Hello everybody,
I found this morning's class to be particularly helpful in terms of reflection on what we are doing in the Communication classes. The idea behind this week's class was to get you to reflect on what you are doing well, where you can improve, what you like and what you don't like.
You should always think critically, so I think some of you were being overly kind when it came to how I can improve your learning, what you don't like about the classes etc! That said, it was nice to hear so many positive comments from you all, it certainly makes me feel good that you are enjoying learning about Communication and more importantly, how these skills will help you when you make the move up the academic ladder in the future.
I have typed your answers as you wrote them, so here they are!
In this class I have found it easiest to learn from (two activities only):
Individual work 5
Group working 4
Exemplar materials 8
Class discussions 11
Listening to lecturer 8
Other (please specify) 0
Areas in Communication where I feel I have progressed well are:
Whole class discussion, moral dilemmas, group work, new study methods, analytical skills testing, before the course I was very nervous about essay writing / reports, however I am now aware I am better than I thought by passing assessments, giving me confidence to apply for University, evaluating reading articles as I have never done this before, I have learned about the way I write and the words I can now use, I feel I have gained confidence speaking out and taking part in group discussions and especially when contributing to the blog, writing evaluations on various reading articles, communicating with others, reading, writing, as the weeks went on my reading evaluation improved, reading assessments has helped me focus on how I read articles, I feel my reading skills have progressed well (albeit slowly but steadily), I have learned to analyse a piece of writing and really think about what is being said instead of taking an article at face value, effective group working, reflective thinking and writing, my confidence has improved in every department and communicating effectively with the rest of the class, focusing in class more, confidence has increased, class discussions - I always considered myself a better learner when I work independently, but in this class and the overall course in fact, I realize I actually enjoy and learn via whole class discussions, good participation, talking and discussing in groups, I was anxious and nervous to begin with, however now I feel more at ease with it and actually enjoy it, confidence, in the reading exercises, also my spelling and writing has improved, being able to confidently speak out in class and enjoy the discussions we sometimes have about various topics.
Areas in Communication where I feel I have done less well are:
Writing and reading assessments (but I DID pass!), class discussions, I'm still not as organized as I would like, reflective writing (as I forget by the following week what I have done!), I could have done better on my reading as I feel looking back I should have had a better understanding on what was expected of me, we haven't done it yet, however I am less confident about the individual presentation, participation on the group chat, assessments, I tried my hardest and achieved better than I thought I would, going on the blog more, on my weaker days I am not as vocal in class and feel I did not do as well when speaking about the moral dilemmas session as a result, joining in the discussions more, my expectations for myself in this subject were low so I feel I haven't done 'less well' on any area, but saying that, I have shocked myself in how I am improving, taking my time to check my work as I just rush in sometimes, I feel my writing skills (spelling) still needs a little work, I feel I have grasped the subject well and enjoy all areas, I feel I have done well but I'm not particularly looking forward to the essay assessment.
I could improve my learning in all my subjects in the next semester by:
Dedicating more time at home to work on my subjects and study more, more preparation in advance of classes and assessment; I often feel I leave things too late but recognize I feel more confident when I prep further ahead, study time / space at home, organization, ways of thinking differently, actually studying!, keeping my head down and studying harder, improving my research and presentation skills, being more organized, more dedicated and better at managing my time, I feel there have been times when I haven't given my absolute all, prioritizing, focusing more time to study, asking for help, going on the Communication blog, making sure I understand the subject topic and balancing my social and college life, doing over my lecture notes at night, setting myself a higher bar, reviewing class notes more frequently, my aim in semester 2 is to start re-writing my notes from previous weeks the night before the next lesson as a refresher for me, going over things before rushing in, more home study and reading, participating more in class and improving my vocabulary, getting my head together better, managing time a bit better, being more organized and doing a bit more homework.
What I like most about the Communication classes:
The class discussions, the lecturer, the routine of knowing what each lesson will be about, the lecturer, I enjoy this class as I feel I'm always learning and I'm doing better than I thought I would, the relaxed atmosphere within the class and that learning can be fun, that nothing I have said or written can be defined as wrong as long as I can justify it and back it up, everybody in the class is involved and has a voice, good support network within this class, reading the list of what we have done since we began sounds complicated and not something I think I could achieve, but in reality it is broken down and made clear what we have to do which is great, the lecturer's passion to teach (thank you), everything, the chance to achieve an equivalent of a Higher at College at a relaxed pace, how organized the class structure is, the obvious knowledge of the lecturer makes me understand better, the enthusiasm and passion in the way the lecturer teaches makes me interested and engaged within this class and I enjoy all the group chats, the camaraderie amongst the class and the variety of subject matter discussed, open discussions, this class is pushing me to get better at a subject I struggle with and have avoided, I feel this is an energetic class and time passes quickly as Mark keeps it moving and times each section well, I enjoy doing my own research and bringing it together as we did for the discussion assessment, the way we get to openly discuss opinions without ridicule, positive attitude and listening to the experiences of others and opinions on multiple subjects.
What I like least about the Communication class:
Sometimes people talk at the same time, for me too long is given for assessments (ie 3 week blocks) as I find myself at a loose end once I have completed in the middle of a Monday and I EAT loads, it is the subject I like least because I've struggled with English most of my life, the upcoming solo talk, talking up but that's because I don't feel like I can do it well just yet, the monarchy topic for the discussion assessment didn't interest me, reflective work as my memory is poor, writing, dreading the individual presentation, the class is on a Monday morning.
Blog comments:
I like reading other people's views on a variety of subjects, blog is great but I don't always write how I feel as I don't always get the chance because of lack of time, love the blog and it has replaced my Facebook / social media gap; it's very interesting and relevant and appreciate the effort put into making it accessible for us, sometimes there are too many posts in one week for me to keep up - I'm not often online so might just be me, very well put together raising good topics, however due to the platform I forget about it unless revising for a Monday morning, it is a great interaction, I have read it a few times and it is interesting, I think it is a great way to interact on various topics in an informal way, it is always very insightful with lots of comments, I like some of the subjects discussed and the comments made by some members of the class, could do with more 'in the news material' and more controversial subjects, a place online outside of college for extra learning / communication with the class is always a good idea in my opinion, I enjoy it as I get the chance to comment on news articles, I read news / current affairs often and it is nice to have a safe place to share my valued opinion, I love it and enjoy reading it, especially looking at the opinions of others.
Any further comments about the Communication Unit:
I have enjoyed Communication more than expected. I did Comms. previously and found it nerve-wracking. Perhaps with maturity I feel more confident and so am enjoying it more as a result. I think I am doing a good job. I've learned more about English / Communication in this class than I did in the whole of High School. I like the way we work as a unit; it has certainly boosted my confidence. I have really enjoyed the Unit and the very relevant to the course subject matter. Well structured. The class is always on time and used efficiciently to teach / learn, rather than going off topic. No midway breaks either in this class which are unnecessary. We get lots of time to complete each assessment. I like the Unit and I personally don't think it should change as I have grown with confidence from when I started. I feel more confident now in Communication than I believed I could at the beginning of class, and I love that we can practice techniques and questions before the assessments. I have enjoyed all aspects of communication and look forward to the next semester. Mark is always a very positive and happy lecturer. I enjoy reading and writing. English was my favourite class in school, but I don't like the TED talks. I was really nervous about discussion assessments, mainly because I was afraid my group would have picked the one topic I didn't want due to personal loss this last year. The only thing I'd change is possibly set people's mind at ease, or I may have freaked out and left. Thankfully I didn't and actually enjoyed it! I actually think I am most proud of overcoming this out of all of my subjects this year and I love the teaching style and challenges I have faced which has actually pushed me on to succeed. Communication is great, to get back into a subject and evaluating it in order of the subject. And also having clear structure.
