Step One: Retrieve Motor
I learn so much from my students!
In a community college, perhaps more than in other educational institutions, learning happens both ways. I may be helping my students to learn how to write in coherent English in a way that communicates with the rest of the world. But at the same time, I learn a lot from my students.
This week, I was grading papers written by an English 0750 (Practical Writing) class. The assignment was to write a set of instructions. One set of instructions began, "First, retrieve your motor from the bottom of the lake …"
What followed was a set of instructions that could be valuable to a lot of boaters – how to resuscitate a drowned outboard motor and make it live again.
Labels: boats, observations, sailing, teaching, work, writing
posted by Carol Anne | 1:24 AM
3 Comments:
Pat suggests that I am unfairly tantalizing readers by talking about these instructions without actually posting them. However, I wouldn't want to post my student's work online without his permission. If he gives the go-ahead, I'll post them.
Meanwhile, another component of the class is an oral presentation. Since a lot of people are afraid of speaking in front of groups, I don't make it a requirement of the course, but I do allow students to earn extra credit by making a presentation. I give them a choice: present their research report, or demonstrate their instructions.
This student decided he wants to demonstrate his instructions ... and Pat and I are providing the motor for him to demonstrate on.
Programming note: Visitor 49K was somebody in upstate New York with a question related to towing a sailboat on a trailer.
The next milestone will be a biggie: 50,000. I'm thinking of doing something special to commemorate the occasion, and maybe offering a special prize to Visitor 50K. I'm open to suggestions on both issues.
Beer is always a good option as a prize, especially if it involves a rain check to whatever microbrewery is closest/most favored by the winner.
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