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|  | | | | Class Work | | We will be addressing a different book every two weeks. You are
responsible for finishing the assigned reading on time. I do not
allow students who have not done the reading to remain in class. It is
a demanding schedule, but not an unworkable one. Use your time
wisely. You will also be responsible for the various secondary
materials distributed for each book. These are valuable
background material. Since this is a University course, there are
university level expectations associated with it. Generally, this
means that you should spend approximately two hours outside of class
for every hour of class.
You will respond to the books in two ways:
1) Discussion
The success of this class will be largely determined by the quality of
the discussions. While I will serve as facilitator and give some
background information, the discussions will be directed by the
class. You will be expected to finish all reading on time and to
contribute actively. Active listening is also part of a good
discussion, so pay attention to what others are saying and build on
it. If you are naturally a bit reticent, give some thought while
you are reading to questions and issues you might bring up. If
you are usually the first one to raise your hand, hold back a bit once
in a while and see what others have to say. A good discussion is
always a cooperative effort. Good attendance is critical.
You will not be able to contribute significantly if you are absent a
lot.
2) Reading Notebook
You will be expected to make 3-4 journal entries per book in your
reading notebook. Each entry should be dated. You should make one
entry before reading or at the beginning of your reading and continue
to make entries as you read. Length of entries is not as
important as the quality of idea, although I do expect something
substantial for each. You will usually be given one required
journal and I will provide some journal ideas for each book as well.
Things I will be looking for:
• Depth of thought and evidence of reflection
• Originality--not just saying what each person in the class would say- moving
beyond the obvious
• Insight--writing about parts of the book not addressed in class
• Growth-- changing your mind through writing or going to another level of under-
standing through your writing; showing some insight into your own perceptions
• Relating the book to life outside the book and/or to your personal life. Be careful
with this one- don't lose the focus of the issue
• Use of the text for support of ideas
Those of you who are interested in creative writing may want to
experiment with some of your journal entries. I am also
comfortable with visual interpretation of ideas if that interests
you. Please provide a short rationale if you choose either of
these options.
Although journal writing is designed to be a more informal exercise, I
do expect good grammar and spelling and legible penmanship in all
journal entries. If you wish for some formal input on your
writing, I will be glad to provide that occasionally on request.
I will read journals once per book. Journals will be due no later
than the Thursday after we have finished a book. I expect all
journals for each book to be completed before you start the next
ones. I prefer to have journals turned in during school hours,
but I will occasionally accept email journals in emergency or illness
situations. Please advise me if you need to do this. I do
not accept late journals.
Other Class work:
The majority of your writing will be in your journals. I will
also assign a few short papers during the semester that will take the
place of some journals. We will also be doing some group projects
that involve creative interpretation of the books. Both of these
options will be dependent on the books chosen for the semester and you
will be given specific directions for each.
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