A colleague sent me an article sent from another colleague on Thursday. I put it in my ever-expanding “To Read” pile, and I got to it this morning.
For readers who do not know me, I teach 11 composition courses a year. Prior to starting graduate school again in 2010, I taught 22 composition courses a year. Yes, you read that right! And I struggled with being efficient and effective.
For English teachers who struggle with math: here is a fun story problem.
Q: What is it like to have 150 students write three pages a week for 11 weeks?
A: Me=No Life
These days, I feel a lot better about how I am doing as a teacher, and about my quality of life in general. I haven’t taken a nap in my car between classes in over three years. The only time I eat in my car is after a bike race.
And before you tell me, I know. There are many, many teachers working worse gigs than me.
There are worse things I could do.
So will I have to worry about a MOOC taking my job? That’s the question I had in my head before reading:
“Here a MOOC, There a MOOC: But Will It Work for Fresmen Composition?” by Karen Head
Here’s a quote that stuck out to me:
That made me think about the popular children’s toy “Farmer Says,” which was designed in the 1960s to help children learn the names and associated sounds of common animals. I learned about animal sounds from my “Farmer Says,” but when I was 8 years old, I was watching television with my father and commented that I’d never seen a real pig. Two weeks later he took me to the South Carolina State Fair. Somewhere beyond the basic content knowledge there was a need for something more—something that required a more personalized and involved approach.
Can our MOOC be efficient and effective? I’ll let you know.”
I can’t wait to find out. MOOCs sound efficient. It’s the effectiveness I am interested in. So much of what I do is personalized. I am involved.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/293485450/ |
Also, those robo-programs that can read for “mechanical errors” may be helpful for review.
A student can write a correct sentence with the wrong information, and she would pass.
She will earn a Coursera badge or certificate.
True example from a former student:
President Bill Clinton was in office during the Civil Rights Movement.
My imagined Coursera comments:
“Correct! Good work.”
My comments: President Clinton was alive during the Civil Rights Movement BUT…
Anyways, would recommend a student take that MOOC before the placement test? Yes. That’s another conversation for another day. I have to focus on being effective and efficient for Week 4.