Tutela a guiding influence

When I started to write this column a few days ago we were being blasted by icy winds on a brilliant fall day. Today is just as brilliant but almost balmy. So goes the weather and so goes the semester. As a friend says, "It's the little highs that keep you going." The opposite is also true. It's the little lows that can ruin everything. Humans tend to respond well to the big shocks, getting back to normal as best we can. It's the bumps and scrapes of everyday living that wear us down, sometimes bringing us to a full stop. Beware the bumps and scrapes!

We so rarely get together as a group that it is easy to feel as though we are out there struggling on our own. I'd like to take some time to talk about who we are, what we do, and how we are doing it. About 50 tutors from last year said they could tutor this fall. As it happens, we started the semester with 38 tutors. Since then, we've hired nearly 70 more and are adding more every week. By the end of this semester, we will be somewhere near 125 tutors. I'd like to have even more.

Math and science are the most requested areas. We've been hit hard for the lower-level math courses this semester. This is the result of a raising of the bar on the math placement exam. Consequently, more students are taking the lower-level courses, and we had many more requests than usual.

This semester we have more than the usual number of single-request courses. Some examples: Survey of Film, Aging in Comparative Perspective, Theatre and Society, Ancients to Moderns. If you've taken any of these, let me know! Course requests encompass the entire academic spectrum from Basic Algebra II to Hindi I; from recreational science to pharmacotherapy. Occasionally, students come to us in panic, desperately needing -- sometimes demanding -- a tutor this minute! Most often, students are patient about our finding tutors for them. Beginning this issue, student comments about tutoring will be "quoted" in Tutela. When the bumps and scrapes of the semester begin to wear on you, remember the times you've made a difference. Remember the moment the light went on for the student who thought it would never happen. In the past two weeks I've been scattering gazillions of electrons under the title of "Tutor Wish Lists." My calls for help to the tutor listserv have for the most part been answered quickly and affirmatively. In some cases, I've asked some of you individually if you could add a student here or add an hour there. Thanks to everyone who took a moment to look at their schedule and make room for a student seeking assistance. The work we do can make a huge difference, academically and otherwise, in students' lives.

Beware the bumps and scrapes!

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Mathematics tutors, if you want to encourage students you tutor to get additional assistance, the Math Lab at 314 McLean Hall is a good place to recommend. As of the 3rd week of October, 4666 student contacts have occurred at the Math Lab for assistance in a wide array of courses that includes, but is not limited to, 22M:002, 22M:015, 22M:017 and Engineering Calculus.

To get the most out of the Math Lab, I suggest that you meet with Yavonne Herndon, the manager of the Lab. Yavonne is a wonderful resource for explaining the daily operations of the Math Lab, its goals, its challenges, its changes, and its ideals. Yavonne plays a pivotal role in the daily operation through her knowledge of students and the graduate TAs who tutor. She connects students to appropriate tutors, makes sure students get assistance within a reasonable time and updates students and tutors alike on materials and procedures that support efficiency and effectiveness in the Lab. For instance, new software in the Lab supports students' learning basics in some courses when it is apparent that the student needs a greater understanding of basic concepts. Using the software, students can work independent of a tutor and get the foundation for the coursework.

Math Lab personnel also meet to develop strategies for addressing common problems many students are experiencing. For example, Yavonne is in the process of developing new handouts that focus on the problem-solving process instead of providing only more practice problems. Handouts explaining the problem-solving process allow students to keep working on different types of problems that often stump them once they leave the Math Lab. Yavonne can help students form study groups in the Lab and also help students choose the best days and times to use the facility to avoid the huge crowds from the multiple-section courses.

Yavonne is approachable, friendly, and well informed. She is there to make sure everyone gets the most out of the Math Lab experience. You may contact her at yherndon@math.uiowa.edu. She encourages you to visit their website at www.math.uiowa.edu.

Hours of operation: (Daytime) Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.(Evenings) Sunday - Thursday, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Yavonne Herndon is beginning her third year of employment as the Manager of the Math Lab for which Professor Juan Gatica is the Director. She earned her B.S. degree in computer science and a teaching certificate in mathematics from the University in 1993. She has strong ties with Support Service Programs as a former student and as a clerk at NDIL.

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When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten students got the answer correct, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors:

What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?

[Find the answer below.]

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Dr. Elisa Grajales, of University Counseling Services, returned October 10, to give the second part of her workshop on Cultural Competency. She continued the theme that cultural competency develops from self-examination. The workshop included some interesting handouts, a few startling revelations and a comforting discussion. For me, the workshop really began the moment I walked out of the session and made my way through the IMU to the nearest exit. I realized I tend to lump people into a few select categories and continue on my way. I think my experience is typical. In the course of the day, there are people I know and don't know. Being less than outgoing, I drop those I don't know from my radar. I am terrible with names and faces so I have to concentrate on the people who I should remember. However, on this day I really looked at all the people I could see and tried to imagine what they might be going through. An amazing thing happened; Questions started to form and I really wanted some answers.

I have Dr. Grajales to thank for this reaction. She helped me realize that I am culturally lazy. I tend to surround myself with like-minded people or those with whom I feel most comfortable. On this campus my group of contacts is not reflective of the general population, and I have to admit feeling dismissive. I don't think the point of Dr. Grajales' presentation is for everyone to know each other on campus. A workshop on cultural competency conjures images of group hugs and choruses of "We are the World."

We learn what is normal through years of socialization. When it is understood and respected that there are as many norms as there are experiences, we can begin to gain cultural competency. Dr. Grajales gave several examples, including some personal, as to what is understood as normal and how this can lead to uncomfortable interactions. One example is personal space and how it differs from one culture to another. From the critical distance of a workshop, this may seem obvious but it becomes important when situations occur in tutoring sessions. You might be less than comfortable if a student sits too close or too far away. This might be misread in a number of different ways but only when the dialog is opened can the problem be truly addressed. The situation may never be resolved but if reasons are known the discomfort can be assigned to its true reason.

In the workshop, a list of groups of people was passed out and we were asked to indicate if we had ill feelings toward the group or if that group has ill feelings toward us (the individual filling out the form). The overwhelming response was that if there are ill feelings they were directed to the group indicated on the sheet and not to the individuals in the group. This shows a desire to recognize individuals rather than groups. Dr. Grajales asks for the next step, which is to open meaningful and respectful dialog.

Dr. Grajales visits with tutors

Here are some points Dr. Grajales provided in a handout on ways to engage in this dialog:

How to Improve Intercultural Communication:

¥ Develop self-awareness

¥ Seek intercultural interactions

¥ Read about other cultures

¥ Observe behaviors from other cultures

¥ Reserve judgment

¥ Communicate respect and positive regard

¥ Display empathy

¥ Tolerate ambiguity

¥ Be flexible

¥ Ask questions

¥ Take risks

¥ Acknowledge errors

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As of November 1, 2001 we have 100 tutors covering 270 requests for 160 courses made by 321 students.

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On October 16, tutors had the opportunity to explore the notion of learning style and it's relationship to tutoring. Because step one in this process of enhancing our tutoring skills is self-awareness, both tutors and staff were asked to complete the C.I.T.E. Learning Styles Inventory to determine their specific learning style. Learning characteristics were grouped into the following categories:

• Auditory Language
• Auditory Numerical
• Visual Language
• Visual Numerical
• Kinesthetic
• Processing: Group, Individual
• Expressiveness: Written, Oral

  

Auditory learners benefit from working in groups, reading out loud, tape-recording lectures, attending all classes, and using rhymes or tunes for studying. Visual learners should visualize images in their mind, add pictures and colors to their notes, rewrite their notes, use flash cards, and watch videotapes on a subject. These students like to be shown rather than told how to do something. Kinesthetic learners benefit from using large muscle movements while studying, like pacing or working at a chalkboard. Students should try to study in labs, work with models, and take field trips if available. Traditional teaching styles generally cater to the auditory and visual students; thus many struggling students are kinesthetic learners. Helping your students realize their learning style may help you determine the study strategies that would work well for them.

How do you determine your student's learning style? The participants at this workshop suggested:

1. Ask questions like "Do you like to work alone or in groups,"? "Would you rather give an oral presentation or write an essay,"? "Do you get more out of lab or lecture"?

2. Observe -- pay attention to clues, e.g., writing things down, restlessness?

3. Trial and error -- try many methods, vary approaches.

4. Give student a learning styles inventory.

5. Engage student in self-reflection/awareness.

The most important thing to remember is telling your student to "read the book" is not going to work for every student. Looking through the descriptions of the styles provided above will provide you with some suggestions for studying that your students may appreciate. If you would like additional information on study strategies based on learning style, please contact either Risa Johnson or Andy Freeman in the Office of Support Service Programs, 310 Calvin Hall.

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We continue our discussion of philosophy in this issue by considering the comments of tutors regarding the constructivist principles we proposed in the October issue of Tutela. All of the comments seemed to be very positive, which suggests that some good things are happening during tutoring sessions. One tutor appreciated the fact that the philosophy had been written down, so that way it could be standardized. This was exactly the point. Most tutoring takes place outside of our office, and it is rare that a staff member gets to observe your sessions. Because of this, we don't know exactly what is being practiced. We wanted to take advantage of discussing philosophy in this forum so that all tutors could reflect on their approach to tutoring.

• The ultimate goals of tutoring are two-fold: to help students master course content and to learn how to learn.
• The student is viewed as a thinker and not as a blank slate upon which the tutor etches information.
• The tutor acts in an interactive manner and works to construct a mediating environment.
• The tutor values student questions and is flexible enough to allow those questions to help direct the session.
• The tutor seeks to understand student's present conceptions, rather than solely seeking correct answers to validate student learning.
• The tutor understands that assessment is interwoven with facilitation and observation.

The first principle seemed to draw the most commentary. One tutor stated that figuring out how her student learns is the most important part of tutoring. Interestingly, another tutor expressed difficulty with the process of learning how to learn, as he is often unable to understand how he himself learns. He says that, "It seems to be something my brain takes care of on its own." It is very important to reflect on the strategies that work best for the individual. In determining this, we gain insight into the process of learning. Also, many times when the tutor does NOT know the answer to a question, some of the most significant learning takes place on the part of the student. In this situation, the tutor is given the opportunity to model good student behavior by asking the question, "Where do we find the answer when we don't know"? Learning to use the textbook and take advantage of educational resources is an extremely valuable lesson. Every tutor should be conscious of the "teachable moments."

As for the other principles, tutors expressed general agreement about their importance. Tutors are assessing understanding throughout each tutoring session through the use of questions and observation. The blank looks and the "ah-ha" moments are good assessment tools, but tutors should be careful not to accept surface-level responses. Always try to dig a little deeper. In many cases, you will find the true level of understanding. All of these principles are difficult to apply when you have a student who does not come prepared for a tutoring session. In any case, your efforts should stem from this philosophy and should be evident to the student as well. Perhaps in your next tutoring session, you could read through these principles with your student. It would be a good chance for you to discuss the value of your sessions. We would like to thank Amanda Lower, Eric Errthum, Beau Carubia, Megan Holm, and Jarrett Haskovec for their comments. -Risa Johnson

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Nothing.

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Page last modified November, 2001. Site maintained by University of Iowa Office of Support Service Programs.  Copyright © 2001 The University of Iowa. OSSP site developed by Ray Mescallado.