DR C—CAPTAIN'S LOG
ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION 102
ONBOARD AND ONLINE—WEEK SIX: FEBRUARY 17 to FEBRUARY 23ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION 102
ONBOARD—WEEK SIX
Day One
This is the week I began conferences. I would have these in my office, not in the classroom or just outside of the classroom. Experience has taught me that, after the discussion and assessment of the assignment, trainees may choose to share some very personal things, nothing having to do with the assignment. I want to ensure total comfortability and no concerns about anyone hearing what they tell me.
The conferences are about 25 to 30 minutes per trainee.
While I am in conferences, I have placed the trainees in groups of three or four. I give them a worksheet that has passages with mechanics and grammatical errors, single sentences that contain the same such errors, and the directive to write a group paragraph.
The question each group must answer in one paragraph is the following: Why is learning the correct answers and the reasons for the answers for paragraphs and sentences so very important?
I peeked in the classroom to see how the groups were doing. They were working together. I was so pleased. I knew no group would be finished with this activity in one class session. That is why this activity could cover Day One and Day Two.
After the Day One session, they were to place the test sheet and the answer sheet in my mailbox on the ship. Then, on the second day, I returned the test sheet and their answer sheets back to them so that they continue on the test.
Yes, theoretically, this should work. Trainees come to their conferences. Other trainees work in groups.
Well, real life is not theoretical. First, four captain trainees did not show up. Two were in class! Two did not show up for class 😟. One who did attend class was responsible enough to let me know he would not be able to meet his appointment that was later in the day. Yet, he emailed his midterm exam assignment to me way before the time of our afternoon conference, Yay!
It is the other student that perplexed me. She had signed up for a conference time that was “prime time.” That means it was due during class time or “marriage time.” It is “prime time” because I have set these times up for those who cannot meet with me any other time except during the time of class sessions.
When a person would miss coming to the conference, I would go back to the classroom to make certain there was no misunderstanding, that, if the person had forgotten, I could get to the conference. Since this was the assessment of the midterm exam paper, I emphasized by voice and by text in the syllabus that these two assignments would not be accepted late. What determined late? Whatever time a trainer signed up for a conference, s/he was expected to be there, either in body or via e-mail.
So, when I went back to my class thinking that I had seen in class one of these conferees, she said nothing. Thus, I presumed she had just chosen not to submit her work.
Wrong! She had copied down the wrong time for her conference. When she realized this faux pas, she apologized profusely and asked if I would take her work late. She swore she had completed it. Unfortunately, she had made this key error.
What to do, Captain C? What to do !? Yes, I wrestled with myself. Do I stick to the rules set by me regarding late work or do I give this student trainee a break? She is a good student. I have no reason to doubt her explanation.
Yet, years of experience have taught me to follow the rules that I have set for the ship’s trainees. Whenever I break a rule, such a decision comes to bite me in the “keister.” If there is anything I have learned and what I want my trainees to learn—follow your own rules. People need to know you mean what you say and write. Besides, it is crucial that any captain be consistent and fair. And so, I explained to the trainee that I could not accept her late work. She seemed to understand by responding in an e-mail that she did.
I shall see if she really does. Will she attend the session on Day Two of this week?
WEEK SIX
Day Two
She did not. I was quite disappointed. I am so very committed to retention. However, this commitment cannot be kept if I compromise my principles.
As for the rest of the conferences, they went well.
This day only one person did not attend. However, he contacted me and sent via e-mail his work. I graded it and sent it back to him via e-mail.
I take these conferences very seriously. They are a way that I can get to know my crew. They, too, get to know me and see that there is softness in my heart for each one of them. Being one that has high standards does not mean I am a Captain Bligh. I have continued doing these conferences in my many years as a captain because they have been successful in giving trainees individual teaching time and strengthening rapport between crew and me.
Week Six
The midterm exam assignments were due. Everyone submitted them. Yay!
I was to return the graded work no less than 48 hours. In addition, I did the calculations on the midterm exam assignment paper of a trainee’s midterm grade. I do not like trainees ever to feel “in the dark.” They can check my math; if they have any questions, I encourage them to feel free to ask. This seems to work well.
Since the midterm assignment was due at the beginning of the week, this gave me an opportunity to prepare them for two key upcoming assignments:
Write a five-paragraph well-developed CAUSES/EFFECTS/SOLUTIONS THEME; Choose either A or B:
A. Write about the three causes, three effects, and three solutions of a personal challenge you are currently facing. In addition, to what you personally think is ONE of the major causes, ONE of the major effects, and ONE of the major solutions in body paragraph one, you need to provide a parenthetical citation for every cause, every effect, and every solution to support your discussion regarding the cause, effect, and solution. Thus, there should be at least three parenthetical citations, one for a cause, one for an effect, and one for a solution. And a works-cited page is needed.
B. Write about a cause, effect, and solution to the serious situations that have occurred at Newtown, CT, Aurora, CO, and Parkland, FL. In addition, to noting ONE of the major causes, ONE of the major effects, and ONE of the major solutions in body paragraph one, you need to provide a parenthetical citation to support your discussion regarding the causes, effects, and solutions. Thus, there should be at least three parenthetical citations, one for a cause, one for an effect, and one for a solution in body paragraph one. And a works-cited page is needed.
This assignment will be due Week 8.
A. In Chapter 1, Shafer points out that language has power. In an excerpt from an article in the book, Post-Colonial Composition Pedagogy, Akassi discusses language and "culture of power." Also, Shafer discusses how people "code switch" as also does Witherspoon in an article in Post-Colonial Composition Pedagogy. How does language give one power based on your personal experiences and what Shafer, Akassi, and Witherspoon share? Write a well-developed five-paragraph theme answering this question. page length, normal length as indicated in the "Directions" earlier stated in this syllabus.
OR
B. In Chapter II, Shafer shows how words can be very persuasive. He points out this fact and gives directions for a paper:
Words are explosive. They can be used to spark action where none would otherwise be taken. They can inspire perception about life and survival that might not have previously existed. Look at the political language of Bush, Roosevelt, and Beveridge and discuss propaganda, how it operates on people, what it says and cleverly doesn't say. Write a well-developed five-paragraph theme addressing these issues.
This assignment will be due after their week's shore leave.
So, this week I made certain that the articles by Monique Akassi and Gerald Witherspoon were posted on the Discussion Board of Blackboard. Also, recognizing that these are quite sophisticated articles about language's relationship to the "culture of power," code switching, and three major pedagogies for teaching writing, I prepared and posted podcasts going into detail to explain the content and its terminology.
Also, I assigned readings in the handbook that would be a guide for them to write the causes/effects/solutions paper.
I wanted to give them ample time to read and prepare these assignments.
It is so very important when teaching an online college writing session that an instructor prepares resources in a timely manner. I recognize if I wait just a day or two before shore leave to make these posts, many will not even glance at the work or even be aware of these posts.
In order that my crew has time to concentrate on these two upcoming assignments, they are to make their group continuing short story posts next week.
REFLECTION: As I reflect on what I have shared with you about my crews, I recognize just how much we have covered in this short period of time. And I begin to see some improvement in their writing. Even when I meet with my onboard crew and point out an error, an individual crew mate will nod his/her head affirmatively acknowledging that s/he sees the mistake.
Improving one's writing skills requires that one first sees that s/he needs to improve. This is analogous to a person having to acknowledge s/he is ill in order for the individual to decides to go to a physician. I serve as the physician to their minds. It is a rewarding experience to be able to bring my academic patients to writing healthy papers. I find it an honor and a gift.
OK, enough of my chatter.
Captain Log—out😃!
What do you think about DR C's Academic Online Cruise Ship? Tell us your thoughts in the comment box below this post.
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