We started a new semester this week, so my nose has been firmly against the grindstone ever since. Meetings, papers to read, projects to evaluate, more meetings, new classes, new papers to read, new projects to evaluate and so on.
I have made it through the first week.
So far so good.
My new classes are quite good. Now, I always say this, but it really seems to be true.
Last semester I had three excellent classes. My Lit & Language 11 and first College Comp classes were some of the best classes I have ever had. My second College Comp class was good, but they were not as lively and motivated as my other two classes.
This time around I have an excellent College Comp II class. They all have been through my College Comp I class. It looks to be the best class I have ever had. Motivated. Intelligent. Responsible. I can’t believe I get paid very well to work with them.
This is the first time I have ever taught the class, so (as I told them), I’ll be learning right along with them. This class is more researched based than College Comp I, so that takes a little of the fun out of it (not as much room for personal essays as in College Comp I), but they don’t have the major research paper hanging over their heads either. Instead, they will write several shorter research papers. My overall goal for the class is to have students research and write about subjects they have a genuine interest in. I hope to have one of their research papers tie into their majors or job choice. I’d also, as a culminating paper, give them the option of doing a multi-genre research paper. These kids could pull it off.
For their first research assignment, I devised a list of terms for students to research. I stole an idea from James Burke and his “Knowledge Web,” where I took 10 seemingly unrelated items, but each term was connected. I had students hit the internet (wikipedia mainly) and summarize the important information on their subject and include one or two really interesting or odd facts.
Then we got together and went over them. As students shared, I tried to link the information together, stealing from Burke again as I went.
The terms were really divided into two categories. One was a set Burke used on a podcast to illustrate the interconnectiveness of knowledge (he explained how Mozart was directly related to Sikorsky’s invention of the helicopter in ten simple jumps). The other was based around the Chicago World’s Fair, which I stole from Devil in the White City.
Next, I have a College Comp I class. So far we are still getting to know each other. They have not opened up to me yet. But I think they’ll come around once they get used to my style and the class. We already have two essays under our belts and from what they have shared in class, there are some excellent writers with some interesting things to say.
Finally, I have a Lit and Language 11 class. It’s quite a diverse section of kids. They surprised me by getting right to work. I don’t know many of the kids, and while they are talkative, they seem interested and willing to work. I think they’ll keep surprising me all year.
Today we examined the classic “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema.” See the link below.
http://spot.pcc.edu/~rwolf/miner.html
It’s a fake anthropological study on the mythic tribe the Nacirema (American spelled backwards). This I stole years ago from Pete over at the ALC.
I had students divide up into groups. Then I had them read and summarize specific paragraphs. Then we got back together and went over what they found.
Amazingly, no one made the connection that it was really talking about us.
When I filled them in, they lit up. It was great. Then we talked about how sometimes we take just how odd and different we are from the rest of the world for granted because we don’t step outside of ourselves and objectively look at our traditions and rituals. I hope this prepares them for their homework: “The Lottery.”
I can’t wait for Monday.
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