Yesterday, I asked the students to provide me with some feedback regarding the course (layout, content, speed) and their overall learning that took place over the duration of the course. I used a basic pencil and paper format and will be considering a computer generated form for my next class.
Here is what the kids had to say:
I learned more about the job I plan on doing. I also learned that I am not very good at independent projects without guidelines.
I learned that I do have more talent than I thought.
I liked how we got to pick whatever we wanted because in normal classes like Math, you don't get to chose what you learn.
Mrs. Woronuk was a fantastic teacher; she applied pressure when pressure was needed and she helped when help was needed. This course was fun and enjoyable and I'm glad I chose it.
I learned that I need to use my time better.
The atmosphere was good; it was a good learning opportunity and I am happy with what I did in the end.
One thing that I didn't really like is having to write a log every class because I always forgot to and I felt like if it was once every 2-3 classes I could have more to write and look back on.
Complete student freedom is a double-edged sword and while it allows the student to explore his/her interests, it can also cause major indecision. I actually never selected a topic until well after the creation stage began.
Bringing in people more familiar with a student's project would be very helpful. The same goes for students. Student to student feedback is very helpful.
This class was fun and exciting and was cool to do something that you enjoyed.
In this course, I learned a lot about what I'm interested in. It was an amazing experience and I wish I could do it again. It was fun and educational at the same time.
I honestly loved this course; we basically made our own class and got done what we needed done at our own pace. I think it would be enjoyable for everyone being able to pick what we wanted to do; everyone doing something different. Each project was unique.
All in all I really loved this option and hope to see my younger siblings take it as well.
I only had one concern about this option, the log books. I didn't like how we had to do it every class.
I think that I can honestly say that I loved this course. It allowed me to pursue what I loved at school and not on my own time. I also loved that fact that we were completely on our own unless we asked for help. It's easier for me to work when there isn't a teacher always looking over my shoulder.
I enjoyed going around and looking at the other students projects. It's amazing how everyone has a really cool talent and I'm really glad I could share mine. This course is a great opportunity to take that talent and improve on it.
This course allows us to do things we want; there is no limit to our creativity.
This class was awesome! It was so fun to have all this creative freedom to be able to do what I was interested in. Most classes just give you a worksheet and a lesson, expecting you to remember facts and dates and equations. ALC was different.
Wow! I am overwhelmed by the response to my course and I am so glad that the students were able to be honest about their experiences in ALC. The one thing that got brought up a few times was the use of the log books. I like the idea of reducing it from a daily log to a bi-weekly log so the students have more solid content to add. A co-worker and I were also discussing the use of a video log, where students who feel comfortable doing so can record their progress through a video recording.
Now that my first round of ALC 9 is done, I'm excited to work on improving the course for all of the creative students taking it in the future.
