1. Class:
*Karen discussed plagiarism (and differences that exist among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing—and emphasized that all require source attribution). This was especially relevant to Project 2 (the argumentative essay), which requires research and documentation.
* Students broke into small groups and discussed which of the sentences on a handout made the most effective use of the source material.
* Karen spent some time discussing a strategy for Project 3: clustering. She explained the basic idea behind the strategy (It’s a non-linear graphic representation of your thoughts and ideas.) and demonstrated the concept on the board. She also handed out blank sheets of paper and encouraged her students to try it.
* At the end of class, Karen announced upcoming deadlines.
2. Class analysis:
I know I’ve mentioned this in my mentoring journal before, but the set-up of Karen’s class constantly impresses me. Practically every in-class activity is relevant and helpful to students. As I work on finalizing my tentative 1550 daily schedule, I’ll keep Karen’s schedule (and how well it works) in the back of my mind.
3. Class implementation:
While students worked on their mind maps for Project 3, Karen mentioned how she used to give her students huge sheets of newsprint and a handful of markers for the clustering activity. Although she stopped doing this once massive sheets of newsprint became more difficult (if not impossible) to find, Karen said her students almost always responded positively to the task and it helped them loosen up. I’ve had a giant roll of craft paper for years; maybe I’ll use it to do something similar with my students.
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