Team Work

We've been working very hard the last weeks with meetings (with Director of Title V Proposal and staff of the project, and other members of the University). Designing curricular maps for Summer Orientation and FE. Managing of the survey about the needs of students at USC and entering the results for analysis.Making a Survey research and draft for program DEDOS, in which I received a lot of help from Gloria and Professors: María Paulina Quinteros and Wally Alvaranza.And a draft syllabus for FE.

Fernando, Melissa and I also had a meeting with personnel of the office "Desarrollo Personal" of USC: Mrs. Nitza Meléndez and Mrs. Maritza Guzmán (Counselors). We've been talking about the Title V Proposal and the topic of Health & Wellness and they show us their project: Semillas. We talked about intervention protocols and how to integrate the different protocols at USC in a unique Institutional Plan and their participation in the summer events with new students.

On Friday 3rd I attended to a workshop at University of Turabo about "Learning and Assessment Strategies with college students". The resource was the Professor: Dr. Emilio Muñóz Alvarez. He talked about strategies for a significant learning and mention some interesting things that I want to share with you:

• We should strive to implement effective ways of teaching and learning to develop an understanding of what is presented in class, what is shown, what is taught, to students.
• Teachers must be creative. We should not wait for the books we get everything. We must be ingenious, as groups of students will be different each time.
• The techniques are teaching resources,orderly conduct vehicles, methodical and appropriate.And aims to streamline the direction of learning.
• Students have their own needs, ideals, skills, attitudes and skills, we must know and include these aspects in our plans.
• Teaching strategies: they are meant to appeal to the extent that we use for learning. Agree to the mode of action, objectively, to achieve a goal. Allow continuous and systematic monitoring that is done to the focus of the teaching-learning process.
• Assessment techniques that includes, among other things, to identify successes and difficulties in the process, and redirect, if necessary, the techniques used.
• Assessment: Why and how the student learns. Often the problem is in how we teach. We must change our plans semester to semester.
• We can not separate the teaching and techniques of assessment, we must integrate them. And sometimes, using teaching techniques as assessment and vice versa.
• Some strategies: conference or exhibition, panel, roundtable, commented reading, programmed instruction, research seminar, forum (movie theater),brainstorming, guided discussion, structured experience, small group discussion, role play, case method, ice-breakers, Phillips 6'6, excursions,school newspaper, use of community resources, comic book, concept maps, etc...
• And finally: Do not think for the student, or decide her/his lifestyle.

And remember: with students, we are Partners in teaching and learning!!!

see you!!!!