Title of Lesson: Introduction for freshmen Timeframe: 1.5 Days Subject Area(s):

Prepared by: Christoph Schindler

Planning for Instruction:

Purpose: The student government is a very important institution within the university with a lot of tasks and a strong influence on university policy. In recent months we achieved a lot of changes which had a very good impact on study terms. A lot of people are needed to fulfill these tasks and because of that, it is essential that we recruit many of the new students. The freshmen must be motivated to become active members of the student government. They have to know what the various topics and tasks are. To successfully work together, it is very important for the members to know their subject and the subjects of their members and the tasks they are assigned to work on within the student government. A big problem of the university teachers training is that classes overlap. A consequence could be that students have to study longer than scheduled. This can result in a lot of problems like paying tuition fees for longer periods of time.The health insurance or BaföG, is also affected. Not knowing how to prepare best for certain exams can also result in extending the time at the university. To avoid these problems, the student government has the aim, to support and help the students with their studies. Therefore, the members of the student government share successful study skills and strategies with the freshmen.

Student Learning Goals/Outcomes:

At the completion of the lesson, students will know and be able to:

1. know where the other students come from, know which subjects they study, why they want to become teachers and which tasks each of them has within the student government.
2. understand the benefits, possibilities and free time activities an active member of the student government has.
3. work in one of the various working groups of the student government, for example in the tuition fees commission.
4. coordinate classes in order to avoid classes from overlapping and how to prepare best for the different exams within their subject during the first year.

Assessment of Student Learning:

1. At the end of the weekend, every student will introduce one other student to the rest of the group. The introduction will include the hometown, the subjects and the tasks within the student government that each student is involved in. (Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)
2. Participants make a statement explaining how student government positively affects the university learning environment.
3. Students tell other students in an inner - outer circle to which working group they belong and what tasks and matters are in this group. (9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)
4. Freshmen with the same subject combination share their schedules and explain to each other how to prepare best for certain exams. (10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m)

Technology Inclusion: Power Point; Laptop, Internet, Flipchart

Materials/Tools/Resources: Paper, laptop, projector, poster, colored paper, colored pencils.

Differentiation Strategies/Individual Modifications/Special Arrangements: Not known at this time

Instructional Sequence

Prior assignment /preparation: The students should know in general what the student government is. The students should be aware of their favourite learning strategy

Opening Activity: Ice Breaker

Learning Activities:

1. Making the Icebreaker sheet, we used at the beginning of the program, with the Peer Mentors. (Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Each student has to create a poster of themselves with name, subjects, hometown, age, educational career, why becoming a teacher and optionally a picture. (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) After finishing the posters each student talks about themselves for about two minutes. (8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
2. Power Point presentation about the benefits, possibilities and social activities students have when they are members of the student government. (Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) Split up in small groups and each group creates a poster which includes these matters in order to use it as an advertisement for the student government. (10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)
3. Each working group presents their tasks and activities with a power point presentation. (12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.) After the general presentation we split up in the different groups and the freshmen join the group they are interested in. If too many people want in one certain group we will appoint who attends which group. The working group members have a real situation prepared to work on. They work together with the freshmen addressing this situation. The working group for tuition fees for example, can get trough the applications from several faculty and decide, if or how much money they get for each application. The freshmen learn the rules and laws on how the fees can be used based on a real situation. (1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
4. Freshmen put together their own schedule for the first year. They use the online university calendar to do it. After finishing, they get feedback from elder students who have the same subject combination. They tell them when it is wise to bring a class forward or back. In addition to that, they receive tips from the elders on how to learn best for the various subjects. They tell them if it is enough to reproduce knowledge, or if they have to apply knowledge to solve a certain problem. The students outline the main points. (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

Classroom Environment: The class takes place in an earth house which is normally used by famous companies like adidas, jack wolfskin, camel,etc., for special meetings. We are lucky that I know the owner who will give us a special price. Necessary equipment is available for use. There is the option to sleep there as well. It is possible to organize the room according to all of the activities planned. The location provides the opportunity to work undisturbed and intensively together for the whole weekend.

Closure:

1. At the end of the weekend, each student introduces one other student to the rest of the group.
2. Each student states to another student a positive impacts student government has on their university experience.
3. Put the new members in charge of a task within one of the working groups, she or he was introduced and let them state two ideas they want to share with the group.
4. Students have to write two study strategies for other students to use.

References

Noddings, N. (1995). Philosophy of education. Boulder, CO:Westview Press. Assembly of Alaska Native Educators (1999). Guidelines for Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers for Alaska’s Schools. Alaska Native Knowledge Network Kevin Ryan, James M. Cooper. Those who can teach. Houghton Mifflin Company