Set-Up: Now that we’ve begun to challenge what we mean by being writers/thinkers on many fronts, especially now that we’re in the midst of a novel that demands our radar remain on at all times, I’m curious how you see your own growth in this class.
Challenge: Share with us one way you have definitely grown as a student of English so far this year.
It can be something very specific or a big picture item. Likewise, it can be something internal or external. Finally, it can be something that has dramatically evolved or something that you think is on the verge of being an important part of how you’ll continue to write/think/debate in the future (but may be in a raw state currently).
Length: 7+ sentences
Categories: BIG PICTURE · CLASS IN GENERAL · HOW WE THINK · STUDENT DEVELOPMENT · WEEK 7 · WRITING TECHNIQUE
Set-Up: I assume most of you have already read the Sept/Oct, 2008 issue of Harvard Magazine. What? You haven’t read it yet?
Ah, so that’s why nobody has brought up the intriguing short article, “The Teen Brain”, by Debra Bradley Ruder in class yet. No doubt someone would have pointed out the following gem of a quotation:
“This is the first generation of teenagers that has access to this information and they need to understand some of their vulnerabilities.”
Challenge: Read the article (link above). It’ll set you back about 13 paragraphs worth of reading time. Offer an opinion (based on the article) to 1 of the 3 following quotations/ideas:
- “…this plasticity also makes adolescent brains more vulnerable to external stressors…”
- “By raising awareness of this paradoxical period in brain development, the neurologists hope to help young people cope with their challenges, as well as recognize their considerable strengths.”
- “It’s truly a brave new world. Our brains, evolutionarily, have never been subjected to the amount of cognitive input that’s coming at us.”
Length: 7+ sentences. Again, just react to 1 of the 3 quotations/ideas to receive credit, although you are free to add more and consider the other 2 options if you’d like.
Categories: HOW WE THINK · STUDENT DEVELOPMENT · WEEK 3
Set-Up: So often a teacher starts the academic year by stating his/her goals for the class. Rarely, however, is a student asked to identify goals of his/her own (esp. since you a student ‘has to’ take the class. Let’s change the traditional game a bit so that I can keep an eye on ways to design this class to serve you as an individual (both in and out of school).
Challenge: Please identify (5) goals (or hopes) you have for ENG 10 that start with the following:
- “As a writer over the next 10 months, I want to be able to…”
- “As a thinker (in class conversations & in private) over the next 10 months, I want to be able to…”
- “As a student-in-general over the next 10 months, I want to be able to…”
- “As a human being over the next 10 months, I want to be able to…”
- Bonus: something completely unexpected you want me to know about that may be of value to your presence in this class over time and my ability to help you succeed/learn.
Length: 1 sentence (min) for each goal, but I’m far more interested in the ‘quality’ of your explanation than counting sentences.
Hint: The more specific you are, the more I can customize things over time.
Categories: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT · WEEK 1
