Week 3: Monday: Today I taught with the “Non-Repetitious Details” slide show, in which they viewed numerous outlines and tried to determine what details were either a repetition of the main idea or another idea in the details part of the outline. They especially enjoyed this particular slide show and were challenged by finding hard-to-find similarities. After doing this, they were allowed to begin the quizzes which drilled them on the same thing: picking out the overlapping details and/or reasons.

Wednesday: Today I taught with two slide shows: the “Relevant Details & Outlines” and the “Context Clues & Clustering” (how to read the prompt) slides. With the first, we discussed valid reasons to back up a main idea and examined specific vs. vague details. They were also given a list of unorganized details to arrange into a logical outline (moving from the general main idea to more specific reasons to back it up to even MORE specific supporting details for each individual reason. They especially enjoyed that challenge and found it to be almost game-like, with a lot of ah-ha’s when they saw the best combination of the list to form a logical paragraph. With the second slide show, we read the prompt together and discussed how to determine what clues were available for them to use in their papers, should they not have their own ideas for what to discuss in the paragraph. After this, they began working on their own outlines. {With regard to the quizzes, at this point, I would say roughly two thirds of the class has completed at least 80% of those currently available. The majority of scores are passing scores. It will be interesting to see which quizzes the students need to take most often to pass—to determine whether another level of gradation is needed between two other difficulty levels.}

Friday: They write their papers today. Only a brief slide show (of turning their outline into a paragraph) will be shown to start them on their paper. They also take Vocabulary Quiz #1 & 2. (They took the 1^st vocabulary quiz last week, but since they were still warming up to WebCT, I’m reopening the 1^st quiz once again to give them a second chance to do well—after this, they’re on their own to study the vocabulary words.)

The class feels organized and the students seem a bit more focused than some of my other classes. Part of that, I think, has to do with the PowerPoint slides; part has to do with the layout of the classroom; it’s hard to tell how much has to do with the specific student chemistry. I do think also that students tend to direct their attention to a computer screen, even if it’s only grammar on it, and having a screen on for a large part of the class keeps them a bit “mesmerized.” I’ve also noticed that despite their having access to these lecture slides, more students tend to take notes than when I’m simply writing on the white board.