We like what we like and we do what we like and we have greater success when we work on something we like as opposed to work on what we are mandated to do.
I like writing assignments. History is centered on writing. We perform research then write it up. I think students best learn about stuff and how to do that stuff through writing assignments and when students are allowed to select what they research and write.
I’ve tried various assignments from major research papers of 10-15 pages to weekly 250 word Discussion posts. But then I started writing an OER textbook (A Road Less Traveled: An Ancillary to Our Story). I assigned the book to my students. They told me they appreciated the money they saved by using OER, they informed me that the textbook is easier to read and understand than traditional textbooks and then I hit upon a new idea:
Have students create content for the OER textbook.
Not everything every student writes makes it into the book however students are excited to see their work added to the textbook and they tell me how great it is to use a textbook that includes their peers!
They also get to write about what interests them. The result has been a noticeable increase in both student success and student retention. More of my Hist1301 students are enrolling in my Hist1302 classes because they saw how successful they were and how much they enjoyed researching and writing on subjects that most interest them. And, they tell me they appreciate the fact that my classes are 100% OER, the uniqueness of the textbook, and the fact that their work could find its way into the book.
Instead of being the old man yelling at those kids to get off my lawn, I’ve embraced the changes in students and the opportunity to try new ways of reaching my students. The rigor is the same as when I was an undergrad, but the methods for students to demonstrate understanding of the material has changed. I find the change exciting and challenging.
We like what we like and we excel when we are engaged in what we like. Students like to examine what most interests them in history and they definitely excel in this method. If it doesn’t advance student success, then why do it? Lecturing for 3 hours a week simply did not reach the students as much as this OER textbook project.
I am always looking for contributions. If interested, contact me at james.rossnazzal@hccs.edu
As a child I never enjoyed history as much as others did because I thought of it was just learning the most important dates of history and the tragedies, for example WWI or 9/11. In movies, like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there is a scene where the teacher is talking about history in a slow, same toned voice. As he is explaining the camera is pointed at different students at a time to show how bored they are or that they are daydreaming. That summed up what history class was like for me. Oh, and don’t forget the multiple paged essay to turn it for class plus the amount of research and books you have to grab a hold of as well. Until I joined your class and learned that I get to pick my own topic in what to write about, with the sources already at hand? There would be no reason for me to fail the class when an OER is available and free. Now, I find history appealing than what I originally thought.
ReplyDeleteBefore deciding to take your class, I did what many of my peers have done, and searched your name in a rating website. As I was reading, I came across many comments applauding you for being a great teacher. Amongst some of the comments however, were warnings of writing assignments, and I’ll admit that it was worrisome to see that your class was essay based. But after taking your class and reading this post, I can see why they said those things despite the constant workload of essays. You have shown great efforts in trying to make the class interactive, and embrace the online world, which we (the younger generation) find easier to navigate. By providing an accessible online textbook and even going as far as providing different source material for each lecture, you have ensured that your class is manageable to anyone, no matter how skilled they may be in research and writing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first took your class I did not know what to expect. I did not know that you were about to look up your teachers and what other students thought about you and they could even rate you. So I was going in the blind taking your class. It was nothing new to me because that was most of my high school life just getting either great or horrible teachers. When you introduced yourself and your class, I had this intuition that i Would most likely enjoy your class. Keeping in mind that history itself is boring. You made history fun to learn for me. Even if your class was filled with writing assignments it was fun. I learned a new way of writing in Chicago style writing. I have also seen improvement on my way of writing and it is all thanks to your class. I am very grateful that that your class was complex yet simple at the same time. And it was a new experience for me.
ReplyDeleteRight! The way a teacher is can change the way you view things! I am terrible at history and have always thought its boring myself. I also just chose the class not knowing or doing any kind or research on the professor. But as I went through his first videos I knew it was going to be a fun one, the way he talks with so much happiness and the laughter that come with it is contagious and let's talk about the music he has introduced me to! I been enjoying the class so far. I have enjoyed our assignments so far, I learned how to write in a whole new style. And this is giving me so much insight into his personality!
DeleteBeing the first time in a class directed for you did demonstrate certain things I did not know about myself. One was that I did not know how to write well and how to do a well research for the essays assigned, it did give me a new vision to look for at the time of making my own research in a professional way, and also, how to work an essay in a History class. Regardless to that, I have found myself comfortable with the OER textbook, it is good to see the potential of it, and how it is easy to understand, because it is a work made from different people with different point of views. I am still learning how to write in a proper English format, because I am a bilingual person whose main language was Spanish all the time, but live in United States has taught me multiple things that I will hopefully use in the future, of course, that´s the point of being in college.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with, “...we have greater success when we work on something we like as opposed to work on what we are mandated to do.” My group and I further prove this. When we were initially grouped together in the fall in your HIST 1301 course, we were required to write about topics you assigned. In your HIST 1302 course, we were given the choice of any topic within a certain time period. Our grades that we received from the fall are clearly different from the grades we received this semester. Our writing improved. Each one of us found major interest in at least one of the papers we wrote about throughout this semester. It was also exciting and rewarding to see you put up of our essays in the OER. I hope future students will read what we put together and can learn from it like we did. I can say with confidence that your class is the only history class I have genuinely learned from.
ReplyDeleteI complete can relate to this. When i really enjoy a topic, i am actually all into the assignment. This semester i took your 1301 class and when i found out we could write an essay about serial killer. I love all the horror things, and with this essay i immediately starting researching information and learned new things on the way. And it is actually helpful that the OER books is not just a book with a lot of dates and just cramming information. but yet it also has examples of essays that your students has written and also it has other helpful sources. I also learned how to take better notes and also when looking for information, what websites are best for research and which are not.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the world is constantly evolving and our way of learning along with it. It is a challenge to find new ways of teaching that is on the same level with every students’ way of learning. That is just another reason why OER is so important and helpful in a students’ success in and out of the classroom. The students’ work ethic and learning experience becomes more based on comprehension rather than just simply memorizing and matching it on a multiple-choice test or assignment. It’s simply students learning from both their professors and other students that input their share of knowledge and research into the subject. It is believed that a person most effectively retains knowledge when they are reading information and then putting that same information into their own words and expanding on it. That is why OER is such an excellent and effective tool for both professors and students when it comes to retaining knowledge.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first joined your class, I half expected it to be the usual history class. I though I would learn absolutely nothing and just review boring old information. I was in for a quite a surprise. Not only was this not your average US History class, it went beyond my expectations. I learned a lot about important Americans I previously did not know about, I learned about less-talked about events of American History and I got to try my first OER. I think the best part about your class was getting to choose our own topics to write about and being able to conduct extremely thorough research on them. The OER was pretty cool too, not to mention it helped me save a lot of money. Overall, this course was one of the few where I actually learned something while simultaneously enjoying it. You most certainly lived up to the rate my professor reviews.
ReplyDeleteI really Completely 100 percent agree with your post that you've created in your blog.The reason why I agree with your That most of your former students that have taken your are Successful because you've taught them well with your Historical Material,Some of my friends who have taken your class they've recommended me to signed up for your class because you provide the Modules with lectures and the readings and also the OER Textbooks.Writing History Papers was a really good idea because I was able to learn how to write Historically and learn how to Cite Chicago Manual-Style. Having a Multiple Choice Test isn't the best for me because taking tests It's really challenging
ReplyDeletefor me because I have to learn the Materials and I have to read a lot of Chapters in order to get the get the Material. Taking your History Class was the Choice for me because I learned a lot of Topics from Pre Contact to Reconstruction and also you made the Class interesting. I would to thank you for the OER Textbook that you provided for the whole entire class and it has a lot of Interesting Historical Topics and I was able to save some money so I don't have to spend $200 Dollar Textbook that I won't be using after I finished this course. You really Deserve A 5 star review in Rate My Professor because your one of the greatest History Professor in Houston Community College.
I agree, the way of learning is constantly changing, and some students are having trouble with the techniques some teachers prefer to use. I always find myself greatly unmotivated when I have to write an essay on a topic I have no interest in writing about. They become just another assignment I am dreading. In your HIST 1302 class, you gave us the opportunity to write our essays on any topic of our choice. My group and I chose topics that we were genuinely interested in which made the experience a lot more interesting and enjoyable. Not only did we receive good grades, but we also learned something new each time. The OER textbook guided us to create pieces I never thought I would be a part of. I definitely learned a new way of writing style and I am hoping this amazing resource helps other incoming students as much it helped me.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never hated history or understood why many people just didn’t like it. I’ve always thought it was such an interesting course in school, even when the teachers were terrible and just handed us worksheets and multiple choice tests every Friday. Luckily, I’ve always loved writing essays ever since 4th grade. I remember getting praised by my teachers and I would feel so accomplished. Sure, I struggle with starting whatever I’m writing, but once I do begin, boy do I go on and on. My writing kept improving up until high school where I hit a plateau. Teachers at my school didn’t care about teaching and simply stayed at their desk on their computers while we completed some worksheets they printed off of google pictures with the answers found on a quizlet. I’m actually grateful for finding this class, my writing evolved and I found a group of friends to work on essays with. I was shocked when one of them found that what we’d written for our assignment over Interwar America had been posted on Dr. JRN’s OER textbook.
ReplyDeleteBased on my previous experience on history classes and them emphasizing in memorization of dates and multiple-choice test taking I was very worried about your method of teaching. Since I was so predisposed to teachers and professors having us memorize arbitrary dates for major historical events. When you told us at the beginning of the semester that your class did not consist of test rather writing pieces in which we would be able to choose topics and have to do our own research it almost scared me enough to switch classes. But I stayed because I was impressed on your qualifications and interested on how you in collaboration from previous students wrote a book for the class. And I am glad I stayed I did struggle on doing my first piece because there was so much choices, I felt I was going to choose something wrong. But after I saw your feedback on that piece it helped me improve. Also, since during the whole semester before turning our final drafts you gave an option to review it and ask you questions, this helped when I had questions or was uncertain if I could write on a certain subject. Overall, this method is more effective because since writing these pieces I felt like I actually learn something I could keep forever and saw my creativity and interest increase. Instead of the old traditional way of just giving us dates to remember which we would eventually forget because we are giving too many things to remember and our brain just has capacity to remember certain things.
ReplyDeleteOER text is a great tool for us, it helps us save a bunch of money that we may use for some other important stuff just like rent or gas. I find what you’re doing really great, giving the students a chance to participate and encourage them to learn, I thought history was supposed to be boring but your class was really interesting, I feel like I've learned a lot, I am glad I follow the advice that my friend gave me about enrolling in this course, I always thought he was just joking when he said that we didn't need to pay for a book and that the class was funny and interesting at the same time. keep with the great job you been doing all this time.
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge fan of reading or writing whatsoever and even though history is not one of my favorite subjects, I fully agree with this statement. I am one of those students who hates tests because I get too nervous or freaked out but, having an OER book to guide me through my works was successful. I feel that what mainly made it successful was that students wrote it as well. Since they know what others expect it makes others feel more interested. I also liked that we didn’t have to remember dates and that it had a lot illustrations, which made it easier on what to write on my essay assignments. It also shows a lot of good resources to help you with your references and the best part of all is that we have a good idea on what you expect us to do.
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