Occupational Education

Student Guides do it again!

Submitted by Peter Turner on

In our Introduction to Education course, one of our major topics is ethical behavior by teachers. Materials covered include some reading materials on ethical behavior, the National Education Association teacher ethics, and a voice-over Ppt covering the topic. The follow up assessment is a series of situations, all of which have occurred in local K-12 education settings, to which the students must describe the correct ethical pathway to take. Scores on this assignment averaged at 77%. This was disappointing, especially considering the serious nature of the topic.

What's Next? - SLP 214

Submitted by Jeffrey Meeks on

The SLPA program is somewhat unique given we are teaching clinical courses in an online format.  It can be difficult to demonstrate disorders and treatment without hands-on learning opportunities.  In order to address the need for examples of disorders and interventions to students, we have included a variety of videos and recorded lectures.  One of the speech sounds I cover in my SLP 214 course is the /r/.  The /r/ sound is one of the most common speech errors children see speech therapists for.

Talking Tokens Engage!

Submitted by Peter Turner on

Two of my hybrid EDU classes this semester were challenging me to actively engage my students, especially when involved in group tasks or assignments. Collaborative groups expert Spencer Kagan recommends, among a variety of strategies, the use of Talking Tokens. Each student is given 3 tokens (I use paper clips from a box in the middle of each table). As they talk, ask a question, give a suggestion, etc., they put a token back in the box. When they are out of tokens, they cannot talk until everyone else in their group is also out. Then, the process begins again.

Spicing Up the Curriculum with Innovative, Technology-Driven Assessments

Submitted by Rachel Holmes on

All too often, online courses require essay after essay and quiz after quiz. This CATS spices up the curriculum by including a variety of innovative, technology-driven assignments that are sure to engage students while also providing solid checks for content mastery. Student created videos, interactive discussions using video media, PowerPoints, Prezys, STAR quality magazine tutorials, visually-appealing brochures, and more are included as alternative assessments that are sure to spice up the class and the content!

Planning for Success

Submitted by Jamie Lopez on

While attending the League for Innovation Learning Summit, I was struck by a keynote address by Rachel Fulcher-Dawson of Notre Dame & Corinne Weaver of Catholic Charities in Fort Worth, Texas. They shared the results of a partnership entitled "Stay the Course" in Fort Worth at Tarrant County Community College. The program is a planned intervention for low-income students. In structuring the study four main reasons for student drop-out were:

Screening and Assessment in Early Childhood Education

Submitted by Lisa Buccigrosse on

In EED 280 - Standards, Observation, and Assessment of Typical/Atypical Behaviors of Young Children Birth to Age Eight, in Module 5 of the course, students create and present a 5-8 slide PowerPoint presentation based on their analysis of the Module's readings which include articles and other texts.

Tired of Tardies? Try This!

Submitted by Peter Turner on

We struggle with student tardiness, especially in our early morning classes. We have tried everything from locking the door the minute class starts (which then prevents the student from learning the subject that day) to allowing a maximum number of classes to be tardy in (which we have to keep track of). None of these strategies, or other ones tried, have been successful in reducing tardiness. Plus, the burden is on the teacher to keep track, provide materials missed, etc., thereby increasing our load.

Field Experience Experience!

Submitted by Peter Turner on

All EDU courses require a Field Experience (where students go into a local K-12 classroom, under the tutelage of a certified teacher). Taking students through the process to ensure their success is always a challenge, since there are a variety of factors beyond our control (Fingerprint Clearance Card acquisition - FPC -, school placement, etc.). EDU teachers have incorporated a variety of documents and strategies to help achieve a higher success rate (see attachments).

EED210 - Creative and Cognitive Play Lesson Plan

Submitted by Lisa Buccigrosse on

Assement: Early Childhood Education Lesson Plan on Creative and Cognitive Play incorproating components from all 6 Modules of the course. I want students to include and apply the following components within their lesson plan: ​1) Early Childhood Standards; 2) creative activities; 3) safetey considerations; 4) types of play; 5) creative art; 6) creative music and movement; and 7) materials and manipulatives using one of the provided lesson plan templates.

Improvement in the classroom learning through voice threads and classroom activities (Nursing 152)

Submitted by Romanie Brooks-Dillon on

This assessment is to help with the concerns of the students overall learning objectives, test scores, application in the nursing clinical setting, and critical thinking knowledge. We attacked the problem by doing a classroom assessment of all 29 students. The outcome of the assessment showed that learning and testing was on a roller coaster ride. So we became innovated and created voice threads with power points to be done at home, and the classroom became the s environment for active learning.

The Value of Authentic Learning Experiences in Building Confidence and Teaching Skills

Submitted by Rachel Holmes on

The EDU students at EMCC strive to become future preK-12th grade teachers.  I strive to prepare my students for the reality of teaching by teaching the students to lesson plan, to provide effective instruction,  and in maintaining strong classroom management.   For the past 3 years, my students have learned the foundational skills in each area through in-class lesson plan writing and teaching their lessons to peers.  While this is valuable practice,  it is not the same as actually teaching children.   In or

Utilizing Smart Thinking to Improve Writing Scores

Submitted by Jamie Lopez on

As a part of an online early childhood education course I will require students to turn their first paper into Smart Thinking before submitting their final paper. The paper that is submitted for a grade must also include the draft and notes from Smart Thinking in order to receive credit for the paper.  This is the first of three papers that students will write for the semester.  I am interested in tracking:

Verify student completion of in-class examples (Excel Spreadsheets)

Submitted by Frederick Maihofer on

In prior semesters, I would verify that students completed the example spreadsheet exercises in ACC111 by visual walking around the room.  With 32 students, this is almost impossible to complete efficiently.  As of Fall 2015, I have added the example spreadsheet exercises to the Attendance/Participation Assignment.  Student now complete the exercise and submit for credit.  Satisfies the attendance and insures participation.  I am able to assess that students can perform the necessary Excel functions that will be needed for homework and chapter quizzes.  Student

Adobe Connect: Do Participants Succeed more than Archive Reviewers?

Submitted by Jamie Lopez on

I will utilize Adobe Connect to build an online presence, increase engagement, and utilize expert guest speakers in the online environment. I will provide the option of reviewing the session archive and writing a one page summary to students who are unable to attend the live session. I propose to track which students consistently attend and participate in the live session and which students utilize the archives. I would like to see if there is a correlational connection betweeen success in the course and students who particiapte in live sessions.