You asked us to come up with a list of program objectives. We started tackling this in class, so it would helpful to re-iterate what those objectives were.
How to be a student
1. Time management
2. Analyzing Expectations of the class
3. Study skills- how they relate to different types of learning
4. Different forms of learning/acquiring knowledge
5. What are the accommodations of a college student? How does it differ from high school?
6. Available resources
7. Understanding the language of the class (written/oral)
8. Prioritizing
9. Note taking skills-Writing to Learn
10. Attitude for interactions- Accepting Feedback
11. Balancing Stress
12. Identity of a student- Why is the student in college?
13. Using Technology
I feel this list is way too broad, with too many different options for each student. I know I would feel overwhelmed, and I’m guessing the writing coaches and the students would be as well. I feel we should have no more than 3 General Objectives:
1. Identity as an individual (Single)
2. Values as a member of your Discourse (Plural)
3. Critical Approaches of a Kean University Student
Every one of those criteria’s are covered somewhere in those 3 categories. Reorganizing that list, I would view the objectives as:
1. Identity of the Individual
-Motivations to be a college student
- Accommodations of the college experience
2. Values of as a member of your Discourse
3. Critical Approaches of a Kean University Student
- Time management
-Study skills- how they relate to different types of learning
-Different forms of learning/acquiring knowledge
-Available resources
-Understanding the language of the class (written/oral)
-Prioritizing
-Note taking skills-Writing to Learn
-Attitude for interactions- Accepting Feedback
-Balancing Stress
-Using Technology
They shouldn’t all be critical approaches though. Critical approaches don’t have as much practicality in the world outside the University. Somewhere out of my current state of mind, I envisioned teaching (and this is teaching, whether its called that or not) about making a realistic impression on another person and helping them evolve as a person, and not just about making the grade and finding the job. That assumption also makes it near impossible to design a plan for, because every student is vastly different.
I suppose I’ve been lucky enough to read enough syllabi and sit in on enough composition classes to know what a student needs to achieve success. Unfortunately, even when a student has properly prepared for a composition class, they may not be prepared for what comes next. But, that is not the aim of this program.
The goal of this program is to prepare incoming freshman students for a variety of subjects including reading, writing, math, and psychology. These are students enrolled on the Exceptional Educational Opportunity, which include students who would not be accepted to the University under regular admission. Many of these students are enrolled in developmental studies, and many of them receive financial aid.
Our first goal is to help them adjust to the dynamics of a college student. They need to understand the basic principles of what the classes they’re taking include, and how they are taught. For example, ENG 0110 is a remedial English course only offered in summer two, and only students in EEO are eligible to take the course. Many of these students have difficulty with grammar, some may have English as a secondary language and they are not experienced in writing structural sentences.
The first major difference from the transition from high school to college is the college schedule. Each summer class meets on a different schedule: some meet 4 days a week, some two days a week, and very few meet only one day a week (with an extended class time.)
Most high schools have only 1-2 buildings that have classes in. This is another major difference. Students will need to do scheduling accordingly to allow enough time to get from class to class.
I feel like all I’m talking about are the technical aspects.
I feel like all students need to realize that they have a choice in being here. It isn’t high school, and most professors aren’t going to bend over backwards to make sure you hand your assignments in. Special measures are only given to special cases, and not everyone is a special case.
Beginning of the objectives:
Get to know the student. There is no direct formula to helping people unless you get to know them first.
Primary objectives:
1. Help the student find an approach for learning that they are comfortable with.
Is the student more comfortable studying alone or in a group?
If the student is taking more than one class, find which class the students need more assistance with?
Where is the student most comfortable studying?
2. Help the student become comfortable using Google Technology.
There are very few courses that do not include the technology element.
How many students actively check their Kean email on a day to day basis?
Have the students be introduced to Google Documents or Google Sites?
Do the students have a flash drive, and have they ever used one before?
How comfortable is the student with programs in Microsoft Office?
3. Help the student adequately prepare for the college schedule.
In most high schools, there is a period 0 or homeroom. College lacks this.
Does the new student leave adequate time to arrive on time for class?
Are they familiar with the parking codes, and where their classes are?
Do they prefer day or night classes? Do they also maintain a work schedule?
4. Teach students in the art of freewriting
While I feel I might get some opposition on this, I believe freewriting is an important lesson to incoming freshman. It serves as a declaration of their style (Primary Discourse) and gives them the opportunity to write out loud.
Has the student ever maintained a journal before? If so, do they have one now?
Just the basic form of writing will help serve as a transition between high school graduate and college freshmen.
Students need to start trusting themselves before they trust their classmates and teachers. This includes us, and the established coaches.
Students need to realize that they need to establish themselves, for example, asking students to critique their own work.
**Note to all incoming freshmen, always read a paper over (atleast) once after writing it**
Try to help them find a mediated style between their primary Discourse and their academic discourse.
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