Professor Sharon

Professor Sharon header image 1

100 Day Project – Day 48 – The need to learn

October 24th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Education, Learning Spanish, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 48 – 8:08 pm

First, if by any chance you were counting, I’m sure I’ve miscounted again!  Since I tend to miss writing on the weekends; I decided I’ll just count the next day I write, not the days of the week!  I haven’t missed more than two days in a row, so I guess if it makes sense to me, that’s all that matters – so sorry to bore you with that one!

This week is Open Classroom week at the community college where I teach.  Faculty have volunteered to open their classrooms to other faculty.  The purpose is not for observation or evaluation, but simply to share teaching and its challenges and pleasures.  I have a full week and today was the only day I could visit others; so I attended an Intermediate Algebra class and a Human Growth and Development class.  I picked up quite a few little ideas, such as buckets of items at each table for those who “forget” (extra pens, ruler, etc.)  This was in the math class and contained math tools, but it seems like a good idea that I think I’ll try out in one of my classes.  In the other, I was fascinated by the professor’s use of PowerPoint and presentation of materials.

I was reminded that I really need to do something about my terribly rusty, and honestly, none existant math skills as a learner myself.  I keep thinking about taking a refresher course; and I think I’ll try to get it in this spring.  The morning hours spent doing this chore makes me think about how much time I spend figuring out ways to teach material to these students who are so spread out along the learning spectrum.  (We are a state supported, open door college.)  This is an okay thing, but I was thinking about how much I wished I could have more time to learn myself.  To improve my math skills, return to my study of Spanish, finally learn how to play the autoharp.  How will I solve this dilemma?  Today I’m thinking about me as a learner who wants to learn.  Tomorrow I’ll be thinking about me as teacher as I have several colleagues coming to visit my Open Classroom!

Comments Off on 100 Day Project – Day 48 – The need to learnTags: ········

100 Day Project – Day 46 – Assessment

October 21st, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Education, Important People, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 46 – 7:18 pm

Today, at the community college where I work, I had the great fortune to spend the day in a workshop with Barbara Walvoord.    It was an excellent workshop about Curriculum Mapping.  The overarching task I’m not so fond of — each department/division/program at the school – is being asked to curriculum map their program and create a connection to the college’s larger general education competencies.  I don’t disagree with the need for the task, just that it’s another large task on top of so many others.

Like so many institutions, each of us is already doing two jobs, so it’s challenging to find time to add another item to the in-pile.  This aside, I find her a great teacher — our Dean, in introducing her, called her “a teacher’s teacher” — and she is indeed.  To attend an all day workshop at the end of a week where I put in three 12-hour days was not something I looked forward to doing.  I really learned a good deal, I’m excited by the task, even if I don’t see any way around the challenge of finding the time to complete it.

Assessment gets a dirty rap — presented the way Dr. Walvoord presents it wipes it off and shows it for the useful tool, done authentically, that it can be for a teacher to support a learner’s journey to learning well.  Today I’m thinking about Assessment.

Comments Off on 100 Day Project – Day 46 – AssessmentTags: ······

100 Day Project – Day 45 – Power of Mentoring

October 20th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, Important People, Musings, Teaching & Learning, Volunteer, Work

100 Day Project – Day 45 – 9;05 p.m.

Become a Big.  Do you want to make a difference in the world?  Yes, you could donate some money, bring some cans to the food bank, donate your old clothes, your old car, and put coins in the red bucket during the holidays.  These are good things; but I’m telling you being a Big Sister or Big Brother makes a donation that will last a lifetime – someone else’s.

Tonight I spent a few hours carving out pumpkins with my Little at the local chapter office of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. We talked about school on the drive there, and while we carved, we talked about Halloween, cats, pumpkin whoppie pies, pizza, cool friends, and the rock climbing opportunity her elementary school was giving her tomorrow.  We’ve been a match for two years: getting together twice a month for two years isn’t really a lot; just like the cans, or the old car or the coins aren’t a whole lot.

But I know that my Little is getting a glimpse at something different, at a possibility of other choices when she’s older, and at a different way to interact with life:  helping her learn to say please and thank you and eat with a napkin may be a small thing, but it lasts a lifetime.  Teaching and learning at its finest, at its sweetist, at its finest.  I wish every adult would find a Little: today I’m thinking about the power of mentoring.

Comments Off on 100 Day Project – Day 45 – Power of MentoringTags: ·······

100 Day Project – Day 44 – Risk taking

October 19th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, family, Musings, Work

100 Day Project – Day 44 – 9:30 p.m.

This evening I had occasion to have dinner with three other very bright, and devoted women: women who have worked for years with young children and their families.  Discussion ranged from jobs and families to the state of politics, and about children.  This recent study was one of the topics we discussed: the harm  done to young children when they are exposed to excessive television.

My question this evening is this:  who will be the leaders thirty years from now when all of the children who have been raised surrounded by technology all are showing the effects of too much technology?  Or will it matter?  We know what’s best for children: there’s a plethora of research that shows us that the outdoors, being read to and playing with toys and pots and pans and friends are what make for healthy and happy adults.  But, apparently we’re willing, as a nation and individual families, to take a risk that too much technology won’t do much damage.  Especially when technology takes the place of play and the outdoors and social interactions with friends.  Today I’m thinking about taking the wrong kind of risk.

Comments Off on 100 Day Project – Day 44 – Risk takingTags: ······

100 Day Project – Day 42 – Motivation

October 17th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 42 – 8:16 p.m.   (If you’re paying attention I skipped Days 40 and 41 over the weekend.)

An interesting internet road happened today:   First my usual email newsletter blast from Child Care Exchange about Creativity.   From there I decided to follow their link to  The 99% website that seems to be about good ideas in the world of business.  But, I really went there because I was fascinated by the article recommended by Child Care Exchange having to do with “Why you can’t buy creativity.”

The article looks at the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the business world.   This is fascinating in my teaching for two reasons: one having to do with beginning college students that I work with in my Study Skills course, and the other with the career those in my early childhood education courses are choosing to pursue.

With Study Skills students, I have to support, teach and figure out a way to help students understand the intrinsic rewards for working hard in college to get to their goals (whatever their career choice will be).  In early childhood, if children are taught only the value of extrinsic rewards: the sticker, the lollypop, the smile from teacher or parent, it’s a bit challenging to think they are going to figure out intrinsic rewards in the blink of an eye once they get to college.

With early childhood students, the reward has more to do with the fact that they won’t get paid what they are worth – at least not in the US.  So, they absolutely need to work with young children for the intrinsic reward and value of that work.

I have to spend my day prepping classes for students who need support sorting out the motivations for their choice of career.   How odd.  I never quite thought of it this way before.   And, so it verifies for me why the struggle to help students see these differences can be so challenging.  Today I’m thinking about motivation.

 

Comments Off on 100 Day Project – Day 42 – MotivationTags: ········