Author Archive for Diana

Text v. “Book”

Published
by
Diana
on July 12, 2010
in Art and literature
. 0 Comments

As those of you who are “friends” of mine on facebook are already aware, I recently purchased a Kindle. It will arrive tomorrow, with three “books” already transferred to it. I’m very excited, as I have coveted the Kindle (2) ever since I read an article in The New Yorker about two years ago. Sadly, I never had the spare cash lying around.

Although it has come down significantly in price, what inspired my purchase was actually a debate between two friends over 4th of July weekend. Both book lovers, one was arguing that it is “text” that he loves — the content, not the object. The other, identifying herself as perhaps a more authentic, or sentimental, book person, argued that it was the entire experience of the book.

I identify myself very much as a reader and “book person” — but for some reason the e-reader concept immediately appealed to me. No more lugging books around, no more dusty bookcases (last year I brought 19 boxes of books down to storage, got rid of another five, and still have four full bookcases in my apartment). As for book versus text, I reasoned, when I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or Heidi, it was the story and the writing that captured my imagination.

All that said, I was very moved by this article in The New York Times that describes the positive results of giving kids 12 books — physical books — to take home over the summer. Suddenly I had a different take on the e-reader issue. The physical book is part of the experience. I remember a fierce attachment to the physical book, walking around with it, curling up with it, just examining the pages, staring at the cover… And it seems that at least for kids this physicality is part of the experience. Not to mention the pride in building a library.

The Times article compares learning outcomes associated with reading physical books with a generalized experience of the Internet, not with e-readers specifically. I’m wondering how e-readers will impact children’s formative reading experience, and am thinking that these devices are more appropriate for mature readers who are already hooked than for novices.

In any event, I still can’t wait for my Kindle to get here!

in defense of traditional pedagogy (?)

Published
by
Diana
on April 14, 2010
in Pedagogy, Writing Instruction and teaching
. 0 Comments

I’m aware that many forward-thinking educators, particularly those of the WAC-oriented ilk, take a critical, if not perhaps disdainful, view of the standard compare-contrast essay. I’m actually not sure what the specific criticisms are, and am hoping this post will spark more discussion about this genre’s merits and problems.

I strongly feel that the compare-contrast essay is, or can be, an excellent way for students to practice, hone, and demonstrate analytic skills. This essay requires them to show mastery and comprehension of material, a grasp of the larger, more abstract concepts, an understanding of the relationship between these concepts, and a recognition of the significance of these similarities and differences.

Apples & Oranges - They Don't Compare
Creative Commons License photo credit: TheBusyBrain

That said, I am often very disappointed in the work that students submit in response to this type of assignment. The majority lack a clear thesis statement, suffer from weak overall organization, show a difficulty identifying the authors’ thesis, struggle with concise yet relevant summaries, and most significantly, seem to break down when it comes to articulating the relationship between concepts. I work hard to help my students make connections between readings, to see multiple perspectives, to understand that every thesis has a counter-thesis, and I’m not sure to what extent I see these efforts pay off in their written work.

Having said that, I ask, am I barking up the wrong tree, clinging to this type of assignment? Is there a better way to help students develop stronger reading, writing, and thinking skills? Perhaps there are ways of framing the traditional assignment that better facilitate the type of end product I am expecting?

(I did use an involved in-class writing assignment today, that was then used for small group work, and which lead to an involved class discussion about relationships between four readings. I think this was successful; however, I’m not sure how that work will be reflected in their formal written assignments.)
Cakewalk Plasma CakeWalk Home Studio Sonar 4 Producer Edition Cakewalk Project 5

High School and College Learning

Published
by
Diana
on February 16, 2010
in CUNY and To Ponder
. 4 Comments

The Times recently ran a video about the pressures of high school advanced placement courses. This video questions the value of cramming an extreme amount of content into one high school class, and explores the motivations students have for taking these high-pressure classes.

I do not know a lot about advanced placement courses, other than the fact that high school students who pass them are eligible for college credit (?). From the video it appears that quality is definitely sacrificed for quantity in terms of learning, and this leads me to wonder what exactly the learning objectives of these programs are. Are they to challenge bright students who might be otherwise under-stimulated by their curriculum? To provide early exposure to college level material?

I’m also curious about college professors’ experiences with students who have taken AP courses. Are these students actually more prepared? Do they have an “edge” over other students?

The issue of AP courses is particularly salient to me at the moment, as I am teaching a “College Now” course. These courses are held at CUNY campuses and the form, content, and expectations are all the same as with any other college course. However, the students are all in high school. I am only into my second week of the first semester of this experience, and so far things are going very well. Of course it’s too soon to have formulated any opinion, and I look forward to posting more about this innovative program later in the semester.

In the meantime, please share your thoughts about AP work and similar programs. I also hope this post opens up a discussion about the differences between high school and college level teaching and learning.

When nothing works

Published
by
Diana
on October 29, 2009
in Faculty Development
. 4 Comments

I had a consultation with a faculty member today on how to help students develop thesis statements. We ended up talking about how her semester is going overall, and she expressed tremendous frustration with one of her classes.

She frequently uses many writing across the curriculum techniques — in-class writing, small groups, staged assignments, etc. But nothing seems to be working. Students don’t answer basic questions that she poses and won’t participate in discussions. It feels like they are not engaged with the material or the course on any level, and some are openly resistant.

I have worked with this professor before and can attest that she is a very talented teacher. She hasn’t encountered this problem with her other classes.

I found myself at a loss as to how help her. She’s doing everything “right” and nothing seems to work. What suggestions, words of encouragement, or advice would you give this professor?

Simply amusing?

Published
by
Diana
on September 16, 2009
in Pedagogy
. 5 Comments
I very much enjoyed these excerpts from freshman history papers, and hope that cacophony readers will as well.

Here’s a favorite:

An angry Martin Luther nailed 95 theocrats to a church door. Theologically, Luthar was into reorientation mutation. Calvinism was the most convenient religion since the days of the ancients. Anabaptist services tended to be migratory. The Popes, of course, were usually Catholic.

However, this is not the first such compilation that I have seen, and I was wondering what purpose they serve. The editors of this entry suggest that the professor was perhaps motivated by vengeance. What other motives do we have for sharing such stories? Do pieces like these offer any opportunities for educators to improve their own teaching techniques?

True, they amuse. But they also allow the reader to feel superior and self-satisfied. As those who know me are aware, I myself been known to tell “amusing” anecdotes showcasing students’ mistakes or limitations. I’m afraid to say that more often than not these anecdotes result in mirthful eye-rolling, rather than in improved practice on my part.

Vocabulary

Published
by
Diana
on June 15, 2009
in Higher Education, Language, Literacy and Pedagogy
. 0 Comments

I came across this article on the Nieman Journalism Lab website, and it made me wonder if educators at the college level do anything to encourage students to expand their general vocabulary (as opposed to discipline-specific). Or is this considered too “high school”? If you are integrating vocabulary into your college teaching work, how do you do so?

Sociology light?

Published
by
Diana
on February 15, 2009
in Pedagogy and Scholarship
. 7 Comments

I am currently in the middle of reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and think it could make a great addition to some sociology courses (actually, a sociology professor recommended it to me and does use it her course).

It explores a variety of social factors that contribute to individual success, and provides a very strong (and elegant) counter-argument to generally shared assumptions about how individuals work their way to the top. It is particularly interesting in light of my teaching in deviance, where I try to get students to see social factors that contribute to individual and group marginalization.

Gladwell holds a doctorate in sociology, and Outliers refers to a number of classic texts and experiments. His writing is so jargon-free, and his story-telling abilities are so exceptional, that the content is accessible to anyone. For this reason I can see how it would be useful in an introductory course.

However, I suspect that many would have objections to using a popular, non-academic text in the classroom. Because it is outside the academic discourse community, it might not be appropriate. Additionally, he can be accused of dumbing down or glossing over material. I would like to hear more of these objections, if any readers here have any, as well as objections to using popular and/or journalistic books in other disciplines.

The force of those dire arms, or, if it’s tough, make it easy

Published
by
Diana
on December 2, 2008
in Language, Literacy and literature
. 0 Comments

I was just appalled when I read about this “translation” of Paradise Lost. What’s next – Shakespeare? Perhaps students one day will be quoting “Should I kill myself or not? That’s what I want to know.” I really don’t understand the stated purpose of this project. Milton is too hard — even for scholars, so let’s make it easier? that way they can still get Milton in their diet? How does changing a poet’s words completely “free the reader”? I mean, I guess it frees him to not have to deal with Milton’s syntax; but then, why bother with Milton at all? Really, at this point, what is the point?

The Frame Strategy

Published
by
Diana
on November 11, 2008
in Group Composing, Low-Stakes Writing and Pedagogy
. 1 Comment

In Engaging Ideas, John Bean discusses “the frame strategy” for use with small groups. “Using this strategy, the instructor gives students a mapping sentence that predicts the shape of a short essay but not the content. Students have to create content topic sentences to head each predicted section and develop a supporting argument for each one. Often the instructor can include in the task a blank tree diagram or an outline indicating the slots that students’ ideas must fit”

This sounds very interesting to me, but rather challenging. Even though he provides an example, I still can’t quite envision how to actually do this. It seems like it would require a lot of prep before hand: envisioning a full essay and mapping it out. I also can’t quite picture how students I’ve worked with would take to the task.

Has anyone done this before? Could you let us know how you prepped the task, what it was exactly, and how it worked out? Thanks!

Our sweet liberal conceit

Published
by
Diana
on November 5, 2008
in Pedagogy
. 0 Comments

If any of you were toning down your politics in the classroom, there’s no need to bother. Apparently “professors have virtually no impact on the political views and ideology of their students.” To read more on how impossible it is to change the mind of anyone over 15 and learn about the new book, Closed Minds? Politics and Ideology in American Universities, by A. Lee Fritschler, click here.