Location
Room 221A, Chamberlain Student Center
Start Date
13-2-2020 9:45 AM
End Date
13-2-2020 10:45 AM
Document Type
Presentation
Description
First-generation students bring various experiences and understandings to the educational environment that can enrich the overall experience for students, faculty, and staff members. Although this student population has meaningful past experiences to share, they often do not know how to capitalize on those experiences or how the experiences align with ultimate college success. As educators, we often miss the mark focusing on the task of being a “student” versus building on the strengths learners already have within them. It is easy to view and interact with these learners from a deficit mindset, negating the abilities they already have. At Rutgers-Camden, we recreated our onboarding student experience that allowed us to concentrate on learners’ strengths rather than perpetuating a deficit mindset. While creating a pre-immersion experience for first-generation students, our focus shifted from skills deficits to reflection on action. Reflective practice supports learners to better understand their abilities and how those abilities align with the new expectations in an educational environment. This process helped learners to begin to develop their college identity which will continue to serve them throughout their college experience. Students created digital storyboards showcasing how they will use their previous experiences to be successful in college.
Included in
Put Some "Respeck" on the Respect of the First-Gen Student Experience
Room 221A, Chamberlain Student Center
First-generation students bring various experiences and understandings to the educational environment that can enrich the overall experience for students, faculty, and staff members. Although this student population has meaningful past experiences to share, they often do not know how to capitalize on those experiences or how the experiences align with ultimate college success. As educators, we often miss the mark focusing on the task of being a “student” versus building on the strengths learners already have within them. It is easy to view and interact with these learners from a deficit mindset, negating the abilities they already have. At Rutgers-Camden, we recreated our onboarding student experience that allowed us to concentrate on learners’ strengths rather than perpetuating a deficit mindset. While creating a pre-immersion experience for first-generation students, our focus shifted from skills deficits to reflection on action. Reflective practice supports learners to better understand their abilities and how those abilities align with the new expectations in an educational environment. This process helped learners to begin to develop their college identity which will continue to serve them throughout their college experience. Students created digital storyboards showcasing how they will use their previous experiences to be successful in college.