Mon, 20 Sep 2021, 22:30 My request for your input

My students,

I need to decide whether to continue teaching EE306 remotely, or move to
WCH 1.120, the room (auditorium) that we were assigned as our classroom.  
I would like your input as a student in my course since your opinion is 
important to my decision.  Feel free to visit that room to get a better 
idea of what the classes will look like. 

We have posted a survey on Canvas to get your opinion.  The survey consists of 
two questions: whether or not you prefer attending class in person and whether 
or not you prefer attending discussion session in person.  Before you go to 
Canvas, please read the rest of this email.

The size of the class (184 students) is such that if we move to that classroom,
there will probably be no empty seats between you and other students.  Social
distancing will probably be one inch (not six feet).  Students sitting next to
you may or may not be vaccinated.  I am not allowed to ask any student if 
he/she has been vaccinated.  Masks are an important hedge against transmitting 
the virus so I will only do this if everyone attending in person wears a mask.
I would sit at the console at the front of the class and lecture from there.  
I would use the document camera as a whiteboard instead of the iPAD.  What I
write on the whiteboard would be displayed on a large screen at the front of 
the classroom.  The big advantage of being in-person is I would be able to see 
much easier whether you understand what I am teaching and I would be able to 
offer a different explanation if I see that students are not understanding.
There is no question in my mind that the learning environment would be much 
better for you and for me, but it would come at the expense of no social 
distancing and each of you wearing a mask.  If we do this, we would also 
record the Zoom lecture so students would be able to continue as we have been 
and take the course remotely.  Or students could do both, attend class, and 
if useful watch the video.

I am also considering having the discussion sessions in person.  Like lectures,
the learning environment is much better if my TA can see you as you ask a
question, and see whether you understand his explanation so he can explain it
a different way if he sees you did not understand.  Again, you would have to
wear a mask if you attend discussion section in person.  Since there are only 
about 20 students in each discussion session, social distancing is much better.

With that information in hand, please complete the survey on Canvas.
To access the survey, go to the EE306 Canvas homepage and click "Quizzes"
on the left-hand side navigation. You will see the survey there. Please
submit your answers to the two questions by Wednesday night.

We are going to get through this nightmare.  My job is to try to do it as
safely as possible while still teaching you EE 306.

Stay safe.
Yale Patt