Thursday, September 8, 2011
Somalia - Day 1
The theme is social justice. I wanted students to think about the needs of other people in the world.
If you can make a chance, should you?
I showed images of a current international crisis, the famine in Somalia, and then asked them to read four articles about Somalia and respond to them.
The responses were well written for the most part, as students described what they were thinking and feeling. They adequately described the situation, and I was pleased. Many were shocked that this was happening, but they didn't know anything about it.
Observations:
1. I hoped to start off by appealing to their emotions. I definitely did that.
2. I hoped to get them to think about the controversial aspects of response. We discussed that in class. Not all students agreed about what we should do.
3. I get some of the best free response papers I have seen.
4. Images were essential. In one of the classes, I didn't have time to show the images so they looked at them at home. That really helped the students. Many of them referred to what they saw.
5. Appealing to a current event really helps students place rhetoric in context. Even if they don't follow the news, they do want to know what's going on.
In every class, at least three students missed out on this very foundational aspect of the class because of the add/drop/shuffle. I wonder if I should wait. I don't know.
If you can make a chance, should you?
I showed images of a current international crisis, the famine in Somalia, and then asked them to read four articles about Somalia and respond to them.
The responses were well written for the most part, as students described what they were thinking and feeling. They adequately described the situation, and I was pleased. Many were shocked that this was happening, but they didn't know anything about it.
Observations:
1. I hoped to start off by appealing to their emotions. I definitely did that.
2. I hoped to get them to think about the controversial aspects of response. We discussed that in class. Not all students agreed about what we should do.
3. I get some of the best free response papers I have seen.
4. Images were essential. In one of the classes, I didn't have time to show the images so they looked at them at home. That really helped the students. Many of them referred to what they saw.
5. Appealing to a current event really helps students place rhetoric in context. Even if they don't follow the news, they do want to know what's going on.
In every class, at least three students missed out on this very foundational aspect of the class because of the add/drop/shuffle. I wonder if I should wait. I don't know.
Add, Drop, Shuffle (The Worst Part of the First Week).
The hardest part of the first week of school was the add, drop, shuffle.
1. Students want to add my class because it fits their schedule better.
2. They want to add someone else's class and drop mine to create a better schedule. However, they can't drop my class until they add the other one. I cannot add the other students until they do that so the process is slow.
3. Students want to shuffle their schedule and move to another section that I am teaching. One student moved from the 9:00 to the 10:00 and then back to the 9:00. To complicate things, she has only attended two classes. Last Friday, three students in my 9:00 class asked to move to the 11:00 class.
Students show up at the beginning of class, the middle of class, the end of class. It's exhausting. I spent more time responding to emails about adding and shuffling than I did to creating lesson plans.
And responding in class to those requests took time away from the lesson plans.
Fortunately, I took good notes. Unfortunately, I underestimated the enormity of the process and didn't create a plan of attack.
First Day:
1. Write on board how many openings in the class.
2. If students approach me before class and ask about crashing, let them know that I will address that after I take roll.
3. After taking roll, ask if there are any crashers. Explain that I can only keep 32 students in the class, that on the second day I can disenroll students if they do not attend, and that I will end class five minutes early so that they can sign the list.
The list would include name, red ID #, email, and are they enrolled in a section of RWS 200 already.
Chances are, some students will leave because they don't want to sit through the class.
1. If they are not already enrolled in RWS 200, they get priority.
2. After that, tell them I will give add codes on the second day if I have room on day 2.
3. Priority given to students who do the homework. (?)
4. I think I shouldn't shuffle students on the first day until I absolutely have room in the class. I need to think about this.
I do need to be careful about homework. Students can't do the homework if they don't have the book so I need to assign
One-and-a-half weeks into the semester, I think we're finally done. I wonder if I should have done ANY work the first week of the semester!
And I think I need to ask Jamie or other lecturers what they do so that I can get a better plan. More later.
1. Students want to add my class because it fits their schedule better.
2. They want to add someone else's class and drop mine to create a better schedule. However, they can't drop my class until they add the other one. I cannot add the other students until they do that so the process is slow.
3. Students want to shuffle their schedule and move to another section that I am teaching. One student moved from the 9:00 to the 10:00 and then back to the 9:00. To complicate things, she has only attended two classes. Last Friday, three students in my 9:00 class asked to move to the 11:00 class.
Students show up at the beginning of class, the middle of class, the end of class. It's exhausting. I spent more time responding to emails about adding and shuffling than I did to creating lesson plans.
And responding in class to those requests took time away from the lesson plans.
Fortunately, I took good notes. Unfortunately, I underestimated the enormity of the process and didn't create a plan of attack.
First Day:
1. Write on board how many openings in the class.
2. If students approach me before class and ask about crashing, let them know that I will address that after I take roll.
3. After taking roll, ask if there are any crashers. Explain that I can only keep 32 students in the class, that on the second day I can disenroll students if they do not attend, and that I will end class five minutes early so that they can sign the list.
The list would include name, red ID #, email, and are they enrolled in a section of RWS 200 already.
Chances are, some students will leave because they don't want to sit through the class.
1. If they are not already enrolled in RWS 200, they get priority.
2. After that, tell them I will give add codes on the second day if I have room on day 2.
3. Priority given to students who do the homework. (?)
4. I think I shouldn't shuffle students on the first day until I absolutely have room in the class. I need to think about this.
I do need to be careful about homework. Students can't do the homework if they don't have the book so I need to assign
One-and-a-half weeks into the semester, I think we're finally done. I wonder if I should have done ANY work the first week of the semester!
And I think I need to ask Jamie or other lecturers what they do so that I can get a better plan. More later.
Social Justice Day Video - Day 2
We watched this the World Social Justice Day video from Rhodes College and read a piece by Ben O'Neil written in response to the video.
It became a great jumping place to conversation. I posted a prompt on the blog and asked students to respond.
However, I wish, I had presented the material a little differently. I showed the video at the end of class and sent them off with instructions to read O'Neil.
Here's what I would do differently:
1. Show the video and discuss the notion of "claims." Each student is making a claim about a right. However, none of the students are offering any evidence. This would reinforce the notion of claims and also the need for evidence.
2. Who is the audience for this piece? How do you know?
3. What is the purpose of the author in putting this video together?
4. I would ask them to make their own claims about rights. What is a right? I want them to offer evidence in the form of a logical reason.
5. Next, I would ask them to define "rights." The definition frames the discussion, and in fact, this is what O'Neil does to build his own argument.
6. Finally, I would ask them to read O'Neil and respond to the blog prompt.
I also asked the students to write a rhetorical precis on O'Neil. I would still do that.
All in all, the readings and video worked well, but I think it could have worked better.
It became a great jumping place to conversation. I posted a prompt on the blog and asked students to respond.
However, I wish, I had presented the material a little differently. I showed the video at the end of class and sent them off with instructions to read O'Neil.
Here's what I would do differently:
1. Show the video and discuss the notion of "claims." Each student is making a claim about a right. However, none of the students are offering any evidence. This would reinforce the notion of claims and also the need for evidence.
2. Who is the audience for this piece? How do you know?
3. What is the purpose of the author in putting this video together?
4. I would ask them to make their own claims about rights. What is a right? I want them to offer evidence in the form of a logical reason.
5. Next, I would ask them to define "rights." The definition frames the discussion, and in fact, this is what O'Neil does to build his own argument.
6. Finally, I would ask them to read O'Neil and respond to the blog prompt.
I also asked the students to write a rhetorical precis on O'Neil. I would still do that.
All in all, the readings and video worked well, but I think it could have worked better.
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