Critical Assignment = I think everyone should assign one of these in their classes. Even just taking a project you already have them complete & making it more "thought-building." Maybe just taking out the uber specific directions... anything to make them think MORE about how to complete it. Then, maybe, their critical thinking skills would increase??
+Other Recent Thoughts On Life and Learning:
1.When students take our courses, we assess them. Now, are we really TECHNICALLY assessing what they've learned in our classes? Not really... I mean, if they knew how to write before they took my English 110, and they score well, then DUH, it wasn't really me. However, if they can't write, and they take my English 110 and are assessed (and "can't write"), then who is really to blame? My semester-long class or the 12 years of schooling they had before me? I'm just saying... and what bugs me the most is that many people on campus will say, "Our students can't write." Sure, some of them can't. But it's not like I can turn them around in 16 weeks ESPECIALLY if they skip class.
2.I'd like good sample papers from other teachers who don't teach English.
3.I'd like the writing instructions they use, too. How are they assigning the paper? What are the guidelines?
4.P3 in English 120... maybe I should add a challenge that if they want to take a typically non-Pro/Con issue and make it so, that would be crazy. Like, what is the Pro to smoking or tanning?
5.Reading Activity #32: Elevator (finding the main idea in a reading = can you tell someone about the topic in an elevator ride... can you make it concise, essentially?).
6.In the syllabus, just state that they have to email me with late work stuff; they'll have to explain the reason, etc. Period.
7.iPad = Autodesk, Stetchbook Pro?
8.P2 in English 110 = Maybe THEY should create the genres?
9.Maybe the presentation for P2 in Eng110 should be where the students show off the genres instead of a Prezi? Less copy/paste??
10.P4 presentations should, maybe, be due to a spot online before everyone presents. This might keep that "last minute working while others are presenting" crap to a minimum?
11.Remind them, on the P4 handout, that ALL group members should keep track of ALL of the necessary documents. I dislike this "Billy had the quiz" stuff.
12.P4=any errors in presentation = big deduction. This IS an English class, for crying out loud.
13.Instead of answering my students questions ("When is this due?"), ask them questions back like, "Where do you think you could find that info?" They'll use Google for everything else but basic class stuff. Ugh. Also, when they ask why they got X on a paper; I could ask, "Well, what was required?" Make them think = Metacognitive!
14."Just because you don't have a plan, doesn't mean you don't have a plan."
15.New Poster Session requirements are on a document somewhere.
"You have to evolve no matter what you teach."
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