Get Your Students Hired
Hi John:
Yes, the hoped for Ah-Ha moment.
Teachers can determine how their class and individual performance is going along by a variety of methods, not one size fits all. I think it depends on what we want to know (just like tests for students; they vary based on what we want assess).
By triangulation, we can look at student comments, peer review, and class observation by a supervisor. Together, these, along with self evaluation should provide enough clarity to determine what strategies and activities are working, and where improvement could be made. Over time, with appropriate response to feedback, we reach a point where we are valuable assets to our students and employers.
Regards, Barry
I ask if they have any question, especially after a complex presenation. If they do, I evaluate my presentation, gearing it towards understanding. Trying for the Ahh.
Hi Julie:
I think the more personal type of evaluation are more effective because it allows the teacher to fill in missing information gaps, provide assistance, or clarify expectations. We can also use that time to ecourage, motivate, and show that we care abouit the students success.
Regards, Barry
I have an open door policy. A student can come to me anytime to discuss their grades. They get evaluated at midterms where I sit down with them one on one and go over numbers,as well as my impression of how they are doing. I also give them a chance to express any concerns, and ask them if they need anything from me to help them meet their goals. An end of term evaluation is also done.
Hi Gregg:
Overtime, I suspect you will get a better feel about timing - how long classes or certain topics will take, and how much emphasis you can give. Also, your evaluation systems will gradualing become refined and aligned with your course objectives, as that is the trure measure of how thoroughly a student learned.
Regards, Barry
Hi Dixie:
I think when students can appreciate the value of their time and effort, matched against the potential benefits and ROI, that'll make a lot sense to most students, and should be quite a motivating factor.
Regards, Barry
Due to time constraints for 5 week classes, I choose evaluation methods that are painless to grade yet at the same time give the students a feeling of success. Our syllabi are written by our Education Director...we are limited to a set number of quizzes, but I can choose what the quizzes are based on (within the parameters of the course). There is so much information in so little time, I don't want my quiz to be a burden to bring dismay, but a reflection of the students' ability to follow directions and utilize reference materials as they would when on a real job in a medical office.
Ooo, cool! I think I can make use of that (Thank you!) by casually mentioning what copywriters or technical editors would charge for various tasks or what the salary differences are between people who write one kind of report versus another, more targeted and specific kind. You've given me a nudge toward finding more specific facts to demonstrate the dollar value of the skill I'm teaching and more specific ways to integrate it into class discussion.
Hi Gregory:
These cited evaluations are good. Different classes with different learning outcomes my require more varied approaches. For instance, a written essay that follows MLA or APA standards might be appropriate for an English class. Or a clinical preceptor may need to watch a student perform a clinical procedure and assess the accuracy of covering all critical areas.
Leading up to these, certainly quizzes, reasearch, homework, tests (oral and written), and lab practice may precede how the student is fully assessed. What's important is to examine the learning objective and outcomes, and develop some way to measure how well the student measured up to these standards. "Many recipe's on how to bake a cake".
Regards, Barry
We evaluate students in four ways. First, the quizzes and exams. This method tests direct application of the course material and the student's knowledge level. Second, practical exercises allow the instructor to gauge the student's application of the material. This is not always a "do" application but rather a tactile and cognitive exercise in which the student employs the course objectives in some fashion. Third, classroom participation tests the student's ability to engage in dynamic feedback directly related to a given lesson. Finally, a peer assessment allows the student and instructor a glimpse of whether the student added or took away from group learning objectives.
Hi Mary:
Great. These electronic classroom adjuncts really assist students in many ways. I think it's important to connect with the students to build relationships, even if they have access to information. The more natural open, and honest we can be with our students, the more receptive they'll be to our instructional activities. Visiting with them, even informally helps achieve this.
Regards, Barry
I use a similar system. Each class is worth 400 points, which students earn for homework, exams, presentations, and projects. We have a web application (similar to Blackboard) which allows instructors to enter announcements, assignments, and students' scores. Students can view their scores confidentially as soon as I grade the assignments and exams, so it is always clear where they stand.
Hi Kevin:
Practice is extremely important. Too often, teachers tend to cover material once or twice, then depend on the student to do remaining study on their own. It would be an unusual person to hear or see something once only and be expected to remember all the details.
As an analogy, a concert musician must practice every day. Atheletes must practice every day. I think higher achievers include lots of practice in their quest for mastery. So, it should and can work the same way for students in school. Lots of opportunities for practice. And this would be best delivered by a variety of media choices.
So when it comes time to assess or evaluate, there are no surprises becasue, execpt for critical thinking kind of questions or situations, the student has rehearsed sufficiently to exceed and succeed.
Regards, Barry
We teach through demonstration repeated by a practical format. Students view a cooking demonstration and repeat the demonstration. Evaluation is immediate.
Hi Mary:
I think pop quizes are fine if the students are made aware they can expect a quiz after a lecture. You may find that this helps you fine tune yor lectures, and that's a good thing. Some students take longer to digest fresh material, study their notes, compare notes with textbook, or simply reveiw the material.
I have adopted a practice of quiz tomorrow on what we covered today in order to allow students time to grasp all of the material, if possible. That's just my way, other methods may work just as well.
Regards, Barry
One of my evaluation methods is to have a pop quiz after a lecture to find out what the students comprehend. I use this in fine tuning my lectures.
Hi Emily:
I like that idea too. I think it helps bring to the students mind that at some point they will be serving the public, as opposed to school assignments and practice sessions only. Kind of a reality check that sugessts, "hey, maybe I could be more thorough, or complete, or creative, or...whatever".
Regards, Barry
Hi Emily:
Great! Glad you've found something practical to benefit from ED105.
Regards, Barry
I love the interactive idea of asking a student how much they would pay for their dish! I brings in a self-examination that is usually absent in the Chef-Instructor and culinary student interaction. If they say they would pay $5.00 rather that $25, they might be able to better understand that you can help them get to the $25 mark instead of personally being satisfied with $5.00 quality work. Thanks. I will definitely use this technique!
Hi Barry!
Thanks very much for this suggestion; I think I can use it to great advantage with my practical classes. It's so straightforward that the students will immediately get that they need improvement or remediation on a particular technique, are doing "okay" but may want to improve, or can move on knowing that they are doing well.