In reading the posts so far, it seems that most of the class liked the learning posters and ideas.  I liked all of it.  As an inexperienced teacher, I am filled with fear and trepidation at the prospect of developing my first year’s curriculum.  The ideas in the posters and the difficulty book have relieved some of the stress.

I especially liked the idea of blogging, much like we are doing here.  I think it provides that freedom that one of the students expressed with regard to the inquiry project.  The freedom to dig into what you like, to ask, to be frustrated, all without penalty.  I realize that is how the joy of learning must be fostered. 

The inquiry paper was especially interesting.  It follows the same lines as the difficulty papers, but the assignment seems very detailed, and as a semester project, I guess it must be.  I like the structure and phasing in of the project over time.  When Rikki had difficulty with her thesis, the project itself helped her to continue her work in the same vein, because the time restrictions and have-to-ness of the traditional term paper are eliminated.

I think someone else commented on how these projects tamp down schoolish behavior.  In fact, I think that these projects may encourage a new type of schoolish behavior, learning and liking it. 

With regard to genre and connectivity, I love the idea of bringing up similarities between texts of the time and then exploring them.  I think that would bring the idea of a genre or an era into bright focus for the students.  I know that sometimes when that bell goes off in a classroom and you have grasped an idea clearly, it encourages further study.  Teaching connectivity will help students to apply this sort of thought in so many aspects of their education, as is the goal.

I did not understand nuanced readings and will ask in class unless someone can enlighten me here. 

On the first poster they discussed the idea of having students critique other students’ writing.  What a great way to get the writing done and also to create interest in reading.  The story of a friend, current and interesting, has got to be more interesting, at least initially, than any of those in the anthology. I think it would open discussion of critique and it would also encourage the students to step out a little bit and take chances.

One of the most compelling things in the posters and the difficulty paper book was the idea that students had developed their skills on their own with these tools. It makes learning fun, because it is self-directed.  It makes learning stick, because it is your own process.  I think it would develop a sense of compassion for others as well as each student’s experiences are discussed in class. 

Laurel Chinn