As regular readers know, each semester I have students in my classes use anonymous evaluation forms to rate the class and my teaching. You can see previous reports at My Best Posts On Students Evaluating Classes (And Teachers), where I also explain the process I use and have evaluation forms that can be downloaded.

In addition to teaching English and U.S. History to English Language Learners, I also teach an IB Theory of Knowledge class. It’s always a fun course to teach, and, generally, students enjoy it as much as I do. Here the questions with representative sample responses. My reflections follow:

1) What are the two or three most important things you have learned in this class so far?

I’ve learned that I have to see things in different perspectives because you’d be open to a whole new world if you were just a little more open-minded.

You really need to look at things from different perspectives. There often is not only one correct answer.

Many students wrote that the concept of confirmation bias (the tendency to just see evidence that agrees with your viewpoint) was the most important thing they learned.

I wonder what opponents of IB think when they see these kinds of responses (many believe that we’re pushing a “United Nations agenda” on students).

2. What have you liked about this class or how it was taught?

We have fun. We actually do! (“fun” was mentioned a lot)

I liked how we did many different activities and it wasn’t all the same all the time.

It’s “hands-on” mentally — it makes you think a lot.

“Working in groups” was also on many sheets.

3. How do you think this class could be improved?

Be more precise with directions.

More class discussions.

Don’t kill as many trees with all the copies you make. (this comment was made several times)

I need to think about the comments about directions — that could be a very good point.  I’ve reduced the number of copies I usually make, but perhaps I can reduce it even more.

4. What grade would you give Mr. Ferlazzo as a teacher?  What do you think he does well?  What do you think he could improve?

All students, except for one, gave me an A or an A+ (one student gave me a B). Several students said I make the lessons fun and engaging.  Several said, again, that I could improve on giving better directions and making fewer copies.

5. Are there ways you think what you learned in this class will help you in the future?  If so, what are they?

I was more than a little disappointed in the responses to this question.  In fact, almost half of the class left it blank.  The most common comments that students made were feeling that they would feel more comfortable making presentations and be able to “argue better.”

Helping students in all my classes see how they can apply what they learn in their lives has been a priority of mine this semester.  Obviously, it’s one area where  have to do a better job.

6. What are your concerns — if any — about the upcoming semester?  What you think Mr. Ferlazzo and you can do to respond to them?

Most wrote that they were concerned about doing the TOK oral presentation and essay that are the major requirements in the second semester and which can be evaluated by IB reviewers.  Those are understandable concerns.

7. What grade would you give for the effort you have put into this class so far this year?  Is there anything you want to do differently next semester?

Most students, justifiably, feel they deserve an A so far.

8. Is there anything else you would like to say about this class that you haven’t already said in your previous answers?

This class is a great way to end the day!

I wish there was another TOK class in my senior year!

I’m generally pleased with the results of the evaluation.  However, my biggest concern is that many students could not, or would not, identify how they could apply what they are learning in the future.  That’s a disappointment, and I need to spend a fair amount of time reflecting on what I can do differently.

Any other feedback is appreciated….

As you may, or may not, have known, the Contact Form on this blog hasn’t been working very well since I got a new theme.

However, Ronnie Burt from Edublogs has it all fixed up now, so feel free to Contact Me.

Slideshare has just released this slideshow looking at 2011 through the lens of presentations. It’s fairly interesting: