CEdu 572 - 01/12/11

1. List and describe 2 expectations you had of our class before we started.

- In complete honesty, I didn't know WHAT to expect from the class.  I was literally hired at my schools the week before the class started.  Based on what little I knew of Library/Media Science, I figured we would learn about the Dewey Decimal System and perhaps laws regarding LMS.

2. Describe 3 topics, discussions or projects that we did in this class that you especially liked or thought were useful to you.  Why did you like these best?

-Titlewave. Without a doubt.  The collection analysis tools are so essential that I can't imagine doing my job without it.
-The website assignment.  Not only is this assigment helping to make my library "more awesome" but is adding to my job security.  Yeah, that's the good stuff.
-3-Year Needs Assessment.  I didn't take the time to do things like looking at student demographics and curriculum maps.  And I didn't really know what to buy with my budget.  This assignment is absolutely helping me to figure out how to spend my cash.  How about that!

3. Did our class fulfill your expectations?  If not, why?

Seeing as how I had none to begin with, sure!  My expectations were to learn a few things.  I had no idea I would be learning so many IMMEDIATELY APPLICABLE things for my job. 

4. Was the instructor accessible enough?  Did you feel comfortable asking questions? 

Absolutely.  She was very accessible.  Granted, I didn't ask many questions outside of class, but I feel that if I would have, a response would have been quickly given.

5. Please list things you would like to see changed or improved in this course

Honestly, I found the pace of the coursework to be very managable.  From hearing about what it was last year, I'm glad the quantity came down.  Not in a "I'm happy to do less work" sort of way, but in a "I'm happy that the work is appropriate to how much time I have."  So I don't see much need for change or improvement.  However, I thought that the Saturday class seemed unnecessary.  While it was certainly exciting to visit the MPL and the Stritch Library, I didn't see the immediate connection to our class.  It may have been a time requirement that needed filling, but I didn't feel that the trip was ultimately beneficial.

6. Any other comments about the instructor or our class?

Chris is great!  I walk away from every class having learned something new that I can put to use immediately in my job.  I have said this before, but this has been the first class in my college career (which is long enough, I promise) that I felt I genuinely learned the most.  She uses her personal experience to illustrate and explain what we are learning.  The concrete and applied learning far outweighs the theoretical in this class.  And that's what I want.