#Instructor Certification
5 messages in this thread
Ken,
I'll not teach if I don't have a station for every student. My class is
listed for 20 students on Saturday from 8a.m. until 11a.m. I typically allow
overloads to the point of filling every seat in the lab (30 machines not
counting the instructor's), and I usually come close to filling them all. I do
everything hands-on and only accept assignments done in class. Homework is done
based on the level of performance the student exhibits, everybody has the
option, but not all get the same assignments. This is done basically to account
for any disparity in uptake as well as to assure proper amounts of lab time and
program exposure.
I know my attitude is rather elitist, but shared stations are the greatest
impediment to the learning process, next to inattention or unconcern.
Dennis
Dennis:
It would be nice to be able to have such a nice policy that we have for our ATC
classes, but the reality is that we are happy to have every student we can get
in our CT program, and don't have the room or funds for a large lab. The
schedule is also too cramped to offer more sections.
On homeworks, I make them due one week after they're assigned, and I grade
on-screen in class. I offer help in the class labs to get them through the
assignments, but I have a strict rule that they must be done before the end of
the day.
One thing I have done to help the workstation shortage is to split the class in
half, making the first half show up only on Tuesday, and the second half on
Thursday. Usually there's a few people that don't show up, so I can often have
only one person per station. But, I still find it very distracting to have them
typing away when I'm lecturing. These are 18-yr olds, so they tend to doodle
and fool around on-screen, which distracts the class.
-KLF
Thanks again Ken for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to put
together the Instructor Certification meeting last week. It brought a LOT of
research and ideas to a head, allowed us to put together an excellent overview
and will truly let us move on to the next phase.
To all of you reading here, THANK YOU for your excellent input and ideas. They
have been imminently helpful. We had a most productive meeting and we will be
finalizing the results to post here as soon as possible. With sooooooo many
events (Developers conf., CAD Camp, Worldwide Autodesk meeting) happening here
all at once, we will take a bit to recover but expect to see this posting in
the next two weeks or so I should think.
ww
PS. I am baaaaaaacck!!
Wayne:
I was glad and honored to be a part of the meeting. As promised, I will review
the minutes and post to you, within the next few days. Yes, I agree the meeting
was VERY productive. We certainly had the right people in attendance.
PLEASE keep those constructive comments coming, folks. It is imperative that we
get this input now, as we can know all the concerns of those involved. We have
made some progress, but still have a ways to go before you see implementation.
-KLF
Ken,
When I taught at the VocEd level I had a hard time keeping the students from
embedding obscene text in their drawings. I also discovered some files on the
hard drives that looked nothing like what I had on the handout. I can
sympathise with your predicament, you're not alone, I wish you luck.
Dennis