ilearns revisited

mrsscowsaplacclass — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:06:15 +0000

We began a project called the “ilearn” at the beginning of this school year as an experiment; it didn’t go as planned for a variety of reasons, so students wrote proposals that addressed how to change it to make it more valuable for all of us. The overwhelming response was that the assignment was a good one in theory but in practice wasn’t so hot. Like Communism, I guess. Students wanted to continue with the ilearn in some incarnation. At least that’s what they led me to believe as none of them, not one, proposed getting rid of it. Most wanted the requirements reduced, and many wanted the rotating due dates done away with. Some asked for more structure while others wanted less structure; some wanted due dates every three weeks instead of the current two week cycle; others asked for weekly turn ins. So what’s a teacher to do?

For second semester, we’ll keep the ilearn but lose the paperwork. That means the ilearn will move to the blogosphere and out of the notebook. It also means that due dates will be specified for each of the ilearn categories. I’m still not willing to take on all of the responsibility for what students read and write about; I want them to assume some of the responsibility for their own learning,so there is still some choice invovled.

i entries: One per week, alternating topics posted by me if a student wants to address those, and writings of choice, due each Sunday by 7:00 p.m. (18 total–worth 25 points each = 450 points)

l entries: Student’s choice– A quote that you have found that inspires or motivates you and also offers a universal truth–a life lesson, if you will. Briefly explain why it appeals to you and why it is a universal truth. You need to include two of these–due February 6 and April 17. (2 total–worth 25 points each = 50 points)

e entries: Three due for the semester–February 18, March 30, May 8 (3 total–worth 50 points each = 150)

a entries: Due as assigned for a total of 3 (50 points each = 150 points) #1–Character sketch in the style of Annie Dillard’s “Terwiliger Bunts One” due 1/28; #2–Write a Welty-like piece on memorable teachers, coaches, or authority figures you have known, keeping an eye out for the telling detail or quotation–due 2/25; #3 due 3/19–Write a short description of school life in the style of the narrator of The Scarlet Letter. Be sure to include an introduction to let your readers know why you are writing in such an outlandish voice!

r entries: Due as assigned for a total of ?; two others of student’s choice due–February 27, May 15 (25 points each = ? points) #1–Precis for Dillard’s “Terwiliger Bunts One” due 1/27; #2–Precis for “I Just Wanna Be Average” due 2/3; #3–The Scarlet Letter response to the following: Find a scene where a character sees his/her reflection in something. Explain what we learn about the character from this scene. Due 3/16. #4–”On Being a Cripple” response: In contemporary society, many people or groups willingly accept terms that in earlier times might have incensed them. Mairs calls herself “cripple”; Gates titles his book Colored People; Eighner invents “Dumpster diving.” Back in the 1920s Hurston playfully dealt with “Colored Me.” Gays speak of “Queer theory.” What do these acts of appropriation suggest? What is gained in taking a term once used in derision and proudly accepting or claiming it? Due 4/23.

#5: Post an entry in response to Eighner’s last paragraphs. This is due Monday, May 4. As always, make sure to introduce your entry by summarizing “On Dumpster Diving” in some way so that an audience who has not read it will be able to follow your discussion.

n entries: One entry due per month–January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25, and May 23 for a total of five (worth 25 points each = 125)

ilearn total in unit test category (10%) of total class grade = 1175 points available (check my math!–there’s a reason I was an English major )

It’s taking shape; see other pages for more explanation of each letter if necessary.

ilearn experiment

ilearns revisited