Professor Elam

Your campus Texas A & M San Antonio will sponsor the Southwest Teaching and Learning Conference here March 27-28. This will bring professors from Schools in the south Texas area as well as I understand from San Angelo, possibly El Paso, and the Houston area. I have submitted three presentations, two of which I would like your input and presence on Friday, March 27, times forthcoming.

The first is a research Proposal, What are the Best Practices for Teaching Non Traditional Students?  That of course would be you!  Our average age i 32. We hear that non traditional students want more interaction with teachers and smaller class sizes, they want personal relationships. Certainly the dynamic is deeper than that but I am making a general observation. I am proposing a research survey among non traditional students as to their likes and dislikes. I think it would be constructive to hear from some of you during the presentation in that regard.  This presentation is at 4:00 PM Friday.

The second is under the title of Innovative Curriculum Practices. In that regard I submitted my Weblog, Professorelam.typepad.com.  I have had many posts from all of you and the stats show that as many as 35 student a day are on line reading the blog. Okay, that sets the stage for your feedback. I am able to show That presentation is at 9:30 Friday morning.

How to construct a blog, how t he blog reflects student life

How to measure activity on the blog

What I do to create blog articles, but

I am not able to show frankly exactly how this improves your education. For that we need to hear from you. I of course do have the comments you have posted but I think we need your feedback on perhaps the following

The purpose of the blog is to link classroom study to real world business.

Does it achieve that result?

Has it imporved the learning environment (honestly I am not sure how to prove that).

Is there more take away content than if it did not exist

Does it improve the 24/7 learning environment, (this is an avowed purpose).

What should be done to show or assess its worth, questions in class, on exams, let students write one  paper a semester on a blog article, what?

Yes I am looking for students to participate with me in both presentations. No I am not looking for simple fawning comments or if you will someone blowing smoke so to speak about it, the audience wold not appreciate that. I am looking for constructive comments on what you think and most important in both areas, where do we go from here to improve your learning environment.

My experience is that non traditional students are very much into improving their learning environment that is why you are here after all.

So would you please submit your ideas via e mail on WEB CT, that way they will be confidential and I can find them much easier than on my regular e mail. I look forward to your input.