the rhetorics of age: tracking change in life and culture

8/3/2019 The Rhetorics of Age: Tracking Change in Life and Culture

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28/12 College of Charleston - Report

ps://coursereview.cofc.edu/Blue/rvg-eng.aspx?lang=eng&rid=aa5c666f-1e53-4d76-8488-947cd181


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1. Course materials were well-prepared andcarefully explained.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.6

Median 5.0

2. Course objectives were clearly stated andpursued.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.8

Median 5.0

Organization

Comments on organization:

Comment

1. Professor Vander-Zee did a very good job at everything being layed out and clear. I always knew what was goingon and when things were due.

2. Professor Vander Zee was always completely prepared and had a impressive level of organization. Hisexpectations were expressed clearly and effectively.

3. loved the syllabus; clearly stated all of our in-class activities

4. The organization of this course was excellent. Materials were all very relevant.

5. Professor Vander Zee is the most organized teacher that I have ever had. Before the semester even started, I hadaccess to every assignment that I was going to have to do for the whole semester. I knew what was coming up, whatI had to do for it, and how to do it just by reading the things on his website. Unbeievable.

Overall

1. Course materials were well-

prepared and carefully explained.

2. Course objectives were clearly

stated and pursued.


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6. Vander Zee was very organized throughout the class. He kept his blog organized as well.

7. Stuck to the schedule well, but remained flexible.

8. Some of the classes weren't organized until the night before the class, but he gave fair heads up before anassignment was changed or due.

9. It was evident what we were supposed to do and Professor Vander Zee was on top of everything.

10. The blog site was effective in explaining the requirements for each assignment and their due dates etc.Sometimes it was a bit confusing on the purpose of the blogging assignments and how they were supposed to beformatted and linked together.

11. His blog was updated regularly and was extremely easy to navigate. It had all the neccesary handouts, advice,etc. that we saw in class. It also included a schedule that was updated if changed before we were even notified. Byfar one of the most organized classes I have been in.

12. You were probably the most organized teacher I have had. You updated the schedule almost daily and sent outreminders when needed.

13. Amazing organization, literally every assignment made sense and flowed into the next in a productive manner.

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1. Assignments, tests, and written work in thecourse reflected the content and emphasis of thecourse.

Statistics Value

Response Count 16

Mean 4.8

Median 5.0

2. Required readings/texts were valuable.

Statistics Value

Response Count 16

Mean 4.4

Median 5.0

Assignments

Comments on assignments:

Comment

1. The readings, although some lengthy, were informative and essential in order to develop in both reading andwriting.

2. all of our readings contributed to our major assingments and papers; nothing was read without cause or purpose

3. Assignments built upon each other to help us work towards a semester end goal.

4. All the assignments were fair and good. Perhaps more writing assignments would have helped me learn evenmore in the course. Regardless, I learned a lot and became a much better writer. Vander Zee really knows what heis doing and what he is talking about.

5. Papers were heavily emphasized while style sentences and writing tools definitely helped out.

Overall

1. Assignments, tests, and written

work in the course reflected the

content and emphasis of the

course.

2. Required readings/texts were

valuable.


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6. Assignments were fair and helped progress with the learning experience.

7. The assignments were connected well to the class and were connected well to one another. The texts andreadings felt unnecessary to me.

8. The readings were not just busy work but greatly enhanced my writing.

9. All of the assignments helped me improve my writing dramatically. None were too challenging but all of themrequired effort. The required readings were never busy work and always pertained to the work we were doing inclass.

10. I liked the organization of them, how they slowly taught us a few basics that in the end we could melt together all

of them.

11. There was absolutely no busy work, though there was a good amount of work all of it was meaningful.

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1. Methods used for evaluating student work werefair and appropriate.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.4

Median 4.0

2. Feedback on graded assignments wasvaluable.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.7

Median 5.0

Grading

Comments on grading:

Comment

1. We always got a second chance at making our essay top notch. His grading was very fair.

2. The grading technique of Professor Vander Zee is very different from other professors that I have had. I liked thenumerous categories that we were graded on and the comments on individual portions of our paper.

3. The feedback and comments on our drafts drastically helped us improve our final version

4. grading papers are difficult--remaining unbiased is hard but Vander Zee did an excellent job; i never felt unfairlygraded the entire year

5. Multiple rounds of feedback and reviews were provided for each assignment, allowing room for improvement.

6. His comments and grades always made sense, and I agreed w ith them and appreciate them.

Overall

1. Methods used for evaluating

student work were fair and

appropriate.

2. Feedback on graded

assignments was valuable.


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7. Papers were graded on a tough scale, but conferences definitely aided in fixing things.

8. He was EXTREMELY helpful with helping students progress with their writing.

9. At the start of the semester I felt the grading was too difficult, but as the term progressed, I realized that my workjust needed to better match what Prof. VZ expected.

10. He often gave great comments on our drafts which helped greatly when we finished our final assignments,however he is a very tough grader and it was a shock to receive my first grade on an essay. He graded it as roughlyas he did for the last assignment, but we learned so much throughout the class that I felt like my first assignmentshould have been graded easier.

11. The conferences that we had for our essays helped clarify what else was needed in my papers. Feedback

helped a lot

12. Some comments were vague on papers about how wording was confusing or such. I think it is important toprovide more constructive comments in a required writing class where not every student has a strong writingbackground. This course was taught with the intention that we know how to write papers decently well alreadywhich is not the case. Overall the grading was fair, just the comments that need to be more constructive.

13. Mr. Vanderzee not only graded fairly but also spent a lot of time providing personalized feedback. I have neverhad a teacher who explains why you received a grade and how to improve so thoroughly.

14. I felt like you set the standard for a good paper very high, as it should be. It challenged and pushed us toachieve the next best level of writing.

15. The grading was very fair, and also offered valuable feedback because of the grading system used:you couldsee not only the grade you got but how well you did in specific categories, with commments regarding how you didin those categories. Extremely helpful!

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1. I found this course intellectually challenging andstimulating.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.8

Median 5.0

2. I have developed my skills and knowledge.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.6

Median 5.0

3. Students were encouraged to share knowledgeand ideas.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.8

Median 5.0

4. This course increased my interest in thesubject.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 3.8

Median 4.0

Learning


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Learning

Comments on learning:

Comment

1. This course has significantly helped my writing and comprehensive reading skills. I look forward to implement myskills in another class to explore the development that I have undergone with regards to my writing.

2. Probably the most academically beneficial course I've taken in my life, definitely so in my first semester of college.

3. one of my favorite classes and I usually despise English

4. I became a much stronger writer by taking this class.

5. Exceptional course -- wasn't as challenging as i t could have been though. People probably do not get excellentgrades in the course usually, but if you're a good writer you'll get good grades, and the course should be a breeze.

6. I thought I was a decent writer until this class. I realized how much more I can improve.

Overall

1. I found this course intellectually

challenging and stimulating.

2. I have developed my skills and

knowledge.

3. Students were encouraged to

share knowledge and ideas.

4. This course increased my

interest in the subject.


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7. This class challenged me to experiment with new writing tools and go out of my comfort zone.8. I am already not a fan of english, so I don't have much interest in the subject. But he did encourage us to shareour ideas and our working drafts which was nice. It was definitely a challenging course.

9. I hate writing and probably always will but this class allowed me to write about what I was interested in which inturn greatly improved my writing. I believe I am a much better writer after going through this class.

10. This class made me hate writing even more, but I am not an English or writing major so it should be expected. Ithink more time on learning different styles of writing through writing individual sentences would be beneficialinstead of go write this intro and then rest of paper.

11. Though I may not be the greatest fan of writing and literature class, this class was extremely informative and I

feel like I have come out a better writer.12. This course was incredibly stimulating on so many different levels. I not only got valauble information fromprofessor Vander Zee but because of the way he set up peeer review and discussion I was also able to gainvaluable insight from other students.

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1. The instructor showed enthusiasm for teachingthe subject.

Statistics Value

Response Count 16

Mean 4.8

Median 5.0

2. The instructor showed interest in the learningand development of the students.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.8

Median 5.0

3. The instructor was adequately accessible tostudents during office hours or after class.

Statistics Value

Response Count 17

Mean 4.6

Median 5.0

Instructor


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Instructor

How many classes has the professor missed in this course?

Overall

1. The instructor showed

enthusiasm for teaching the

subject.

2. The instructor showed interest in

the learning and development of

the students.

3. The instructor was adequately

accessible to students during office

hours or after class.

Overall


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Comments on instructor

Comment

1. Vander-Zee was an awesome professor. He relates to us as students and is always willing to help improve ourwriting.

2. Professor Vander Zee is one of the quirkiest and funniest professors I have ever had. While, on the other hand,he is highly professional and effective as a teacher. I appreciate his teaching styles and I hope to continue to writeand the caliber he has become accustomed to seeing me write at.

3. He's a boss.

4. seriously did an amazing job wi th this subject; the individual conferences helped so much; is quite possibly myfavorite professor at the College

5. Was very passionate about the subject and helping me grow as a writer.

6. He is awesome, knowledgeable, intelligent, nice, and helpful. And every other good adjective for a professor.

7. Professor Vander Zee is always genuinely helpful. So fun to be in class even though some may think writing isboring. He is a lways available during office hours which are the most helpful.

8. Vander Zee cares about his students and wants them to become better writers.

9. Professor Vander Zee came to every class (unless he decided to cancel it so that we could work individually onour papers) and was very excited about having class. He shows great enthusiasm for grading and helping us with

our essays.10. He is a great teacher and knows what he is talking about when it comes to writing.

11. Mr. Vander Zee was a really nice guy, funny, engaging, and put up with a lot of students I would have lost mytemper with. He is sincerely interested in his work and never seems put out to be in class.

12. You da man!

13. Vander Zee missed no classses and was always very expedient in his response to emails and provide helpfulreminders of upcoming assignments. If there was a section for strongl strongly strongly agreeing with Vander Zee'senthusiasm for the class I would mark that. Though it's also important to note that Vander Zee was never overlyenthusiastic in such a way that he went on uneeded tangents that took away from the intended material.


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Overall this instructor is an effective teacher.

Comments on teaching

Comment

1. Vander-Zee's teaching is very effective. He relates to the students and shares some of his writing as well. Classwas always really fun but also informative.

2. Professor Vander Zee loves what he does and it is seen in his excitement in his course teachings.

3. Taught me a lot, really helped me improve my writing skills which will be useful throughout college.

4. style is very clear and informative; obviously knows a ton about his subject

5. Enthusiastic about the course, very well organized. The online syllibus was a great tool.

6. Great.

7. Vander Zee's teaching style incorporates elements of digital media with traditional book readings, integratingboth new methods of teaching and old.

8. Although he holds true to his due dates, he is not super anal about having your things turned in at exactly theminute they are due. If you email your paper an hour late, he is flexible and won't freak out and take fifty points off.

9. He's a good teacher, but a hard grader. Especially if your english classes in high school were not the greatest.

10. Some things were somewhat repetitive but that is not necessarily a bad thing as it makes you remember thatidea more.

11. You opened my eyes to all the little and big things that could improve my writing. I could give you my bestwritten paper and you would manage to find a way to improve it.

12. Wonderfully engaging, capable and innovative teacher.

Overall


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Overall, this is a good course.

Comments on course:

Comment

1. I truly enjoyed this difficult, but fair, course.

2. reallly helped improve my writing and clarity

3. Great.

4. This course helped me to become a better writer.

5. I don't like english very much, but Professor Vander Zee made it enjoyable.

6. I dont like writing but the course was interesting

7. It was very informative and entertaining. For once in my life I can say, a writing class was actually one of thehighlights of my day.

8. Not only is Vander Zee's teaching style spectacular but also the way he setup the course. All the assignment

were meaaningful and led into the next;eventaully culminating into the final paper. I could not have asked for abetter strucure in an engl ish writing class.

Overall


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Please comment on aspects of the instructors teaching or of the course that havebeen most valuable to you.

Comment

1. This course has made a a better write. Vander-Zee's enthusiams and creative makes writing fun and coming toclass something I look forward to.

2. This course made me look at my writing in a far more critical level than I thought I ever could have.

3. The mechanics of writing.

4. The course was very well structured with skills taught in class implemented in assignments.

5. Everything -- learned new styles of writing and methods for making writing better, among a lot more things.

6. Professor Vander Zee is so knowledgeable as a writer and teacher. He is passionate about sentences andframing and quote integration and transitions which make all of us so much more aware and interested in the topic.

7. Vander Zee takes time to make sure that each student gets personalized attention with their writing, as well astakes time to give students a clear understanding of writing fundamentals.

8. I like that even when he lectures, he makes things fun. I don't ever feel like I want to fall asleep in his classbecause, not only is he an engaging speaker, but he also interjects with funny quips. (Sentence Pattern 16a)

9. I think just working through the papers and connecting them together was really beneficial. By tying together all ofthe assignments, I was able to see how everything worked together to form a bigger picture of our selected topic.

10. I think my writing improved in every facet. My writing flows much better and is more engaged.

11. I liked how it was all online and papers were turned in and commented on on the computer.

12. I would say that the order in which our assignments were due was extremely valuable. Each assignmentprogressively got harder and longer, but the knowledge from the previous assignment was necessary to completethe next. Very good job at providing examples and analyzing what was good and bad about them.

13. Your feedback was incredible and you were very straightforward and open for discussion on our papers.

14. Everything that was done in class was valuable to me but to mention some things specifically;it was very helpfulthat Vander Zee not only explained certain things that he wanted to see in writing but also showed examples ofthem in papers so that I could understand it better. Furthermore he didn't always just show where those things werein a paper, a lot of the time he wouuld want us to point out where the "thesis" or "strong transition" or "framing" wasand by doing it myself the concepts really sank in for me.

Please comment on aspects of the instructors teaching or of the course that youfeel most need improvement.

Comment

1. I think that before giving a final grade, Professor Vander Zee could offer a chance to rework an essay (especiallythe first one) because my grade was a shock and I would have done anything to improve it.

2. None. All excellent.

3. There were weeks when there was a lot of assignments and then weeks when there was a lull in the action.Course timelines could be adjusted so that there is a more consistent workload throughout the semester.

4. More writing assignments.

5. Som classwork and time may be used for more examples of sentence patterns and tools.

6. -Explain some aspects (such as the conversational/argumentative thesis) more-Maybe do a transition workshop one day in class..?

7. I think what needed the most improvement was the structure of the class as a whole. Professor Vander Zeeallowed us to use computers during class, but many of the students used Facebook and the internet when theywere supposed to be paying attention. Perhaps he could tell his next students to close their computers when theyaren't necessary so as to make sure they aren't doing other things.

8. Be more involved with the two writing books

9. He needs to be able to teach more to those who don't enjoy writing. He assumes everyone wants to write and


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that is not the case. As a required course i t is a bit too in depth.10. I can't think of any.

11. Maybe be a bit more clear on explaining all the assignments instead of expecting us to understand some fromthe schedule.

12. It would be helpful to me to have some of the smaller assignments that build up into something bigger begraded just so that I can get a better sense of exactly where I am at. This actual grade would be in addition to thecomments Vander Zee would give on these smaller assignments which were incredibly helpful.

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Reason for taking this course:

Before enrolling in this course, how much interest did you have in taking it?

How difficult did you find this course?

Overall

Overall


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The workload for this course was:

How many classes (excused and unexcused) have you missed in this course?

Expected grade in this course:

Overall

Overall

Overall


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Your overall GPA:

Overall


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the rhetorics of age: tracking change in life and culture

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