Two Weeks In

Well, we are now two weeks in the Spring semester, and everything seems to be calming down. I had squished too much in to the first two weeks, so we slowed things down just a bit. I didn't expect to spend so much time on the technological components of the course. Something to remember in the future.

We started on Project 1, the literacy narrative. Students always find the content a bit challenging, though I don't really understand why. Maybe one of students will enlighten me some day. Students struggled with the invention exercises a little. I know that the way I am asking them to approach writing this semester may be radically different from what they have experienced in the past. I don't mind taking extra class time to work through some of these activities. My ultimate goal is to help them become more effective writers. The system I have set up this semester - modeled after courses I have taught elsewhere and read about in my research studies - has proven results. It will take some time for them to acclimate to a new way of approaching writing, and some might outright rebel against the process I am teaching, but I can't wait to see the writing they are producing at the end of the course. The last time I taught this system, the improvement was so drastic, I could hardly believe it. Students weren't just improving either, they were actually getting excited about incorporating what they had learned in the writing they were producing. I hope I can recreate that excitement this semester.

One week down...15 to go

So far, so good. My students are great! Some seem a little freaked by the technology, but they also seem committed to learning it. I'm glad because it will make such a difference for them in the future.

I haven't had a chance yet to read their introductory writings. I'm very excited to read their letters. Probably much more excited than they were to write them. I'm very impressed with the way some of the students approached this assignment. I had one student ask if it was okay to use quotes from previous writing she had done. This is above and beyond my expectations of them. On the flip side, it seems that some students were determined not to complete the assignment. I'll have to implement some change in the requirement to ensure everyone completes it in the future. It is so important to the rest of the semester; they just don't know it yet. It sets the tone for everything else we will do. Besides, it helps them prepare for their formal writing assignments by giving them an idea of how I am evaluating their writing. That's the whole point. I want them to understand how they will be evaluated before I actually grade something worth a lot.

First Day of Classes

The first day of classes has come and gone. I am so excited to have met my students this semester. My morning class (9:30 a.m.) started off slow, but seemed to pick up energy as the period progressed. How excited can students get about the course syllabus anyway? I hope my energy is infectious. I have already identified a few talkers and a few students who may need to be coaxed out of their shells. That is always a challenge - getting students to see that what they have to say has value...to me, their peers, and the world around them. On the other hand, my afternoon class was quite vociferous, a pleasant alternative to some of my past experiences where everyone refuses to speak. They have a good sense of humor, but one that will need to be closely monitored.

Although today's classes went well, still I wonder how many students I will lose this first week. Some may be scared off by the technology. I know it is scary for some, who have little experience working on a computer or using the internet, but it will pay off in the end. They will become comfortable using technology for their courses and in their day to day lives. That's the goal. The world is becoming more and more a digital society. The last thing I want for my students is to be disadvantaged because they don't have experience with technology.