Comments on: Disappointment at BRCC http://voxygen.net/2007/10/disappointment-at-brcc/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 01:35:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: ~LS~ http://voxygen.net/2007/10/disappointment-at-brcc/comment-page-1/#comment-161 ~LS~ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:19:00 +0000 http://voxygen.net/temp/2007/10/disappointment-at-brcc/#comment-161 I agree that it is less annoying than having students with a sense of entitlement. And thankfully BRCC, while being oriented to serving the community, does not use a lot of customer service metaphors. <br/><br/>Many of the students seem pretty apathetic. The course is not required. I don't know how many students are first timers. BRCC has high attrition rates. And stage fright is always a problem.<br/><br/>But stage fright doesn't explain why people don't do the bonus work, for instance. I offer a half a letter bonus on each speech for students who come to see me with a completed outline before their speech is due. Very few take me up on that. I also offered an entire letter grade for a library scavenger hunt. Perhaps 1/4 of the students at best did the assignment. It's very disappointing. I just got midterms back and I haven't graded them yet, but I will see how they went when I grade them this weekend. I agree that it is less annoying than having students with a sense of entitlement. And thankfully BRCC, while being oriented to serving the community, does not use a lot of customer service metaphors.

Many of the students seem pretty apathetic. The course is not required. I don’t know how many students are first timers. BRCC has high attrition rates. And stage fright is always a problem.

But stage fright doesn’t explain why people don’t do the bonus work, for instance. I offer a half a letter bonus on each speech for students who come to see me with a completed outline before their speech is due. Very few take me up on that. I also offered an entire letter grade for a library scavenger hunt. Perhaps 1/4 of the students at best did the assignment. It’s very disappointing. I just got midterms back and I haven’t graded them yet, but I will see how they went when I grade them this weekend.

]]> By: Cristina http://voxygen.net/2007/10/disappointment-at-brcc/comment-page-1/#comment-160 Cristina Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:07:00 +0000 http://voxygen.net/temp/2007/10/disappointment-at-brcc/#comment-160 That is weird. Though maybe it's not entirely a bad thing...the annoying alternative is students who expect to "get" an A just for showing up. I've noticed that most at schools where there is general grade inflation. Or they have the customer service mindset; they're paying lots of money in tuition (or their parents are paying) so they deserve the higher grade.<br/><br/>Do they not care about learning the material itself? Is this a required course they need to just pass and they're taking other courses that are higher priority? Are you getting students who are taking their first college level courses? I wonder if in a public speaking class you get more students who are just starting school and for many reasons aren't the most prepared or motivated students and may end up dropping out. <br/><br/>I also wonder if you have students with some stage fright who would rather take the bad grade than risk getting up in front of the class. <br/><br/>It's always good to see what other teachers are doing in the classroom, though. I wish everyone did that routinely! That is weird. Though maybe it’s not entirely a bad thing…the annoying alternative is students who expect to “get” an A just for showing up. I’ve noticed that most at schools where there is general grade inflation. Or they have the customer service mindset; they’re paying lots of money in tuition (or their parents are paying) so they deserve the higher grade.

Do they not care about learning the material itself? Is this a required course they need to just pass and they’re taking other courses that are higher priority? Are you getting students who are taking their first college level courses? I wonder if in a public speaking class you get more students who are just starting school and for many reasons aren’t the most prepared or motivated students and may end up dropping out.

I also wonder if you have students with some stage fright who would rather take the bad grade than risk getting up in front of the class.

It’s always good to see what other teachers are doing in the classroom, though. I wish everyone did that routinely!

]]>