Personal Action Implementation Plan

Personal Action Implementation Plan
Amanda Postel
Summer 2008

I feel like the general intention of the Personal Action Implementation Plan is to help instructors improve their courses and teaching methods. In an ideal world, I would want to be proactive in implementing ideas such as using creative new ways to engage students, designing a new student project or learning activity, incorporating more active learning opportunities, or including a community service opportunity within at least one of my courses. I am full of big ideas!

However, this fall I will be facing a number of significant changes to the classes I teach. Given the magnitude of changes before me, I feel I realistically will have to table some of my grand ideas, and approach my Personal Action Implementation Plan in a more reactive manner.
Here are the changes I will be negotiating this fall:

The location of my classes will change. For the first time, I will teach weekday classes at the main campus (Truax) as opposed to weekend classes at satellite campuses and community centers (South Madison, Centro Guadalupe, Bridge Lake Point Waunona Neighborhood Center, etc.).

The time of my classes will change. Instead of teaching 3-hour classes meeting once a weekend, I will be teaching weekday courses that meet 1 hour 15 minutes twice a week, and one 2 ½ hour evening course, both of which are new time frames for me.

The language I teach in will change. In the past, I have taught Microsoft Office and most other computer classes in Spanish or a bilingual format, but this fall I will be teaching Microsoft Office courses for the first time in English only.

Due to the new location, time frame, and language of transmission, I expect that the student population in my classes will be different than in the past. I expect to have more native English speakers, and more "traditional" college students than in the past. I do not yet know just how this change will affect classroom dynamics, teaching strategies, and a number of other variables, but I imagine I will have to adjust in some way to the different types of students I will have in my classes.

The content of my courses will change. Two of the software courses I am scheduled to teach have been upgraded since the last time I taught them. In the past I taught Windows 2000 and Excel 2003, but due to the upgrade, I will be teaching Windows XP and Excel 2007 for the first time.

The materials for my courses will change. Again due to the upgrade, new textbooks are being issued. New textbooks mean new readings, new in-class activities, new assignments, new quizzes, etc.

I will be teaching for the first time in a new department. In the past, I have taught computer classes for Adult Continuing Education, Diversity and Community Relations, and Business, Industry, and Community Services. This fall, I will be teaching for the Business Technology Department, so I am dealing with a new supervisor and administrative procedures.

This written Personal Action Implementation Plan will help me to identify specific steps I can take to respond to the changes I am facing. It is also my hope that having and following a written plan will help me to negotiate some of the anxiety I feel in facing all of these changes. Having an organized and methodical plan of action should be useful tool that also reduces stress as I move into this new phase of teaching.

The Plan
Action Items
Target Date
1) Acquire the textbooks and any curriculum that exists for the new courses I will be teaching (Windows XP and Excel 2007).
June
2) Spend time reviewing the textbooks and curriculum. Pay special attention to the number and nature of assignments and the grading system used by other instructors.
June-August
3) Develop a syllabus Windows XP. Determine the pacing, assignments, and grading for the course. Consider how to adapt my classroom routines and teaching methods to shorter, more frequent class meetings.
August 18
4) Wait to develop the syllabus for Excel 2007, which begins mid-semester. Reflect on "lessons learned" from Windows XP and incorporate any necessary changes in the plans (and syllabus) for Excel 2007.
October
5) Prior to the start of classes, become familiar with classrooms I will be teaching in for the first time. Make a note of what software is installed on the student computers (particularly all Microsoft accessories that are used in Windows XP curriculum, Microsoft Excel, and PrintKey which alters the procedures for any assignments requiring a screen print). Make a note of any special passwords or log-in procedures. Turn on all equipment at instructor station to make sure everything functions and I know how to work the equipment. Call the helpdesk to inquire what procedures to follow if a student does not know their log-in information or has not activated their MATC account.
August 11-15
6) Create a blog to document insights, challenges, and progress. Write at least 10 reflective blog entries during the semester, as well at least 5 during summer preparation. I have a lot to learn from this new experience, and I expect that journaling will help me to process what I experience, deepen my own learning, and improve my teaching in the face of new challenges.
June-December

Assessment
I will assess the effectiveness of this change in three ways. First, I will assess my ability to accomplish the tasks on my list of action items. Second, I will assess effectiveness through blog entries. Finally, I will write a conclusion to tie these elements together and provide closure for this project.