I plan to observe tutoring technique and tutor diposition to see whether they are contributing factors to writers' increase or decrease in confidence. Are nondirective or directive techniques better suited to help a writer build confidence? Is minamalism useful for eliciting confidence? Is a tutor that exhibits a warm, inviting demeanor able to elicit feelings of confidence from a writer? Does a tutor's display of an attidude that can be perceived as critical to the writer contribute to his/her feeling uncondfident?
Verbal and nonverbal cues can shed light on whether or not a student feels confident. Does he/she say things like "I get it" or "this isn't so bad" or "I know how to do this"? I plan to observe students' body language. Tone of voice is also an indicator of confidence. Is he or she assertive or passive in the tutoring seesion? Does he/she lean in towards the work or the tutor? Does the student make eye contact? I plan to watch whether or not the student is setting goals as well.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Research project blog
- I'm interested in writers' confidence. I want to evaluate what factors contribute to students' confidence as writers.
- what variables affect confidence increase
- what variables affect confidence decrease
- how to measure confidence; what are the terms of measurement
- what demographic population of writers shows a general trend of increased confidence
- what demographic population of writers shows a general trend of decreased confidence
- What type of writing assignments contribute to confidence or the lack thereof
- improved performance as a result of confidence
- Does the returning writer improve as a writer?
- What skills/ techniques does a tutor need to build a good rapport with a writer?
- What demographic of students typically return to the center?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Blog 10
I am excited to participate in sessions for my research project. Hopefully I am able to collect meaningful data during observation so that my research project is informative and well supported. I am already a tutor but this class has taught me so much. I implemented some of the lessons from the text into my coaching strategy and I think I've become a more affective tutor. I just want to be a good observer. And I hope a do a good service to the people that observe me!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Blog #9
I'm interested in writers' confidence. I want to evaluate what factors contribute to students' confidence as writers. A list of things to monitor as I do the research:
- what variables affect confidence increase
- what variables affect confidence decrease
- how to measure confidence; what are the terms of measurement
- what demographic population of writers shows a general trend of increased confidence
- what demographic population of writers shows a general trend of decreased confidence
- What type of writing assignments contribute to confidence or the lack thereof
- improved performance as a result of confidence
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Writing Checklist
Student Name:____________
Major:___________
Expected Graduation Date:_______________
Career Goal:_____________
Session 1: __/__/__
Student's Concern/s:________________________________
Student's goal for the session:__________________
Things discussed:_____________________________________
Student's interest:________________________________
Tutoring technique:________________________
Resources provided:_____________________
Comprehensively describe what was done:__________________________________
________________________________________________________________
End of Session
What was accomplished?________________________________
Was he/she satisfied with what was accomplished, if not, why?________________________________
Were students goals met?___________________________
Student understood...can continue on his/her own?____________________
How did student take to your approach?__________________
Were you satisfied with the help that you provided?________________________
What would you do over, if anything?______________________
Is student returning, if so, for what?______________________________
Session 2
(same as above w/ 1 exception at the end)
Improvement/s you recognize:____________________________
Major:___________
Expected Graduation Date:_______________
Career Goal:_____________
Session 1: __/__/__
Student's Concern/s:________________________________
Student's goal for the session:__________________
Things discussed:_____________________________________
Student's interest:________________________________
Tutoring technique:________________________
Resources provided:_____________________
Comprehensively describe what was done:__________________________________
________________________________________________________________
End of Session
What was accomplished?________________________________
Was he/she satisfied with what was accomplished, if not, why?________________________________
Were students goals met?___________________________
Student understood...can continue on his/her own?____________________
How did student take to your approach?__________________
Were you satisfied with the help that you provided?________________________
What would you do over, if anything?______________________
Is student returning, if so, for what?______________________________
Session 2
(same as above w/ 1 exception at the end)
Improvement/s you recognize:____________________________
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Blog # 7
I enjoyed taking notes on the writing session. It gave me an opportunity to have an outside look at the experience in which I take part daily. I noticed level of engagement expressed by both tutor and student. The things I paid attention to most were: Body language, eye contact, type of technique the tutor used, the language the tutor was using,the reaction of the student, the level of student engagement, student reaction to tutor action and vice versa, silences, areas on which the tutor focused and some specific conversation peices. I think the most important thing to write down is if the tutor is being well recieved and if the student understands.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Blog # 6
People often overestimate the conclusions other people will draw when interpreting meaning from their words, especially those words with pretty direct meanings. The purpose of their doing this is to protect the feelings of the group of whom they speak. But is it really protecting their feelings or is unnecessary political correctness? Whether you call your writing center a “lab” or a “center”, people will still come to get their papers fixed. Whether you call the people who come for help “students” or “writers” feelings of subordination and superiority will still exist. For this reason my center will be known as the Student Writing Center. It’s important to focus on what the center does rather than what it’s called. This center operates off of the idea that knowledge is socially constructed. The overall goal of the center is to make students feel comfortable and confident writing independently while providing encouragement and support on many levels. To reach that goal the center must do several things.
The center should provide resources. It should have a wide range of resources from magazines, newspapers, textbooks, encyclopedias, computers with internet access, televisions, etc. These resources will help students and tutors further explore the social world in order to share and construct knowledge. More important than having these resources though, the center must train its staff to effectively implement these resources into tutoring. A tutor should be able to recognize a student or paper that would benefit from watching MSNBC vs. reading the NY Post. Tutors should be well informed about various media sources.
There should be diversity and flexibility in tutoring technique. A mandatory training course will be required of all tutors. This training should help them in their tutoring and writing skills. They should be trained to support writers on every level. Training should also teach them how to cater to the different needs of a diverse student body. There will be no strict methodology of operation. Every experience is unique and tutoring technique is subjective to that student and his/her paper.
The Center should have a good relationship with the University. The center staff should be connected with teachers, administrators and students. Professors should speak to tutors regularly. Administration should check in on writing center operation regularly to make sure they are properly staffed and up to date on resources. Students should be well informed about the writing center’s goals and operation. There should be an introduction to the writing center during New Student Orientation.
There should be a requirement for the freshman population to have writing seminars in the center twice a week during college hour, a supplement to their freshman English course. This way the students get to familiarize themselves with the center and how it works; its purposes and goals. They should be asked what their (the students) expectations are of the center and the center should in-turn disclose its expectations of students. This way the students are aware when they enter the center for the rest of their college career what is in store.
The most important thing is that students feel comfortable enough to be able to write on their own. That isn’t to discourage them from seeking the centers help, but it is important that they feel confident enough in themselves as writers that if they did want to write a paper on their own, the center would have provided enough support so that they’d know how to do their paper independently. Because ultimately, when the student graduates and enters into a professional career he/she won’t have a writing lab for support. It is imperative that they be able to do it on their own.
The center should provide resources. It should have a wide range of resources from magazines, newspapers, textbooks, encyclopedias, computers with internet access, televisions, etc. These resources will help students and tutors further explore the social world in order to share and construct knowledge. More important than having these resources though, the center must train its staff to effectively implement these resources into tutoring. A tutor should be able to recognize a student or paper that would benefit from watching MSNBC vs. reading the NY Post. Tutors should be well informed about various media sources.
There should be diversity and flexibility in tutoring technique. A mandatory training course will be required of all tutors. This training should help them in their tutoring and writing skills. They should be trained to support writers on every level. Training should also teach them how to cater to the different needs of a diverse student body. There will be no strict methodology of operation. Every experience is unique and tutoring technique is subjective to that student and his/her paper.
The Center should have a good relationship with the University. The center staff should be connected with teachers, administrators and students. Professors should speak to tutors regularly. Administration should check in on writing center operation regularly to make sure they are properly staffed and up to date on resources. Students should be well informed about the writing center’s goals and operation. There should be an introduction to the writing center during New Student Orientation.
There should be a requirement for the freshman population to have writing seminars in the center twice a week during college hour, a supplement to their freshman English course. This way the students get to familiarize themselves with the center and how it works; its purposes and goals. They should be asked what their (the students) expectations are of the center and the center should in-turn disclose its expectations of students. This way the students are aware when they enter the center for the rest of their college career what is in store.
The most important thing is that students feel comfortable enough to be able to write on their own. That isn’t to discourage them from seeking the centers help, but it is important that they feel confident enough in themselves as writers that if they did want to write a paper on their own, the center would have provided enough support so that they’d know how to do their paper independently. Because ultimately, when the student graduates and enters into a professional career he/she won’t have a writing lab for support. It is imperative that they be able to do it on their own.
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