Final Posting

a. What did you learn in the sixth week about your course assessment experiments? This is the posting that I used as the Cat called electronic mail feedback: “This posting is a bit different and I will value your honest responses. It is part of obtaining assessment information about the internship in order to make changes in the future so it can be the best possible experience for future students. What can Dr. Lidstone, Mrs. Jarriel, and I do now to help students find internships; to make the posting assignments more useful; to enhance the learning experiences within the internship (postings, presentations, projects, portfolios, etc.)?

Knowing what you know now, at the half-way point in your internship, if you were hired to do this job, what would you do to help students find internships; what would you do to make the posting assignments more useful; what would you do to make the learning experiences more meaningful; and in general how would you make the internship a better experience for future students?
I only have on response so far and as I feared, it was not very helpful. Very generic, mainly said did not like the request to respond to other student’s postings. I’m open to feedback on how to make this more effective. Of course there will be the course SALG so that will help.
b. Talk about two or three strategies you are going to try to accomplish to help your peers/department/program to begin infusing classroom assessment techniques (one-to-one conference, presentation, workshop, publication). I want to meet with my Health Education colleagues who teach in CHHS area and talk about assessment strategies and potential changes in courses and in the program. I have to write a CPR report (Continuous Program Review) and the assessment data and outcomes that I compile as I write this will help guide these conversations.
c. What was your one sentence summary about assessment that you shared with your group during the sixth session? “Begin with the end in mind and remember that this applies at the course level, program level, and professional level”.
d. Talk about your self-reflections in planning classroom assessment techniques in other courses you are teaching (maybe in the summer or next fall). What kinds of plans are you beginning to contemplate? What do you want to accomplish in classroom assessment after this semester? I want to add to the concept above, but I had to move to D. so as to not exceed my one sentence. J In UGA’s MPH internship rationale, they show the inputs, outputs (which includes internship), program outcomes, then public health outcomes (based on the benefit of having well-trained professionals bettering the profession and society). Understanding that all the pieces contribute to a much larger outcome is essential. Starting with a class activity in a particular class (did it work, did the students learn what I wanted them to learn, how do I know if that happened) all the way through skills revealed in internships to employer evaluations of our graduates one year and five years after graduation. I would like to use the SALG in more classes and use it as part of my teaching portfolio as one way of having a second measure of teaching evaluation. It is still student feedback but it is customized to the class. Autumn gave a great suggestion to keep track of the SALG results, document course changes, and use it to show future students and supervisors. I also look forward to using some CATS when I have an actual class sitting in front of me.
d. What are the core skills, dispositions, and knowledge sets exhibited by a faculty member who is engaged in learner-centered assessment activities? Very committed to student, program and professional outcomes and will to do the hard work that is required. One who has the foresight to see that their classes are just a branch of the tree of the degree program. When they shut that classroom door, they may have their academic freedom but it does not separate them or give them license to function completely autonomously from helping create the type of student who will be a successful graduate and professional.
f. What do you need to do to be ready for your presentation next week? Writing this posting has helped. I’ll start on a PPT now and see if that feels like the right approach. I keep thinking about analogies but don’t want to get TOO trite. Since Dr. Moore is new to the FDW, I hope to clearly illustrate its potential impact.

Funke 5th Posting

a. What did you learn during the fifth week about your classroom assessment experiments? Talk about your personal experiences with assessment in the classroom. I used the electronic mail feedback but they have a week to reply with the deadline of the 25th so no Reponses yet. It was basically, “If you were the university internship supervisor, what would you do differently from the current guidelines to make the internship experience be most meaningful to students? Students liked the rubrics I provided. I still have more to do.

b. Talk about two or three concepts, issues, or CATs described in the readings for this week that really struck you as important new information. I am interested in the one I described above but I’m concerned the students will say “don’t change anything, it is fine”. Clickers are not in our texts and you all know of my interest in these. I was at a conference last week and sat in on a clicker demonstration and the instructor says he has great success with them, students love them, etc. I asked him if the novelty wore off but in his experience this has not happened.

c. Talk about your self-reflections in planning classroom assessment techniques in other courses you are teaching (maybe in the summer or next fall). What kinds of plans are you beginning to contemplate?
I do want to continue to work on the internship. I found some good syllabi on the web. I liked one of UGA's public health internship requirements that called for students to create a poster (research conference quality) of their internship experiences. I'd like to see something like this done in my department and have the finishing interns present it to current students. Now, faculty are present for the internship wrap up meetings but I think our students would get more benefit. They would get ideas about placements, tasks, projects, and would learn the skills needed in the internship that might shape some of their academic efforts.

d. What are the core skills, dispositions, and knowledge sets exhibited by a faculty member engaging in learner-centered assessment activities?
It is someone who is brave; open-minded; experiential; not afraid to be challenged or wrong; who can keep his or her ego out of things; who understands that the proof is in the pudding. The "true" phrase is "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." The true quality of something can only be judged when put to use; or summed up as "results are what count." I think only learner centered assessment activities allow us to taste the pudding.

e. What do you need to do in the next few days to be ready for your final presentation on February 25 (Monday) or February 29 (Friday)?
Perhaps some clarity or mind and inspiration. I hope to get more direction on this at the 6th session. Autumn said only 5-6 minutes for the presentation, which can actually make it more difficult.

Posting #4

a. What did you learn from the readings and activities about assessment?
I found it very helpful to read the section from Huba and Freed about assessing critical thinking. It answered some questions for me that I have had for some time.

b.Talk about two or three concepts, issues, or CATs described in the readings the last two weeks that really struck you as important new information. What did you disagree with in the readings?
Similar response as above. I liked the explanations of declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. This really helps me see the levels within critical thinking. I had never seen this before.

c.What questions do you find yourself asking after the fourth session?
Mainly wanting to explore and implement more CATs and looking forward to making a concerted effort to me more learner centered. I think it will bring some of the joy back to teaching for me that has dulled somewhat after 18 years.

d. Talk about the conversations you are having with peers about assessment…or the conversations you would like to be having with your peers about assessment.
I have had conversations with faculty about the possible use of clasrrom responses systems. My project proposal should be distributed soon to all faculty so more discussion will follow. I'm talking with the 2 faculty who supervise interns and get their feedback on the rubrics I'd like to implement.

Posting #3

Learning/Questions: I keep finding myself feeling disappointed at the end of my classes-thinking things like, "that is not how I wanted things to go", or "why did I do it that way when one of the CATS would have been so much better". I know these are good questions and concerns as long as I take action on them.

Surprise: I am continuing to enjoy the variety of CATs in the readings and think-what a good idea-or that is really cool. One tends to hear about the same CATs (or at least I do) but there is tremendous variety and lots to explore.

Irritation: I'm experiencing some anticipatory irritation as I prepare to use the concept mapping software! Not a good attitude I know, but I am hoping I will be proved wrong.

Challenge: Following through is always a challenge. Not so much with FDW tasks but with the continuing application of these concepts once FDW ends. I may need booster sessions. Good intentions get so quickly lost as other demands flood in.