I know it's been a while since I last posted anything here. The house is now in escrow and this one looks as if it'll hold up. So I've been packing and sorting and throwing away and shredding and packing ...
So far the students' comparison/contrast papers look pretty good -- far better than their description papers anyway. We'll see if my impression holds up as I read more of them.
We're about to wind up the unit on The Awakening (novel by Kate Chopin, set in the New Orleans area around 1900 AD). It's a wonderful book, and they should have all kinds of information to use in their group presentations and on their midterm essays. They'll write those essays in class on the 6th. Then we will start in on Things Fall Apart (novel by Chinua Achebe, set in Nigeria around 1900 AD). It's quite different, and we will have to have a discussion about imperialism and colonization as they get started on it.
Several students have decided to take their own spring break, even though COD's spring break was from March 21-25. They ask if they can; I tell them that it's their decision, not mine -- their grades, not mine. No one seems to change plans!! Two actually told me in advance, so they managed to turn their work in early. They have the syllabus; they can keep up with the reading assignments; they will return just in time to hear the group presentations on The Awakening questions and then take the midterm on Wednesday. Two will probably do fine. The rest? I just don't know.
Onward ... to read more comparison/contrast essays ...
