“Life is constantly providing us with new funds, new resources, even when we are reduced to immobility. In life’s ledger there is no such thing as frozen assets.” Henry Miller
One of the best ways I can support students is to have a discussion at the beginning of each course about the resources students have available to them. I discuss the campus library, the Computing and IT digital library through the San Francisco Public Library, Student Counseling resources and Job Search / Career Development resources. I encourage them to visit ccsfweb.org, a website I made for CCSF students so that they could easily find my courses, learn about enrollment and registration and spread the word about tuition free classes and the non-credit Business Applications certificate program.
Most importantly, I make a point of emphasizing the inner resources each student must cultivate in order to take complete advantage of their time in and out of class. Students who rely solely on instructor direction during class do not reach the same level of attainment as students who embrace a more comprehensive approach.
During class
- instructor-led demonstration, instruction, guidance, feedback
- in class practice, questions, discussion
- student note-taking during class
Outside the classroom
- practice time at home, during lab hours
- moodle online classroom as a reference
- recommended book, online books through sfpl.org
- web-based articles, tutorials, videos
I ask them to come in with an agenda; I stress that they need to identify for themselves and to me why they are taking the course right now and what they are seeking to learn. In return, I need to be able to explain what students can do with the skills one they learn them and what are some of the real world benefits for those who learn the skills. We often search through job descriptions and take note of the positions that specifically request or prefer applicants with web and office productivity skills.