Class Report: SPCH 275, 28 February 2018

For the first class meeting of the session, discussion focused on introductions to the course, the instructor, and foundational concepts of rhetoric as applicable to public speaking. The course project and its assigned topic received attention, as well. So did upcoming assignments:

  • Discussions, due online before 0059 on 5 March 2018
  • Week 1 Homework, due online in two parts (PDF and Word file) before 0059 on 5 March 2018
  • Week 1 Presentation, due online before 0059 on 5 March 2018

Submission guidelines for the assignments are in the course shell.

The class met as scheduled, at 1800 in Room 108 of the San Antonio campus. The course roster listed seven students enrolled; five attended, assessed informally. Class participation was good. No students attended Monday office hours.

Class Report: ENGL 216, 21 February 2018

For the final meeting of the session, class time was given over wholly to the course’s institution-mandated final exam. No other activities were conducted on site, although the classroom, Rm. 107 of the San Antonio campus, was made available at the expected time, 1800.

The course roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the last meeting; none attended. Student participation was as would be expected in such a circumstance. As noted in the previous report, office hours for the week were canceled against the instructor’s daughter’s birthday.

Class Report: ENGL 216, 14 February 2018

For the Valentine’s Day edition of the class, discussion opened with questions from the previous class meeting and before. It continued with notes about style and mechanics before examining an example of student work and a professional example. Further, assignments were discussed, such as

  • Course Project: Final Draft, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 19 February 2018
  • Course Project: Presentation, to be submitted as a PowerPoint file before 0059 on 19 February 2018
  • Discussion posts, to be completed online before 0059 on 19 February 2018

Students were afforded time to complete class surveys, as requested by administration. Students were also reminded that the Final Exam will take up class next week; the classroom will be open at the regular class time, although it may be closed early if no students attend on-site.

Class met as scheduled, at 1800 in Rm. 107 of the San Antonio campus. The course roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the last meeting; two attended, assessed informally. Student participation was reasonably good. No students attended office hours Monday from approx. 1800 to approx. 1900 online (office hours are scheduled to 2000, but an hour in, with no attendees, they were ended).

Students are advised that office hours for Week 8, which would have occurred on 19 February 2018 at 1800, are cancelled in favor of the instructor’s daughter’s birthday.

Class Report: ENGL 216, 7 February 2018

After addressing some few procedural notes and questions from the previous class meeting, discussion turned to concerns of front matter, order of composition, and review. An example of earlier student work was treated at some length. Assignments were discussed, such as

  • Course Project: Front Matter, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 12 February 2018
  • Discussion posts, to be completed online before 0059 on 12 February 2018

Class met as scheduled, at 1800 in Rm. 107 of the San Antonio campus. The course roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the last meeting; three attended, assessed informally. Student participation was reasonably good. No students attended office hours Monday from approx. 1800 to approx. 1900 online. (Office hours are scheduled to approx. 2000, but after an hour without student attendance, they were closed.)

More Early Comments for the March 2018 Session at DeVry University in San Antonio

Not long ago, I made a few comments about the March 2018 session at DeVry University in San Antonio, noting with appreciation that I had been offered a section of ENGL 135: Advanced Composition. I have been at work developing materials for that class, and I am happy with how things are proceeding in that line.

I am also happy to note that I have been offered another class, one I have not yet taught at the institution, although it is similar to one that I have taught elsewhere–namely SPCH 217: Public Speaking. From what I have seen of the course so far, it is similar to the HUM 110 class I taught at the now-defunct Technical Career Institutes, so that while it has been some time since I taught such a class, I am not coming into it all unaware of what I need to do and what I need the students to do. Materials are on their way to me now, so that much is to the good, and I look forward to seeing how I can make things better.

Class Report: ENGL 216, 31 January 2018

After addressing some few procedural notes and questions from the previous class meeting, discussion turned to concerns of graphics and their integration into documents. Some review of paratext was needed, and ethics of graphics received some comment. Class time was spent interrogating an example previously emailed to students. Attention was also paid to upcoming assignments.

Students are reminded that the following assignments are coming due:

  • Course Project: First Draft, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 5 February 2018
  • Discussion posts, to be completed online before 0059 on 5 February 2018

Class met as scheduled, at 1800 in Rm. 107 of the San Antonio campus. The course roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the last meeting; two attended, assessed informally. Student participation was good. No students attended office hours Monday from approx. 1800 to approx. 1900 online. (Office hours are scheduled to approx. 2000, but after an hour without student attendance, they were closed.)

Initial Comments for the March 2018 Session at DeVry University in San Antonio

I know that I’ve had a lot to say about DeVry University this week, what with my usual class report and a recent addendum to an older post. But more news keeps coming in on that score, to wit:

Although I’ve not yet signed the contract for it, I have been offered a section of ENGL 135: Advanced Composition for the March 2018 session at DeVry University in San Antonio. The session runs 26 February through 21 April 2018; the class is slated to meet on Saturdays from 0900 to 1250 in Room 106 of the San Antonio campus. I still have a bit of time to begin to prepare and refine materials, and I look forward to doing again the work of teaching.

Among those materials will be an alternative assignment, one that follows the sequence prescribed by the University but that treats a different topic altogether. I have the hope that it will prove more amenable to students’ engagement than those previously assigned–and that they and I will gain more from it as a result.

Addendum to “Reflective Comments for the November 2017 Session at DeVry University in San Antonio”

A while ago, I posted a set of comments in which I looked back at the work I did during the November 2017 session at DeVry University in San Antonio, Texas. At the time, I thought they would be the last word I had to say on the subject–but that has not proven to be the case (obviously). Information I received this week has given me cause to add to those comments–and happily.

The results of my end-of-course evaluations got back to me this week. One of the two classes I taught, ENGL 135: Advanced Composition, rated me at 3.53/4.00 overall, with all students who responded reporting that I met or exceeded their expectations. The other, ENGL 216: Technical Writing, rated me at 3.90/4.00 overall, with all but one report noting that I exceeded expectations (and that one said I met them).

To be honest, the reviews are far better than I am accustomed to receiving from students. I am glad to have gotten them–and gladder to be doing something right in the classroom. I suppose my earlier assertions about needing to continue particular practices have some backing; I am glad that I am doing more in that line, even if I still do go off on strange tangents from time to time.

Class Report; ENGL 216, 24 January 2018

After addressing questions from the previous class meeting, discussion turned to concerns of formality and complexity of reports, as well as persuasive techniques. Class focus was on applying principles from the textbook and lecture to in-class examples, with the idea that examining application will enhance student performance. Attention was also paid to upcoming assignments.

Students are reminded that the following assignments are coming due:

  • Course Project: Outline, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 29 January 2018
  • Week 4 Homework, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 29 January 2018
  • Discussion posts, to be completed online before 0059 on 29 January 2018

Class met as scheduled, at 1800 in Rm. 107 of the San Antonio campus. The course roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the last meeting; two attended, assessed informally. Student participation was good. No students attended office hours Monday from approx. 1800 to approx. 1900 online. (Office hours are scheduled to approx. 2000, but after an hour without student attendance, they were closed.)

Class Report: ENGL 216, 17 January 2018

After addressing questions from the previous class meeting, discussion turned to concerns of procedural writing, research and documentation, and ethics. Class focus was on applying principles from the textbook and lecture to in-class examples, with the idea that examining application will enhance student performance. Attention was also paid to upcoming assignments.

Students are reminded that the following assignments are coming due:

  • Course Project: Annotations, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 22 January 2018
  • Week 3 Homework, to be submitted online as a Word document before 0059 on 22 January 2018
  • Discussion posts, to be completed online before 0059 on 22 January 2018

Class met as scheduled, at 1800 in Rm. 107 of the San Antonio campus. The course roster listed seven students enrolled, unchanged since the last meeting; four attended, assessed informally. Student participation was good. No students attended office hours Monday from approx. 1800 to approx. 1900 online. (Office hours are scheduled to approx. 2000, but after an hour without student attendance, they were closed.)