* Upon Karen's request, students took the first few minutes of class to write a brief status update on their major and minor assignments.
* I led the discussion on John Updike's "A&P" (which included a PowerPoint with key points/quotations/questions and a short film based on the short story).
2. Class analysis:
Honestly, I was surprised by how well "A&P" holds up in the freshman composition classroom, even after more than four decades. The discussion went fairly well, and we talked about some of the short story's themes, important quotations, and general impressions. One of the most interesting points raised during the discussion was how much has changed in forty years ... and how much hasn't (mainly teenage hormones). Several students noted that while reading the short story (and being unsure of the time period/setting), they didn't understand quite why three girls in their bathing suits walking into a supermarket caused such a disruption. They then began discussing how "A&P" could be updated ... and came to the conclusion that not much is shocking anymore. The short film (which stars Sean Hayes from "Will & Grace") provided a nice supplement to the discussion, and students were shocked by the bathing suit styles of the 1960s ... absolutely not racy by today's standards.
3. Class implementation:
Lab days really aren't the most conducive for class discussions. I found it difficult (although not impossible) to properly position myself in the classroom. Additionally, I felt like students found the environment, particularly with the available computers, a bit distracting. I'll keep this in mind when figuring out my class schedule.
No comments:
Post a Comment