Students were given log-on information to practice on this website over winter break.
Keep practicing!
Monday, December 28, 2015
Keep practicing math over winter break!!
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Healthy Lifestyle Series: Making Smart Choices in the Dining Hall
It can be hard to make healthy choices in college because of the availability of so many unhealthy ones: pizza, late night snacks, sugary beverages, energy drinks, coffee, etc. In college, the dining hall or cafeteria is a place that has both: your daily allowance of fruits/vegetables and daily allowance french fries. It's up to you to make the smart choices!
CLICK HERE to check out a guide that will help you fill up your plate at mealtime with healthy choices!
Take a look at this website also, www.choosemyplate.gov, for more resources on healthy eating in college!
CLICK HERE to check out a guide that will help you fill up your plate at mealtime with healthy choices!
Take a look at this website also, www.choosemyplate.gov, for more resources on healthy eating in college!
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Article: 15 CEOs with Learning Disabilities
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Video: Holiday Greetings From Thames Academy!
The faculty and staff at Thames Academy wish all of our students and families a wonderful holiday season and a
happy and successful New Year!
We hope that 2016 brings you health, happiness and lots of success!
CLICK BELOW to watch the video greeting from the staff at Thames Academy!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
A Word to the Wise...
by Ron Samul
It happens when they are just talking in class. The students are talking about things and something comes up that just smacks you in the face. We were talking about the differences in generations and what it means. And someone said that the older generation is "wise" but the younger generations are better with technology and are more open to new experiences. And I asked the questions - what does it mean to be wise?
It happens when they are just talking in class. The students are talking about things and something comes up that just smacks you in the face. We were talking about the differences in generations and what it means. And someone said that the older generation is "wise" but the younger generations are better with technology and are more open to new experiences. And I asked the questions - what does it mean to be wise?
.jpg) |
| "You must unlearn what you have learned." - Yoda |
And the Humanities assignment was born. Some of the 18-21 year-old students tried to convince me that being wise didn't mean having more experience. And being wise was something they didn't like and didn't have. The one thing youth doesn't have is experience - so wisdom shouldn't equal experience. So, I asked them if they put 10,000 hours into being a good writer would they have the wisdom of a great writer? If they put in 10,000 hours of a video game they would have the wisdom of video game operation? It became confusing and frustrating for the students. That is a good place to teach from if it doesn't fall into complete chaos...
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Help! I Don't Know Anything About Assistive Technology!
The article, Assistive Technology Roundup, published on edutopia.org has numerous resources, links and videos for parents and students who are thinking....."Help! I Don't Know Anything About Assistive Technology!"
Thames Academy knows Assistive Technology is a subject that can be awkward and overwhelming for families who aren't tech savvy or just don't know where to start looking.
With this in mind, we have tentatively scheduled our March Parent Workshop speaker - a representative from ECAT (Eastern CT Assistive Technology).
Thames Academy knows Assistive Technology is a subject that can be awkward and overwhelming for families who aren't tech savvy or just don't know where to start looking.
With this in mind, we have tentatively scheduled our March Parent Workshop speaker - a representative from ECAT (Eastern CT Assistive Technology).
Stay Tuned For More Info on the March Parent Workshop!
Article: Encourage Your Teen to Check Their College Email
HINT: Their password will involve the last 5 digits of their social security number. Please make sure your son/daughter knows their social security number!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Article: For and Against Checking Students' Grades Online
![[IMAGE DESCRIPTION]](http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/Lahey_OnlineGrades_Post.jpg)
Check out this interesting article published in The Atlantic about parental involvement and interest in monitoring their son/daughter's grades online. Thames Academy academic advisers communicate with parents regarding students' academic progress. However, students' Mitchell College email addresses are registered to the student's name - parents do not have access to this account unless given the sign-in information by their student.
What do you think about parents of college students being able to monitor their grades online?
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Video: What is Dysgraphia?
The Additude.magazine has a wealth of information and resources on a variety of learning disabilities including articles and videos for both students and parents. The video I want to highlight today is from the forum Ask The Expert. This 6 minute video concisely and easily explains dysgraphia, a disability in written expression.
The video is originally from the The National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Article:Why a Classroom of Laughter Is a Good Thing!
A recent article highlights the importance of laughter in a classroom - something Thames Academy instructors have realized and practice daily!
For example, Jennifer Sullivan's Introduction to Sociology class was encouraged to submit an assignment for extra credit points on their final exam (held on Thursday, Dec. 10). The assignment was a creative one. Students could choose any song they liked but need to rewrite the lyrics to include something relevant to the sociological concepts we discussed in class. Sounds difficult?Thames students who opted to do this assignment chose songs such as:
"Paradise" by Coldplay
"Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
"Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's
"Hello" by Adele
"You Don't Know You're Beautiful" by One Direction
"TNT" by ACDC
Jennifer Sullivan, sociology instructor, created lyrics to a song many will know. Enjoy!!
Lyrics to the tune of “Let It Go”
The building is bright in the classrooms tonight, not a
video game to be seen.
The students are all cramming, such a sight to be seen.
Their brains are swirling with race and ethnicity,
They’ve got to keep it in, full of remembering…..
Don’t let them fail, you’ve got to make them see
They are the smart kids you know that they can be
They are so strong, they are unique,
It’s that day of the week…..
Here we go, here we go
The final exam is here
Here we go, here we go
We want smiles and no-o-o tears
I want A’s, or maybe B’s
This is a teacher’s dream…..students passing the exam with
ease.
It’s funny how some teachers dread this exam day,
They wonder if their sleeping students actually remember
what they say
It’s time to see what they can do
Know social class and gender too
Strat-if-ication and the rest
Thames students are the best!!!!!!
Here we go, here we go
The testing time is here
Here we go, here we go
My favorite time each year
Time to see what the students know
Let the pencils fly….
Their brain power flurries through the air up to the sky
They know Max Weber, stratification, and Marilyn Frye
Conformity, deviance and narcotizing effect,
They’re never going back,
They’re smarter than the past
Here we go, here we go
The final exam is here
Here we go, here we go
Thursday is the day we hear
“I got an A, or I got a B”
This is a parent’s dream…..my teen is successful at Thames
Academy.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
3 Tips for Parents During the Long Winter Break
Now that your son/daughter is home for the winter break here are 3 Tips to Help Parents Survive the Long Winter Break (5 weeks!) with your teenager at home!!
TIP #1 - Celebrate your teen's fall semester successes
Your son/daughter has been living away from home since the end of August and they have managed to navigate many challenging transitions..... living with a roommate, making friends, managing a schedule of classes and appointments, eating meals, personal hygiene, attending social activities, academic content, professional relationships with instructors, managing medication, their own emotional self-care, getting exercise, learning how to study and take a college midterm and final exam, managing their changing relationship with siblings/pets/parents, etc. Whew! The list of transitions your teenager has had to overcome is quite long!!
Even though your teenager may have fallen short in some of these areas, simply by living on their own they have successfully managed to take care of many of the tasks on the above list. Remind them of this and find reasons to praise them.Yes, they may have gained a lot of weight BUT they became involved in a club/sport and excelled at making friends.
Yes, they may have failed their midterm and final exam BUT they managed to attend all of their classes on time.
Yes, they may have struggled with emotional regulation outside of the classroom BUT they also earned B's in all of their classes and remembered to do laundry.
Remind your son/daughter (and maybe yourself) of their successes - they already know about the areas where you are disappointed (and might be focusing on this more than you know).
TIP #2 - Set Your Expectations for Couch Time
Your son/daughter had a busy semester and needs some time to relax at home - true. Your son/daughter wants to enjoy the comforts of home and enjoys your home cooking - true. But PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR TEENAGER SIT ON THE COUCH AT HOME FOR THE ENTIRE WINTER BREAK!
Encourage your son/daughter to get a job or volunteer while they are at home. Volunteering for even 10 hours a week is a way to add to their resume in preparation for a summer job. Getting out of the house is important especially before the weather becomes a barrier to leaving home.
If your son/daughter doesn't want to volunteer, give them projects around the house that you expect to be accomplished each day. Organizing shelves/cabinets, donating old clothes, raking leaves are small chores that support the teachings at Thames Academy on persistence, hard work and goal setting.
Bring your son/daughter to a used book store or library and let them choose books/graphic novels to read over the break. Remember, YOU SET THE EXPECTATIONS when they return home. Teenagers will stay on the couch UNLESS YOU TELL THEM OTHERWISE.
At Thames Academy, your teenager was living independently and managed just fine. He/she did laundry, showered, ate meals, and managed a schedule. It is reasonable to expect your teenager to do these same things while they are at home. Let them do their own laundry - prepare meals with you - make their bed - take their own medication. Don't fall back into old habits. Your teenager has been independent. Encourage them to continue to do as many tasks on their own as they can!
TIP #3 - When The Weeks Get Long, the Feeling is Mutual
If it is any reassurance - your son/daughter feels the same way. Around week 3 or week 4 of being home, your son/daughter may start being on social media more often and even ask you if they can visit their friends from Thames. They, too, are starting to feel the "tension" and realizing that rules at home feel different than living on their own at school. Your teenagers also may feel guilty about wanting to return to school. Feeling this tension is normal. You and your son/daughter have both adopted new ways of living for the last 4 months. Returning home may not feel the same as when they left in August.
Tip #3 is meant to encourage you through the difficult times of the winter semester. Enjoy your teenager while they are at home and know that it is normal for the break to feel like 50 weeks instead of 5 weeks. Instead of fighting the stress and tension that may erupt in early January (or sooner for some families!) try to relax and know that soon you and your child will have space (when they return to school and begin spring semester) and then you will miss them again (probably) :)
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Book Review: NeuroTribes - The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
The blog post below was excerpted from The Yellin Center website blog. Susan Yellin, Esq., Director of Advocacy & Transition Services, spoke in October 2015 during the Thames Academy and Mitchell College Family Weekend. A former Thames parent, Susan is an experienced educator, presenter and author of the book, Life After High School: A Guide for Students With Disabilities and Their Families.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized, to varying degrees, by impaired social and communication skills, as well as the presence of repetitive, habitual behaviors. Currently, there is no definitive or singular cause for autism. However, researchers have begun unearthing several rare gene mutationsthat are being linked to ASD. Even with these advances in the research, the academic and medical community is still left with many unanswered questions.
Being the recipient of the Samuel Johnson Prize is not the first time Mr. Silberman has garnered acclaim for his writing on neurodiversity. He is an award-winning investigative journalist with bylines in The New Yorker, Time and Nature. His reach, however, extends beyond the realm of pencil and paper. His TED talk, “The Forgotten History of Autism,” has left a palpable impact and been translated into thirteen languages.
In his book Neurotribes, Mr. Silberman explores the history and shifting attitudes toward autism, as well as the complex science behind the childhood developmental condition. He digs into the social and political landscapes throughout history that have shaped our present understanding of autism. He traces the history of ASD all the way from its origins in the research of Hans Asperger to the modern day. He even goes as far as to try to tease out answers for why there has been an apparent explosion of ASD diagnosis in the past decade.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of his book is his discussion around the growing body of "neurodiversity" activists. Mr. Silberman details how professionals and persons with ASD are coming together to promote self-determination by seeking accommodations and technological advances in the workplace, as well as in education. The underlying message of Neurotribes is that as a society we should stop drawing sharp divisions between what we assume to be "normal" and "abnormal." Instead, he urges that we be cognizant that everyone, regardless of the presence of a learning difference, has a uniquely wired brain. This is a sentiment that we here at The Yellin Center wholeheartily believe in, and a philosophy we try to propagate in our daily work. Mr. Silberman paints an optimistic picture of how the world can become a better, more accepting, increasingly understanding place for those with learning differences."
"The Samuel Johnson Prize is the UK’s most prestigious literary award. This year, Steve Silberman’s popular science work Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently took home the prize for nonfiction. This is the first time in a decade and a half that a popular science work has taken home the esteemed award.
Being the recipient of the Samuel Johnson Prize is not the first time Mr. Silberman has garnered acclaim for his writing on neurodiversity. He is an award-winning investigative journalist with bylines in The New Yorker, Time and Nature. His reach, however, extends beyond the realm of pencil and paper. His TED talk, “The Forgotten History of Autism,” has left a palpable impact and been translated into thirteen languages.
In his book Neurotribes, Mr. Silberman explores the history and shifting attitudes toward autism, as well as the complex science behind the childhood developmental condition. He digs into the social and political landscapes throughout history that have shaped our present understanding of autism. He traces the history of ASD all the way from its origins in the research of Hans Asperger to the modern day. He even goes as far as to try to tease out answers for why there has been an apparent explosion of ASD diagnosis in the past decade.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of his book is his discussion around the growing body of "neurodiversity" activists. Mr. Silberman details how professionals and persons with ASD are coming together to promote self-determination by seeking accommodations and technological advances in the workplace, as well as in education. The underlying message of Neurotribes is that as a society we should stop drawing sharp divisions between what we assume to be "normal" and "abnormal." Instead, he urges that we be cognizant that everyone, regardless of the presence of a learning difference, has a uniquely wired brain. This is a sentiment that we here at The Yellin Center wholeheartily believe in, and a philosophy we try to propagate in our daily work. Mr. Silberman paints an optimistic picture of how the world can become a better, more accepting, increasingly understanding place for those with learning differences."
Friday, December 11, 2015
Jennifer Sullivan publishes article in American Sociological Association newsletter
Jennifer's article discusses strategies educators can utilize in the classroom to encourage the development of a growth mindset by their students. Jennifer teaches Introduction to Sociology, a college-level 3-credit course at Thames Academy, in the fall semester.This is Jennifer's 10th year teaching and advising students at Thames Academy. Jennifer's Masters Degree is in Urban and Multicultural Education with a concentration in Special Education.
She also is an adjunct instructor at Mitchell College where she has taught a variety of behavioral science courses including General Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Race/Ethnicity, Technology/Social Issues and Activism, Technology & Socialization and Ethics/Moral/Character Development.
Her article, "How Instructors Can Encourage A Growth Mindset" can be found on pages 5 & 6 by clicking HERE!
Jennifer's previously published article, First Day Activity to Illustrate Social Norms, (Fall 2014) can be found by clicking here!
Her Summer 2014 article, Teaching Social Activism Through Hands-On Learning, can be found by clicking here!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Congratulations Thames Academy Students!!
Congratulations to Thames Academy students for completing their 1st college FINAL EXAM!!
This is an important accomplishment!
Remember to praise your son/daughter for their preparation and hard work!
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Photos of class project - Graphic Novel Bookmarks!
Students in Ron Samul's Critical Understanding of the Graphic Novel course showing off their bookmarks (with personalized QR codes) at the Mitchell College library.
Late Night Breakfast!! Thursday 12/10 @ 11:00pm
Encourage your son/daughter to join us for Late Night Breakfast
on Thursday, December 10th!
10:00pm
Milner Dining Hall
Mitchell College Hillel Chanukah dinner & Movie Night!
Join the Mitchell College Hillel tonight,
Wednesday, December 9th for dinner and a movie showing of
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights!!
5:30 - 9:30pm
Percy Dining Room
*We will move to the Market Cafe for the movie
Check them out online!!
www.facebook.com/MITCHELLCOLLEGEHILLEL
Article: 3 Tips for Mindfulness to Ease Stress
As you start to think about the upcoming winter break (5 wonderfully long weeks with your son/daughter at home) you may want to read this article: "3 Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Parenting Stress." I know your teenager NEVER causes you stress but just in case....
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Students Create Personalized Bookmark and QR Code in Graphic Novel Class Project!
Take a look at this exciting and innovative project by Thames Academy students in Ron Samul's course, Critical Understanding of the Graphic Novel.
Students studied the form and content of graphic novels, analyzed and learned how to write book reviews, and explored how to create their own QR Code. They combined all of these elements by creating their own bookmarks in collaboration with Mitchell College library staff!
Students:
1 - Chose a graphic novel from the Mitchell College library
2 - Wrote a book review
3 - Connected their book review to a personalized QR code
4 - Printed a bookmark to be placed in the graphic novel located in the library. Library patrons can use the bookmark and scan the QR code to read our student's book review.
Students:
1 - Chose a graphic novel from the Mitchell College library
2 - Wrote a book review
3 - Connected their book review to a personalized QR code
4 - Printed a bookmark to be placed in the graphic novel located in the library. Library patrons can use the bookmark and scan the QR code to read our student's book review.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Video: Practice Goal Setting At Home
When your son/daughter comes home for winter break, you will have 5 long weeks to reinforce the independent living & executive functioning skills that they have learned at Thames Academy.
This short video gives a brief description of short term goal setting and includes an activity for parents/students to practice together!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Sociology Final Exam for all students: Thursday 9:00am
All Thames Academy students will be finishing their fall semester Introduction to Sociology course on Thursday morning at 9:00am as they take their final exam. Encourage your son/daughter to study this week and get a good night's rest on Wednesday night.Read the below post about supporting your son/daughter during exam time:
Friday, December 4, 2015
Video Game Night on Saturday at 7:00pm!!
If your son/daughter spends most of their time playing video games.......
Encourage them to attend the Video Game Night on Saturday at 7:00pm!
Come downstairs in the Thames Academy building for free food, snacks, and socializing while playing your favorite videogame!!
Mall Trip on Saturday!
Does your son/daughter need to purchase gifts for the upcoming holidays?
Thames Academy will be taking a trip to the Crystal Mall
on Saturday @ 4:00pm.
Sign up sheet is on the downstairs bulletin board!
Trip to Nautilus Submarine Museum on Saturday!
Is your son/daughter interested in naval maritime history?
Encourage them to sign up for the Saturday trip to the USS Nautilus Submarine Force Museum in Groton, CT. The shuttle will leave Thames Academy at 1:00pm.
Sign-up sheet is on the downstairs bulletin board!!
CLICK HERE to visit the Submarine Force Museum website.
Students will tour the indoor museum and walk on board the USS Nautilus. Below is more information about this interesting museum:
8 Local Hikes You Have to Try! Guest blogger: Chris Scott
Local Hike Guide
Although not known for its outdoors, Connecticut has
plenty of options for those willing to look.
 |
| Bluff Point State Park |
Bluff Point State Park
Distance from Thames: 10-15 minutes
Address: Depot Road, Groton, CT 06340
Description: Bluff Point State Park offers a scenic walk around the Connecticut shoreline. The main loop is about three miles long and runs through the woods and right on the shore. Elevation gain is minimal which makes this hike great for all ages. Wonderful vista views of the Long Island Sound, a beach and great aviation watching as the Groton-New London Airport is nearby. This trail is also a popular horseback riding trail so be on the lookout for horses.
Things to do nearby: The free Submarine Force Museum location at the Groton Sub Base is a wonderful attraction. Mystic is also close by and offers a great array of dining and recreation options.
Video: 3 Tips to Encourage Risktaking
Our newest faculty video is on the topic of Risktaking. Please take a look!
Have you watched the other videos on our YouTube channel?? Check them out by clicking here!
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Article by Melissa Shafner: Factors Affecting Students' Motivation
Read the great article below by guest blogger, Thames Academy faculty, Melissa Shafner!
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What Factors Affect Your Student’s
Motivation to Learn?
Motivation
refers to the personal investment that an individual has in reaching a desired
outcome or goal. College students
typically have multiple goals they are working toward achieving at once – to
acquire knowledge and skills, to demonstrate their intelligence to others, to
make new friends, to gain a sense of independence, and to have fun, are common
ones. As we all know, their goals are
not always exactly the same as their parents’ or teachers’ goals for them. Additionally, not all goals need be grand;
the completion of a simple task is likewise, a goal (ex: reading a chapter of a
book, having dinner with a friend, or attending a club meeting). While research has shown that students who
hold multiple goals are more successful than those with only one goal, problems
can arise when these multiple goals conflict with one another. Which will he or she (hereafter “he” for
simplicity’s sake) prioritize?
In
order to determine that, we need to look at two factors: the student’s perceived value of the goal and
the student’s perception of his likelihood to be successful in achieving that
goal. These two factors together affect
the level of motivation a student has in pursuing a goal.
Let’s focus on
subjective value first. What helps to
determine this are the satisfaction he will gain from accomplishing a task
(ex: achieving the level of Black Belt),
the joy he experiences from simply doing the task regardless of outcome
(ex: the enjoyment of participating in
karate), and the degree to which the task will help him accomplish other
important goals (ex: opening his own
karate studio one day). One can have
all, some, or none of these at play regarding a specific task or goal. Think about how many tasks students typically
work toward each day – planning, organizing, reading, writing, studying,
socializing, being in a relationship, participating in clubs and activities are
only some. They are constantly assessing
the value of each of these.
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Now
let’s look at a student’s expectations for his likelihood of success. We are motivated to pursue goals we believe
we can successfully achieve. If a
student’s belief in his likelihood of success is low, he won’t be motivated to
engage in behaviors necessary to achieve that goal. That is true even if he sees value in the
goal and desires to attain that goal.
The primary influence in whether or not a student believes he personally
can achieve a goal is his prior experience in similar situations. For example, if a student has a history of
receiving low grades on English assignments, he may likely believe that he will
never be successful on current or future English assignments. Furthermore, the reasons that students give themselves for their past successes or
failures play a large role in affecting their expectation for success – was it
something internal that I can control, such as my effort, or something external
that I have no control over (for example, believing that the only reason I did
well was due to luck)? Despite past
failures, causes that are seen as controllable can still result in high
motivation as long as the student believes he is capable of changing his
behaviors to a more positive outcome.
Something else must be done for students who see past failures as
outside of their control, and we discuss that below.
Perceived
value and ability to be successful are critical, however there is actually a
third variable at play here, which is the student’s perception of the
supportiveness of the environment. Even
if a student believes that a task is of high value and believes that he has the
ability to be successful at that task, his perception of an unsupportive
environment does not result in the type of motivation parents and teachers hope
for in students; it instead can lead to defiant behavior as “pay back” for the
lack of support. The student may judge
the supportiveness of his school environment and the supportiveness he
perceives from his parents as well. A
caution: supportiveness is not defined
by a level of direct help in accomplishing a task – by no means should teachers
or parents create an enabling environment that would only reinforce a student’s
existing concerns about his ability.
Rather, a supportive environment is one with a positive tone, positive
interpersonal dynamics, positive forms of communication, one where the
teacher/parent is seen as approachable, and one where the student is surrounded
by peers whom he sees as helpful.
You
may be wondering how we at Thames Academy use this information about motivation
in our program in order to help our students.
In addition to creating this ideal supportive environment and setting so
necessary for success, here are some of the ways that the faculty and advisors
work with your student:
1)
A key foundational piece of the Thames
experience is in our Seeing My Time
executive functioning program, which spends considerable time focusing on
goal-setting, as oftentimes students arrive at Thames unsure of what goals they
really have for themselves. They also learn
the value and importance of having both short-term and long-term goals.
2)
We work with students to appreciate the value of
learning goals – valuing a deeper
understanding of a subject – and not just the performance goal of wanting a good grade. Having learning goals has been shown to lead
to better success in school. At the same
time, we work with students to discourage having work-avoidant goals, that is, wanting to finish a task as quickly
and with as little effort as possible.
3)
Remember above where I stated that we need to do
something significant for students with a low perception of their ability to be
successful? We understand that we have
many students at Thames who are what is called “wounded” or “fragile”
learners. They are students who do see
the value in their educational goals, and do see us and their families as
supportive, however have a low level of belief in their own ability to be
successful due to their past experiences.
At Thames, we work early on and throughout the year to change that
mindset in students. It is a recurring
theme in all of our classes and advising appointments, and they are guided in
the process as we help them see that their ability is not fixed and
unchangeable, but rather something that they have control over, and that with
time and effort, they can grow, learn, and be successful.
4)
We incorporate classroom strategies that
research has proven establish and increase perceived value and expectation for
success.
• One of the
strategies we utilize in order to help students see the value in a particular
goal includes showing students the connection between what they are learning
and the real world or their personal lives.
For example, we might explain how the ability to write clearly and
effectively is not simply a skill that they need in school, but point out that
many of their prospective majors and career choices require those skills. A police officer is not someone who solely
sees a lot of action and is always on the go, but must also be able to write a
clear and detailed report, for instance.
• Another
strategy we incorporate in order to establish a sense of value is being clear
in what we value in student work and
what our expectations are. For example, in humanities class we might
demonstrate to students in detail what is appropriate to include in an
objective summary of an article versus what is their opinion of what they just
read. Another example might be
explaining to students that we value taking a creative risk on a particular
assignment and are not looking for the “easy route.”
• A way that we
work to increase students’ expectation for their success is that we give
students many opportunities to practice skills and receive feedback. In order to learn a skill, it must be
practiced many, many times. So, if we
are working on reading comprehension skills or summarizing skills, those skills
are not touched upon once and then we’re on to the next topic. Those skills are incorporated into
assignments repeatedly, with specific feedback at each instance, in order for
the students to have the time and practice necessary for true learning to
occur.
• A second way in
which we strive to create positive expectancies in our students is that we
determine what level students are performing at so that we can begin work with
them at that level and work toward advancement.
We do this by giving both formal and informal pre-assessments to
determine the level of prior knowledge or skill ability for each student, and
then design and adapt assignments to provide an appropriate level of
challenge. Then, goals can be attainable
with proper effort.
• A significant
hallmark of the Thames program is incorporating study and time management
strategies into our classes. Continuing
from the foundation they receive in the Seeing
My Time course, we also spend time in class visually demonstrating for
students how to pace and plan out the specific steps necessary for completing
an assignment.
• Finally, and
not least of all, we provide students an opportunity to reflect on their learning. Students are asked what elements of a
particular assignment they believe that they performed well and what makes
those elements strong, and likewise are asked what they did not do well and
what makes those elements weak. It is
through developing this metacognitive skill of reflecting on his own thinking
that positive expectancies can develop and true learning can occur.
If you would like
even more detailed information about this topic, click here to view the
PowerPoint presentation from last Friday’s session.
Reminder: Thames Academy Contact List
Advisors
Ron Samul - samul_r@mitchell.edu (860) 701-7782
Chris Scott - scott_c@mitchell.edu (860) 629-6038
Melissa Shafner - shafner_m@mitchell.edu (860) 701-7781
Jennifer Sullivan - sullivan_j@mitchell.edu (860) 701-7780
Patty Callis - callis_p@mitchell.edu (860) 701-5158
Here are some other helpful phone numbers for departments on campus:
Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students / Sandra Wirth - (860) 701-5093
Director / Jacqueline Jewett - jewett_j@mitchell.edu (860) 701-5158
Case Manager / Patricia Callis - callis_p@mitchell.edu (860) 701-5212
Campus Safety - (860) 443-0214
Health & Wellness - (860) 701-7786
On Call Duty Phone for Residential Life - (860) 449-3174
Your son/daughters should also have these phone numbers programmed into their phones. Please encourage them to do this!
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Video: The Daily Compliment Challenge
Sometimes life's challenges and struggles overwhelm us such that we forget to compliment those in our lives. Today's video challenges parents to compliment their son/daughter EVERY TIME you talk, text or email. Who doesn't love a compliment?
So parents....we challenge you to give a daily compliment to your son/daughter!! Let us know if you do and what changes you see!!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Thames Academy YouTube Channel!!
Have you watched the Thames Academy videos which are a part of our new video series? You may have watched 1 or 2 videos...but did you know that we have 9 videos??
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