Wednesday, December 1, 2010

November 22, 2010 Student Meeting Synopsis


Topic: Making class more integrative

First of all, I would like to thank the students who participated in the first student meeting.  The expectations set for the meeting were as follows:
  • ·         Student freedom to express opinions
  • ·         Students able to have a better understanding of staff goals throughout the year
  • ·         Possibly present changes to help make class time more meaningful
Administration and Staff had put together a list of items that we have been working to integrate into class time:
  1.  Include a more kinaesthetic approach to instructing where possible
  2.  Utilize more visual tools
  3.  Making sure to have an overview and summary for each class to assist student focus in class
  4.  In the works of a pilot program for the Systems Anatomy: Neurobiology class
    1.  Utilizing pre-received note packages to allow for more in-class discussion time
    2.  Also allows for more hands-on or group work and Q/A sessions with the Instructor
    3.  If successful, we will look into implementing this at various times in future classes
The student’s who attended also presented a number of ideas:
  1. Increasing follow-up on out of class readings and assignments
  2. Lesson planning that includes a wider variety of instructing types
    1. “tell us the information in other words/more than one way”
  3. Looking into more continuing education for our instructors
Although not all of these points can be addressed in one year, our instructional staff has met to discuss each of these topics and has come out with a plan of action.  As points 2 and 3 of staff items and 1 and 2 of student ideas can be accomplished congruently, the faculty will focus on these first.  Administration and faculty have been working very closely to update the curriculum to better instruct the widest variety of learning styles without compromising the integrity of the information; we are planning to continue delivering the most accurate and promising course we can provide.

Keep checking up on the progress of these additions to our educational dexterity.  As the year comes to the half-way point, we look forward to watching and helping our students mature and grow personally and in their pursuit of a career in Massage Therapy.

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