Welcome to the instructor-led online discussions for Mu 101 (Fall 2019)! Each week, you’ll discuss a topic together based on a blog post I provide for you here. Our first week’s discussion will be a little different, though, and it will consist only of ideas generated by you in response to the questions below. Think of this first online discussion as an ice breaker, a chance to share resources, and a way for you to set the tone for how you want our (online) time together to go this semester. I’ll get this conversation going by asking you two broad questions:

  • What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience? What can we together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible? Our goal is to set our standards as a community for how we want to treat each other and also share tips or techniques for doing well in a class.
  • After reading the syllabus (pp. 6-7), you’ve learned that several assignments in this class will be graded on a scale of Credit/No Credit. What does “Credit” mean to you? What kind of work should earn “Credit” on these assignments? How do would you measure the quality of work you create in this class? Our goal is to define our standard of work that is “Credit”-worthy in Mu 101.

Notice that these questions are broad and open-ended—this is a classic “Dr. J.” prompt, and you’ll see many prompts like this over the semester. You can (and should!) take these questions in as many (surprising) directions as possible, draw upon your own specific experiences, and don’t feel limited by how they’re worded. If there’s something seemingly unrelated that they make you think of, then hey! that “unrelated” thing is actually related! That’s how you contribute the most to the conversation, and that’s how we all learn together.

An important note about this kind of writing practice

Most importantly for blog-style discussions, do not try to answer all of the questions I’ve posed. Focus on the ones that you have a strong reaction to, and learn from other people’s comments that address the other questions. Leave space for others to move the conversation along. There is no prize for trying to do it all yourself.

Limit each of your comments to addressing a single question or topic. By doing so, you make it easier for others to see your point quickly and easily, rather than letting your good idea get lost in the middle of a long, multi-topic post. If you have several different ideas you want to share, make several different comments. Let each idea speak for itself.

Finally, refer to the handout you received the first day of class (click on this highlighted text to go to that page our class website) which describes the amount and kinds of contributions you’re expected to make to these online discussions. These are the parameters of good conversation that happens offline, and they’re how I’ll be grading your participation here.

I look forward to seeing what you write and how this semester will unfold!

-Dr. J.

72 thoughts on “Our best practices (Online discussion Sep 2-8)”

  1. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience? What can we together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible? Our goal is to set our standards as a community for how we want to treat each other and also share tips or techniques for doing well in a class.

    One thing that would make a classroom environment welcome for me would be the temperature. Obviously, nobody likes a classroom that is too hot or too cold, so the temperature/thermostat should always be adjusted accordingly so that students are not uncomfortable while learning in the learning environment. Another thing that would make a classroom environment welcoming for me would be the seats. In one of my previous classes, my professor would have the seats arranged in a U-shape as opposed to simply having all of the seats in straight rows. Alternatively, the seats could be packed together in packs of 4 or 5. This makes it easier, especially for students who are doing group-based work, to communicate and interact with each other. However, that is currently not possible in the Music Lecture Hall, as the chairs are attached to the ground with folding tables, so they cannot be moved.
    One thing that would allow me to get the best out of my educational experience would be doing mostly hands-on learning. In other words, I believe that learning by doing is the best way to ensure that we don’t simply forget what we learned in the classroom. Oftentimes, I have classes where the professor simply lectures for hours straight. It’s boring, and it is also lazy on the professor’s end. At that point, why bother attending class just to listen to a lecture when you can simply listen to a recording of the lecture on an electronic device, especially when we would just forget most of it afterwards since it wasn’t hands-on learning? Another this what would allow me to get the best out of my educational experience would be to make sure that assignments are laid out clearly, and that they are easy to understand. I have had some previous classes where the instructions for the assignment were very vague, and even the professor could not help me fully understand what was required of me. So far, this class seems to give assignments that are easy to understand, and I was able to know what I needed to do rather easily.
    To make this class as possible and effective a space as possible, people should be encouraged to ask questions more, so that they aren’t confused about something, and there should be plenty of hands-on activities as opposed to the monotonic lecturing that occurs in so many other classes. I’m not asking for the class to be artificially made easier, and I’m not asking for the challenge to be simplified or taken away. I just think that helping students remain engaged by encouraging participation would be a nice start towards making this class as positive and as effective a space as possible.

    Like

    1. Hi My name is Melissa, I am from the Thursday Mus 101 class. I agree on Christen points on temperature, and seating. I agree that having a comfortable seating in a class room is important and being able to arrange and rearrange a class room based on the assignment of having a group or no group task would be good, but I prefer to have a spacious environment to do my work, and would not have any problem moving to a group setting. Having a pleasant temperature to work in make it one less thing to worry about, and it allow you to not being distracted. I think Comfort in a class room is one of the most important thing for learning because if you are not comfortable you would not be able to focus, and would be missing a lot of vital information.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. How would you feel if next week the professor switches it up and comes with a complex way of challenging us? Would that not be a best educational experience?

      Liked by 1 person

    3. user name: Momotj

      I agree with Christen. A classroom should never be too hot or too cold. It makes it very difficult for students. I personally hate being cold. When I am cold, it makes it very difficult for me to focus on what’s going on. I always try to bring a sweater because it makes it so difficult to get through class without it. I also agree that having comfortable chairs is important. I have always hated school when I was young because of this. I use to find myself all slouched down in the hard chair. We pay so much to attend college so at least make us comfortable. Some people are in school all day long and by the time I leave, my back is hurting. Also having a Professor who is helpful and willing to go above and beyond to help is a plus. I find If you don’t have a good professor, you most likely are gonna have a bad semester. The Professor does matter. Some Professors don’t care, they will set you up for failure. I have had some great ones and some really bad ones too. I must say ratemyprofessor.com is one of the best things they came up with for students.

      Like

  3. What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience?
    I think not missing any lecture is very important for me, especially when I am taking many classes together and recorded online lectures are very useful tool when I cannot make it to class. Learning from other people experiences are also a great way get the best out of my educational experience and I think this online discussion will help me.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. i agree completly. the first day of class was very interesting because, i met lots of different peaople with different point of views. hving discussions online and in class will be interesting. by the way, our class only meats on thursdays. i don’t recommand anyone missing lectures.

      Like

    2. This one is one of my favorite responses, because at the end of the day; naturally, attendance plays a huge role in how one can receive and process an education.

      Like

    3. I have to agree with the importance of not missing any classes. I have had bad experiences in previous schools on what a spiral it can be to start skipping classes.

      Like

    4. I don’t like missing any lecture also because I’m scared I will miss any little detail. This is actually my first time doing online lectures. Have you ever done online lectures before? if so, how was your experience?

      Like

  5. To me , a classroom is an environment were you can seat among other peers or students. a place were you can learn about different ideas and concepts. i like having group discussions, debates or exchanging different views. i personally think one can learn better this way. i have never been exposed to an online class but the idea of online discussions seemed interesting. i can’t wait to see how this unfolds. i think we should be honest about our true feelings and posts. Reply respectfully and try to help each other in areas of confusions. i don’t think the class will be difficult. Once we get and understand the routine, we will do just fine. It sounds overwhelming now, in don’t think it will stay that throughout the remainder of the semester.
    As far as the Credit/no Credit, i endorsed it because it is a better way do well in this class. to me it means “ do all your work, get credits or go fixed it and re-submits” please let me know how you guys feel about my ideas.

    Like

  7. What sort of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? Well for me it’s the people and how friendly they are but that’s honestly just me. I prefer an environment where I can get along with my classmate and maybe even have the same taste in music because it is a music class.

    Like

  8. The sorts of things that make a classroom or online environment welcoming for me is the energy emitted from the professor. Something as simple as their body language, tone of voice and how they present the course content and syllabus will decide (at least in my perspective) how the environment will be set for the rest of the semester. When prof. Jones began her introduction by explaining all are welcome regardless of religion, pronouns, gender identity, sexuality, etc. she already had everyone in the class put at ease with just those words Creating an open, accepting environment should be on the top of the list of priorities for teachers, as that makes a great motivator for students to thrive.

    What we can together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible is to just simply continue to maintain the energy around us that was initiated by the professor and always be willing to discuss our ideas and thoughts among each other.

    -Kay, thurs 6-9pm class.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Two things that make a classroom environment welcoming for me is the atmosphere and the people. If a classroom is in a welcoming and safe environment, I will
    Feel more at ease. I believe positive energy from the onset of class would go
    A long way. I also believe in soothing music , and even a moment of meditation may help
    To gather our thoughts. I also believe in partnering with other students on projects will help in obtaining good grades and understanding what’s required of us.
    The kind of work that I think should earn credit in this class is participation. I think participation is important because it allows me to get involved with discussions in class as well as get to know my classmates more through those discussions.

    Like

    1. I also think that partnering with other classmates could benefit all of us and is also a great way to have different perspectives on a certain topic and allow us to be more open minded. I would like to suggest that if we are to be partnered for different assignments or activities, that we rotate and try not to stick with the same people even if it is a little hard for some but I think that would make the environment even more friendly as we have the chance to work with everyone in class at least once.

      Like

  10. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming.
    The online classroom environment is not one that I am used to since most of my prior classes have been done in a classroom setting. I struggle with the use of technology but so far I find that the dashboard for the online classroom has been much easier than I anticipated, everything on the dashboard is well-identified. There is also helped available when I have questions using the dashboard.
    As a classroom, I would think that if we are respectful of our post it will help in making the experience a great learning one we must agree to disagree as we read each other post we can learn from our classmates and our instructor. A leaning environment where the teacher accommodates the integral value of the students, students will be happier and more engaging.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. What can we together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible?

    I think that in order to make a class room more positive and effective as students we can encourage each other
    And support one another. If some one makes a good point we can let them know. We could give feed back to each other. This could be effective because this would allow us to improve our material. Another way we can make the class room more positive by having lessons that are interactive. By having hands-on lessons that would be a fun way to involve students and with that the class would be more fun specially since we’re going to be there for three hours.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If we’re going to be engaging in discussion and feedback with each other, it’s going to be important to trust each other. We need to be able to accept criticism gracefully, and trust that no one is looking to attack us. I thoroughly agree with your point on supporting each others growth.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience?
    I think taking note and attend a lecture is very important for me. When i taking notes it is easy to remember everything.

    Like

  14. What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience?
    For myself, I like to be challenged and uncomfortable, collecting all of the different ideas I come across until I have my own perspective on something. I believe nobody has ever became successful by being comfortable where they were, in all areas of life. Once you become comfortable, you stop growing. Having an open mindset, and having constructive criticism from the people around me helps me expand my own ideas.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I agree. I love a good challenge, too. A challenge can even get me to warm up inside of a cold classroom.

      Like

    2. Constructive criticism is good, but we have to keep in mind that all of us have different opinions and perceptions. What is of value to one may not be worthy to others. At the end of the day, I think the teacher should have a final say on the value of our work in class. But I do agree to your comments.

      Like

      1. Like you said, “what is of value of one may not be worthy to others” this applies to professors too. I think there is always room for comments on a paper from a peer and a professor.

        Liked by 2 people

  15. What allow me to get the best out of my educational experience.
    1. Showing up to every class on time so that I don’t miss any information.
    2. Practices that will help me improve my skills in the area of my study.
    3. Materials that is easy to understand and comprehend.
    4.Taking notes of important points.
    5. Sharing a class room with pleasant classmates, and having a pleasant,and informative Professor who adds a little fun, and excitement to learning.
    This is my first time taking a music class,and I was not sure what to expect. My first day experience was pleasant and informative, and the flow and atmosphere was comforting. I am looking forward to the remaining semester.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Classroom and online environments can sometimes feel cold and unfamiliar, but they don’t have to be. Personally, aside from computerized heat, when I walk into a classroom I can almost always warm up to kindness, respectfulness and relatability . Online environments can be a bit tricky, because there’s no heat involved, just opinions and graphic representations of characters, but I think when there is a sense of unified understanding of information or knowledge to be consumed (in classroom and online,) my brains starts to warm up. Having a professor who isn’t problematic about a student being wrong during a class discussion is a comforting experience, but also having a professor who strategically and masterfully uses language to find a way to relate that students response to the actual topic of discussion is a learning experience that shows me I am welcomed. From seeing us students learn to the professor having a marketable teaching technique reflects togetherness, for me.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. When I think of credit, I think of personal and physical growth toward a valuable numeric system: money, college credits, performance, etc. Also, work should be measured by growth.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. I am Shara from Tuesday class. Firstly, I believe once an assignment is done and is on-time it should be recognized . I believe an assignment is worth “credit” if it is done on time and is done to the best of a student’s ability. An assignment that deserves credit is one that is presented properly and meets the requirements given by a Professor. Additionally, credit to me makes me want to work even harder since “no credit” or “correction needed” is a little distasteful since I personally try to work to the best of my ability. Lastly, the work I consider as “creditworthy” is one that is presented covering all the aspects required of me and showing that a full understanding on the topic has been mastered.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally agree with you. Since the evaluation is “Credit’ to “No Credit”, everyone should try their hardest to meet the standards set by the professor.

      Liked by 2 people

  19. My vision of a welcoming classroom is where a professor says “Hello!” with a sincere smile, it might be simple compared to other’s perception of welcoming but for me is quite meaningful. I would like for the ambient I experienced on Thursday to carry on and become even better as we get to know each other more throughout the semester. As some have already mentioned, one way we can make the class effective and positive is by sharing ideas with each other while being respectful towards that person and their belief even if we don’t necessarily agree.

    Like

    1. This is exactly how I feel. A “hello” from a professor can go a long way. I can probably count on one hand how many times a professor greeted each students individually like Professor Jones did.

      Liked by 2 people

  20. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience? What can we together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible?
    To have a amicable welcoming, great classmates, and new facts to learn as this semester goes on. As long as the classroom/ online environment is not of ignoring people’s question, or that person’s presence, I am good. Pointing out the other question, would be teaching us, the students, directly. I am a fan of learning through teaching because I am lazy to learn anything by myself, so learning directly from class would be super cool. Lastly, but not the lest, group activities in class can make the class more positive and effective because I being surround by great classmates can bring more positive feelings.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lol. This made me laugh. I think a lot us students depend on professors as a source of new learning and that’s it, but is direct learning from class/teacher a strong form of learning? What’s an educational experience without learning a few things on your own too?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I understand what you mean, for my opinion, learning from the professor can give my a sense of direction or purpose to the materials given to us to learn. Otherwise, I wouldn’t really learn a lot of information because I do not see purpose to learn class materials, which latter a WILL forget. So in essence, directly learning from the professor is a strong form of learning, it might be different for each person, but this is my view-of-point. As for the last question, I would say we all are learning an educational experience in our daily life. Life is our teacher. Now, I am not disagreeing with you, but I would say that I would be learning at a slower pace than the rest because I don’t learn by myself. That’s about it.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Totally understandable, because we all do not have the same learning experiences. And I agree with you 1000%. Guidance at the hands of a professional instructor can go a long way. I get you. I, too, depend on 50% of how I process knowledge (and information) from a professor within an institutional setting. The other 50%, I like to take the initiative to expand on my way of handling received knowledge and information, because I believe there’s more to gain. And I think it’s my responsibility and a debt I owe to the ancestors. Ya know? As George Santayana once said, “A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.” – Not to say this applies to you, but just some food for thought. Thank you for responding.

          Like

  21. Hello! This is Chloe from the Thursday class! For me, a welcoming class environment is created primarily by the teacher. An instructor who is relatable, treats the students as equals, and has a warm, approachable demeanor makes me feel most comfortable! Somebody who I feel I can talk to as an individual, who relates to and understands what it’s like to be in the students shoes. It is hard for me to do my best work when I feel I cannot approach my instructor with any questions or issues I may have. A teacher with a positive and welcoming attitude motivates me to do my best.
    As for the credit/no credit system, I find it very interesting. I have never experienced this type of grading system before. I think I’m order to earn credit, the student must show clear effort, and understanding of the assignment! It should be work that the student is proud of, that shows they understand the topic well enough to give eloquent insight. It relieves a lot of pressure that a grading scale can create.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Chloe brings up a valid point where it is essential for a student to be able to show what they learned through their efforts and that is what credit should be given for. How relevant their information is to the topic and how clear it is that they understand are factors I’d consider. I would say that the assignments that you would receive no credits for, should be the assignments that are strictly for the benefit of learning.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? For me a welcoming environment would be a place where i can be able to concentrate and be inspired. Good encouragement, positive feedback and praise motivates me. Being able to engage with my peers allows knowledge to be shared and a chance to ask for opinions. Being able to be hands on with things is how i learn.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. @Narveeda I totally agree with that positive feedbacks also make me feel welcome in a learning environment I personally like honest feedbacks May it be from my classmates or the professor.

    Like

  24. Hello everyone, just got off work and I have some times to chat a little. I m glad to see many posts thus far. I think that most of us kind of getting an idea of what online discussion’s about. I like it a lot. I never had to do it before. It’s kind of cool. I’m just sitting in my car out of working parking lot and contributing to school assignments. All I had to do is login. I’m sure that next Thursday our professor will discuss the idea and ask us our opinions on participating in online discussions. If we keep doing that including open topics in class, this will be my best semester ever. Thumbs up to That. That’s is my endorsement for this type of learning environment.

    Liked by 2 people

  25. Hi, I’m from the Thursday evening class and i say that the best way to make the most out of my experience is by taking notes, trying my best to make it to all my classes, asking questions, and concentrating. I’m normally not a huge fan of group work but the activities we were given and the group i had were a lot of fun. Our group has us laughing a lot. Which to me is very important because it creates a great classroom environment.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience?
    To me regardless in being in a class or online there is a high chance of learning something new everyday. While in class you would think that you know everything the teacher is saying but really you take in all the information and process it for the next class.Plus there is a chance in making friends with my classmates and have good conversations based on what the teacher says or the thoughts brought together . The only thing i will say about being in a music class that explains the beginning of music helps me gain knowledge about the history of music and how it became the way it is today.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. i agree with you 100%, i my my self is a Dj and own my own studio. i m exposed to musicians, music and instruments. believe it or not, that is not enough for me. I decided to do the music degree because it will enrich my knowledge on the subject matter and it will also give me the confidence necessary to pursuit a career in the music business. already, this class is interesting enough. the readings are so influential so far. i’m learning a lot about music genres, soundscape and history of jazz music.in addition, i’m meeting people that can axing ideas and helpful thoughts. i have completed the reading assignments for next class and i have gained a lot from them. imagine the whole semester, i will probably be an expert at the subject matter.

      Like

  27. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience? Things that make the classroom environment welcoming is when the teacher and the students are all friendly and easy to talk to, this helps me relax and to be able to talk when I have something on my mind or a question I have to ask.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. For me, I feel that what makes a classroom is the atmosphere and the people around me and how everyone can work along. I tend to be the quiet kind but love getting into conversations that can benefit the classroom as a whole. I already love how everyone is so chill in my class and I hope that we all strive together this year.

    Liked by 2 people

  29. What allows me to get the best educational experience is ‘clarity’. If the instructor is clear on their expectations, how they grade, give assignments and the overall structure of the class, it makes it easier for the student to be successful in my opinion. Clarity lets the student know the expectations of the professor and what needs to be done to meet those expectations and achieve success.

    Like

    1. I completely agree. Clarity is definitely one of the most important aspects of our learning process. It’s very important that we understand what we are doing.

      Like

  30. What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience? What can we together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible? Our goal is to set our standards as a community for how we want to treat each other and also share tips or techniques for doing well in a class.

    I agree with Christian that in order for the classroom to feel welcoming for me, the class temperature and seating has to be well adjusted. I wouldn’t like to be in a classroom where it’s way to hot to pay attention or even too cold.To add on, the seating as of right now is great no one is isolated and everybody can engage with a classmate whether it be group work or even a question about the lecture. One thing that allows me to get the best out of my educational experience is if everybody gives it their best and does everything they can to contribute. Nobody should feel their response is wrong, as long as they make a effort it will help them and everybody else to learn as to why their idea was wrong or no strong as others. This allows everyone to learn from each other and keeps the class environment healthy.

    Like

  31. After reading the syllabus (pp. 6-7), you’ve learned that several assignments in this class will be graded on a scale of Credit/No Credit. What does “Credit” mean to you? What kind of work should earn “Credit” on these assignments? How do would you measure the quality of work you create in this class? Our goal is to define our standard of work that is “Credit”-worthy in Mu 101.

    As to the credit and no credit idea.To me the type of work that deserves “credit” is when the student gave their best effort to the assignment and didn’t just give in something unacceptable. If the professor is giving their 100% why aren’t you doing the same thing.It should always be 100/100 not 50/50. For me to measure the quality of work I create in this class is by how much I grew as a person. I wouldn’t want to be the same person by the end of this course.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Agree with the point Jaskaran1107 make about what type of work deserves credit. Each assignment is graded at a percentage and if you do not complete the assignment to the professor standard you will not get the full credit and if you did not do the assignment you will not get the credit. Credit to me help me to know where I stand academically and areas I need to improve on. I am not sure how to measure my quality of work, but I know I put my best effort in completing any assignment and class work etc to the best of my ability and understanding of the work.

      Like

  32. The second question is an interesting one. Especially when it comes to grading more creative types of writing. I’m studying to become a math teacher, and grading or reviewing math is so different than most other subjects, since it’s rare that there’s a single correct answer to any question.
    Personally, I think a “No Credit” / “Credit” scale has to look at the level of effort put into the writing. It can be hard to draw the line, but what matters is if the person doing the writing clearly put effort into whatever they’re writing. Length can be an indicator of this, but not entirely, since it’s easy to write a lot about nothing. As long as the student demonstrates that real thought and effort went into the writing, “Credit” seems reasonable.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes I agree. Personally, Im the type of person that likes to keep my writing “short and sweet” saying what needs to be said and explaining my point properly usually wont take me 8 pages to do.

      Like

  33. classroom environment:
    One aspect of a classroom that would make it welcoming to me is the lighting. If a room is too dimly lit then students may tend to lose focus a bit, at least when not focusing on a projector/screen. Decent lighting may serve to properly wake students up. Something else that makes a class seem more welcoming is if there are windows,which we lack in our music hall. Being able to see the outside world in the middle of class can be comforting to people, as opposed to rooms where there are no windows and it feels like you’re in a big cubicle. That probably goes back to lighting again since natural lighting can be considered pleasing to most people.
    credit:
    for receiving credit, i think a student should put their 100% effort towards the assignment. then students should be given credit on their improvement towards the subject in the end of the semester.

    Like

  34. Hi my name is Ocean and I’m from Mus 101 F2 in Tuesdays. I agree with everyone who believes temperature is an important aspect to consider within our environment. Personally, I feel very uncomfortable when it’s way too cold in the room and we’d feel much better if it was at normal room temperature. Other than that, in order to ensure we have the best possible learning environment, it is important that we stay quiet and attentive while the professor is teaching. It’s good to be prepared to participate, meaning that everyone being able to raise their hands and be engaged in the discussion, would benefit everyone greatly. In order for me to do well, I try to stay close to the front so it’s harder to get distracted plus it’s better when there aren’t too many students clustered in one area. One thing I would suggest is having possibly 2 ten minute breaks instead of just one because it gets quite uncomfortable sitting in those chairs for so long. Especially those chairs. Stretching out of our seats more often might make us feel more comfortable.

    Like

  35. I enjoy a classroom environment that involves all of the students focusing on the same subject. I do not like classes where everyone is having their own conversation with one anither and not paying attention because it makes it hard for me to focus. I also like that our classroom takes place in an auditorium setting. It allows us to pay foward attention to the large projector and professor

    Like

    1. Hi Jnaser12 I agree with you about that all the students should be focusing on the same subject. It’s very distracting and disrespectful when others are having their own conversation or on their phone during class section.

      Like

  36. The things that make a class room environment welcoming is everyone treating eachother equally and with respect. I strongly feel that a healthy learning environment can help each of us feel more comfortable participating in daily class work and as well as help us succeed along with support each other. A healthy and welcoming learning environment is beneficial by connecting us together and help each other keep going in the class and encourage others to learn. Also this could help us teach each other new things such as culture, studying tips, your own ideals and beliefs you can integrate into your daily life. A healthy environment unifies us so that we can make the classroom experience fun and educational that encourages us to learn outside of the classroom and share your findings with your peers. A healthy environment also helps the professor teach us better with out any hassle or any unnecessary problems. For a healthy environment we should try understand each other alone with out backgrounds, out opinions, be open minded about each others beliefs and ideals.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I completely agree with the healthy environment because as you said this will help with each other and encourage others to learn more and not only that it will also help each student have a better self-steam, don’t you think?

      Like

  37. I believe some techniques for doing well in a class is always have a open mind. Yes , something you might not agree to other belive but its always good to know what other might think or have done to not do the same mistake or have the same kind of misunderstanding. Part of being open mind is being free. I think some people feel they are suppost to be in an certain way of speaking or thinking but we are just human beings that learn things as we get older.

    Like

  38. 1). What sorts of things make a classroom (or online) environment welcoming for you? What allows you to get the best out of your educational experience? What can we together do in this class to make it as positive and effective a space as possible? Our goal is to set our standards as a community for how we want to treat each other and share tips or techniques for doing well in a class.

    -Things that make an online environment welcoming for me are the helpful feedback and friendly people that are willing to help people. Something that allows me to get the best out of my educational experience is when I understand and become interested in the class. We can respect other’s beliefs whatever they maybe and have respect towards each other.

    2). After reading the syllabus (pp. 6-7), you’ve learned that several assignments in this class will be graded on a scale of Credit/No Credit. What does “Credit” mean to you? What kind of work should earn “Credit” on these assignments? How do would you measure the quality of work you create in this class? Our goal is to define our standard of work that is “Credit”-worthy in Mu 101.

    -Credit means to me the reward or the incentive to work harder and efficiently to and accomplish something. The kind of work that should earn “Credit” is the kind of work that came through hard work. I would measure the quality by the effort and the creative thinking involving in the work.

    Like

  40. Ive noticed I work the best when I have a very motivating group working with me. I like positive people and positive feedback to be given and recieved. Environments where everyone is respected and their ideas are listened thoroughly are also very important to me. Theres a lot of us in the class and I believe we all have different ideas/beliefs/likes and dislikes. I think its very important for us as a class to be open to listening to these ideas. You don’t necessarily have to agree but do listen and respect each eachothers ideas/beliefs.
    Credit to me means something that is authentic, that is done whole heartedly only by you. Theres no plagiarism involved and only your thoughts are included in the process. In this case the quality of your work matters a lot to receive credit. If you rush through something and effort isn’t put, the work will speak for it self; in that case no credit will be received. I would say the information obtained during class lecture being used in any outside work or homework can really measure the quality of your work. In a sense it shows how much you pay attention to the professor and how much of it you actually understood.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Hi guys I know intro wasn’t asked for but Im Leslie!
    Something that makes a classroom environment welcoming whether it’s in person or online is a comfortable environment not only for myself but for everyone else. Obviously we just started this semester but Im really excited and look forward to the classroom discussions we will be having and different mindset and perspectives people have. There will be times that not everyone is on the same page, and thats perfectly fine as long as we keep it respectful and we hear one another. What defiantly triggers my educational experience is when its hands-on class. Love how Dr.J put us into small groups of 3s where sometime one person points out something you might not have paid as much attention to and vise versa. Some times classes assign group projects where you have to find your own time outside of school to get your work done before the due date, which I find very stressful but I love working in groups within class time because thats where you can express your thoughts and get to know new people. Overall I’m excited what MU 101 has to offer for us this semester!

    Like

  42. Hello, I agree with many of the other students that say that lighting plays a part in making a classroom environment more welcoming. But most importantly I believe it is the respect that the students should have towards one another and also the respect between the student and teacher should be mutual, I also believe that being in a non judgmental environment makes one feel more comfortable to open up and share more of themselves with the rest of the class. After reading the syllabus and informing myself about the class being graded on a credit/no credit bases, I feel that a student should be given credit only if they show they gave it their best and put in a lot of effort. I think this way of grading takes away a little pressure because a student will not be so stressed out about getting an A or a perfect score, or let down if they don’t get that A. I think it will have a positive affect on students. I think Credit worthy work is work that clearly shows how much a student put effort into it and work that is handed in on time.

    Like

  43. Ways that can be welcoming for me to this course and online discussion is firstly, our professor’s warm welcome and engaging with us by giving our first soundscape. It was just not a good start to introducing us to soundscapes but also helped us to connect with our fellow classmates. In my past educational experience, one outstanding thing is always the motivation and support I got from my teachers. They have really been such great support in my educational path. I would suggest that more information and background will be very effective in learning about Mu 101. It would be respectful when we give others a chance and exchange different opinions because that way, we can learn from each other too. Techniques that I always use is taking notes.

    A “credit” paper most definitely requires quality over quantity. If there’s hardwork and effort, then its for sure you’re doing well and working to a “credit’ grade paper.

    Like

  44. I think that for an assignment to earn credit, it should be clear from the quality of the work that the student has done their work to the best of their ability. An assignment that earns credit should be one that had thought put into it, and wasn’t just submitted for the purpose of hitting a deadline. We may not all be capable of the same quality of writing, but we can all do our best to think about our assignments and put in effort in order to get as much out of the class as we can, and I think that the grade of “credit” should reflect that.

    Liked by 1 person

  45. As far as what makes a classroom welcoming, I find mutual respect to be the most welcoming aspect of a classroom. Not just respect for each other as human beings (although, obviously that), but also respect for each other as students. In a class, we are all here to learn, not just from Dr. Jones, but from each other. We cannot learn from each other if we do not respect each other’s ideas, or if we feel like our ideas are not being respected.

    Like

Comments are closed.