Dr. Margaret Weaver has taught ENG 100 online to help students with writing, but more importantly to remove a barrier for online students that are the most at-risk for persistence to graduation. Creating an engaging online writing community was critical for these students and Margaret used tools such as audio files, Wikis and videos to support the development of their writing skills. Students interacted by reading and providing feedback on classmates’ work and Margaret modeled communication by providing routine feedback through videoconferencing and chat. Dr. Weaver’s class stands out for its emphasis on building community. Building community can be difficult in writing courses; many students believe writing evaluation is a one-way process with the teacher assesses the student. It can also be difficult for students online who view assignments as an individual activity. Margaret challenges these assumptions in her use of collaborative and experiential online learning. Margaret’s department head shared, “Dr. Waver is an excellent online instructor whose online efforts have improved the learning of her students.”
Archives for January 2021
Heather works in the History Department and serves as one of two observers, reviewing the classroom practicum teaching of students taking HST 418, Teaching of Secondary School Social Studies. She provides detailed, concrete feedback and mentors BSED students so they can improve their teaching as the semester progresses. She also teaches larger enrollment seated sections of History 122 where she instructs students how to write using carefully designed assignments and formative assessment. Students have shared that these assignments have positively impacted their writing and learning in other classes. The History BSED program is nationally recognized for its excellent in social studies teacher preparation. People like Heather are one of the reasons the program has earned the reputation and recognition.