Friday, February 24
I guess I really am too nice; or maybe just anti-boundary
This post on the new legal writing blog, which links to an article about how students are using email to "erase boundaries" between student and teacher really interested me.
An example of what one of the professors cited as going "too far" were student email comments like "I think you're covering the material too fast, or I don't think we're using the reading as much as we could in class, or I think it would be helpful if you would summarize what we've covered at the end of class in case we missed anything."
What's the problem with that? It seems like good information to know. Isn't the idea to help students learn?
I didn't even think that the example that was repeated as really outrageous, a student asking for advice about what kind of notebook was appropriate for the course, was that bad. If you don't care, why not just say, "I don't care; just use your judgment." That helps the student understand what is left to his or her judgment. Feeling offended when asked to speak about a lowly subject like notebooks seems more bizarre to me than the student comments.
I do agree that sometimes students, like most of us, use email inappropriately. But I guess that I don't think that the "boundary-blurring" discussed in this article is such a bad thing.
This post on the new legal writing blog, which links to an article about how students are using email to "erase boundaries" between student and teacher really interested me.
An example of what one of the professors cited as going "too far" were student email comments like "I think you're covering the material too fast, or I don't think we're using the reading as much as we could in class, or I think it would be helpful if you would summarize what we've covered at the end of class in case we missed anything."
What's the problem with that? It seems like good information to know. Isn't the idea to help students learn?
I didn't even think that the example that was repeated as really outrageous, a student asking for advice about what kind of notebook was appropriate for the course, was that bad. If you don't care, why not just say, "I don't care; just use your judgment." That helps the student understand what is left to his or her judgment. Feeling offended when asked to speak about a lowly subject like notebooks seems more bizarre to me than the student comments.
I do agree that sometimes students, like most of us, use email inappropriately. But I guess that I don't think that the "boundary-blurring" discussed in this article is such a bad thing.
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I must be "too nice' too.
I always worry students have questions but don't ask.
The "notebook question" seems a little silly, but if I had a student who had some small worry or anxiety about a notebook, I would rather that student ask me about it than worry abou it.
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I always worry students have questions but don't ask.
The "notebook question" seems a little silly, but if I had a student who had some small worry or anxiety about a notebook, I would rather that student ask me about it than worry abou it.
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