pamela womack

Blog

I found this to be one of the better online learning classes. What is interesting is that the message has changed, and schools are now embracing the power of the internet, instead of creating panic over possible copyright issues, content issues and other pitfalls.

Going forward, I would like to try to implement more media, even in the ground-based, instructor-led classes. The easiest way is to use films found for free online or through subscription services, even from the popular ones, such as Netflix.

Something a little more adventurous would be to use a face to face… >>>

pamela womack

Blog Comment

small class sizes

One of the "upsides" to all of the issues with For profit education is that classes sizes have gotten smaller. I am not nearly as overwhelmed as I used to be. These days a class of 14 is a large class, most of my classes are between 5-10 people.

pamela womack

Discussion Comment

Setting the stage of learning

The best classes are those in which it is understood that learning is to take place.. The environment is conducive to learning. This starts with the way the class is designed, the teacher's preparation, and most importantly the teacher's attitude! If we approach our students as though they want to learn, most will rise to the occasion. By signing up for their programs, the student has at least vocally said "I want to learn" so we should give them what they signed up for! On the other hand, if we walk in with a jaded idea that our students should… >>>

pamela womack

Discussion Comment

The layout of the school is the first step in promoting Unity

One thing that our school has done has been to change buildings. Our old campus was full of narrow winding halls where students could "hide out" and we did not really have a central location. Our new building has a great central gathering area that is right in the middle of the school. This adds to the sense of community. Also, we made our faculty area more accessible so that students could locate them between classes. We have also started "galleries" down the hallways so that both teachers and students can display their artwork.

pamela womack

Discussion Comment

Getting student information vs FERPA and the Pygmalion Effect

Section 3 suggests that instructors gain access to the results of entrance pretests, such as the wonderlic exams that many colleges give to new students. That is something I always thought that should be accessable to instructors, but it seems that Privacy Laws can hinder this information from getting shared with instructors. In addition, if we see student scores beforehand, will we, as instructors, form biases against students who performed poorly, or would we show favors for students who performed well?