Lesson Content

The overall goal of this lesson is to allow international students to prepare for their studies in the United States, by providing an avenue for them to introduce themselves to their classmates, begin to become comfortable with e-learning, and to be able to identify resources that they will be able to use during their stay, allowing for more success and satisfaction.
By the end of this lesson, students will have been introduced to the Director of their program, and know how to contact Director for more information. They will have met their fellow classmates through an on-line interface using Adobe Connect, and they will be able to identify and access resources through the hyperlinks that will be provided. They will have a thorough understanding of the American concept of academic integrity through teamwork in the on-line session.
The first segment of the lesson introduces students to the Director, presenting information about office hours, contact info, and a bit about herself in such a way that creates a fun and light-hearted on-line conversation. A photo is included, as is information about family, education, etc, to help begin the process of building relationships during this initial phase. Also included are words in other languages, welcoming students and reaching out. Students become aware that there is a common bond and goal, at this point, to support each other.
Segment two continues with a request for the students to do the same thing in introducing themselves, starting with the facilitator offering etiquette guidelines for on-line conversations and prompts as to what type of information is sought. The lesson offers students a chance to break the ice, and ease their transition into the U.S.
Segment three includes polls to help determine who has been to the U.S., before, and who has actually studied in the U.S. This gives the facilitator a chance to discuss and provide links to information that would be helpful, and to be able to provide more information in future web-conferences, based on the students’ answers. Envious
Segment four builds upon the information gleaned in segment three, in terms of the students’ understanding of study guidelines and requirements in the U.S. Break out sessions will be used to group students together, and discuss their understanding of terms such as plagiarism, absenteeism, tardiness, independent thought, etc. This will also serve the objective of helping students begin to work together in groups, which will be a common occurrence in the U.S.
Segment five will bring students back together to discuss their conclusions, and will end by offering students a chance to follow up on conversations with individuals, begin to research through the links provided, and continue to build trust with both the director and each other.