago on my older teaching website. Making such an update seems to be in order; a revised statement of my policy on such matters regarding my students appears below. (I treat my colleagues and friends differently, as should be expected.) It still borrows from the stated policies of my long-time adviser, Prof. Chris Healy at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

I am happy to write recommendations for those students who have done well in my classes, both in terms of their academic performance and of their professionalism. This generally means that students need to have earned a solid B or better (85+) , or an HPR for those students in college-preparatory classes at Technical Career Institutes who may still ask me for letters, in courses taken with me and to have been pleasantly memorable presences in the classroom and during office hours for me to be willing to write recommendations for them.

To write the recommendation, I will need to know whom I will write the recommendation to, as well as what medium the recommendation needs to take (an online form, a printed letter, an Interfolio letter, or some other format). Further, I will need a copy of relevant materials, such as writing samples that the recommendation will accompany; a CV/resume from the requester and a sample of the work done thereby will also be appreciated.

Give me some time to work on the piece. A couple of weeks before I need to send off the recommendation (allowing time for mailing, if that is how it needs to go) will be enough; a couple of days will not likely be. The request for the recommendation should itself be a point in favor of the recommendation, and consideration for the writer conduces to that end.

In asking me to write a letter of recommendation, students are giving me permission to discuss specifics of their performance in my class/es with those to whom I am writing the recommendation. I can hardly do well at the task without providing details, after all.

There may be more to come in this regard; policies need to be ready to change to suit new circumstances that arise.

Class Reports: ENGL 1213, Sections 015, 023, and 040–18 April 2016

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Discussion in all sections was truncated in favor of permitting time for the student survey of instruction. Before adjourning to that purpose, though, it was able to inquire after questions from the previous class meeting, as well as to address ongoing concerns of the SOQ.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • SOQ Update (via D2L before class begins on 22 April 2016)
  • SOQ FV (via D2L before class begins on 29 April 2016)
  • FinEx, in Morrill Hall Room 106 at the date and time noted by section below:
    • Section 015: 2 May 2016, 1000-1150
    • Section 023: 4 May 2016, 1000-1150
    • Section 040: 4 May 2016, 0800-0950

Regarding meetings and attendance:

  • Section 015 met as scheduled, at 1030 in Classroom Building Room 217. The class roster showed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Fifteen attended, verified informally. Student participation was good and reasonably focused.
  • Section 023 met as scheduled, at 1130 in Classroom Building Room 121. The class roster showed 14 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Twelve attended, verified informally. Student participation was reasonably good.
  • Section 040 met as scheduled, at 0830 in Morrill Hall Room 206. The class roster showed 12 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Eleven attended, verified informally. Student participation was subdued.
  • One student attended office hours.

Class Report: ENGL 1213 at NOC, 18 April 2016

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After addressing questions from previous classes, discussion treated the ResPpr at some length, hoping to address identified difficulties therein. The FinPort and FinEx also received some attention.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • ResPpr FV (due online before class begins on 20 April 2016)
  • FinPort (due online before class begins on 27 April 2016)
  • FinEx (in the regular classroom at 1400 on 2 May 2016)

The section met as scheduled, at 1300 in North Classroom Building Room 311. The roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the previous class meeting. All attended, verified informally. Student participation was reasonably good.

Two students attended office hours since the previous class meeting.

Class Reports: ENGL 1213, Sections 015, 023, and 040–15 April 2016

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After addressing questions from the previous class meeting, discussion asked after progress on the SOQ, of which the RV was to have been submitted before class began.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • SOQ Update (via D2L before class begins on 22 April 2016)
  • SOQ FV (via D2L before class begins on 29 April 2016)
  • FinEx, in Morrill Hall Room 106 at the date and time noted by section below:
    • Section 015: 2 May 2016, 1000-1150
    • Section 023: 4 May 2016, 1000-1150
    • Section 040: 4 May 2016, 0800-0950

Regarding meetings and attendance:

  • Section 015 met as scheduled, at 1030 in Classroom Building Room 217. The class roster showed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Fifteen attended, verified informally. Student participation was good and reasonably on-topic.
  • Section 023 met as scheduled, at 1130 in Classroom Building Room 121. The class roster showed 14 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Twelve attended, verified informally. Student participation was restrained.
  • Section 040 met as scheduled, at 0830 in Morrill Hall Room 206. The class roster showed 12 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Ten attended, verified informally. Student participation was restrained.
  • No students attended office hours.

Class Reports: ENGL 1213, Sections 015, 023, and 040–13 April 2016

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After an absence on 11 April 2016, discussion asked after continued student progress on the SOQ. Some attention was also given to the FinEx, the general subject for which has been determined through student voting.

Student surveys will open online on Monday, 18 April 2016. Class time will be given over to completion of those surveys on that day; students are advised to bring devices–a 13 April 2016 email from Provost and Senior Vice President of the University, Gary D. Sandefur, notes that “The surveys will open on any Internet-connected device (computer, tablet, or smartphone)”–on which they may take their surveys. The email from the Provost also notes that

The system will close to all students on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 11:00PM.  After final grade submission has closed for the semester, instructors whose courses received student responses will receive, via email, a PDF instructor report for each course containing their survey results. For Spring 2016, instructors should receive these reports on or about May 12, 2016. [Emphasis in original]

Also, a 12 April 2016 email from First-Year Composition Program Director Lynn C. Lewis notes that

Offering students extra credit for completing the evaluations is not permitted.

While students are completing the evaluations, the instructor should leave the classroom in order to ensure privacy.  Please give students the following information before giving them time to complete the evaluation:

Course evaluations are an important way for students to have a voice in course content and structure.  Evaluations are used to assess instructors for reappointment and tenure decisions as well as renewal of graduate teaching assistantships so your careful and thoughtful responses are critical.  Your response is anonymous and your instructors will not see any responses until after grades are turned in.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • SOQ RV (via D2L before class begins on 15 April 2016)
  • SOQ Update (via D2L before class begins on 22 April 2016)
  • SOQ FV (via D2L before class begins on 29 April 2016)

Regarding meetings and attendance:

  • Section 015 met as scheduled, at 1030 in Classroom Building Room 217. The class roster showed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. All attended, verified informally. Student participation was, as usual, good but distracted.
  • Section 023 met as scheduled, at 1130 in Classroom Building Room 121. The class roster showed 14 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Twelve attended, verified informally. Student participation was adequate.
  • Section 040 met as scheduled, at 0830 in Morrill Hall Room 206. The class roster showed 12 students enrolled, a decline of one since the previous report. All attended, verified informally. Student participation was subdued.
  • One student attended office hours.

For 11 April 2016

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Another occasion such as befell me on 9 March 2016 has happened again; I have gotten ill. I expect my incapacity to be temporary, however, and to be back in the classroom on Wednesday, 13 April 2016. To those students who had anticipated meeting with me today, I apologize, but I would not have been able to help you as you deserve.

As was the case for my earlier absence, however, there are some things that I can convey that I did not do in an earlier email. One such is the result of the FinEx survey opened on 4 April 2016. In combination, I have 16 students enrolled in ENGL 1213.015 at Oklahoma State University (OSU), 14 in ENGL 1213.023, 12 in ENGL 1213.040, and seven students enrolled in my section of ENGL 1213 at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC), for a total of 49. Forty-three students responded to the survey, which seems a representative sample. Eighteen students, a plurality at 41.9% of responses, voted in favor of the following option:

An essay exam asking for a brief reflective argument that treats an assignment for inclusion in a first-year writing class. An assignment not already included in the class should be proposed and justified to an audience that is in favor of the current assignment sequence but that can adjust the assignment sequence.

Consequently, the FinEx for all four sections will address that prompt, the overall tendency of the classes being clear. (Of the other responses, ten (23.3%) voted for the annotation entry, eight (18.6%) voted for the rhetorical analysis of an earlier assignment sheet, and seven (16.3%) voted for a multiple choice exam. The results remain surprising, as was noted in class.)

Another item to note is that upcoming assignments will remain due as noted on relevant course calendars (the ResPpr RV before class begins on Wednesday, 13 April 2016, for the students at NOC; the SOQ RV before class begins on Friday, 15 April 2016, for the OSU students). That students continue to work on them is therefore strongly recommended.

As circumstances permit, I will be working on the FinPort and FinEx (OSU, NOC) assignment sheets. Please check the relevant pages for updates, and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

Class Reports: ENGL 1213, Sections 015, 023, and 040–8 April 2016

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In all sections, class time was taken up by peer review of the SOQ PV.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • SOQ RV (via D2L before class begins on 15 April 2016)
  • SOQ Update (via D2L before class begins on 22 April 2016)
  • SOQ FV (via D2L before class begins on 29 April 2016)

Regarding meetings and attendance:

  • Section 015 met as scheduled, at 1030 in Classroom Building Room 217. The class roster showed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Thirteen attended in all, verified by the quiz taken from the SOQ PV.
  • Section 023 met as scheduled, at 1130 in Classroom Building Room 121. The class roster showed 14 students enrolled, a decline of one since the previous report. Eleven attended in all, verified by the quiz taken from the SOQ PV.
  • Section 040 met as scheduled, at 0830 in Morrill Hall Room 206. The class roster showed 13 students enrolled, unchanged since the previous report. Eight attended in all, verified by the quiz taken from the SOQ PV.
  • Three students attended office hours.

Class Report: ENGL 1213 at NOC, 6 April 2016

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After addressing questions from previous classes, discussion reminded students of the FinEx survey (http://goo.gl/forms/GPCQDOABFx) and pointed out a sample ResPpr recently made available. Assigned readings and student progress on the ResPpr received attention, as well.

Students are reminded that office hours on Friday, 8 April 2016, will be truncated, as they will have to start later than usual due to instructor participation in a local linguistics study. Eligible students are encouraged to participate, as well.

NOC hierarchs have asked that the following flier be noted to students: Enrollment Flyer for Summer and Fall.

Students are reminded of the following due dates:

  • ResPpr RV (due online before class begins on 13 April 2016)
  • ResPpr FV (due online before class begins on 20 April 2016)
  • FinPort (due online before class begins on 27 April 2016; information is forthcoming as of this writing)

The section met as scheduled, at 1300 in North Classroom Building Room 311. The roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the previous class meeting. Six attended, verified informally. Student participation was good.

No students attended office hours since the previous class meeting.