Reflecting on ICU's Winter term 2009 - ARW

Submitted winter term grades on Friday last week, and today is a good day for reflection.

Academic Reading and Writing-Winter:

I was able to keep all of my students engaged (more or less) to the end. All passed and many did an excellent job to the end. Since I ran the structure of the course more or less the same as last year, I was able to make some good minor adjustments to how I helped students improve their skills for academic reading, writing and presentations.

A. Reading Skills

This term, I eliminated for the first time ever my set of "reading comprehension questions" and moved to an open Summarize/Critique/Discuss format. This puts more responsibility on students to read for main points without guiding questions and to be critical and identify weaknesses or raise original questions about the texts we were reading. Students had to submit Discussion Preparation documents each class, which was excellent for making sure students were well-prepared for discussions, but a pain in the neck for me to check. When I do it next year, I wonder if I can delegate the checking process to students somehow...Also since the preparation seemed difficult for some students and lead to non-submission by some, I wonder if there are ways to help the struggling students who cannot spend enough time to read the text and prepare a good summary/critique of the text prior to class. For example, I might want to separate the text into parts and put students in charge of only one part. Each class I want students to come to class EXCITED about what they read or discovered or prepared...Adding audio to accompany the readings seems important too. Also, I need to give more examples of types of developed critical responses to texts such as not only just saying "Author gives no evidence" but also "Is there any evidence of.... The author should add more detailed evidence about... to make this point more persuasive." Not just saying "I disagree" but saying "I am not persuaded by this argument because..."

As a result of this term, do students feel more confident about their reading skills? Less confident? What do our end-of-term surveys show? If they feel less confident, what needs to be changed? Should some students be reading different texts? Should students be choosing their own in a workshop style? How should we be differentiating for different levels of reading ability and motivation? (At least prepare this....and if you finish, prepare this...and if you are really ambitious, prepare this...) Also, how can they be helping each other more-collaborating on grasping the meaning and practicing their critical reactions?

B. Writing Skills

Did two essays, one on "Should Japan allow reproductive cloning if the technology becomes safe?" and one allowing a free choice of topic. For the first essay, I was able to hand back my final comments in tutorials. I think that was good for dialogue. However, for the second essay, I gave it back to their mailboxes, and who knows how many will pick them up and actually read those comments. I feel like my efforts may be wasted. I want the dialogue to end with some sense of closure--for all students, not just the good students. The final essay should be submitted in a portfolio, with drafts/copies of sources, with a self-evaluation using the same form that I use, and with reflective comments on the paper writing process and goals for future papers. I want to be able to just sign off on their self-evaluation. I need to re-design the writing schedules in each term to include that more systematically. I want the writing to end with a tutorial that confirms the student's final reflection on the portfolio...

Many students were not able to submit drafts for the 2nd essay. That is a big problem because those students are the ones who need to most help with grammar, format, expressions, organization. They seem to get overwhelmed with the process of researching in English that they cannot write out their opinion on their topic. So...is the topic "propose solutions to a global problem" too difficult? How do I make the topic more manageable...In any case, I need to ensure that struggling students submit drafts and have a chat with me at an early stage in the writing process. The solution may be to have only one main essay. Also, I like Owen's idea of having a timed writing with just 1~2 sources in front. Giving students more support of "how to" do a research essay and avoid pitfalls like a monster topic is needed too.

C. Winter Project

Had 6 groups. 4 did a good job. 2 really struggled. For the four successful groups (Water Shortage, Food Shortage, Gender Discrimination, World Heritage), the project worked very well and seemed to be a productive experience--Starting in the end of January, the groups got their topic and outline started early on, had tutorials/rehearsals with me, and put together nice performances (Review video). The only thing I forgot was to build in group deadlines for some credit of points (outline submission, PowerPoint submission etc.).

For the struggling groups, I really needed a drop dead rehearsal deadline. In the end, the groups (Fair Trade, Obesity) pulled together a doable, but unorganized assortment of ideas for 15 minutes, but it was ugly to watch. I had a rehearsal with both groups, but neither were ready at that time. I couldn't give any support because they didn't have their ideas together yet, even just a few hours before the presentation. I should include a stipulation that only groups who have their rehearsal by the deadline can make the presentation. Other groups must...videotape their performance for submission so that they don't waste the time of the whole class listening to unprepared content.

Fundamentally, maybe it is best to just have one main essay about bioethics and let WP go without a new essay.

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Overall, Winter Term should be a final confidence-building, skill-consolidating term. Based on skills learned in spring/fall, students should be finding that they are capable of doing work that would be acceptable by non-Japanese professors at ICU...but the reality is that many students are not at that level and many do not have the energy or motivation to push themselves. It is sad how Winter Term seems to only work for about half of the class...(and a good class I had in AA this term).

I really should get a few of my struggling students in for a chat in Japanese to listen to their account of winter term. Will they come?