Some thoughts on English grammar assessment from a non-native speaker
Contributed by Federica Bocchi, PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Science (5-minute read) In her previous blog post, Maya discussed the tension between recognizing the importance of grammatical accuracy in writing assignments and acknowledging the disadvantages this practice could induce, especially in non-native English speakers. As a multilingual learner and instructor, I would like to offer […]
Putting Grammar Back In: Linguistically-Responsive Writing Instruction
Contributed by Maya Chakravorty, Ph.D Candidate in Classical Studies (3-minute read) As a graduate fellow with BU’s Writing Program, I had the pleasure of attending the workshop “Putting Grammar Back In: Linguistically-Responsive Writing Instruction”, hosted by Master Lecturers Christina Michaud and Marisa Milanese earlier this semester. The aim was to talk about grammar and language […]
Why Diversity at Conferences Matters
Contributed by Maria Valadez Ingersoll, Ph.D student at BU URBAN Program (4 minute read) As graduate students, attending conferences is an important chance for us to contribute to advances in our fields, to make connections with future employers or colleagues, and to create collaborations across institutions. Yet, simultaneously, conferences are a source of multiple stressors […]
Making Time for Connection at the End of the Semester
Contributed by Jean Otsuki. As we near the end of the semester, we encourage you to make time to check in with your students about how they are doing and create space for them to connect with their peers. Fostering classroom community is meaningful at any time, but can be especially valuable during stressful periods. […]
Clarity of Assignment Prompts: Considering Multimodality
Contributed by Pary Fassihi (1 minute read) A clear assignment prompt will give students all the information they need to complete the assignment. Not only does this set the students up for success, but it also saves time and reduces any confusion they may experience. There are some common reasons students may find themselves confused […]
“Just-in-time” Resources to Prep for Fall 2021: Part 2—Blackboard
Blackboard—now part of the pedagogical landscape at BU—can help organize course content, communicate with students, and act as an assignment portal (see its key features here). It can also act as a centralized location for students to find the most up-to-date information about their course. In the second part of this series, we present two […]
Supporting students and faculty in the classroom
Contributed by Jean Otsuki and Deb Breen, CTL (3 minute read) After more than a year and a half of pandemic pedagogy (masks, social distancing, remote and hybrid teaching), many students and faculty have been looking forward to the prospect of a return to face-to-face classes. Yet the spread of the Delta variant has subdued […]