Professor
Arlene Russell
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2017 - This seminar was probably the highlight of my quarter this year. Just as a heads up, Dr. Russell does not actually teach this class at all. The teacher I had, and as it would seem many future students will have, is Anne Yi. She is a middle school science teacher that has a PhD in Education and went to UCLA many years ago. She is really great. Honestly the seminar was fantastic as was the fieldwork experience. I learned a lot about myself and future career goals by taking this class and that is exactly the point of this seminar. Enjoy it. Anne creates great lesson plans that teaches you a lot about the behavior of kids, science standards in California, and the education system in general. I learned a ton in this class and a lot of my perspectives on some education issues have become more defined, particularly since I was in the teachers chair. As for the fieldwork itself, it depends a lot on who the teacher is and what times you go. The program coordinators, Janice and Arlene, are super flexible and will help you go. Ideally you go 3 hours a week so that it totals up to 24 hours throughout the quarter. Anne has required reflections for you to do as does the official CA Teach website where you write additional reflections and log your hours. Honestly I just copy pasted Anne's reflections into the CA Teach one. At the end of the quarter you will need to design your own lesson plan and then make a presentation on it that you show to the class, although we ran out of time and didn't get to everyone. Have fun with this class and go in with an open mind. It's only about 6-8 hours of your week at most, including travel time. Figure out who is going to the middle school that you are so you can carpool potentially. I couldn't wake up early enough to make it to the bus stop. It's a breath of fresh air away from major classes which was greatly appreciated, although it still is another thing to juggle on top of everything else, so don't pretend like it's nothing.
Fall 2017 - This seminar was probably the highlight of my quarter this year. Just as a heads up, Dr. Russell does not actually teach this class at all. The teacher I had, and as it would seem many future students will have, is Anne Yi. She is a middle school science teacher that has a PhD in Education and went to UCLA many years ago. She is really great. Honestly the seminar was fantastic as was the fieldwork experience. I learned a lot about myself and future career goals by taking this class and that is exactly the point of this seminar. Enjoy it. Anne creates great lesson plans that teaches you a lot about the behavior of kids, science standards in California, and the education system in general. I learned a ton in this class and a lot of my perspectives on some education issues have become more defined, particularly since I was in the teachers chair. As for the fieldwork itself, it depends a lot on who the teacher is and what times you go. The program coordinators, Janice and Arlene, are super flexible and will help you go. Ideally you go 3 hours a week so that it totals up to 24 hours throughout the quarter. Anne has required reflections for you to do as does the official CA Teach website where you write additional reflections and log your hours. Honestly I just copy pasted Anne's reflections into the CA Teach one. At the end of the quarter you will need to design your own lesson plan and then make a presentation on it that you show to the class, although we ran out of time and didn't get to everyone. Have fun with this class and go in with an open mind. It's only about 6-8 hours of your week at most, including travel time. Figure out who is going to the middle school that you are so you can carpool potentially. I couldn't wake up early enough to make it to the bus stop. It's a breath of fresh air away from major classes which was greatly appreciated, although it still is another thing to juggle on top of everything else, so don't pretend like it's nothing.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Want to spend your nights trying to teach yourself your entire course with a professor who is uncommunicative and unhelpful in every aspect? Do you like non-stimulating slow lectures that don't have 2x speed and have absolutely no direction for any info needed to learn/do well in the class? Take Russell. She has all that & more. Her TAs are kept in the dark and have no idea what she wants (even though these TAs are trying their best), she has an unorganized website that is unnavigable, and her final exam and midterm answer key practice tests are wrong and she doesn't reply to emails, and she uses this class as an opportunity to promote her lab manual from 1992. $53.67? I think not. So how is she still employed, you ask? She's tenured.
Fall 2020 - Want to spend your nights trying to teach yourself your entire course with a professor who is uncommunicative and unhelpful in every aspect? Do you like non-stimulating slow lectures that don't have 2x speed and have absolutely no direction for any info needed to learn/do well in the class? Take Russell. She has all that & more. Her TAs are kept in the dark and have no idea what she wants (even though these TAs are trying their best), she has an unorganized website that is unnavigable, and her final exam and midterm answer key practice tests are wrong and she doesn't reply to emails, and she uses this class as an opportunity to promote her lab manual from 1992. $53.67? I think not. So how is she still employed, you ask? She's tenured.
Most Helpful Review
Rusell is the most adorable professor ever! She's a sweet, elderly lady who is always willing to help. I know, her lectures are not the easiest to follow, but whenever I went to office hours to ask about lecture, she was very kind an patient to answer my questions. Her availability was awesome too! Two office hours each week, plus during finals week, she and the TA's had 16 hours of office hours among themselves! Her tests are very fair: 1 normal midterm with calculations and short answer, 1 online final that was doable but very time-restrained. Overall, a very nice person, fair lecturer, and a useful resource at office hours.
Rusell is the most adorable professor ever! She's a sweet, elderly lady who is always willing to help. I know, her lectures are not the easiest to follow, but whenever I went to office hours to ask about lecture, she was very kind an patient to answer my questions. Her availability was awesome too! Two office hours each week, plus during finals week, she and the TA's had 16 hours of office hours among themselves! Her tests are very fair: 1 normal midterm with calculations and short answer, 1 online final that was doable but very time-restrained. Overall, a very nice person, fair lecturer, and a useful resource at office hours.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2022 - there's QUITE a bit of work for this class, but nothing is difficult. I think a lot of negative reviews here are from COVID season, and I don't think it's because of Dr. Russell herself. It's because online lab is an impossible concept. Ours was half online / half in person, and the in-person lab was completely different, and significantly easier. Given the circumstances, Dr. Russell has done a fantastic job. She's a sweetie, she cares a lot about students, responds to emails fast, and is very knowledgeable. All of my graduated friends look back on her lab fondly. :') tl;dr negative reviews are because online lab sucks (not dr russell), and she's quite a lovely person and good lecturer
Winter 2022 - there's QUITE a bit of work for this class, but nothing is difficult. I think a lot of negative reviews here are from COVID season, and I don't think it's because of Dr. Russell herself. It's because online lab is an impossible concept. Ours was half online / half in person, and the in-person lab was completely different, and significantly easier. Given the circumstances, Dr. Russell has done a fantastic job. She's a sweetie, she cares a lot about students, responds to emails fast, and is very knowledgeable. All of my graduated friends look back on her lab fondly. :') tl;dr negative reviews are because online lab sucks (not dr russell), and she's quite a lovely person and good lecturer
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