LI Update - June 23, 2010

Get ready for Summer Quarter!!

Cancellations? The first round of cancellations for low enrollment will be at the end of this week. The second (FINAL) cancellations will be done at the end of the first week. If your class is canceled after the term begins, you will be paid for any scheduled hours taught before cancellation.

Important papers. Please review this important information; there have been some changes since last term.

• Policies/procedures handout. This handout has been revised. If you have copies of the pink version, please dispose of them. The new policies/procedures handouts are on purple paper and are in the document bin across from the mailboxes. Please take what you need so that each student has one (including all late adds). It is very important that take time on the first day to go through each item on this handout and answer any questions the students might have.

• Background Information form. These have also been revised since last term. If you have copies of the old version, please dispose of them. The revised forms are in the document bin across from the mailboxes. Please take what you need so that each student has one to complete (including all late adds). Please be sure that all students complete one of these and turn them in to me as soon as possible.

• Course syllabus. Class syllabi will be in the milk crate across the mailboxes. Please take what you need so that each student has one (including all late adds). Explain to the students that this is an expectation or guide for the term, but the actual items completed from the syllabus will depend in large part on the specific needs of the students. Therefore, slightly more or less information will be covered than what is on the syllabus.

Attendance. You will receive your rosters through your CSCC e-mail. Be sure to send me your class attendance information by e-mail at the end of each week and check the updated rosters for accuracy.

Late adds. As always, you will probably see a number of students add your class within the first two weeks. While we strongly encourage students to register before the beginning of the term, the reality is that this does not always happen. I will send you updated rosters a couple of times throughout the first two weeks before the last day for adding, which is the end of the second week.

Rooms. Please DO NOT change rooms on your own. If you find you have a need for a different classroom for some reason, let me know and I will see what is available.

Classroom furniture. Just a reminder - don't move classroom furniture out of the room. If you have more students than chairs, let me know and I will see what I can do about getting your room changed.

Calendar of Events - 6/14/10 - 7/31/10

Calendar of Events: June 14 – July 31
6/14: Sharon Ward’s birthday
6/14: Flag Day
6/15: Electronic time entry due for period of 6/1 – 6/15
6/16: International Day of the African Child
6/19: Juneteenth (Emancipation Day)
6/20: Father’s Day
6/20: UN World Refugee Day
6/21: Summer Solstice / Summer begins
6/28: Summer quarter classes begin
6/28: Time cards due for period of 6/16 – 6/30
6/29: Feast of Tammuz [Judaism]
6/30: Electronic time entry due for period of 6/16 – 6/30

7/01: Somali Independence Day
7/04: U.S. Independence Day
7/08: Isra Al Mi'Raj (Ascent of the Prophet Muhammad) [Islam]
7/09: Martyrdom of the Bab (1850) [Bahá’í]
7/13: Time cards due for period of 7/1 – 7/15
7/14: Bastille Day (France)
7/15: Electronic time entry due for period of 7/1 – 7/15
7/20: Apollo 1 lands on the Moon (1969)
7/24: Shelly Nichols’ birthday
7/27: Kimberly Gholson’s birthday
7/29: Time cards due for period of 7/16 – 7/31
7/30: Ashala Puja [Buddhism]
7/31: Electronic time entry due for period of 7/16 – 7/31

Evaluations - Winter 2010

Here are some of the comments from the Basic English student evaluations from Winter 2010.


What did you like most about the textbook?
-- Good for me. Because I can study at home.
-- Easy to understand with voice and pictures and there are a lot of practices.
-- The textbook is great.
-- Simple english grammer Rules.
-- I like evryhing. I think the book is perfect for this level
-- For my. all textbook was easy, because my teache always explend every time my confusions. In conclusion the level 3 on english is easy depend of the teacher.
-- Exercises
-- the textbook is clear to explain the note.
-- I like it cd in the book
-- I like the textbook because The picture is important
-- I like picture an information the Text book.


What did you not like about the textbook?
-- Sometimes the computer system doesn’t work. (It couldn’t check the answer sometimes.) (AZAR)
-- It was hard for me to do all, because was online. That’s it.
-- WELL I PREFER A BOOK NOT A COMPUTER IT’S MORE EASY FOR ME IF I HAVE THE PAPER.
-- i don’t some history he tilds
-- Not much Rules included there
-- I don’t like (listening) because NO. CD’s
-- Some times you loose your information, and How to get is difficult
-- Sometime, I Lost too much time, because the soFtware, don’t didn’t work good well
-- The software Not good enough to work on it
-- There are not enough explanations.
-- the textbook don’t have more listen work.
-- I don’t like the photographes
-- I didn’t like that textbook becase No work
-- I don’t like colors that text book



Was the class useful to you? Why or why not?
-- because I cam I Loven Einglish and firsh guit
-- I liked the class; because this level was very helpful for me to improve more my English.
-- Because I have the best teacher in the world AL Ezabith
-- because I learn too much about Grammar English.
-- because the teacher didn’t follow the class.
-- Because I didn’t know all I have to know to comunicate with all those people who speak English.
-- This course was useful to me because I study many interesting things to help me improve my English. But I suggeste to my teacher to organize her course better and to help students to practice more writing.
-- Now i can take care of my self better
-- Because I’ve learned too much things about anatomy health and life
-- Because I learni new vocabulary and I practice my listening and speaking.
-- It helps and teaches me so much!
-- because this class will help me build the English language skills I need to do my best at work.
-- I learn how to make a Resume and a cover letter.
-- I like to learn how to write a resume
-- I was happy because I get writing Reading, and gremmer
-- Because I learned a lot of grammer and after this level I’m going to take college clases.
-- Because for the first time I attend this course. Its so helpfl for me for learning the basic Rules of grammer.
-- Yes, the cLass course useful to me, becouse I understand right what she speak the teacher.
-- Because I begin to read, writein, and speck better english. I understand about evrything and I can to talk with pepels in english
-- because my teacher explain everything Right, and I do my homework.
-- the teacher is very good. “I like”
-- Because the course is interesting and I like English language.
-- becouse We Have use the Software and
-- it’s become very Easy
-- Yas, I Liked the software, but sometimes it didn’t work very well
-- Home work and explain well.
-- My teacher was very good and very nice for helpful and she was friendly I like my teacher I understand her every thing she explain every thing if any body don’t understand,. I like my class was very nice and every body was friendly. I miss my teacher and my friends.
-- My teacher is a Friendly person and she is helpful teacher. My teacher always explain the student and we are understand our teacher. Thank you N.B. I LiKe the approach & her metedalagy!
-- Me, I woould have my same teacher because she is very good, she explain things well and helpful for me and other student. I love my teacher.
-- This level was great for mi, because in it I undestand and learning more englis.
-- My teacher was Friendly and she old the time she henel in all my questions. I will like in the next level (4) keep desame teacher “Elizabet is a great teacher” I like to much.
-- The course was useful because the teacher was helping us. This Level 3 is really helpful for me because the teacher is really nice and helpful. If you don’t understand any problem she will always help you and understand it. I really like this class a learn a lot of new stuff and the students are really nice and friendly. and I hope I pass this level.
-- because I stay 4 years no school and it’s helping me a lot to performe my English. Love all the students they are friendly
-- Because my teacher is a very good with all students and friendly than she is explain too much
-- yes, because I learned lot of things
-- about grammar etc. An then the teacher was great in explication and helpful about all things.
-- Everybody need to speak English in the world our teacher (Ghada) paid atention what each one need. she is Great.
-- It helps me understand the constraction of English as my daily laguage.
-- I thank my commendable school teacher and all the agencies which promoted this program. Before I came to this school, I didn’t know more English. But right now I am able to communicate in English with the people. I hope I will continue the learning until to reach my goal if Allah wills. Thanks alot.
-- because I lerning to many ew word I learn abud subject and object Pronouns, nount and non count nouns.
-- because we work together and the teacher help us to understand the Focus on grammar and some time she use the internet to more practice and excercice. Thank you
-- I’ve learned about anatomy, nutrition, human’s Body.
-- I Larn about health care and Healthy Food, and the six kinds of NUTRIENTS your BoDy NeeDs.
-- because it help me To Know to partice a new wold of Grammar.
-- Combinate grammar, vocabular and steps of writing.
-- I learned very well simple past tense, simple present tense, present progressive tense.

QUIZ - 5/17/10

See if you can answer these questions about our program and Columbus State. The first person to respond with all the correct answers wins a prize.
1. What are Columbus State’s school colors?
2. What is the name of the Columbus State mascot?
3. What will happen to Basic Writing 1 next quarter?
4. Where do we expect to begin Basic English classes starting in Autumn 2010?

Summer schedule - 5/17/10

Attached with this e-mail is the schedule for summer classes. Please let me know as soon as possible (a) if you are interested in teaching this summer and (b) if so, what levels/times you would like. As always, I will do my best to accommodate as many preferences as possible. No course is confirmed until there are enough registered/paid students to run the class.

Final tests and evaluations - Rev. 3/9/11

Basic English instructors – You will find packets containing your final tests and evaluations in the milk crate on the counter across from the mailboxes.

Please review the following information:

Course evaluations. All packets contain course evaluation forms for your students to complete.

• Evaluation forms are provided in an envelope with your name and course on it. Please return the completed forms for each class in the appropriate envelope.
• I realize that your students may need some assistance with the instructions on the forms. Insofar as possible, please allow them sufficient privacy so that they can provide their true opinions and comments about the class. If possible, have another instructor assist your students while you do the same for that instructor’s class. (Thank you to Tafsir for this great idea!)
  

Labels. Your packets also contain labels for the students to use on their tests or answer sheets. Please have them use these. It makes it much easier for us to identify a test as belonging to a particular student in a particular class.
If you have a student who is in your class but does not have a label, go ahead and let the student take the test. Registration will be re-checked when final grades are entered. Please be sure that the student puts his name, CougarID number and course on the test or Scantron sheet.

Tests.

• Basic English 1, Basic English 2, Basic English 3, Basic English 7. Students will write on the tests, not a separate answer sheet.
• Basic Communication. You should fill out the assessment sheet for each student.
• Basic Reading 1. You should give the Reading section (pages 1 – 19) of the TABE (9E). Students will mark their answers on Scantron sheets.
• Other Basic English classes. Tests are in your packets. Students will mark their answers on Scantron sheets. NOTE for Basic English 6: These tests go beyond 50 questions, but the Scantron sheets have only 50 spaces. Therefore, you will need to use two Scantron sheets per student: #1 - #50 will be on the first Scantron sheet, and #50 through the end of the test will be on the second. Be sure that students write their names on the second sheet.
  

ALL – Please drop off the completed tests to me right away so we can get the results to the students without delay.

Scantron notes

• Scantron answer sheets must be completed using #2 pencil. The scoring machine will not read ink. Be sure your students know about this ahead of time so they bring pencils with them to the test. Before the test begins, show the students how to correctly mark their choices so the machine will read them.
• For those tests with Scantron answer sheets, students should not write in the test booklets – only on the answer sheets.
  

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Basic English course name change

Basic Writing 1 will become Basic English 7 as of Summer Quarter 2010.

Why are we doing this?
In order for Basic English students to take the COMPASS/ESL test in the Testing Center, they need to have successfully completed both Basic English 6 and Basic Writing 1. Because Basic Writing 1 has a different name and is not clearly a part of the numbered Basic English series, many students have not clearly understood the requirement and have become confused. Further, a number of students who have taken the COMPASS/ESL test without completing the writing class have not been successful, and have needed to return to complete the Basic English series.
We hope that this change will make it easier to understand the necessity of completing the Basic English series before proceeding to the COMPASS/ESL test, so our students will have a smooth and successful transition to credit coursework.


When will the change take place?
The new course is already set up in Colleague for Summer quarter registration.


What is the course number?
The course number for Basic English 7 is LILNG-710.


What materials will be used?
There will be no change in curriculum or materials. The current Basic Writing text - Ready to Write 1 - will continue to be used.


Currently, students can take Basic English 6 and Basic Writing 1 at the same time if they want. Will this change?
No, there will not be a change. If a student wishes to take BE6 and BE7 at the same time, that will be fine.


Will there be a change in the Basic English Placement Test to accommodate this new level in the Basic English series?
Yes, there will, although it hasn't been done yet.

If you have any questions, please let me know.