Meta Reflection: Reflection of Student Outcomes

Chris Vegatos

As the Graduate Assistant in the Office of Admission at Bradley University, I have been

exposed to a number of different experiences that have been enhanced by the courses that I have

taken in the Curriculum & Instruction program. My main responsibilities as a G.A are to meet

with prospective high school students and their families in a one-on-one setting, give 45 minute

presentations to groups of prospective high school students and their families and also lead

discussions on admission requirements and general questions about the university. The role

requires me to assess my audience and determine the information that needs to be highlighted or

explained to provide them with a full understanding of what Bradley University offers its

students. In order to present this information in an effective manner that will be useful for the

students and families in making a college decision, I have had to modify and enhance my

presentation skills and my overall social- and self-awareness. These are skills that might not be

thought of as directly correlated with the core classes in the Curriculum & Instruction program,

but each of the courses Ive taken has made a positive impact with my roles as the Graduate

Assistant in the Office of Admission.

ETE 665: Technology Infusion is a course that provided more information on how to

incorporate various technological applications to the instructional process. Though my audience

isnt a traditional classroom of high school students, Ive still been able to incorporate

technology due to the method used to present the information. My weekly presentations are

comprised of a 30 slide PowerPoint that contains general information about the university and its

different academic, professional and social programs and organizations. I also use a wireless
clicker to move through the presentation and the laser pointer that is attached to it as a way to

highlight specific points that I want the audience to focus on. For example, in part of the

presentation, I describe campus with an aerial view of Bradley and the surrounding Peoria area

with a view of downtown in the background. Using the laser pointer, I can help students and

families visualize specific content within the presentation that clarifies and emphasizes different

aspects of the Bradley community and the Peoria area as a whole. Ive also begun to utilize

visuals and documents located on the Bradley website to enhance my presentation of information

to families that I meet with one-on-one. Instead of just sitting in my office and talking about the

university, I have begun to show them different links and documents that will be helpful to them

when they are making final decisions on where to attend college. I didnt take ETE 665:

Technology Infusion until the spring semester of 2017 and I had already had the role of Graduate

Assistant for a full semester. The impact it had on my position and the overall impact it had on

the prospective students and their families is noticeable though, because before I took the course,

I didnt really utilize my technological resources as well as I could have been. Though I dont

use any advanced or complex technological resources during my time as a graduate assistant, I

have been more cognizant of how simple technological tools can be meaningful and useful to the

presentation of information and ideas even in a non-traditional learning environment.

ETE 663: Schooling in a Diverse World provided me the discourse of various situations

revolving diversity within schools and the different ways learners can be diverse and what

impact this has on what information should be conveyed and how it should be conveyed to the

audience. This course granted me helpful information that can be applied to my role as a

graduate assistant because every day I work with students and families from diverse

backgrounds. Being more cognizant of how information is conveyed and interpreted is beneficial
to me as a presenter of information because it allows me to think critically of what Im saying

and how that information is understood. Prospective students come to visit Bradley University

from all different ethnic, educational, socioeconomic and geographical backgrounds. Certain

stories and information can be interpreted differently depending on ones experiences and

diverse backgrounds so it is imperative that Im aware of who my audience is and approach

information that can be interpreted as negative or insensitive. For example, highlighting safety

on campus, services for students of color and overall culture of students living on and off campus

can be information that can be interpreted subjectively by the audience so I have to be aware of

who the audience is and tread lightly when making joking comments or general assumptions.

This is a skill that takes time to develop and directly links to ones social awareness. I think I

have always had strong social awareness skills, but this course really helped me become more

aware of what aspects of understanding diversity that I struggle with and this has helped me

better relate with people from different backgrounds by having to deliberately think of situations

from their perspective.

ETE 651: Curriculum Theory and Development was the first course I took in the

Curriculum & Instruction program and it has set the tone for what to expect in my other graduate

courses. This course allowed me to explore different ways to express information and the overall

structure of the presentation of material that I deliver on a weekly basis throughout the school

year. By thinking about the information that I have to present about and then assessing what the

main points and takeaways should be, I have to scaffold the presentation in a way that highlights

the key aspects of the university and provides a new learning opportunity for the students and

families who are in attendance. Instead of looking at the information, I address WHY the

information is important and what effects that information has on the college experience for
students at Bradley and in Peoria. I start the presentation with the big picture which includes

talking about the location of the university and the role it plays with the city of Peoria. From

here, I narrow it down to specific bits of information about the different opportunities and

programs at Bradley and then wrap it up with takeaways from a college visit that can be applied

to other schools.

ETE 653: Instructional Strategies and Designs and ETE 655: Instructional Theory were

perhaps the two most rigorous courses that I have taken and though the bulk of the courses was

research, essay and project based, I feel that it has still made an impact in my professional and

social interactions that accompany my graduate assistantship. These courses looked at various

instructional strategies, methods and theories in the education industry and exposed me to new

concepts, as well as provided a more solid base of knowledge for concepts and theories that I

was already familiar with. In relation to my role as a graduate assistant, this course has allowed

me to understand ways to impact learners in a variety of ways. Instructional strategies such as

eye contact, moving around, hand gestures, storytelling, change in tone and volume of voice,

pauses for transition, asking questions, challenging learners, providing feedback and other

various concepts and techniques are all exhibited when I interact with students and families.

When information is being conveyed to an audience of learners, instructional strategies and

theories can be used to enhance the presentation and by having a clear and determined mindset to

improve my instructional methods, I have been able to see an improvement in how I explain and

rationalize ideas and information to prospective students and their families.

Student outcomes for traditional teachers can be easier to determine because the teacher

is considered the sole person responsible for teaching students the material. It can then be

rationalized that the way the teacher taught, the structure of the lesson and the general
relationship with the students would play a huge factor in the success of the students in the class.

Student outcomes are a bit harder to determine for my graduate assistantship. Student success

outcomes could be measured in a few different ways depending on what is considered success.

If a student decides to choose Bradley would be the most logical indicator of successful student

outcomes, but not the only indicator. Because data collected on students that I interact with is

hard to determine as a sole factor for choosing Bradley over another college, it is still difficult to

say how much of an impact I make. I have spoken to over 500 different prospective students and

over 1000 different families throughout my time as a graduate assistant in the Office of

Admission and freshman enrollment reached a record high at the conclusion of my first year

working as a graduate assistant. I am not the only reason that a student chooses Bradley, but I

would like to think that my interactions with these students and families play a significant role in

their feelings, understanding and overall choice to attend the university. Multiple families have

come up to me after my presentation or after weve spoken privately and told me how helpful

Ive been and that they appreciated the information or perspective I had provided. This helps me

self-assess and determine what aspects of what I discuss need to be changed or modified and also

provides assurance that the information is relevant and useful and helpful to prospective students

and their families. Overall, I would say that the maturity and exposure to professional

experiences that I have gained throughout my graduate assistantship are strongly connected with

the growth of knowledge and exposure to new ways of thinking and teaching that I have had

throughout my graduate program.