Thoughts on a Thursday Morning

I've had some mental blockage when it comes to blog topics lately. Cody's post about incorporating other disciplines, etc. helped me clear up the blockage in my head. I've taken many of the same classes, so I'm aware of the discussions that are happening. Why is English always the outcast? Why do we have to prove our legitimacy? I see it happening all the time, even in everyday conversation. When I tell people that I am an English major, I wait for the inevitable "Oh....so what are you going to do with that? Teach?" Yes, I want to teach, but it can be frustrating whenever I tell people what I do, because there is always that moment when they are wondering what the point of it is. Why didn't I become an accountant? (No thanks). I give a speech at the beginning of every semester discussing the importance of English. Do math teachers feel the need to do that? Some day you will need that algebra...

Anyway, enough of my ranting, I also wanted to discuss our incorporation of other disciplines into our classes. I think it's natural and necessary in our field. We use many different readings and texts in our classes, so it becomes almost automatic to discuss history, politics, etc. As for the use of technology, I believe that we need use it, but we should not overuse it. If we remember that our goal is to help students become better writers, I don't believe that we will overuse it. We can teach design elements to a certain extent, but the focus should still be on the writing.

Worries, Wishes...

I am starting to stress out about our web project, and it has barely begun! I find it kind of intimidating to create my own web space. I feel as though I have more questions than answers. There is so much that can be done with a web site, but how should I put mine together? It generally takes me some time to fully understand a program, so I am worried about this as well. I also wish I had been able to do this before my last semester. I would really like to put a page together for my 191 class (which I am planning to do anyway), but it's too late for me to actually use it since this is my last semester. I'm glad we are getting the chance to learn how to design a web page, because I'm not sure when I will have the opportunity again. It would have been helpful to see how students would utilize a class web page. I guess I will have to wait until I find another job to find out!

D2L

After our discussion about D2L, I started thinking about my own experience with it. I realized that I'm still not accustomed to using it for this class. In nearly every other class that I have taken, D2L has been used primarily as a dropbox and as a means to download the syllabus. I'm just not used to it playing such an integral role in a class. I have a tendecy to forget about the discussions (not on purpose). In my own teaching I use D2L as a place to post notes and other class information, but I rarely use it for class discussion. I admit that I have been slow to adjust to the use of D2L in our class.