March 20, 2008

• Having diagnosed myself with some small head cold
  + a splash of mono
  = another random idea for a class.
  … Students rarely ‘read’ the chapter(s) & stuff I assign.
  Okay, I’ve noticed this. I can deal with it.
  However, students do like to create stuff.
  This I have noticed too.
  If it’s called a paper (I’ve commented on this in the past), they tune out. Go to La-La Land in 4.3 seconds. But if a teacher calls it something else and it appears relatively interesting/simple/different/fun, students typically will give it a shot. SO, with those things in mind, I may implement the use of teeny PPTs more often BY having students read chapters in the book(s) (like they are ‘supposed to’) and then create, in groups or alone, PPTs that sum up the chapter/relate it to them/make use of the chapter’s content in a fun way, etc. I’d, of course, create a few ‘starters’ to give ‘em all an idea of what I am looking for. They’d be like multi-modal mini-lessons. They’d ‘force’ the students to read or teach each other what they got from the chapter(s). And I wouldn’t have to be the ‘main attraction’ in class as far as lecturing on something noone read; they’d show off their creations. I think this would work well in English 120 since the class revolves around the theme of controversy, but I may be able to sneak them into English 110 too with the chapter(s) on Works Cited pages, MLA, the Writing Process, Evaluating Sources, etc…

  The more exhausted I am, the better the ideas. That’s sad and cool all at once, I think.

  • 10:30 am
  • 1 Comment