The week of May 9th, which is week 13 by my count, is our last week of the 2nd marking period of this spring semester 2011. I'd call it the end of the 5th term of this academic year.
As I have told you in a recent email, try to keep a big picture view of things as we wind down this term, and then go for the last stretch to the end of the semester. The "end" is in sight! But think of it as a time of rest and reflection before going on to bigger challenges next year and later in life. I hope you will get some inspiration from our last weeks together, and bring forward some excellent "habits of the mind" to bear on your lifelong learning efforts.
I will put here on this post some information concerning us now. I plan to put some extra credit details that I just put on the e-learning platform, results and comments about our mid-semester surveys from last week, general plans for the next marking period.
Extra credit, exactly as it appears on the e-learning platform calendar:
Bike trip report: If you would like to do a mini report on your biking trip for two weeks then I will accept that if it is done by 5/15 and if you agree to let me post or link that to either the class blog or Kang Chiao Creates blog. You'll need a minimum of 250 words describing what you learned about yourself, your classmates, perseverance, Taiwan, and also describe something special or unusual that happened, at 50 to 100 words apiece. For each 50-word block of excellent writing, you will receive ONE to TWO points on a quiz or homework assignment. You’ll get an extra one or two points for a photo and an extra one or two points for good storytelling if I think it’s good (remember examples discussed in class). This would be worth 7 to 14 points to be applied to either a quiz or homework grade, wherever it is needed most.
Articles: There is the Times of Upheaval article and When We Hated Mom article. For the first one, you can do a 150-word summary and a 250-word reaction, and for the second only a 250-word reaction is possible. Each fifty (good) words gets you one or two bonus points on a homework assignment. That is up to 26 points available.
Survey results and comments (from 10W only):
Some students said the following about
books from this course:
Macbeth - "I think it feels weird to read abridged Shakespeare." "I learned a lot about human nature and morality after reading this classic."
Animal Farm - "A good book to learn about allegory." "Easy story, deep meaning." "Interesting, meaningful." "Not really the type of book I'd enjoy." "In this course, reading Animal Farm got me to change myself from not being too selfish."
Flowers for Algernon - "Very interesting." "Great!" "Very Inspiring and sad."
Asperger's from the Inside Out - "Educational, inspiring."
Born on a Blue Day - "Understanding of autism."
Student comments on the
use of technology in this course:
"Sometimes it is hard for me to turn in homework in Internet because the computer wouldn't cooperate." "Creating blog is a good way of submitting homework, but if there are not comments in your blog, there will be no motivation of doing so."
"Prefer to use iPads as a tool for this course."
"I like the blog better than e-learning, so I hope you will continue to put all the information there."
"I think the blog style is nice because we can see each other's writings."
"Using blog is not my favorite thing to do."
"The use of technology was diversified. We used blogs, web sites, Power Points, and Word documents."
Comments on how much or
how well this course prepares you to be a global citizen:
"I think the assignments on the articles really prepares me well to be a global citizen. Many of the articles are about interesting global issues."
"The article assignments helps me prepare to obtain information when I'm in the U.S."
"I think we should have more interaction with the outside."
"I personally think that we should focus more on the Internet, for example articles and the blog (reflection)."
There is sharp disagreement about how much to focus on reading in class, blogs, writing, quiz and homework preparation, and articles. The only thing that is a clear pattern is that most everyone agrees they enjoy class discussion and there should be more of it. I hear various voices that want to have a challenge, improve their English and their grades, but have fun while doing so.
Now for my comments - time is very limited. I would also like to see us do more discussion and even debates, group work, activities, projects, even games in class. Tell me this - are you really well-prepared for class? Because if you are not even ready with your weekly reading done, then how can we discuss it? You can help by getting your work done, as much as you can, outside of class, including emailing me questions about reading or homework or seeing me at lunch time. Then during class time we can, assuming everyone understands our assigned material, do a productive discussion or activity about it and move on to something else. I also have the ability to answer tough questions about grammar, but feel this has been unnaturally deemphasized from our course. Just keep in mind that this is a literature course, so therefore it is heavily based in reading, like it or not. And the means to find out if you have understood? Usually that is by your writing. We can, of course, try to increase the use of speaking, and that is desirable, but again, time is not our friend in this matter. All things considered, I'd say we have great materials and facilities, a nice sized class and motivated students. I am quite satisfied with what we have accomplished, but ready to improve. Thank you for your ideas.
General plans for the next marking period
Read Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – make sure you have your book this week.
Do Autobiographical writing – get started early writing memorable scenes from your early life.
Maintain the availability of good articles every week, but if they are required, make the time to go over them in class.
Increase speaking in class – warm-up discussion, group work, literature circles, mini-presentations, debates, speaking activities and games, speaking tests (practice and for a grade).
Please continue weekly posts on your blog every Friday – that should make for five more.
Watch one movie – book to literature, preferably something related to something we are reading. Honestly, this movie watching may take place after I leave for break, see below.
Note – we may need to inform one another of travel plans. If any students are going away for a week or some days please tell me as soon as you know about it. I will likely be leaving for Italy some days early, but it should not affect our class, as we meet early in the week.
