October 9, 2008

LLSS 315

Midterm Summary/Evaluation

Midterm Summary:

            I have observed personal growth and development through the coming together of the four course strands and five dimensions of learning. This course has helped me to develop confidence and understanding through the course activities, readings, and the ability to ask the instructor questions.  I feel I have grown in the area of skills and strategies from the strategies we discuss in class and read about in our text, which I will take with me into my future classrooms. I feel developing a website has helped me to further develop my computer skills and as well as my organization skills by using the website as means to organize my course work and assignments. I feel my greatest area of growth has stemmed from the knowledge content dimension. I began this course with very little background knowledge about how to teach ELL and ESL students and have learned so much from our textbook and this course. I have found myself engrossed in the readings and I  feel that I am truly gaining applicable knowledge I can take with me not only to the TESOL exam but into the classroom. I have had very few college class experiences where I can honestly say I’m learning something and gaining valuable knowledge. As we have had class discussions prompting thought about race, social class, gender, and multiculturalism within our class and especially in the school systems, I have especially tried to draw from my prior experiences and to incorporate them with new thoughts and ideas I’m learning (my emerging experience). I have made connections between my own culture and the cultures presented and represented within our class.

Midterm Evaluation:

            I feel at this point in the semester I have earned an A+.  I have posted and kept my website updated. I have completed my “I Am From” poem, attended all course sessions, and participated in class discussions and sign language sessions with Vicki Bruno. I am looking forward to finally getting started on our family history project with Mrs. Bradshaw’s class and writing my personal oral history.