Douglas Krzywdzinski

I learned that gleaning on the experiences of your students as well as your own experiences can enhance the learning experience and give validity to what is being taught. Thus cementing the value of the curriculum to the students.

Using the various teaching styles to maximize the engagement and attention retention of the students. Variation of style for the sake of variation isn't necessarily optimal. Use a style that best fits the days lesson. Be prepared and practiced for demonstrations, and have a backup plan in case of material or equipment failure. 

What I learned? You are your class and your class is you. You are your class, because you are the focal point of how your classroom will be conducted. The classroom is just a room until you make it a place of learning. Your class is you, because your class body will define how you interact with them and define in what ways you adjust your teaching and curriculum to meet their needs, thus changing the personality of atmosphere.

I had an idea to help remember student names, but I'm not sure about it. Would it be out of pocket… >>>

My takeaway from this lesson is that the most important thing in a classroom is the learning rather than teaching. I think it's a more natural thought to think that the teaching is the most important, but the teaching has to move and flow with the peculiarities of each class. The whole point of instructors being there is to make sure that they internalize the information and actually learn. If all we wanted was rote memorization, they could learn everything with a computer.

As educators, we need to be able to accept the reality that we will, not might, have to work with students that have disabilities. With that said, I believe it is imperative that we are part of the solution to ensure that they are afforded the same opportunity to succeed as any other student. Being aware of possible complications and solutions to those complications should help us do our best to ensure that each student, disabled or not, are afforded the best learning environment we can provide.

I learned that there is a significant difference in what these laws provide, as far as rights to accommodations vs protections. I was not aware of the protections built in to these laws for institutions. I also found it interesting that color blindness is not considered a disability. 

I learned that the rules are very clear. Should you come across a situation that concerns the release of a students records to anybody besides the student, you should take a moment to ensure compliance with the regulations is maintained. A legitimate complaint could be costly to you and your institution, especially in the price of the student body trust.

Students educational records are confidential and should be treated as such. Teaching at a higher level education center, it would be rare that a student is a minor but probably not uncommon that parents may be funding the students education. This is a factor in who can have access. Also, if you decide to keep notes on a student(s), they should be kept confidential and secure. Even from other faculty members until you decide that they SHOULD be part of that students records.

Being cognizant of what constitutes "consent" as defined by the state you are in, should be part of everyday interaction. Each person has a different level of comfort and acceptance of what is appropriate physical interaction. Be it a benign physical interaction in the workplace or a sexual interaction off campus on the weekend and everything in between. In the end, it comes down to understanding that the level of interaction is based on the victims viewpoint, and we as people in the position to receive reports must be aware of the issues that may present in a victim that… >>>

There are protections in place for faculty and students alike. These laws also provide course for issues that arise from off campus. Under these laws, it becomes our responsibility to ensure a reporter gets access to due process. It is our duty to be cognizant of Title IX and VAWA, and how your particular institution runs it's program. The most important and often most difficult in my opinion, is finding a way to remain unbiased between both parties. Showing a bias can create distrust amongst the student body.