Oakton Community College’s Excellence in Teaching AwardCandidate: Carol Bustamante, Associate Professor of EnglishWhat I Enjoy about Teaching at OaktonThere is a lot I enjoy about teaching at Oakton:- The surrounding forestry makes driving onto Oakton’s campus a breathtaking experience- One building, at each campus, makes Oakton easy to navigate- The administration is reasonable and respectful and is always looking out for the students’ and faculties’ best interests- The curriculum is wide and varied so most students can take classes in their field- The students are from various cultural backgrounds and have amazing experiences to share- The freedom to teach using the tools I need and the way I see fit is greatly appreciated- The students are open to high standards of rigor- There are many workshops for teachers to continue their learningThe Technology I use at Oakton:I only teach in computer classrooms, so integrating technology is easy:- My English classes are always scheduled in computer classrooms because the computer is an English Composition student’s greatest ally- I no longer use a textbook because all that I need to teach is on the Internet- I utilize various university writing center websites- Students are encouraged to use EasyBib.com - Online Interactive Grammar sites are great ways to get better atgrammar- My website is my textbook- The first day of class my students e-mail me, so I can create a group and e-mail them all at onceHow I go about Choosing a TextbookThis is the first semester I have taught without a textbook:- This semester my chair, Lynn Woodbury, allowed me to teach EGL 102 without a textbook. - I convinced her that everything I need is on the Internet- My website is linked to every resource the student needs- My website, which I upkeep using Dreamweaver, is the anchor for my classroom topics, resources, and handouts- I hate hearing how much students pay for textbooks and how they don’t always use these textbooks- My favorite websites for English are: UNC’s Writing Center, Purdue’s Owl Center, and Diana Hacker’s website.What do I contribute to Oakton and the Community?I have a lot to give to both my college and the community:- As a teacher, I continuously gather and share knowledge with my students- As a faculty member, I share what I know with my colleagues- I was a co- keynote speaker for Oakton’s Annual Teaching Conference: I shared knowledge with my colleagues about howto assign and grade essays- As a Hispanic faculty member, I was asked to participate and lead a discussion in this year’s La Vie conference which welcomed 200 Hispanic high school students from Oakton’s district.How do I help students who are not interested in my class/field/subject?Most of my students do not want to major in English, so :- I teach in computer classrooms, so students can use the computer to learn and then execute the lesson through writing on the computer- I am a lively professor who never sits and who travels around the classroom giving eye contact to all students- I have cultivated my voice to be pleasant and animated- I smile and give intense facial expressions and gestures while I teach- I sit down and give individual students “pep talks” before class if I know they are struggling- My assignments are practical and the skills they cultivate can be used in future classes and in their future career How would winning - The only thing winning this award would do to change mythis award affect my future teaching?future teaching is I would walk with my head held higher and my step a little bouncier. - Whenever I felt discouraged in the classroom, I would think of my wonderful award and remember that there are many of my past students who have loved how I have taught.How does my teaching help my students grow academically and socially?There is a project I do in EGL 102 that helps my students to grow academically and socially:- This project is a research paper that occurs the last 5 weeks of class- It is a research project/paper that is usually assigned in graduate school but it is tailored to fit and apply to Oakton students.- First we Define the Problem: Oakton students who transfer to a 4-year institution but fail to achieve the bachelor’s degree- Next we design 6-8 Hypotheses: the high cost of tuition may play a role, drinking and excessive partying may play a role, academic and social unreadiness may play a role, lack of support systems may play a role, physical and mental health problems may play a role, etc.- Then my 24 students break up into 8 groups of 3 students who form a research team and take one of the hypothesis - They depend on each other to help do the research- They work together on meeting deadlines- They help each other write the Review of the Literature sectionof the paper- After the rest of the paper is written individually, they get back together to write a group speech- I invite Oakton administrators to come hear them which makes my students both nervous and excited- Oakton administrators ask great questions at the end of the oralpresentation and my students are always great answering these questions!My students after their presentations to Oakton AdministratorsWhy I believe I was There are several reasons I think I was nominated:nominated for this award:- Sounds silly, but I am kind to my students and they appreciate that- I listen to what they need- I empathize with them when they have struggles- I teach them with love (silly…maybe unbelievable….I know)- I break down the material for them - I explain slowly and carefully then have them apply the knowledge to see if it really works- I make every lesson interesting through various means: havingthem work alone, having them work with a partner, having them work with a small group, having them work on the computer, showing them a good media clip, assigning exciting readings, having them write practical and meaningful papers. Thank you! It is always an honor to be nominated for this
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