Evaluations by students in the Washington University Winter 2007 Web Design class:
"Teaching was great because it seemed to work for whatever level the class was on. It was not too scary for novices."
"I really liked the 'inside scoop' perspective of the class. We were not spoken to as novices. You do a great job giving people confidence to believe they are capable of understanding and becoming proficient with this type of information. ... I thought you did a nice job of giving the people who were more advanced opportunities to move forward without making everyone else get lost. ... I was really reticent to take a class on Saturday morning for three hours - that sounds like a recipe for disaster ... Your teaching style is fantastic - my sister had you more than a decade ago for English class and has the exact same rave reviews of your style as I have today. Another thing - it would have been really easy for the 'smart' guys to take over the class and make the rest of us feel like total idiots but you did a great job keeping the class flowing and not letting it go too far over our heads."
"Your website is terrific. There is so much content and extra information and links so that if I am interested in something we talk about, I can read further on it. ... You were very understanding of anyone who had questions. ... I thought I would surely struggle, but slowly I learned and built up confidence."
"Very organized and articulate."
"The problem with most tech related courses I've taken is that they stick to one topic far too long and usually the information they are presenting is well out of date. This class presented information that is not obsolete and I appreciate that. ... I'm used to instructors that deal with any tech topic to be really dry and not very good with communication. You speak well and have a strong grasp of how to relate abstract (and not so abstract) things in a way that makes sense to the normal person (normal being non-nerd)."
"Your teaching is great. I think you make a very dry subject into something more interesting. ... I learned great things and had fun - on Saturday morning! I think you were great. It was great to meet you and have you as a professor. You are generous with your knowledge and that is really cool from you."
"Very entertaining and interesting ... Remember our conversation about about universities? How their diversity is both their madness and their genius? I never knew that same kind of argument could be applied to a human until I met you. But with you, it's much more genius, an just a little madness. ... Also, I love it when you challenge us to think for ourselves and struggle for answers. Your two greatest strengths as a teacher are your ability to present information in an entertaining and interesting manner and your dedication to making your students think."
"You kept the class moving and it never got boring. I liked that it wasn't just rote learning. ... I felt like I got a good foundation to go and explore."
Evaluations by students in the Washington University Spring 2007 Web Design class:
"To be frank, you are the best teacher I ever had. You are passionate and very knowledgable, which keeps the students motivated. The class is also interactive, in which you give enough opportunity for students to speak out for questions and comments."
"Your website is critical for understanding and working with CSS."
"I like your teaching style very much. There is always extra, helpful information (websites, learning tools, plug-ins) that you provide that is over and above what I would have expected for the class."
"Everything was gone over step-by-step and comprehensively."
"This is an awesome class with engrossing material."
"Best teaching website I've ever encountered."
"Always fun, interesting, lively and informative."
"Your teaching is wonderful, and I felt that I learned a lot without any pressure in your class."
"Good discussions in class. Fellow students were working at a high level. The links from the syllabus were very useful. Good organization of the level of links (i.e., beginner, advanced)."
"Awesome!"
Evaluations by students in the Washington University Fall 2006 Web Design class:
"I had no idea I could learn so much HTML so quickly. I didn't know XHTML existed, or CSS for that matter. This class really demystified all three topics for me, as well as explained the mysteries of related technologies. ... You make coding fun and interesting. You have a real talent & passion for this & I appreciate it!"
"I thought the listserv was a good way for the class to collaborate, creating a way to learn together."
"Your web site helps a lot, and keeps me feeling motivated by the new technology you have been sharing with us."
"My new motto: 'When in doubt, ask The Scott!'"
"Scott's presentations were very entertaining. The course, although three hours long, did not drag. ... I was surprised by how Scott was able to take what I consider a dry topic and make it interesting."
"I always like your teaching style ... You make it fun and informative."
"Your website is always helpful. I refer to it often and keep it open in one of my Firefox tabs whenever I'm building a web page. There is an abundance of resources."
Evaluations by students in the Washington University Spring 2006 Web Design class:
"Scott is able to effectively and efficiently teach things that are very applicable in the real world. We got to actually practice what we learned in class and get feedback on it, which is good for those of us active learners. Most classes don't leave much time for that sort of thing. Also, Scott's just a fun guy!"
"... excellent and entertaining. ... I like the relaxed casual atmosphere."
"There are so many tidbits of information that you make available to the class the really enhance the whole learning experience."
"The teaching was, as I found in previous semesters, humorous, enlightening, entertaining, and fun. One of the biggest reasons that I love your class is that you make learning fun."
"Excellent. Well-organized, practical, useful, also flexible."
"... informative, fun, and entertaining."
"First of all, Scott is funny. It's fun to go his class and meanwhile you still learn a lot."
"Your web site is my first resource ... I find myself accessing your site in my bookmarks before I use a search engine for information."
"[The class mailing list] is an excellent resource for help and more importantly for getting to know and enjoy the other students in the class."
"Superb. Always look forward to Scott's class. He's just a dandy lad and an excellent resource for all of sorts of web-related and even non-web-related stuff."
Evaluations by students in the Washington University Fall 2005 Web Design class:
[What I found most interesting about the class:] "Understanding why things should be done the way they should be done; i.e., not just being taught the details but why doing things one way is far better than doing things another way. [Scott's] a very energetic teacher, enjoyable personality, wealth of information. I looked foward to class every week."
"What I found most interesting is how much of a techie I actually am. I just needed to be shown the way."
"Productical, practical, and humorous. You always pay attention to every student. You are one of my favorite teachers!"
"I will have to say that the teaching methods were amazing! I'm not just saying that! ... you were able to answer any of our questions. The class was interesting and your sense of humor was great. Libby was very cute and friendly."
"Scott is a fabulous resource for open source software as well as applications, code, what's new and improved on the Internet, music, and even shaving oil! ... Your web site was absolutely helpful. Lots of valuable links, tutorials, and information. ... I loved you as a teacher. Your sense of humor makes the class so much fun, and I cannot imagine not taking your advanced class in the next semester. ... I learned that I am more capable of learning web design using hand-coding than I give myself credit for."
"You did your best to help those of us who are "slow" catch up."
"I enjoyed the relaxed feel in class and the fact you were open to ANY of our questions."
"Without a doubt the best teaching I have had since I left college."
"Every lecture was dynamic, fun, and entertaining. Scott can make anything interesting. ... Scott might be the best teacher I've ever had. His style is amazing. His presentation is very animated. He keeps our attention easily with humor and great examples. He lets the students ask as many questions as they need to and never talks down to any student. He's very helpful and accessible. ... I came in knowing nothing, and feel like I've learned quite a bit."
"Your teaching is super. You are a very bright and lively person, thank God. You can also explain things in many different ways, which is a good trait for teaching. You can take any question and answer it to the questioner's satisfaction."
Evaluations by students in the Washington University Fall 2004 Web Design class:
"The instructor is great! He makes the class fun!"
"The instructor is amazing. His knowledge base is phenomenal. I learned so much from this class and it had everything to do with the instructor and his love of what he does and his ability to present it. There was a lot of instructor/student interaction. The hands-on experience in several of his classes proved to be invaluable."
"I have already told numerous persons about this terrific class and the instructor."
"It is a great, fun, challenging class. You can get a lot out of it even if you already knwo some basic HTML."
"I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I've learned a great deal of helpful information about websites and the Internet/computers in general. I especially enjoyed the laid back and low stress atmosphere where I could learn for learning's sake."
"Scott, thank you for devoting your Saturday mornings to come to class and pouring out your incredible knowledge base upon us. I thoroughly enjoyed your class and look forward to taking another of your classes in the near future."
Evaluations by students in the Flo Valley Fall 2004 Web Design class:
"You call what you did teaching? I would rather consider it as sophisticated, enlightening entertainment. The relaxed environment, your vast knowledge on the topic and nearly every topic we brought up in class made this a near ideal learning environment."
"My goal for the class was to gain an understanding of how websites are developed, so I could talk at least halfway intelligently with out webguy and IT guy at my work. I achieved and surpassed that goal. I now know the limits of the guys at my work."
"I enjoyed your sense of humor, which adds a lot to what could be a very dry topic. I have had enough bad teachers to know that your presentation style adds to the ability of students to retain the knowledge."
"I think you did an excellent job keeping our attention. Your excitement and jokes kept us going, awake, and interested. You seem to be very knowledgeable in the subject and you are actually developing websites. This is an instant respect factor for me - knowing that you can actually do what you are teaching."
Evaluations by students in the Flo Valley Summer 2004 Web Design class:
"I thought the teaching was excellent. A good mix of theory and how it's applied to real world situations."
"Very enjoyable. Making a point of understanding a topic by different descriptions was a strong point. Your humor made drawn out lecture times much easier to stay awake."
"Your laid back teaching style was great! I could really relate to you and enjoyed listening to you speak. You made the class more fun and made what could be a pretty dry subject very enjoyable. Your music selection was great while we were doing our team projects. I also looked forward to your news items each Saturday."
"You really know your stuff. ... You're enthusiastic about the subject - that helps a lot! And you generally keep the class on track - you don't let tangents go too far. Also amazing - this was as intense as my freshman classes at Rolla, but you didn't completely lose the greenhorns."
It was like a thirst was being quenched because I finally had an arena to discuss technology & design. I got so many great resources, and I've totally changed my computing habits.
I could spend hours looking through Scott's website. ... Scott is very entertaining. He was not a boring teacher. ... I enjoyed the class so much that the time flew.
My students in the Washington University Fall 2003 Web Design class:
"You took a course that I thought could have been boring and made it exciting. I did not want to miss any of it."
"I appreciate the way you take the time to explain things in detail. I also like that you pass on new and useful information as soon as it's available and expand on the who's and why's of it."
"I like your teaching style a lot. I feel that you are very knowledgeable about these and many other subjects -- which make for interesting discussions."
"Scott is a great instructor who really is interested in what he's teaching and wants you to be able to understand it too."
"The course is excellent. Scott is very dynamic and a great teaching style ... Scott is a wonderful instructor. ... I would take just about anything Scott taught."
"I feel that this instructor has a natural ability to make learning an interesting and fun process."
"Scott is a wonderful instructor who's on the cutting edge of technology. It's a pleasure to come to his class every week."
"This is the course to take for learning web site design and development. Mr. Granneman made it very entertaining."
"Excellent teacher! Very in depth teaching. Need more classes like these."
I also brought out little shih-tzu Libby to class sometimes too. She turned out to be a great hit with the students.
"I like how you kept things light and fun while still informative. Libby is a wonderful assistant teacher! I like that you brought Libby to class -- she is adorable and sweet and fun and makes the class less like a class and more like a group of people gathering and learning at the same time."
"Scott is an excellent instructor. He was very dynamic and made the class non-threatening and fun. ... I also enjoyed having Libby [the little dog] join us. It just made things more comfortable. I also thought the movies, CDs, and even the music you put on while we were setting things up was great."
Some comments by students in the Flo Valley Fall 2003 Web Design class:
"I liked your teaching method very much. Your use of humor and vocal dynamics kept me attentive, while your use of repetition and insistence on class involvement hammered home important topics." (J.E.B.)
"I have spent many years in corporate training and found your teaching methods and processes productive for adult learning. The course content pragmatically takes a beginner from learning HTML language to understanding the structures and rules associated with building a website. I found that your teaching methods are geared to adult learners. You use a lot of two-way communication to involve the learner in the learning process and at the same time challenge the class participants to retain what they learned. You kept the class moving, interesting, challenging, and encouraged the participants to want to learn more about website development. Kudos!"
Some comments by a student in the Flo Valley Summer 2003 Web Design class:
"In a 4-hour class that goes late in the evening (or starts early on Saturday), it makes a huge difference when the instructor has lots of energy and is good at getting people involved. Your sense of humor also helps. It always makes a class better when the instructor loves what he does -- and knows plenty about it."
These were written by students in the Flo Valley Spring 2003 Web Design class:
"The class was a terrific overview of Web design, and I found everything interesting. ... Fabulous. I particularly appreciated your enthusiasm for the subject. You made everything seem interesting. I learned much more in this class than I expected to when I signed up for it. ... I enjoyed the course tremendously and appreciated all of the resources you made available."
"I expected a boring teacher with a boring subject. I was wrong about both."
"Scott loves to teach and did an excellent job."
"Dynamic, encourages participation, & thinking. You love your work, enjoyed your sense of humor! Good mix of hands-on learning, experience, & lecture. I have recommended you to my co-workers."
The following are all from students in the Washington University Fall 2002 Web Design class:
"AWESOME! You are a very interactive, enthusiastic, and knowledgable teacher and I enjoyed it very much."
"You keep me awake on a Saturday morning week after week. I enjoyed and learned from the realistic examples you related from mistakes made in the real world."
"I love your teaching style. You are 100% recommended in my book. You make it fun and the subject didn't seem insurmountable as I had imagined."
"... he obviously has a command of this and many relative subjects and the way in which he taught was enlightening and fun."
"Excellent verbal presentation."
"Scott was always prepared for class and knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish."
Students in the Flo Valley Fall 2002 Web Design class had this to say about my class:
"Your enthusiasm and sense of humor serve you very well and make the class enjoyable. You obviously know your stuff."
"Animated, energetic, knowledgeable, and interesting."
"If you teach it, I will come."
The following is from students in the Flo Valley Summer 2002 Web Design class:
"It's been great to listen to you and your ideas. How did you ever learn all this? Computer classes can be so dry and boring, but you bring a lot of enthusiasm to class. Thank you very much."
The following are all from students in the Flo Valley Fall 2001 Web Design class:
"Scott made the class really enjoyable and covered a bounty of information in just a few short weeks. He is very knowledgable, energetic, very aware of emerging tech issues and reiterated over and over and over and over and over again about the importance of Web security."
"Excellent! Very enthusiastic, went the extra mile to get us information and keep communication flowing. Knowledgeable about every facet of the topic. A++++++."
"Your instruction was outstanding. Absolutely terrific. Your lectures and instructions were more than worth the cost of the course and my time. I have recommended your course to work associates and have praised your down-to-eath teaching approach without talking over the heads of novices like myself."
"Your wealth of knowledge is amazing ... as is your enthusiasm for the subject matter!"
"You surprised me when the power went out and the lights went off and you continued to teach in the dark!"
"I enjoyed your style of teaching. I really looked forward to coming to class. You provide a very friendly atmosphere and I feel confident that you will answer questions whenever you can."
Of course, I do have my failings. Sometimes I go a bit too much in-depth when answering questions, as this student from the Flo Valley Summer 2002 Web Design class pointed out:
"If I ask, 'What time is it?', I don't need the history of clock making, including how to make the clock."
|