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Class Plan -- Unit One, Day 17

Goals

Assignment for Day 18
Get the names of all of the people in the group you worked in today. Between now and next class, respond to each person's 1) Personal Essay (the first essay you wrote on the Web Forum in this class) and 2) "School Language" posting (assignment written for today). Start by reading what that person wrote, all the while thinking about ideas which that experience or story calls to mind. What class readings are you reminded of and why? What issues/questions are relevant here? Post a response which shares with the writer these connections you've made in your own mind. As you do this, make notes for yourself about what connections you made, so that you are able to share these in class next time.

[YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT TO DO THIS ASSIGNMENT AS WELL, READING ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS' POSTINGS AND GIVING THEM FEEDBACK ON CONNECTIONS THAT ARISE IN YOUR MIND. THIS WOULD ALSO HELP YOU TO BE ABLE TO LAUNCH NEXT CLASS'S DISCUSSION OF THESE WEB FORUM POSTINGS.]

Related Handouts

Activities
Daily. Part of your assignment for today was to look at the list of issues/questions we have come up with in discussion and to decide which one interests you most or seems most useful at this point. Which one did you decide on and why? Why does this issue/question interest you more than the others? Group Work

SEE APPENDIX 13 FOR SYNTHESIS GRID TO PASS OUT TO YOUR GROUPS (1 PER GROUP).

Students work in groups according to which issue/question they find most interesting at this point. [IF THERE ARE SOME GROUPS WHICH ARE PARTICULARLY LARGE, YOU MIGHT BREAK THEM INTO SMALLER GROUPS--OF 3 OR 4--FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE AND THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.] They work with a synthesis grid, trying to determine who participates in this conversation about their issue/question and who doesn't. For those authors who do participate, what position do they take on the issue? With what other authors do they agree? With what other authors do they disagree? Encourage students to fill out this grid with as much detail and as many connections as possible.

Collect these grids at the end of class; copy and distribute them next class as a resource for all students in their collecting process.

 

Give Inquiry Assignment - Reserve about 15 minutes at the end of class to go over this assignment, emphasizing the purpose, the importance of personal experience to the assignment, the meaning of "synthesis" and its importance to the assignment, the strategies students can use (including the two options that are available to them), due dates, and activities planned for class. And again, remind them that they can look at the online version of the assignment, with instructor comments added in. REITERATE THAT YOU WILL BE AVAILABLE TO TALK TO THEM DURING OFFICE HOURS (AND BY APPOINTMENT?) IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THEIR PAPERS AND ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS THEY ARE ENCOUNTERING.

Explain Web Forum Assignment for next class, reminding students how to respond to others' postings.