Freat post! Especially the use of graphics. The points raised are amazing, especially consideration of students racial, economic, social, and other backgrounds. They truly can affect how students receive and process information. I personally can say that my own experiences in life have changed the way i learn and understand info presented to me. I often don’t understand things my peers do and vice versa. Through discussion and open pedagogical tactics, we’re able to exchange and educate each other.

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You pose an interesting structure. Portfolio-style evaluations may be an excellent way to monitor student progress while shying away from grades and exams. The way I picture it is similar to the grad school process: entry, evaluations each semester on progress and performance, development of projects based on interest (like a thesis/dissertation), and a final evaluation on total performance. My only question would be to what degree will professors personalize education at large scale universities like Tech? Even a freshmen biology class can have over 100 students., Will there coursework be personalized as well?

Btw, I really love the way you formatted this post!

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Great post! It is exhausting to hear people dismiss race and other identities by saying that they “don’t see it”. In my opinion, it allows people to ignore their own biases and convince themselves that they are good people. Acknowledgement of what makes people different is so important, and can make or break a student’s performance in a class.

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Excellent post and great links to go along with it. It’s disgusting that some people try to justify their biases with science. I hope that this way of thinking really dies out as younger, more diverse scientists enter the field. Thanks for sharing.

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Great post! As far as the service portion is concerned, how do you manage to incorporate service work into your already busy schedule as a graduate student? And do you believe any service opportunity helps you discover yourself, or should it be an activity that relates to your interests?

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Hi, great post! and interesting take on teaching at different institutions. Do you think that at places like VA Tech teach specifically to prepare students for research (since this is a R1 school)? And if so, do you think it helps or hinders students from grasping the core concepts?

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Gret post! I really like your use of the term “gamesmanship”. I think it perfectly describes the mindset a lot of students have. “How can I get the top grade” or “how do I pass this test” can almost directly be translated to “how do I get a high score” or how do I beat this level?”. What suggestions or alternatives do you think will help change this?

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