I agree with your last statement/question… it may even be more meaningful for students if ethics and creativity are infused into discipline-specific courses; that’s what they will need to do im the workplace anyway! Thank you, Hanh!

“Students from every single school from remote areas to big cities are required to use one set of course books, whose content is pre-prescribed by the ministry of education. There is a fixed schedule (including which class to take, when to take it, how many hours per week) that the ministry of education has designed for students from elementary to colleges. Every student follows the same schedule despite their interests.” Once again, your post brings me back to my own days as a student, and to what is unfortunately still the way we do things back home. “Electives” are a funny thing, because, hey, there is only one elective course offered in the semester. We could not even add or drop courses as we please. It was an interesting way to learn, and coming here, it was like I was opened to a world of possibilities that I did not know existed. Thank you for sharing!

Better late than never, I am so glad I went back and reread posts I missed when I was unable to come to class. Your reflections never fail to amaze me, and your experiences in the classroom are things I’ve been through as well. I do wish we could bring more of the world out there into the engineering classroom, especially since engineers are, more often than not, among the people that get thrown into infrastructure and technical issues that the world will face. It is a connection we should not ignore. You will certainly be a force in the classroom, future professor Ketchum. =)

Thank you for sharing, Dan, I completely agree with your reflections. I grew up with teachers who thought of themselves as over and above their students, and continued to work with them when I myself became an instructor. It is certainly not the best identity to assume as an instructor, and not the best way to interact with students. We are, indeed, all learners in the classroom – regardless of whether we assume the role of teacher or student.

It’s very interesting to read this post after we did the implicit bias activity in class. I chose the gender biases in STEM test, and as a woman I prided myself with the fact that I was a symbol of going against the bias. My results came as such a surprise to me! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on hidden bias, it shows me that I am not alone.

Thank you for sharing this, Hanh. I resonate with it so much because I had a similar educational upbringing. Coming to Virginia Tech certainly opened my eyes to new things, my mind to new ideals. I share in your sentiments about becoming a different learner, and I think that for anyone who wishes to become a professor in the future, this is a crucial step to take.

I echo the expressions of gratitude shared here regarding sharing your experiences. Before I came to VT, inclusivity in the classroom – or in higher education institutions in general – wasn’t something I thought of. I lived in a world where we physically seemed to be the same, and race and culture was something we all shared. I have learned so much from you, not just this semester but over the past year I’ve known you. I feel blessed. Thank you.

“I don’t expect them to remember all the knowledge we talk in class, but I do expect them to change their thinking ways and offer more possibilities for the future clients and the future world.” I really love this statement, and your students are lucky to have you as their instructor… someone who puts emphasis not on what they can regurgitate here and now, but what they are able to create in the future. You are opening their world and helping them grow. Thank you for sharing your reflections!

Your last paragraph says it all, Qualla… these are certainly wonderful declarations, and I wish for nothing more than to there be more of you in this field that we have chosen to pursue. =)