Category: Arts & Sciences

Posted on

Global Diversity & Reading, Writing, & Research

Global Diversity & Reading, Writing, & Research

Nadine Weinstein-Lavi

English Dept/NYCCT

Professional Development Program – Jan. 2023

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

1. Post a link to a song whose lyrics make you think/describe the emotions in one of the pieces my grandfather played (I played for you in class). Explain the connection and why you chose that song.

Students were asked to participate in an interactive blog/gallery type of activity by posting three items: a song, and two images, which reflected their responses to an historical artifact that was used as a text in class: Alfred Schenker's Secret War Diary, 1941-43 (written by my grandfather while in hiding during the Holocaust), and by writing a paragraph about each item that connected it to the diary.

The instructions were: 1. Post a song or a link to it whose lyrics match the emotions in one of the pieces that Alfred Schenker played on the CD you listened to in class. Show the connection in a paragraph about the song you've chosen and his piece. 2. Post an image that shows how you think he felt writing the diary and write a paragraph showing the connection between the two, 3. Post an image that shows how you felt reading the diary/how it makes you feel and write a paragraph showing the connection between the two.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The idea was to have students read an historical artifact – an actual WWII Holocaust document – and to make a connection to it in modern terms in a creative way (Some students posted cartoon images to correspond to the emotions they felt upon reading the diary), and to explain that in a paragraph. Creativity and analysis, and consideration of the context of the text (diary) and its relevance to themselves was a big factor in designing this assignment. Awareness of an historical event and gaining of perspectives – the ethics or lack, the context, and the connection to modern times, was key.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity was a mid-stakes assignment that followed the reading of the diary in the middle of the semester. We devoted about two weeks to the reading of, and the discussion of the diary, and a related assignment: a PowerPoint about it, and this interactive blog/gallery, which allowed all students to see what the others had posted and to discuss it.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

This was a mid-stakes activity, but it was fun. The idea was to be as creative as possible in terms of finding corresponding songs and images. They did very well. The instructions were as follows:
1. Post a link to a song whose lyrics make you think/describe the emotions in one of the pieces my grandfather played (I played for you in class). Explain the connection and why you chose that song. c

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

This assignment was assessed based on it's creativity. The students got points for thinking outside the box for this. They were very creative. No rubric was used as it was a mid-stakes assignment worth 15 points. However, everyone did so well, that they got more than the allotted points. This course is English 1121 and is a required course.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

I think that this activity worked very well as it enabled students to make connections between the text and themselves and their responses to the text in a new way, via music and images. It was also open for everyone to see, so there was less pressure for each student and they could discuss what they were going to do beforehand.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

This was the set of instructions for the assignments:
1. Post a link to a song whose lyrics make you think/describe the emotions in one of the pieces my grandfather played (I played for you in class). Explain the connection and why you chose that song. 1. Post a link to a song whose lyrics make you think/describe the emotions in one of the pieces my grandfather played (I played for you in class). Explain the connection and why you chose that song.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

Posted on

Formulate Questions to Advance Learning and Understanding of Course Content

Formulate Questions to Advance Learning and Understanding of Course Content

Diana Zhu

Mathematics/NYCCT

MAT1375 Pre-Calculus

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Weekly discussion boards will be set up for students to ask questions from the class. Students can view and answer them. I will post feedback for the class to see, and I will take one or two good questions to discuss when I see them in the next class.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

I want to create a learning environment where students are welcomed to ask and answer questions comfortably. I want students to know that their questions are being valued, and that plays a big role in their learning. It gives students another view of learning Math is not just working on Math problems, but formulating questions outside class is a key for deeper understanding of the course content.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

A week before the first day of class, I sent students an email to inform them about this discussion board. To get started, I asked them to write a post on the following questions: “What is your view on Math learning?” “How do you learn the best? Independently or in groups?” and “What are your expectations for this class?” I have a few reasons for giving them this: first, I get to know students before the first day. Second, it helps me design my classroom setting according to class topics. Third, I can track how many students have access to Blackboard.
During the first day of class, I would go over the Blackboard with students to get them familiar with it and informed them about the weekly discussion boards would be set up for discussion questions. I usually spent up to 20-30 mins on questions they were still confused after the discussions on Blackboard with their peers.
Outside of class, students are expected 10-30 mins on discussion board as posting a question or replying to their peers' questions. For students who did not have questions, I would also encourage them to share the problems they encountered or learned with their peers. For me, I would spend about 40-60 mins weekly as reviewing students' questions and see if they are anything that need to be clarified. I also gave them feedback when they replied to questions on discussion board. Also, sometimes I would send the class an email if what they shared on Blackboard would be beneficial to students before next class.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Students would need to take good notes and use notes to work on their homework assignments. Sometimes, students will have questions by reading notes or working on homework questions. I was very flexible with questions they had from the class, and I just posted the weekly discussion board after each class. Also, I would send them a gentle reminder along with class update. When students got busy with their high school assignments or exams, I would remind and ask them to post questions after they finished with them. I think this activity can be low stakes if students ask very basic questions. It can be high stakes if students want to generate a question that requires deeper thinking. Sometimes, students may not understand others' questions because they did not have a good understanding of the content that the question is focused on. In general, formulating a question can be harder than answering a question.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

I counted this activity part of students' participation grades. In addition, students' in-class participation weighs more, but I did not tell that to the students. In class, I tried to cold call every student to get them engaged; I would ask students to come to board to show their work. I created a simple rubric that focuses on "initiative", but I did not make full use of it. Some topics may only require students to apply formulas that did not really give students much confusion where I did not expect questions from them. Therefore, it can be hard for me to assign specific points weekly based on students' discussion questions on Blackboard. Instead, I combined students' in-class participation and their participation on discussion board to assign participation grades for each student.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

*Being the first time implementing such activity, I think it went well as students got used to questions in my class.
*I would like to think about alternative ways to help students initiate questions because towards the end, many students would just post their screenshots of questions that they have from assignments. My original intension was helping students to generate questions not simply solving Math problems, but general questions related to the topics.
*Some students had the misunderstanding that if they knew the materials then no need to post questions. I had to have a class conversation to students that even if they understood everything, they were required to answer others' questions or share what they learned from each other's questions and responses. A student talked to me in office that he felt no need to post a question because his confusion can be answered during office hour. I told the student that team/group work is so important not just in school but in future career. I told the student about my expectations for him to share what he asked and learned from office hour to his peers, and he did. I think I would like to have a sheet of specific weekly discussion questions ready for future students and leave a question for students to write one. I think this way, I can check students for understanding and I can use students' common and meaningful questions for in-class discussions. This prevents the problem as no questions being posted on Blackboard occasionally.
*Students enjoyed the activity when they missed a class because they can ask each other questions on discussion boards. When they answered each other's questions, they also tried to be as specific as possible which made me very proud of. They did not rush to just giving out answers but explaining their work.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

I only used the OpenLab to share the reflection because I could not attach it here. I finally found a way to make the file onto OpenLab with tables shown. Overall, it was a great learning experience for me. Without attending the workshop, I could never come up with discussion board idea for my class to help students form the habit of generating questions and share with their peers. Very appreciate this opportunity.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/mat1375cn05/reflection-on-discussion-boards/

Posted on

Speak the Word:Slam Poetry as a Pedagogical Tool in the World Language Classroom

Speak the Word:Slam Poetry as a Pedagogical Tool in the World Language Classroom

Ines Corujo-Martin

Humanities

SPA 3302 Survey of Modern Spanish Literature

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Slam poetry is a type of spoken-word poetry that combines poetry and performance in front of an audience. This creative writing activity will be implemented in the course SPA 3302, which explores key themes of Spanish literature and culture from the 19th century to contemporary times through reading, analysis, and interpretation of dramatic plays, short stories, poetry, essays, and novels. Students are introduced to literary terms, literary genres, techniques of literary analysis and language construction (like simile, alliteration, personification, metaphor, etc.), as well as to the work of a wide range of authors. This course is offered every spring semester and is a designated Writing Intensive course.
The purpose of implementing a slam poetry activity is for students to read, enjoy, and interact with poetry in a meaningful and personal way, approaching the poetic genre as a living spectacle that allows us to link writing and performance. Even though this course includes essays, weekly class discussion in online forums, formal presentations, and reading assignments, there is a lack of systemic creative, engaging activities. This activity aims to help students connect the course content with their personal interests and translate what they learn in class to create their own texts based on the readings and materials.
Throughout the activity, students are expected to:
• Read, analyze, and interpret a selection of poems
• Write their own poem (1 draft + 1 final version)
• Peer-review poems written by classmates in small groups
• Attend a virtual slam poetry performance online
• Perform their own poem in class during a conclusive slam poetry session

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

With this activity I aim to achieve the learning goals described below:
• Develop students’ reading, writing, and oral communication skills in Spanish, while they put into practice all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) and increasing confidence in using Spanish as a tool of communication
• Exercise literary analysis and poetic techniques, in addition to exploring the relationship between text and performance
• Show new approaches to reading and writing, while promoting the use of Spanish in a creative way
• Offer an instrument of personal expression to think critically, while connecting course materials with own interests and life experiences
• Create bonds with peers in an online environment and develop a sense of community in the classroom
• Embark on a personal journey through another language and become active agents of their language acquisition

The proposed activity integrates the following General Education SLOs:
Oral Communication:
• Delivery techniques (posture, gesture, eye contact, and vocal expressiveness) make the performance compelling, and the speaker appears polished and confident
• Message is compelling and shows a high degree of originality and ownership. Uniquely conveys ideas and emotions with words and phrases
Written Communication:
• Poetic genre. Correctly incorporates and utilizes the stylistic features and format of the poetic genre (literary devices, rhyme, structure, mood, tone, etc.)
• Use of Spanish language. Very few errors in sentence structure and mechanics; exhibits good to excellent command of Spanish and professional terminology; sentences are complex, and vocabulary is sophisticated; skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency
• Writing Process. Effectively works on the different stages of the poem to achieve the best final version of it, incorporating changes from peer review activities
Reading
• Analysis/Interpretation. Correctly identifies and evaluates ideas or arguments in a poem. Able to compare or contrast information competently between different sources. Uses information from the poem to make sophisticated interpretations, while making connections to other situations

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity is implemented during the second module of the course, which is divided into four modules. The second module centers around the study and analysis of poetry, and it is developed over the course of 4 weeks.
The activity timing is structured as follows:
– Week 1: Presentation of the assignment, guidelines, and evaluation rubric. Preliminary short, guided activities to read, analyze, and interpret poems. Brainstorming of topics and samples of poems from previous courses
– Week 2: Watch a slam poetry session online (15 min) and write a short reflection of 250-300 words on the OpenLab site. Write and submit the first draft by the end of Week 2
– Week 3: After submitting the first draft students receive individualized feedback from the professor a few days later on how to improve the content and use of Spanish (grammar, vocabulary, syntax). Through a peer-review session in small groups of three during class students evaluate each other’s poem using a peer review guide. In-class time is also devoted to practice the performance in small groups in class and give feedback to each other
– Week 4: Final version of the poem. Slam poetry performance session during class
In total, this activity will use 4 hours in class; and it is expected that students work 4-5 hours outside of class.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

No previous preparation is needed for this activity. SPA 3302 is a course fully conducted in Spanish and the majority of students are native or near-native Spanish speakers, which facilitates writing, reading, and performing creative texts. The instructions of the activity are provided on the OpenLab site and explained in detail during class.
Even though this is a low-stakes activity, the final version of the poem is part of a semester high-stake final project – a writing ePortfolio created through the OpenLab that students develop throughout the semester. The ePortfolio compiles all the formal and creative writing assignments of the semester with a final reflection on the project experience, which accounts for 40% of the final grade. As a high-impact practice derived from American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), implementing an ePortfolio within the course seeks to enhance students’ learning experience, promoting active learning. Through this assignment students have the opportunity to document their learning over an extended period of time and reflect on their work. Moreover, the activity proposed connects to other high-impact practices due to its focus on collaborative learning through peer-editing, discussion groups and exchange of ideas, in addition to diversity/global learning. Since this course is fully conducted in Spanish, students are already exploring another culture, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own. As a designated Writing Intensive course, SPA 3302 also focuses on the process of writing through several formal and informal assignments to help students develop skills in academic and non-academic writing.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

For this activity, I designed a rubric adapted from different AAC&U VALUE rubrics that incorporates a balanced assessment of oral communication, written communication, and reading learning outcomes. See the link to the rubric that I developed below. Interested users of this rubric are welcome to make adaptations and additions to tailor it to their specific pedagogical needs and class context. This course is not part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

I couldn't implement this activity this semester, and instead of it, students had an in-class poetry workshop in which they analyzed poems and wrote one creative poem. Due to the extensive course content and other assignments, I decided to simplify the slam poetry activity and design shorter, scaffolded exercises over multiple class sessions since students needed to become familiar with reading and analyzing poems in Spanish and identifying poetic techniques (e.g., rhyme scheme, poetic devices, etc.). However, I am looking forward to implementing it this coming Fall 2022 as I believe that it will help students improve their written, reading, and oral skills, while at the same time enjoying playing and creating new meanings through words.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Rubric: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12BExs6fFxYyeLicrqDsUCD3FE_B2Jago/view?usp=sharing

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

Posted on

PowerPoint Presentation: Global Learning – Comparison of Alfred Schenker’s Secret War Diary, 1941-43 to a Current Event in Terms of Human Impact

PowerPoint Presentation: Global Learning – Comparison of Alfred Schenker’s Secret War Diary, 1941-43 to a Current Event in Terms of Human Impact

Prof. Nadine Weinstein-Lavi

English/NYCCT

English 1121

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students were asked to read my grandfather, Alfred Schenker's Secret War Diary, 1941-43, written while he was hiding in a cellar with nine other Jews in Lvov, then Poland, and to do namep-based and place-based research using the diary. Then, students were asked to compare an idea, quotes, names, and places in the diary to a comparable event, e.g. the current Russian invasion of Lvyv, now Ukraine (same city), or slavery, etc., and to conclude with how their ideas about those events changed as a result of their research, and how that has impacted them personally.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The Learning Goals for students are to acquire a global perspective in terms of learning about a specific historical event using an actual historical document (my grandfather's Secret War Diary) and to make a comparison to a comparable and/or modern event in terms of social, human, ethical, and cultural impact, so that they, in turn, might expand upon their perceptions of history vis a vis modern events and how they might effect change in actuality – whether via more open and embracing stances or more – in the world.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

The reading of the diary and the subsequent PowerPoint presentation assignment was done in the middle of the semester to mark it as a unique "break" and transition assignment from the previous text (a Netflix series) to the next one, and to have students engage with current events, e.g. the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Preparation involved a guided reading and discussion of the diary in class, homework to finish reading it on their own, answering 5 Discussion questions posted on Blackboard about the diary with 1 paragraph responses to prepare them to think about it more deeply, and suggestions as to possible topics for comparison for the PowerPoint. A slideshow demonstrating how to create a PowerPoint using the diary was shown, and specific guidance was given to each student regarding his/her topic. This was a high stakes activity given the nature of the thinking and analysis that the students were asked to do in class and on their own worth 25 points. They did very well on this particular assignment.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

The rubric was as follows (given in bullet points on the board):
*Aim for 10-12 slides
*Present SLOs and what you will determine
*Use images that you have researched about the diary and additional images you find about the places and names in it
*Use images of the comparable event
*Analyze the similarities and differences
*Answer 4 questions: 1. What were your assumptions about both event prior researching them? 2. How have your assumptions changed post-research? 3. How this has affected you personally and in terms of your worldview? 4. How will you effect change in the world as a result of this new perspective?

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

This activity worked very well in the classroom. Students were immediately engaged in reading an actual historical document being presented by a relative (me) of the author (my grandfather) whose eye witness account of the events in Lvov, then Poland, now Ukraine, during the Holocaust made them more real and uncontestable than other information they had seen about the Holocaust, such as movies, posts, articles. Students also found trying to do place-based and name-based research about the diary interesting and like being a detective. Analyzing how it compared to a comparable event asked them to think about it more deeply from an additional perspective, and summing up the impact it all had upon them personally was a good culmination.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

NYCCTEng1121ProfLaviSpring2022JoshuaIronsPowerPoint.pptx
Alfred'sWarDiary.pdf
C:\Users\nlavi\Downloads\NYCCTEng1121ProfLaviSpring2022ArielCabreraPowerPoint.pdf

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab