Blog 12

Given that this is my fifth semester as a TA, one would think that I shouldn’t experience too many surprises anymore. Well, the biggest surprise was that the teaching style I was using in my coronary lab obviously didn’t work as well in the biomechanics lab. Compared to coronary, where the students participated in one particular activity per lab, biomechanics required them to be engaged in four to five activities per lab. My learning-by-doing approach to teaching often left part of the students confused and caused coordination problems on top of it. Alas, this topic has not been addressed in the seminar. My plan for next semester is to assign each group of students to an activity instead of letting them choose the order in which they want to do them. In addition, I will use the acquired knowledge about the different learning-styles to choose the appropriate assistance for those students who need extra guidance.

Other valuable things I have learned in this seminar are using the available resources (e.g. workshops) more effectively, time management (which still needs improvement) and the enhancement of student writing and reading. Learning about the latter was also very valuable for my own progress in these areas. However, I can’t say that any of the learned things is standing out in my mind. In fact, I’m still struggling with grading. I don’t seem to get a grip on it – it takes way too long, which frustrates me to no end. I can honestly say that grading papers is slowly but surely taking the joy out of teaching.

Blog 11

One of my goals is to improve my English writing skills. Although all my written work turns out to be very good, it takes me forever until I have it ready. I’m still missing specific words and expressions in English to present a document that is concise but accurate. Hence, my documents are typically longer than they ought to be, because I end up explaining things to make sure everything important is included. I’m also using the thesaurus, which can be very helpful, but time consuming and sometimes tricky. More than once, I have selected a synonym that was not in the right context, which, of course, changed the meaning of what I intended to say. Similarly, syntax problems have occasionally altered the factual meaning of the messages that I was trying to convey.

To achieve my goal, I plan to enroll in the Graduate Writing Workshop that is offered this spring. As the workshop includes lessons in grammar, usage, vocabulary, and the achievement of a sophisticated tone, it will be a great opportunity for me to improve my writing as well as my conversation skills in English. My goal in this course is to get an A, indicating that I have made progress made towards my goal. My ultimate goal is to write a meaningful thesis that is free of extra words in a reasonable time. This, of course, requires that I have to give up my idea of an “easy” spring semester with only one class (Thesis II) and TA work. The workshop is scheduled twice a week and requires us to produce at least five pages each week, which is lot, given the fact that I don’t like to write. But I hope that I will be rewarded with an easier thesis-writing semester . . .

Blog 10

The resource I use most often is the UTEP library – the place offers a great service. I particularly appreciate the fact that I can meet with someone who is specialized in the subject area I’m researching. Because typing in the right key word(s) is the secret to success, consulting with a specialized librarian has helped me out many times, especially in areas other than kinesiology. Just recently, I discovered a feature called Digital/Commons@UTEP, where students and faculty post articles, reports and more. There are some really interesting papers from 1942 until today under “Theses and Dissertations.” It may take a while to discover a specific document, but it is worth the time. Another library service I’m frequently using is the Interlibrary Loan (ILL), which allows me to get hold of useful articles that are available online as abstract only. Concurrent with the UTEP library I’m using the UTTC Digital Library including D-Doc, which provides enrolled students access to material that is not available through the library. Besides the library and its databases, I’m using Google Scholar for my research. It has a plethora of information – some of which is useful and some that is not. The key to locating what you need is to specify or minimize your search; if not, you will spend precious time reading through material you won’t need . . .

Other helpful sources for my research are my adviser and other faculty members I come in contact with as a TA. I’m also using the expertise of the researchers at the Hispanic Health Disparity Research Center. Because I got grant money for my study from the center, I have to attend a workshop every second week. It’s a bit time consuming, but very helpful; besides, I’m free to use all their resources. For my teaching activities, both my professor and my students are the most valuable resources. My professor always helps me out when I get stuck and thus, gets me going; and my students are the ones telling me whether they are able to follow me in the direction I'm going.

Blog 9

I picked my thesis topic and my advisor at the end of last semester. Hence, I was expected to do my literature research during the summer semester. At the same time, my advisor made me aware of the possibility to receive a grant for my research, which was not only a great opportunity to support my work but also to learn how to write a grant proposal. Besides, the grant I got helps me keep track of my work, because I’m expected to meet the deadlines outlined in my proposal. Because I won’t receive any money until the IRB has approved my research, I’m ahead with my IRB proposal. This is actually a good thing, as it goes hand-in-hand with the thesis proposal that I am required to write this semester. Both processes require me to define the problem, delineate possible solutions, and identify assessment criteria; hence, I can “cut and paste” while preparing both documents. Another advantage of doing IRB and thesis proposal together is receiving feedback from different sources including my advisor, the professor who is overlooking the proposal writing and happens to be a member of my research committee, and from the people who are issuing the grant money.

I’m more than satisfied with the way my advisor works with me. We meet on a regular schedule, but she is always available to answer questions or discuss problems that may come up. She is very enthusiastic about the topic and is convinced that we can publish the data. She often helps me out with tips and examples based on her research or suggests readings, courses, or people that may help me out. Although my advisor expects me to do what I say I will do within a reasonable timeframe, she has never insisted that I do more than I can handle. Her support and understanding is very welcome, because heroic short-term efforts are often required from my part to balance the demands for my thesis with the deadlines in my other courses or with my responsibilities as a TA.