Questions and answers on EXCL

Hey Michelle!

I'm thrilled to see the schedule filling out.  I've never done an EXCL class before and it looks very interesting.  So I'm currently reading the syllabus and reviewing the materials etc.  But I'm a little confused... am I making one Guest lecture threat that's going to stay open from January through May?  Or am I making a bunch of shorter ones that will activate as the semester goes on... because if so it's not totally clear when the instructor wants them to begin and end?  I may have other questions about these EXCL classes too, but I figured this is a good starting point...

 

-Kevin

Glad to hear that, Kevin! :) The EXCL program enables those that have a lot of life experience to gain college credit for it. So, the purpose of that class is to build a portfolio. The contents of the portfolio are evaluated by EXCL professors and UMUC and they decide how many credits each person receives towards a degree. We are helping them with their materials, so they can be strong. Part of presenting strong materials and proving life experience has to come with strong writing skills. That is where we come in. We want to help them present their best selves. :)

So, yes....one conference area is fine....just present a thread or so at a time depending on what they are working on. I think there will be slow times throughout the semester when they are either in between projects or just beginning to absorb one. Just check in everyday for new posts. And yes...it stays open the whole semester. You are just there for them when they need you throughout. The instructors understanding of our role is that we are there to help all semester when needed...on standby. So, their beginning is when the class starts...and end is when the class is done. :-) 

I'm not sure if David has more materials to present to them in the works. If he does, I'm sure he'll let us know. 

I hope this helps! Feel free to keep asking questions! Honestly, I would love it if more classes wanted us to do this---especially required freshman courses. 

EXCL

Hi All! :) Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Some of you may have noticed that you begin work with the EXCL classrooms beginning tomorrow (one begins a bit later). You will find the materials for this in NG 999. If you can, try to post the materials gradually according to what they are currently working on. Look at your assigned classroom's syllabus/course schedule and determine when they are working on what (narratives, resumes, ect.). These classes work on different things at different times (so, while one EXCL course might be working in narratives, a different section might be working on resumes during that time).

As you also may have noticed, you are in the EXCL classrooms until May! This is a great opportunity to work with students for a longer period of time and really assist the EXCL program. Let me know if you have any questions!

Please Note: Last semester, in Alicia's EXCL section(s), she created a "study group" for each student within the classroom. This created a private space for each student to submit their work. Some students were uncomfortable submitting drafts for all to see in the regular conference area. You are more than welcome to follow in Alicia's footsteps and do this. She had a lot of participation in her sections.

Also, these students will quite possibly be submitting entire drafts for you to look over. While most of our guest lecturing involves helping students with the process of compiling an essay (and usually involves small chunks of writing), EXCL students need feedback on full drafts some of the time. They will submit large essays. Try to remember the higher order concerns they will need help with when faced with a longer essay. Higher order concerns would be: clear thesis and/or argument, well developed paragraphs with topic sentences, ECT.

If you are unfamiliar with some of their assignments, please take the time to read through their classroom materials and syllabus and the materials David created in NG 999.

As always, let me know if you have questions! You will see that I am leaving notes to you in the Google calendar. If you are unsure about what materials to use, don't hesitate to email us! You can also look at the syllabus in most classrooms to see an explanation of the assignment details. If David doesn't have materials made for a certain assignment, he can whip some up pretty fast (I've witnessed it...it's like magic).

We are in for a busy semester :-) Happy guesting!

Michelle

New Semester Update

Hi All :) Happy New Year!

I'm so excited for the semester to begin! I am getting many requests and the schedule is filling up fast! Be prepared to make a huge difference (you always do and we have positive feedback to prove it) for students in all the classrooms you visit. They need us so they can feel confident and do well with their written assignments. Professors are excited for our visits as well.

Quick FYI:

Each of you need some sort of "introduction" in your workshops. Some of you have videos introducing yourself and others have avatars. If you do not have access to a web cam, video camera, or digital camera with video on it, please send a photo to David (or pick out an avatar if you are concerned about privacy) and write up a small introductory line or two. You can also record your message and send the audio to David. David can create something uniform that will look nice with the workshop. This is really important because students and faculty like to know who you are and why you are in the classroom. It is just a nice way to add to the "virtual tour" and allow others to become familiar and comfortable with your presence.

If you haven't already, please welcome Zoe, Theresa, and Kathleen to our team!

Best,
Michelle