February 25

Today, we wrote into the day about our writing processes for the Exploratory Essay.  Then, we got into our inquiry groups and workshopped our papers using the method discussed last week.  If there were three people in the group, the paper was discussed for 20 minutes.  If there were four people, the paper was discussed for 15 minutes.  If there were five people, the paper was discussed for 12 minutes.

Homework:

• On your blog, answer the questions on the "Workshop Reflection for Your Blog" handout before class on Wednesday.
• Post your second draft to the blog (copy and paste) and to Moodle (a Word file) before class on Monday (March 4) at noon.  You will post your paper in the forum called "Post Your Exploratory Essay Here."

February 20

Today, for writing into the day, we answered questions about the purpose of workshopping.  After discussing the writing into the day, we got into small groups and made a list of do's and don't's of workshopping using "Responding - Really Responding - to Other Students' Writing," the "Revision is" handout and our past experiences with workshopping.  We made a class list of the Do's and Don't's for the reader and the writer, which is as follows:

 

Do

• Respond truthfully
• Ask questions
• Give suggestions
• Tell the writer what is working
• Inspire the writer
• Have an open mind
• Elaborate
• Give ideas on how to fix paper
• Give clear opinions
• Write on the paper
• Focus on concept
• Be respectful
• Respond with a smile
• Comment on grammar
• Take notes (writer)
• Have an open mind (writer)
• Have a positive attitude (writer)
• Bring concerns (writer)
• Bring hard copies (writer)

Don't

• Be disrespectful
• Ignore suggestions
• Lie
• Just focus on grammar
• Destroy paper
• Be afraid to say anything
• Skim
• Re-write
• Be vague
• Be rude/harsh
• Have side conversations
• Cut down the writer's ideas
• Make the writer cry
• Be defensive  (writer)
• Forget your paper (writer)
• Half-do your paper (writer)
• Feel pressured to change your ideas (writer)

Then, we discussed the handouts about reflections.  After workshopping next class, we will answer the questions on the "Reflection for Workshop" handout on the blog.  Then, when we hand in the second draft, we will answer the "Self Assessment" questions on the blog.  After conferences (which will take place the week after Spring Break), we will answer the "Reflection for Conferences" on the blog.

 

When we workshop next class, we will use the following steps:

1. The writer address 2-3 concerns about the work
2. The writer reads the paper aloud
3. The writer and readers discuss the paper.  The writer asks questions and pushes readers to explain criticism.

For the last five minutes, we wrote out our current inquiry questions and our weekly availability.  Megan will be using these to schedule conferences.

Homework

• Finish writing your first draft of the Exploratory Essay.  (It must be three pages.)
• Post a copy of your draft to your blog before class.
• Bring four hardcopies of your draft with you to class.

February 18

Today, we wrote about what we have learned and/or thought about since the beginning of the semester.  

After writing into the day, we reread the assignment description for the Exploratory Essay and talked about the "Exploratory Essay - Further Explanation" handout.  Then we did brainstorming about the Exploratory Essay in partners.  We wrote about our ideas and then talked them over with our partners (see the "Murray Brainstorming" powerpoint).

Then, we got into our inquiry groups and talked our golden lines.  In the last 10 minutes of class, we had a debate about whether students should be required to take liberal arts classes.  Some said that these classes are a waste of time unless they deal directly with one's major.  Others said that these classes are beneficial because they make a person more well rounded and teach things like history; these people argued that it is the responsibility of the student to figure out how to apply what he/she has learned in liberal arts classes to his/her life and major.

Homework:

• Keep up with your blog.

February 13

For writing into the day, we listed everything we know about a country or countries.  Then, we watched two short videos about 21st century skills and global competition.  After these videos, we discussed questions (on the PowerPoint) in small groups, then have the following whole group discussion:

• Studying a language should begin in elementary school.
• Other countries learn languages earlier.
• Only two years in high school is required; that's not enough.
• Even with four years of high school language class might not prepare you for college language classes.
• Language study should be required.
• Global awareness is our weakness. The only thing we know is how we beat them in wars.  We don't know anything about the other cultures.
• Can you cooperate with countries or can you only compete with them now?
• Other countries go to school year round.
• Are we being dumbed down by getting 12 weeks off every year?  If you constantly learn, you will be smarter.
• Could we shorten school days and go year round?  Then we would have the same amount of time but not forget things over the summer.
• Because it's free, we don't value our education.
• We only see other countries on TV, but the media doesn't tell us about the people.  They only tell us what the country does.
• Schools focus on memorizing dates and names.  They should concentrate on the culture of the countries.
• Maybe we should have a class for global awareness.
• We think we are the best.  When we hear other countries names - like Iraq or Mexico - we only think of violence.
• We too easily believe what the media tells us.
• Is history class important?  
• You could incorporate culture.  
• We only learned about our history, not other culture's history.
• We have to remember that other countries are older than us.  Maybe we have so many problems because we are too young.
• Maybe we don't remember history because we thought it was stupid while we were taking it.
• We need to learn the customs of the other cultures if we are in business.
• It depends on what you need to do.  Why do you need to be globally aware if you are never going to leave the US?
• The US is a melting pot.
• Most professionals interact with people from other countries.  Even at the grocery store, you might do something to offend someone from another culture just because you don't know about their culture.
• We judge other countries' customs because we are ignorant of them.
• Some people from other countries who come to America feel like they need to act American.
• Most jobs require that you speak at least two languages now.
• In grade school, we don't know what we want to do yet so we don't know how much global awareness we will need for our jobs.  Because of that, we should just learn it anyway.  It could only benefit you.
• Do you think we really learn the other four 21st century skills listed by Ken Kay?
• We might have one or two word problems or critical thinking questions in school, but we don't know how to answer them.  Most of the time, we would just skip them.
• Collaboration wasn't something that we learned well.  We had to do the work ourselves unless we were purposely put into groups.
• Before college, there wasn't much group work. 
• Group work allows us the opportunity to learn others' ideas and points of view.
• It goes back to who's teaching the class.
• In college and in jobs we will need to collaborate.  They should make sure we collaborate in high school.
• We've always been pinned against the world.  There's always a target on our backs.
• Who can tell you what's right or wrong when it comes to the customs of different countries?
• As a nations, we are covering up what's going on around us.  We think it's all about "me".
• People turn off the TV as soon as there is something they don't like.
• The news is depression.  They don't tell you the good stuff.

Then, we read the descriptions of Liberal Education and Montessori Education.  In small groups, we discussed what we thought of these methods.  Most people preferred the Montessori method because of the student teaching and the focus on first hand experience.  Some also emphasized that liberal education allows the person to be well rounded.

Homework:

• Read "On the Uses of a Liberal Education."

• Post a reading response on your blog.

• Bring your golden line to class with you on Monday.

February 11

For writing into the day, we responded to a newspaper article about why high school students aren't prepared for college.  Then we had the following discussion:

• In high school, AP was busy work and book work.  In college, it's more critical thinking.
• Each week we'd have timed writing responses.  You don't have those kinds of timed writing in college.  You have at least a week to write a paper.
• We were just taught how to pass.
• How are you being prepared for college if the course is a year long?  Why did it take so long to teach/learn that material?
• They don't have adequate teachers to teacher higher classes in high school.
• Multiple choice doesn't allow for learning concepts; it's about memorization.
• You have to focus on what the teacher says in college, not just memorizing dates and facts from a book.
• We only learned what was on the exam.  The teacher wouldn't answer questions about things that weren't going to be on the exam.  
• Test scores are the measure of what the students supposedly learned.  So are teachers teaching kids to pass the test to help the student or to save their job?
• It's cheaper to do multiple choice.  It's not feasible to respond to many students with critical thinking responses.
• Often, we don't think about what other people say; we just accept it.
• Teachers can't impact all students in the same way because each student is different.
• Classes should be smaller.
• But that means more teachers, more classroom and more buildings which means more money.
• High grades might occur more often in smaller classes.
• It's easier to get your questions answered in small classes.
• In small classes,  you get to know the teacher better so you are more comfortable talking to him/her.
• In big classes, you're just a number.
• Education is about pressure: pressure to pass for the student, pressure to make students pass for the teacher.
• It's everybody's fault that education is failing.
• In big classes, it's harder to connect with peers.
• In big classes, it's easier to fall asleep, skip or check out.
• The teacher impacts your class and your grade.  It's on the professor to make the class interesting, regardless of class size.
• When classes are more about concepts and discussion, it's easier to remember what you learned.
• Because we are of similar age and position, it's easier to understand when your classmates explain things than when the teacher does.
• Some teachers don't know how to explain their knowledge to the students.
• Some teachers don't understand why students aren't grasping the ideas.
• Some teachers are too smart to teach.
• It's like Sheldon on Big Bang Theory.
• College starts hard.  You can't slack even the first week.
• Teachers don't understand that we haven't been taught how to start hard from the beginning.
• Some teachers think that because we are paying for college, we will work harder.
• When you go from high school to college, it's going to be different.  You expect your first semester to be easy, but it's not.
• In 7th grade, each class should start getting harder, but it doesn't.  So we don't believe teachers when they say college is going to be hard.
• In college, you need to study.  In high school, you didn't.
• You have to do homework in college.  You never had homework in high school because the teacher helped you do it.
• College makes you think for yourself instead of having someone else do the thinking for you.  It teaches you responsibility.
• Your parents aren't there telling you to go to class and do your homework.
• Are we old enough to take care of ourselves at 18?
• There's more the college than just the education part of it.

We also talked about whether everyone should go to college:

• You can't get very far without a college education.
• If you don't have a pathway after high school, college is the other option.
• Most people have the opportunity to go to college, but not everyone does.
• It's not an open opportunity.  Money is a big issue.  FAFSA doesn't see what your family is spending money on.
• You can do vocational school.
• It's all about who you know.  If you know someone you can get you in the door, you might not need the degree.
• If there is something you need to know to do the job, you should go to college.
• It's harder to get it for some than others, but everyone has the opportunity to go to college.  You can work multiple jobs, get grants and apply for scholarships.
• If you inherit a business, you don't need college.
• It comes back to money.
• Everyone has a different path and different views.  It's your choice.
• Your parents play a role too.  Your family might make a lot of money but have to spend that money in other places.
• Isn't the government here to take care of us?
• Why is tuition different at different places if we are supposed to be getting the same education?
• Are teachers as qualified in community colleges as in private college?
• Colleges are like brand names.  You get a job just because the name looks good.

Homework:

Keep up with your blog.

February 6

After responding to a Calvin and Hobbes comic for writing into the day, we got into groups based on the assigned sections of "Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work."  In these groups, answered questions (found on the PowerPoint) about the assigned section.  Then, we divided up the groups so that each of the new groups had at least one person representing each section.  These new groups shared what they had read.  In essence, after this group work, each person knew what the whole article said even though he/she hadn't read the whole thing.  We had a discussion for the rest of class.  We covered the following topics:

• Is the writer biased?  Did she let her preconceived notions about class affect what she saw?
• Should she have used students in middle or high school instead of elementary school?
• Elementary kids aren't thinking about the job market yet.
• Even in elementary school, kids are being prepared for a social class.  Those are the years that kids are being prepared for who they will be for the rest of their lives.
• She chose elementary to show that we are judged from the beginning and to show what we get exposed to from the very beginning.
• It's a study of the teacher, not the student.
• She is being general.  She is saying that, typically, working class gets the worse teachers and the elite get the better teachers.
• There is too much pressure on young children to be super smart.
• It all comes back to the teacher.  There are all different kinds of teachers in each school.  Some will teach like elite and some will teach like working class teachers.
• Someone has to help the students realize that they do have a choice (like in Freedom Writers).
• The working class teachers didn't allow their students to grow and hindered the students' opportunities.
• There is an assumed cycle in society: children will end up like their parents.
• We need to allow kids the option to step into different social classes.  Right now, they are restricted.
• There are more choices for class movement now than there was in the past (albeit still limited choices).
• We will have even more choices in the future.
• Working class doesn't get the same opportunities as the elites.
• It's not about working harder; it's about working smarter.
• It's who you know that gets you in the door, but what you know keeps you there.
• It's about your mindset.  You have to appreciate school in order to succeed in it.  You have to be will to take the initiative.
• It comes down to passion.  Whatever you are passionate about is what you will become.
• The community around you has a lot to do with how you end up being taught.
• Students should be allowed to be bused to better schools.  There needs to be a place for students where there is support and where they are pushed.
• Why are we spending so much money on categorizing people?  We should be spending money on helping kids succeed.
• We need to figure out what the problem is.  We keep looking for someone to blame.
• There isn't one person (or set of people) to blame. It's a bit of everyone's fault.
• The gap between poor and rich is formed because of the attitude that the rich are better than the poor.  So the schools will always be separated.
• Rich people put money into schools, but the poor can't.  If you put the two in the same school, the rich people would get mad that they were paying while the poor were not.
• We'd all be the same if we got the same education.  We need the different classes for society to work.
• Not everyone would want to have the education opportunity - the ones that don't want it would end up being the working class.
• We already learning generally the same material.
• Is it circumstances or initiative that determines social class?
• We keep going from blaming the teacher to the student to the government and back.  Is there a solution?

Homework:
Read "In the Basement of the Ivory Tower" and post a reading response to your blog.