CEC FIPP Activity Report
Name Holly Schumacher
Date 11/09/2010
Department Student Services - Counseling
FIPP Partner Karla Coti
Class title & section # Human Development 8 - Section # 9249
Name of Activity/Strategy Feedback on assignment - Reflection on Higher
Education System
Category: (Please select only one.) (Reminder: You will submit one report from each of
the categories.)
Classroom Activity
Classroom Environment
Classroom Expectations
Feedback & Evaluation
Homework & Out-of-Classroom Learning Experiences
Briefly describe the activity/strategy, providing enough detail so that a colleague can
replicate the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction This assignment was completed after I provided the class with a
PowerPoint presentation on the four higher education systems in California.
We had a questions and aswers time during the lecture and then I had the
students complete a homework assignment called, "Which Higher Education
System Will You Choose?" The students had 5 days to work on the assignment
and then turn in it in for review.The students had to take some time to reflect on
what their academic and career goals are and which education system will help
them to become eligible for their desired field of work. After turning in the
activity, I provided them with feedback.
2. Set-up & Supplies I gave each person in the class the homework assignment
and told them they had to turn it in during the next class period. The students
took the assignment home and finished it over a weekend. The students then
submitted the homework and I wrote down some advice/information for each
person. During the next class period, I passed the activity back and asked the
students to complete an assessment of the activity. I provided the survey,
which had a space for students to write their responses. The students used
their own pencils to write.
3. Directions I advised the class to complete the written homework assignment
after they had adequate time to research their school options. I let the students
know that I would give them points for completing the assignment and that
there was no minimum length required. I advised the class to be thoughtful and
thorough in their answers, so that when I took the time to give them individual
feedback, there would be plenty of things to reference. After collecting the
assignment, I reviewed them and gave the students feedback on which higher
education system would work best for their goal. I then passed them back in
class and had the students fill out the survey to determine its effectiveness.
What worked well? Many of the students gave detailed and precise answers to the
questions in the prompt. It was great to see that some students filled the whole page
with thoughts on their future endeavors. It is always such a pleasure for me to read
about what my students plan to do with their lives. I am honored to take part in their
journey to career success. Several students noted exact schools and programs, which
demostrated that they had done some research before writing their homework
assignment. After the students turned in their work, I gave them praise and thoughts to
think about concerning their academic goals. I then adminstered a student survey to
assess the effectiveness of the activity, as well as whether my feedback was helpful. I
adminestered the survey during the second week of class and 14 students completed it.
The following is a summary of the findings:
A. Helped me understand the material/topic = 6 strongly agreed and 8 agreed
B. Increased my interest in the material/topic = 6 strongly agreed, 7 agreed, 1 disagreed
C. Kept me actively involved in the material/topic = 6 strongly agreed and 8 agreed
D. Helped keep my attention in the material/topic = 9 strongly agreed and 5 agreed
E. Will contribute to my success as a student in this class = 8 strongly agreed and 6
agreed.
F. I would recommend my teacher use this activity/strategy again = 9 strongly agree and
5 agree.
G. Please comment on your experience with this activity:
Well with this strategy it actually helped me decide what college i really want to go and
how this college can benefit.
My experience with this particular activity was really good, I enjoyed this activity
because I enjoy writing & this activity had everything to do with my education.
This actvity helped me understand how my college career will turn out if I stay on track.
What would you change? I think the activity turned out well, but I believe I should have
given the students a little more detail in terms of filling out the surveys for the activity.
Many students did not fill in the comments concerning the activity and I would have
really liked to have read more opinions on the effectiveness. Students responded well
overall, but I think more data would have been better. I will go in greater detail on how to
fill in each section of the survey the next time I have the students fill one out.
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? I will definitely use the "Which
Higher Education Will you Choose?" homework again because it ties in nicely with my
lecture and challenges the students to go one step future when thinking about transfer.
Most students who plan to obtain an associate degree and then stop have seen a
counselor and know what general education they need. Students who know they want
to transfer, usually are not sure about what to take for general education. My
assignment requires them to find a school that has their major and then determine what
general education pattern they will follow - CSU, UC or private. Researching schools for
transfer helps to get students excited about their furture and that is one of my greatest
aspirations as a teacher. I want to get students motivated.
Please describe any student learning and/or changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. After implementing the Higher Education writing
assignment, I noticed that students started to refer to the specific school of choice for
transfer when they raised their hands to share information in class. I think it is really
neat that students are thinking transfer when it is so far in the future for many of them. It
is that kind of clear vision for their education that keeps students motivated until they
reach the finish line.