Very Helpful

by AJ

I love the blog format. Im getting great feedback from my students. Of course there are always class evaluations at the end of the semester. But by then its too late, I can do anything about the class.

But with the blog (and also the feedback Im getting on the learning plans), Im able to assess my teaching immediately and adjust quickly.

The big theme of all the feedback is the desire for more interaction-- especially role plays and small group work. So we (all of my classes) are going to do much more of this.

Group Work: Each student completed a learning plan in which they chose two things (anything) they wanted to learn more about. The students then mingled and formed "affinity groups"-- small groups of students with similar interests.

Each week, these students will bring in articles, books, internet printouts, etc. related to their topic of interest. They will share this information with their affinity group. They'll pass around the articles and read them. They'll summarize the main points. Then they'll discuss it all. Finally, the group as a whole will present what they learned that day to the entire class.

Role Plays: I will use role plays to focus on the content specific to each course. So for the airline class, we'll start doing a lot of role plays related to working at an airline and applying for a job at an airline. Other classes with focus on more everyday communicative situations.

Portfolios and Assignments: Students will make portfolios and present them as part of their affinity group work. They will also do a portfolio & presentation on some aspect of the course content (ie. each student in the airline class will write a report about some aspect of the airline industry).

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