Lesson One: Introduction / Diagnostic Essay

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

For today’s class meeting, I will use PowerPoint slideshow “Introduction” and a meditation music CD.

Since this is the first day of class, I want to create an environment of expectation and excitement. I get to class 15 minutes early to put a meditation music CD in the computer and project the first slide of the PowerPoint show. The slide has an animated gif of spaceships flying off into space, as if on a new adventure. The title reads: “English 189…Prepare for the Adventure.” When students enter the classroom, the lights are dimmed, the music is playing, and the animated slide informs them that they are in the right place.

The first half of class is an overview of the course. I use amusing illustrations from the Dungeons and Dragons website to introduce the class to the Grammar Dragon, the Organization Ogre, the Critical Thinking Demon, the Spelling Serpent, and so on. My aim is to engage the students creatively and visually, and motivate them to accept the challenges of this new adventure.

During the second half of class, the students write a diagnostic essay. The instructions and prompt occupy the last two slides of the PowerPoint presentation. With the prompt projected on the screen, I may point to specific details in response to students’ questions. For the duration of the assignment, I leave the prompt on the screen and play the meditation music. The music creates a mellow and “safe” ambiance and seems to help the students relax and concentrate.