Report #5
FIPP Activity Report
Funded by the Basic Skills Initiative
Name Robin Bouse
Date 12/18/2009
FIPP Partner Briita Halonen
Section #1322
Activity /Strategy Personal Affirmation Bookmark
Category V - Homework
Briefly describe the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction The goal of this activity was to promote student actions that will
lead to personal success at college. It should be conducted early in the
semester. I ran this activity on the second day of class. It is started as a
classroom activity and finished as homework. In the classroom, the students
make a list of behaviors, both as a group and individually, that they believe
lead to student success. After a brain-storming session about what makes a
successful college student, the students pick three effective self-management
tools that are most applicable to them individually. Their homework is to
create/decorate a book mark with the three strategies that most want to
implement. The students can use the bookmarks in their textbooks throughout
the course.
2. Set up & Supplies Each student receives a blank paper bookmark (made from
heavy card stock). Students need a piece of paper or their own notebook to
write down all their self-management strategies. Provide a few colorful markers
so that students can write down on the bookmark three individual qualities that
they desire to improve.
3. Directions Instructor passes out one paper bookmark per student. The instuctor
leads students through a brainstorming session that asks students their
opinions on what makes a successful college student and writes the list on the
board. The students are asked to list both intrinsic (internal motivation) and
extrinsic (observable behaviors) that they think lead to success in college.
Students responded to the questions listed below.
1) What are the observable behaviors of successful students?
2) What are the internal qualities of success?
3) What are the qualities that will enhance your individual success?
The responses to the first two questions were written on the board for all to see.
Responses to the third question were written down indivdually by each student
in their own notebook. Students were then asked to pick three behaviors from
their list that they most want to implement/enhance this semester and write
them on the bookmark provided. The students' homework was to finish creating
the bookmark at home.
4. Conclusion The activity got students thinking about how they could be
successful in my class and their other classes this semester and beyond.
Several students embraced the activity and couldn't wait to show me their
completed bookmark. One very artistic woman decorated her bookmark
with fish and other marine life so beautifully because it was Oceanography
class.
What worked well? All students enjoyed the brainstorming session as a group on what
behaviors create student success. The oral feedback I got on the bookmark part of the
activity was most positive from the students who were artistic, visual learners, and new
college students. One student commented that "visual interaction helped to realize what
is important in the life of a student, what is necessary to be successful, and what will
benefit the student in the long run."
What would you change? Some students thought making the bookmark was not
necessary. One student commented that the activity had nothing to do with the class. I
need to explore the root causes of this further and may discard this activity or develop
alternate activites that cater to other interests and strenghts,
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? Not sure, I definitely will use
the brainstorming session on student success again. I probably will run the bookmark
homework activity one more time to make my final decision. I had some students who
were not into making a personal affirmation bookmark for homework. In contrast, I had
several students that couldn't wait to show me the bookmark they created at the next
class.
Please describe any student learning outcomes/changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. The very next class, students were asking me
questions about how they could be successful in my class. I always stressed timeliness,
good attendance, and finishing each lab completely before leaving class. I explained
that missing and incomplete labs were the most common reason students did not do
well in this class. I had good overall attendance (93%) (the same three students account
for the majority of the 7% asbsenteeism). Out of 16 labs possible for 19 students (304
total labs) 286 labs were completed (94%).