Opening the Gate: Introspection and Reaching out in First-Year

Seminar.Laurie Gordy

Kathleen FitzpatrickHeather Norcross

Lucille DiCicco

Crossing the Threshold into General Education

Kathleen FitzpatrickDirector of Experiential Education

Assistant Professor in School of Arts & Sciences

Role of FYS at Daniel Webster College

• The First Year Seminar (FYS) -- introduction to Cultural Studies and community engagement.

• 1st step in the Cultural Studies sequence of the General Education Program

• Purpose: help students make a successful intellectual transition to college

• Students create portfolio of assignments

Key Components of FYS

• The topic chosen is interdisciplinary • Service Learning Projects or Experiential

Education -- cultural or community engagement – 12-15 hours

• Reflective writing on Experiential Education Component

• Team or Group Projects

Learning Outcomes for FYS

• After completing the FYS, students will be able to:– Demonstrate their responsibility for learning– Identify and use resources for learning– Demonstrate collaboration and teamwork– Define civic engagement and social

responsibility

Methods of Course Assessment

• There will be three types of assessment in the FYS: – 1. Assessment of the student’s understanding

of course objectives (pre and post survey) – 2. Student self-assessment (reflective writing

and peer assessment), and – 3. Instructor Assessment (course evaluations

and other student assignments)

Strengthening Sense of Self through Welcoming from a Community

Laurie L. Gordy, Ph.D.Professor of Sociology

School of Arts & Sciences

Topic: Coming of Age

• Identity – http://www.rhapsody.com/the-who/who-are-you/who-are-you/lyrics.html

• Analyze influence of “community” on own coming of age story – journals and memoir writing

• Analyze influence of “community” on others’ coming of age experiences –readings, meeting author, service learning

Journal Assignments

• 7 topics: related to identity and coming of age – reflective writing, critical analysis, comparative writing

• Outcomes for students – student assessment• Specific focus – choices within assignment• Topics included:

– College and identity– Family and identity– Popular culture and identity– Identity formation in one of the assigned readings– Coming of age in The Kite Runner– Community and identity– Historical events and identity

Memoir Writing• Creative Writing – benefits for student learning

and engagement with the project• Assignment – 5-7 page coming of age story for

themselves• Pre-writing assignment – “resume”• In-class writing workshop with Writing Director• Used prompts to begin writing in workshop• Use details about space, people, objects• Use generalized and specific passages • Examples and Assessment

Welcoming Community

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD8ljNobUys

• Student-Centered classroom environment• Peer review of journal writing and memoir• Group Projects• Establishing connections to others• Meeting Meredith Hall, author of Without a

Map

Service Learning

• Mentoring project with high school students at risk of dropping out

• Group meetings and individual meeting• Reflective paper• See coming of age experiences for people

from diverse background and in the local community

• Outcomes and Assessment• Lessons Learned for future courses

Navigating “C’s” of College

• Critical Thinking• Creativity• Communication• Connections to others in the classroom

and the local community

Embracing Creativity in the Classroom

Heather NorcrossDirector of Academic Resources

Psychology Instructor

The Original Assignment…

• October 20• Trash! More Trash and even more ART!

Read Article: Handed out in Class“Helping younger kids to appreciate recycled art”

• Journal Entry #4:1-2 pages. Reflect on recycling and think about what you have learned in class. Has learning about recycling and art changed your personal perspective? How and why?

The Assignment Redux….• October 20• Trash! More Trash and even more ART!• Read Article: Handed out in Class• “helping younger kids to appreciate recycled art”

Let’s make some art! Per my students: As a class we will collect recycled goods around campus and use them to create recycled art in the classroom. We will research the materials that are used in each in each of ourprojects and teach the class about how the materials affect the environment and behavior of planet earth and it’s inhabitants. Upon completion we will recycle the materials as nature has intended….pictures will be taken to remind us of just how much impact our art has on our world.

• Journal Entry #4:1-2 pages. Reflect on recycling and think about what you have learned in class. Has learning about recycling and art changed your personal perspective? How and why?

Some of the art….

Structuring Engaging Readings and Writing Activities

Lucille DiCiccoCoordinator of Writing Center and

First Year Seminars English Instructor

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl0x3LlWIig

Types of ActivitiesAll activities need to provide structure

and guidelines.

• Reading and Writing• Journals• Individual• Group

Reading and WritingPromotes a good starting point for

discussions

• Macro themes– Summaries, abstracts, problem/solution

• Questions“What did it say? What did it do?”Create individual questions on the reading.

• Have students answer a question and support their response with 3 direct quotes from the text.

JournalsOpen-ended: twice a week

• Reactive

• Reflective

Students may need journal content varied.

Individual and Group Activities

Almost any individual activity can become a group activity.

Digital Storytelling combines the best of both options with modern technology.

mms://ares.dwc.edu/day/digitalstories/combined-video-1.wmv

Conclusion

• First-Year seminar as “gateway” to general education • Student retention and student success in college key

motivators for development of FYS’s• Meaningful connections to college faculty and staff• Keeping the “gate” open – diversity of assignments

and diversity of topics for students• Tearing down the “gates” of traditional learning in

classrooms• Opening the “gates” through creative outlets and civic

engagement