You should all look again at the posts on expectations. On Tuesday, in addition to discussing the reading, we will begin filling out the specificities of the plan for the course. You should come to class have looked through the books selected for the course as well as the resources. You should have some idea about specific topics that interest you as well as for a final project. It's important to keep in mind that there not "anything goes." The books and resources selected for the course are supposed to guide us. What we need to decide is what we want to do as a collective and what we want individuals to report on. Can we cover more material if we divide it up and have people report on it? Or, should everyone read the same material every week? Or should there be some common readings and some "reports from the field"?
One group is suggesting that the class be organized in groups, that is, that all work be done in groups. Do you agree?
As I've mentioned, I expect people to post and comment regularly on the class blogs. Not all the blogs currently have blog rolls (which was part of the first assignment). Nor did all the initial posts refer to readings on electronic reserve. Since your blog is going to be the primary locus of your written work this term, how might you personalize it or make it into an exemplar of your work and interests?
Finally, since I've said that your grade will be based on three different sets of evaluations (those of your peers, your own, and mine based on your weekly work and final project) I am going to require a typed on paper and handed in written assessment from each student. That assessment will be do at the final exam time designated by the registrar. In that assessment, you will tell me what grade you think you deserve and why (that is, you will justify it to me on the basis of what you've learned and done). The self-assessment should be about 10 pages long. You will also give me a grade and assessment of the contributions of each of your classmates. Note: the group advocating that all class work be done in groups is suggesting an alternative here wherein each student only assesses the members of her/his group. We'll have to discuss this.
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5 comments:
I left a comment on another blog as well that enforced the idea of commenting on the other members of our group blogs. This would ensure that each got their own voice and could devote a sufficient amount of time to each person without writing comments that were not thought out to twenty other people, especially after you posted that we would have to be commenting on every single person's participation over the course of four months.
I can understand how group work would be beneficial in terms of reading/commenting/etc...
I really hate groupwork though. Someone always doesn't do the work. I find it too frustrating. The only interesting group work would be if students could only conference through their blogs, but there is no way to ensure that.
I like that we are not being too traditional. I like clicking on random blogs and reading them. I appreciate the bit of chaos. I like how almost no one knows whose blog is whose. At least I can't. I enjoy the disembodied sensation.
I also believe that the blog should be a personal space to manage and learn one's own voice. We should take our education and communication into our own hands. Or keyboards.
Maybe groupwork can be less frequent, an occasional exercise in social interaction, but I don't think it should be a permanent ordeal.
I'm going to be interested in hearing how this debate plays out. Since I'm used to grading more than 20 people a class, it doesn't seem to me to be too much to expect of students. But you guys might not agree. And I wonder: how do you know in advance that the posts from members of your group are going to be the ones that are interesting enough that you are going to want to comment on them?
I also wonder if it is possible to have a solution where each of these options is a possibility. It could be the case, though, that those advocating groups persuade the majority of the class. Which also tells me that we need to come up with a decision rule before we have discussion: do people want majority rule? simple majority? unanimity?
The idea of having the class broken down into groups may have its benefits, but I think it must be a structured approach. Otherwise it will not be successful. Giving everyone the opportunity to blog provides much more opportunity for an active dialogue. Of course at times it could get a bit hectic and repetitive.
I have a question about the assignment. Do we have to make our final assignment about politics or are we also allowed to do it about interaction on the internet about people?
Merel van Helden
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