Tomorrow is our first scheduled class meeting for the semester, and since I am up late (thanks to some medicine I am currently taking), I thought this would be the perfect time to write out my thoughts/goals/expectations for the semester.
- Get a better insight on the effectiveness of the course. Although I taught the course after the “revamp”, it should be helpful to see how those changes have actually impacted the course and how the course can be further improved in the future.
- Provide more opportunities for application. I enjoyed integrating the “Website of the Week” with them last semester so that they are introduced to some of the MANY tools out there, but this semester, I want to provide more opportunities for practicing what they are learning beyond just assignments for the course.
- Spend more time doing “workshop” Although I have always conducted class in a workshop type manner, I think I will now cut back my “material coverage” time (which used to be going through the included powerpoints), which will hopefully force them to read and take more initiative to earn the information.
- Find out and attempt to address student needs This is a goal every semester, but this time we are actually going to discuss it in the first class meeting. I really want to know their expectations for the course so that I have a better idea of what they know and what they want/need to know.
Those are my overarching goals for the semester, and I of course will be adding goals after every class just for my own sanity.
Off to bed so I can be at my best for all of the new, shining faces tomorrow!
