We kick off Unit 1, Education, by reflecting on online vs. in-person educational experience, and thinking about both the ideas in a text and the writing techniques the author employs.
Class discussion: LAF 2021 Welcome video; Diana Diaz, âOvernight Pandemicâ (2020) in City Tech Writer;Â Â Toni Morrison, âThe Reader as Artistâ (2006); Google Doc Annotation of Morrison
ASSIGNMENT:
- Read and apply reading strategies to Mike Bunn, âHow to Read Like a Writerâ pages 1-6 (2011); bring notes to class for discussion
- Save to your computer folder for this class and review Reading Strategies and How to Write A Summary Powerpoint
- Apply Reading Strategies to Caroline Hellman’s âIn Defense of the Classroomâ (2020)
- Reply below this post, numbering your answers. IMPORTANT: GO WITH YOUR OWN IDEAS! AVOID READING YOUR CLASSMATES’ POSTS UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE COMMENTED!
- 1. Copy and paste a quote (1-2 sentences) from “In Defense of the Classroom” that you found meaningful. Then paraphrase (put the quote in your own words) and explain why you were drawn to it, commenting either on the idea or the writing technique. You might reference relevant ideas from Mike Bunnâs ” How to Read Like A Writer. â
- 2. Consulting the Summary Powerpoint slides, write a complete 3-4 sentence summary of “In Defense of the Classroom” in your own words. Check your finished summary against slide #5 and revise as needed.
- 3. Respond with your own thoughts about the ideas in my article. Â Be creative, be honest! College is about independent thought!
- In our next class on September 14, we will finish our summary of Morrison’s “The Reader As Artist” and also discuss “In Defense of the Classroom” and “How to Read Like A Writer.” Be ready to share some unfamiliar words that you looked up and ideas/questions that arose for you while reading.
1. “In late February, during what turned out to be one of our last classes together, I filmed a few seconds of the students waving and saying hello. Little did I know that this would become a precious document of our shared time in the classroom. MAY 14, 2020, By CAROLINE HELLMAN”. Around the last few weeks of February who would’ve thought that it would be the last time that students and professors would be in a classroom in person. But a short film is left to remind them how classes were like before the pandemic. This quote was drawn to me because although our everyday life has changed completely, we still have those memories of how school used to be. Students and professors would have in person classes, a pen/pencil and paper to write with. But also the teachers would write on blackboards/whiteboards. Now students and professors meet through zoom for classes and a computer or tablet is our ânotebookâ. Online learning became the new way of school.
2. In CAROLINE HELLMAN article, âIn defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in personâ, MAY 14, 2020, the author Caroline Hellman speaks about a situation that many have experienced. Especially students and professors, when it comes to the education world before the pandemic and how classes became. Caroline Hellman shares that before schools closed she had filmed students waving and saying hello. Which now is a precious document that shows the way a classroom and learning used to be before schools were closed. The new way of learning became online. Caroline Hellman reminded her students that she is there for them even if school was online.
3. I like that you implied something that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had said of how a classroom used to be and now a classroom is different. Meaning technology, a computer, a tablet, any electronic device is being used. The way you explain what you remember how school was. A really through description that one who reads could picture an imagine while reading. But also mentioning the transition that everyone had to face, when it came to learning as teachers and students. Not only that but what had been a film, now is a happy memory of what it was like before online learning. It was kind of you that you also told your students that you was there for them when they needed someone. Letting them know that you are not just their teacher but also a friend.
1 âAdmittedly, Namm 522, one of the older classrooms at City Tech, was not glamorous. Witness the length of chalkboard; seats with worn tablet arms; a professorâs desk with drawers full of chalk stubs and abandoned exam blue books; a computer projection console with a skittish electrical connection. And yet, the classroom housed something very valuable, something that has been lost and mourned in the transition to online instruction. âMay ,14,2020 by Caroline Hellman. Namm522, a very old classroom in city tech, that has witnessed from dusty professorâs drawers to books that have been forgotten, to even outworn seats. Still a place that students and teachers felt nostalgic to not be in, once the transition to remote learning started. This text, that Iâve had quoted, drew my attention because, it remains me that being in a classroom is not only about going to an empty space to listen to a lecture and learn. But itâs a place where most of us have spent hours and hours creating memories and relationships with others.
2 In the article, âIn defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in personâ, MAY 14, 2020, the author Caroline Hellman speaks about the experience that many of us have had due to the pandemic when it comes to learning. She describes the impact that COVID had for both teachers and students. The author emphasizes how ordinary activities found in the classrooms in person changed with remote learning.
3 I like that in the article the professor Caroline Hellman uses words such as ânot glamourousâ to refers to a classroom, or âa routineâ to refer about the common activities that students and teachers would experience in a normal college environment before the pandemic. I find this way of writing very engaging and powerful, because it makes me think how important is to value what we have now, since the future is uncertain.
1)”Admittedly, Namm 522, one of the older classrooms at City Tech, was not glamorous. Witness the length of chalkboard; seats with worn tablet arms; a professorâs desk with drawers full of chalk stubs and abandoned exam blue books; a computer projection console with a skittish electrical connection. And yet, the classroom housed something very valuable, something that has been lost and mourned in the transition to online instruction(Caroline Hellman)”. This quote expresses the sense of value. How something so usual and common is actually so necessary for our everyday life to feel normal. this demonstrates that it is not the value of the object that impacts but the effect it has on you when you don’t have it.
2)In Defence of the Classroom by Caroline Hellman, Professor Hellman illustrates how the closing of school impacted students and professor. How loneliness and vulnerability was something new for many. As she said, online classes cannot replace physical experience. The last real memory there is of class is a video she had recorded of her students waving hello at her and now it has become a reflection of hope.
3)It is touching because, as students, we all experienced what you described in the article. We can all relate to the thoughts expressed. The image in the beginning represents the visualization of how happy we used to be and we didn’t notice until it got taken away.
1. “I see them before me, as they were. I remember their seating arrangement, adopted as routine.” This quote is saying that the author remembered all the seating of the students even though they are not in class anymore. I was drawn to this quote because I like the idea how the names of the students were written and what they were doing in the picture after this quote. The author must have really missed being able to teach them in person to the point she sees the students even though they are not in the classroom anymore.
2. May 14,2020, Caroline Hellman wrote an article “In defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in person.” The author suggests that learning in person is a different experience than learning remotely. In both the article and video, she describes and shows how the pandemic affected both educators and students life. In the beginning of the video, the students were in the classroom waving to the camera. But then in the middle of the video, it showed the calendar of February 2020, the classroom was empty and students were learning from home. There was also a part where a girl was sad and putting her head down. The video and article suggests that its more difficult for students to get the support they need from other students and educators remotely than in person.
3. I really like where you described the students giving readers an image in their head but also putting the image there to see if it was accurate. I also love the video and the music chosen in the video. It showed the transitions from before the pandemic and after the pandemic. I don’t have any problems remotely because I’m an introvert and don’t like going outside, but I can see and understand the struggles of other students and why they would want to go back to in person learning.
1) Upon reading this article, I found a two quotes that stood out to me. One of them being “In the center of the room, Abigail Thomas, an LGBTQIA+ activist with venerable expertise, is only jumping in with exposition when needed. In the rear corner, Kaylah Mack and Ana Gil are respectfully building on peer contributions; in the middle, Jennifer Deane is conferring with Mehrangiz Abduhabibova, Arafat Miah, and Andy Chantes; Lesley Trujillo is inadvertently spilling a huge quantity of pretzels, and Jacqueline Meza is laughing. “(Hellman). This quotes elaborates on what was occurring in the classroom before the pandemic had occurred. She discusses the different actions that were occurring, which in that time some might think that Meza’s laughter might be rude because a student is trying to share out a thought. Looking back at it, it is being viewed as something that is surprisingly missed because unfortunately, due to Covid, in person classes are no longer being held. Since most of us are at home, we have this feeling of sadness surround us in a way because the ability to communicate and thrive with others is no longer the same anymore. This is where the second quote By Hellman kicks in. She also mentions “As we near the end of the semester, I tell everyone not to hesitate to contact me. I am here, I reassure them”(Hellman). In this quote Hellman says that she is here for her students because she understands the troubles they go through, and would like to help them flourish/see them thrive. I found this quote to be important because it shows that we aren’t alone in this fight and it also reminds me that although this world is filled with ruthless people, there are still many individuals out there that genuinely care for others. This is why I found these two quotes important to be important.
2) In Caroline Hellman’s article ” In defense of the classroom”(2020), she speaks about the drastic changes that were made as a result of the pandemic. She mentions how it has impacted not only the life of students, but also the life of teachers in a negative way. She emphasizes that the transition from in person, to remote learning was something difficult and something in which many people still have to get used to. Remote is not comparable to in person because of the fact that communication and liveliness is not the same. Hellman also mentions her thoughts and stance on the fact that she’ll be there for her students when needed. The transition from in person to remote was a difficult change that lead to many unmotivated individuals wanting to return to in person class because the life style online is no longer the same/comparable.
3) I found this article to be quite touching and also helpful because I found it really nice to know that you will be there to support us and help us move forward. I liked that you were able to bring all your ideas and put them into a well written article describing the difference between in person class and remote classes. The difference being that although our school environment may have not been the prettiest, it was still a safe spot where people felt comfortable with one another and interacted in a way in which courage and comfort was shown. Over all, I though this article was well written and expressed a strong point.
1. “I see them before me, as they were. I remember their seating arrangement, adopted as routine.” By Caroline Hellman. Looking around I would see all my students smiling as they walk towards their arrange seats, I would know who sat where from the top of my head. When I read this I think about my high school days where everyone had their assign seats and which everyone just had their own group of friends they talk to the most during class or hangout with. This made it easier for the teacher to know who sat where.
2. In the article “In defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in person” May 14th, 2020 by Caroline Hellman talks about her point of view of the situation of how COVID affected her and the students. She talks about how the pandemic had impacted the students as well as the teachers. The author makes a statement of how different it is from in person classes is than remote learning.
3. The things you said in the article are true to me because I felt like in person classes are better than online because I get distracted at home. At school I have more focus because I would get in trouble if I’m distracted as well as I can be around my friends too. Hopefully soon we’ll go back to full in person classes.
1. Done well, âthe old model of everybody goes and sits in a classroom, and the teacher is in front of that classroom and teaches that classâ is pretty wonderful (by Caroline Hellman). As in the past, lessons were given in classes. Students sit in a classroom, and the teacher is explaining his/her lessons on the board. I chose this quote because it is emphasizing in-person learning. By in-person learning, we are talking about the ability to interact face-to-face with your classmate. This form of the class was like a path of education. That can lead to a veritable friendship; it creates more understanding of a subject, or to be more focused on. It is that online classes are taking away, and people are becoming less friendly and misfocused. Because we do not take in person classes at the same level as online classes
2. On May 14, 2020, Prof. Hellman in her article “In Defense of the Classroom: the understanding of the kind of learning that only takes place in person,” talked about the situation of classes before the pandemic of COVID-19. How the pandemic changes our community as well as our way of education. First, she talked about Namm 522 class, and how it was organized, the position of students. Second, she goes on and said that the adaptation to online classes produces difficulties for some students; how students feel unmotivated. Then, she reported that in February, the last day of classes. she recorded students saying hello, and told them to not hesitate to contact.
3. In my response, I think that professor Hellman makes great points in the article. The first thing is that when she talks about the seating arrangement, adopted as routine, and she cites people position show us an exquisite sense of observation. Furthermore, that shows that she was interested in her class. This article helps us to make an idea of what we had been through if we would have been in person. so, I find the article very well-written, instructor, and engaging.
1. ” I see them before me, as they were. I remember their seating arrangement, adopted as routine. In the back row, Simranjeet…” (by Caroline Hellman). This quote is saying that the professor remembers her students, it’s like if her memory was a projector or like if it was just yesterday that she just saw them. I was drawn to this quote because it is very nice that the professor thinks about her class and on how or what they will do or say in class. Another quote that was drawn to me is “In late February, during what turned out to be one of our last classes together, I filmed a few seconds of the students waving and saying hello. Little did I know that this would become a precious document of our shared time in the classroom. As we near the end of the semester, I tell everyone not to hesitate to contact me. I am here, I reassure them.”(by Caroline Hellman). A short film of just the class waving and saying hello in late February turned out to be an unexpected “Goodbye” to the last in person class. Nobody knew what was gonna happen the next day or next week or even the next year. It is very nice of the professor to keep on contact with the students so we could know if they are good or if they need to talk to each other.
2. In the article, âIn Defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in personâ, MAY 14, 2020, the author Caroline Hellman speaks about how there was a COVID impact in both life’s for students and for her. Everything just ended one day to another without knowing. All we just have are just the memories and photos as well as some films of each other. Just like being in person to being in remote.
3. I found this article touching and impressive because thinking about it way back when we had in person school the students would really do just the same thing over and over. But then no one thought it would happen that suddenly there would be a virus in the air that it impacted the whole world. The next you know is that we are all in home having classes online, wearing mask all day, being cautious and being social distancing. Its very touching that the teacher cares about her students so we are all in this together.
1. “When we began online classes mid-semester, the transition posed challenges to both instructional delivery and classroom community.” (By Caroline Hellmen. May 14, 2020) This quote tells me that the author shows some of the challenges when learning in online classes. To me, this quote reminds me of when I was starting to learn online. I wasn’t able to concentrate as well and had trouble understanding the material that was given to me. not only that, but it was also hard to communicate with some of my classmates that I spent most of my time with during school hours.
2. The article “In defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in person” the author, Caroline Hellmen, writes on how covid impacted her life and the community that was formed in the class. It was unexpected and no one was prepared for the struggles of online learning, which lead to many students not being able to attend the online courses synchronously. It shows the difficulty of transitioning from in-person classes to online classes.
3. I really connect with the article because I can understand some of the difficulties and challenges when it came to online learning. It many people, including me, it much easier to learn and focus in person than online. apart of me wishes I can meet my peers in class face to face in the future.
“a professorâs desk with drawers full of chalk stubs and abandoned exam blue books; a computer projection console with a skittish electrical connection. And yet, the classroom housed something very valuable, something that has been lost and mourned in the transition to online instruction.” MAY 14, 2020, By CAROLINE HELLMAN, I am currently in deep thought about this untouchable force that drives many students and inspires many more. This quote really stuck with me since I know the difference between a good teacher and just someone that is given the name teacher but instead he/she is someone that’ll plant a seed with you and watch the stars go by every night with you making sure both you and the plant becomes something big and mighty the world might not know who planted the seed but each fiber and branch of that plant represents how much care was given to the child and the plant isn’t just left there to grow because the outcome is uncertain but instead cared and tend to throughout the years but the water keeping the plant alive is the impact the teacher has made on the student Â
In the article, âIn defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in personâ, MAY 14, 2020, By CAROLINE HELLMAN demonstrates how the closing of schools has affected her and her students, especially when she develops something special between her and her students taking care of each student like she would if they were her own as each day passes by without that connection it will be lost and it would be devastating if the connection is snipped like a thin string
 Professor Hellman, I hope to learn much from you. I wish that you’ll continue to make a huge impact on so many people’s lives and I just hope that school reopens soon and safely. I can sense that the professor has grown a sense of attachment to seeing her students reporting back to their seating arrangements and being themselves forming a bond that is family-like; that isn’t something that you can get through a screen that is filled with 0s and 1s but instead it’s through love and human interaction.
1. â The classroom is large and contains multitudes: 29 students, 29 narratives of hard work and sacrifice, hope and ambition. It is no exaggeration to say that the course rosters at City Tech, CUNY, and other institutions of public higher education are the rosters of the United States.â I understand this as the students being the future of our country. Students come to school everyday to learn and progress in life to one day be sent out on their own with hopes of success in this nation. It is a teacherâs job to mold a student into a functioning member of society.
2. In the article âIn Defense of The Classroomâ, by Caroline Hellman, Hellman discusses the changes made to the education system and her opinion on the subject. She speaks how the classroom is a special environment which effects both the students and the teachers in their own ways. They both become comfortable and used to this environment. This same effect cannot be achieved through a screen.
3. The article is relatable. It is more difficult to focus in remote schooling due to distractions in oneâs home. The social environment of in person school is also a major part of the experience. In my high school we had half the grade each come in for alternating halves of the week. With only half the population in the building it is very dull and hard to enjoy.
“In the back row, Simranjeet Kaur sat next to Cathy Ho sat next to Marchella Prado. In the front, Tiana Frederick sat next to Ayshe Kerim sat next to Emilio Lopez sat next to Edwin Almanzar.” The Proffesor still remember where each student use to sit and with who.This show that the professor have a special place for their student in their heart.I was drawn this because even us student forget some people names after the semester but you still remember where they were sitting with who and their name.”working full-time, caring and providing for families in New York and across the globe. “I was drawn to this quote because one of my friend who is an international student was telling me that he was worker extra because his college was online so he had extra 2 to 3 hours to work everyday when he has college and he was saving money by traveling to college.
In the article “In Defense of classroom”by Caroline Hellman.The article is about her opinion on in person and online school.It show within weeks we were from in person to fully online. Some student had difficulty and how the classroom are important for students.
In the article it show how the life was before and after the pandemic. In online people can get distracted a lot because we have our phones.College is about fun and education. I wanted to hangout with friends after college.Go to the library with them to help each other complete our assignment study.In my high school I used to go out with my friend when we had lunch meet them in the hallway sometime go out after school but in online we can text and maybe see each other but in person I think people interact more.
1. After reading the article a quote that stood out to me is where it states “I have returned regularly to the brief video, to reassure myself that they are there, too, smiling, frozen in that moment in time, back when we all traveled from five boroughs and 30 walks of life to converge in a single space, back when we got together in Namm 522 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.” In other words this quote is trying to express how much their professor really misses teaching them in person as well as just being able to see them and even being able to spend time with one another. The reason why I was drawn to this quote is because it reminds me of a few months ago when it was my last time stepping foot in my old high school. In which a teacher asked if they can take a photo with me and other groups of students because he expressed that he would have loved teaching us in our final year.
2. In the article “In Defense of the Classroom” written by CAROLINE HELLMAN on MAY 14, 2020, the author Caroline talks about how she was able to experience the dramatic changes and effects when teaching before Covid happen and as well when Covid was happening.
3. The article is very great, I like how you seem to have a great relationship with your class and knowing that you seem to be very supportive .
1. The quote that stood out to me would have to be, “Admittedly, Namm 522, one of the older classrooms at City Tech, was not glamorous. Witness the length of chalkboard; seats with worn tablet arms; a professorâs desk with drawers full of chalk stubs and abandoned exam blue books; a computer projection console with a skittish electrical connection.” The quote expresses how little care the class had for it. When the author claims that the class was not glamorous, they are correct, the class has outdated technology, with its “skittish electrical connection, it had a board that was barely enough for it to be even counted as a board, and the exam books have been worn out.
2. In the article, “In defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in person” By Caroline Hellman, the author is describing their experience of working with the students in person, how they had gotten so used to teaching the class they had memorized the seating arrangements. The author had also been able to specifically describe how the class had looked and how the technology in the class had functioned. They also describe how hard it was for them to adapt to online teaching, which was a completely different experience.
3. I can really relate to the experience of having to adapt to the online process of learning after you have already gotten used to and memorized how in-person learning went. It was very difficult at first, almost seemed impossible.
1. The quote: “Since the closure of the college two months ago, and the governorâs remarks, my mind has moved back to that classroom”. by CAROLINE HELLMAN. I understand the quote is literally at the beginning of the article but that doesn’t mean is a weak one. What the quote means is that even after covid one couldn’t help but remember the time things were simpler. Where one would just show up and take classes personally, interact with others, ask real live questions to the teachers. When once could actually say I’m GOING to school.
2. In the article, âIn defense of the classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in personâ by CAROLINE HELLMAN, one can noticed that the writer is reminiscing about the times before covid. It can also be seen that the professor explains how covid has affected both her and her students. They can do their usual routines of having conversations and actual in-person interactions. She also has recorded the students waving hello, which now she use to remind others how times used to be. She has not given hop and constantly reminds everyone that she’s there for them, and will be most excited when she has the chance to go back to the classroom someday.
3. That article was extremely relatable. Back when I was in high school and we started doing online school, my grades had fallen. It was really nice to see how you described your feelings towards the pandemic and still cared for your students even if you weren’t face to face. The video was so adorable too! It really show how things used to be, the song really fits as well.
1) After reading ”In Defense of the Classroomâ by Caroline Hellman a quote that stood up to me the most was this one, “In fact, year in and year out, CUNY students leap hurdles that many would find overwhelming: working full-time, caring and providing for families in New York and across the globe. ” To me that quote was very relatable, it states that ever since COVID19 hit students struggled to managed both school and work. Learning online is not simple as it seems its so easy to just slack on, you can just turn the computer on and go to sleep or join a class and go back to work , I know because I’ve done it before and I lost track in school. Covid19 really affected our daily routines, we dont have that motivation we would at least had if we were learning in person because our professors would on top of us.
2) In the article of ” In Defense of the Classroom” by Caroline Hellman, the author is giving her point of view as a teacher in College. She’s telling us how classes used to be before and after COVID19, although before covid teaching in her Classroom was very old school for example students were taught in a chalkboard and had seating arrangements although they didn’t have advanced Technology, they learned fine in person classes. These students got so used to Learning in person, few struggled with learning online when covid hit, many had to find jobs and take care of family due to Covid19 being fatal and leaving others in financial crisis due to jobs shutting down.
3) I currently relate to the struggles of learning online, I currently work and do college
at the same time because although I care about my education, I need money to pay bills. I personally think learning in person is so much better because I’m focusing much better. As I stated before learning online is so easy to slack on because I had done it before and i struggled catching up.
1) While reading the article By Caroline Hellman, the Quote that really stood out or what people might say (catch my eyes) reads, The classroom is large and contains multitudes: 29 students, 29 narratives of hard work and sacrifice, hope, and ambition. but when we began online classes mid-semester, the transition posed challenges to both instructional delivery and classroom community, As many students were not able to participate in live, synchronous class sessions, our class âmeetâ asynchronously online to discuss the remaining class texts, many of which concern freedom, mobility, space, and time commodities highlighted in the era of coronavirus. This Quote shows me directly how the teacher frame of mind just fluctuated from her being in front of the students to something totally different
2) just reading the article,” In defense of a classroom, I can automatically relate to the Author’s level of frustration due to fact that we all today had and is still in that critical condition. No one anticipated that this global horrifying disease was going to demolish some of our state laws towards the private and also the public schools. The author Professor Hellman never left her students alone she was always there to dedicate her time and patience to ensure this student be successful in life.
3) After I finished interpreting the entire article I came to the realization that my generation of classmates wasn’t the only one suffering from this major disease, pandemic, crisis, and the list continues but in addition to all that’s going on I will always choose in-person over online learning because you might tend to procrastinate and struggle to get back to the top of the class.
1. “The physical classroom, shared with a spectrum of folks with disparate nationalities, ethnicities, religions, gender identities and perspectives, offers an important education beyond mere curriculum.” – In Defense of the Classroom, Caroline Hellman
While reading the article, I found the above line most meaningful. It perfectly highlights the significance of being in a “physical” classroom surrounded by different types of people. People learn and grow the most when they are exposed to people, opinions, and perspectives that are different from them/theirs. This sentences connected with me the most because I really value diversity and connections with people. Since the pandemic and online learning, I’ve missed the human connection aspect of a classroom.
2. “In Defense of the Classroom: Understanding the kind of learning that only takes place in person” was published on May 14, 2020 by Dr. Caroline Hellman, an English professor at the New York City College of Technology. Remote learning will never be able to replace the in-person connections that both students and professors are able to form in a classroom. Instead of focusing on transitioning everything permanently online, leaders should strive to bring students and educators back in the classroom where are they are able to learn and grow fully.
3. I appreciate the ideas presented in this article. I am sure many college professors and students are feeling very similar to Dr. Hellman. The pandemic turned everything upside down and impacted many of us. We all wish we could go back in the classroom and learn like we used to. Especially for freshmen students, in-person learning can help them adjust to college life more effectively.