Yes, there's absolutely a place for reader-response criticism (a method of interpretation in which the reader's understanding of a document determines what the document means).
But that place is not my classroom.
- When instructions are given for assignments, the instructions should be followed.
- When three books are listed as sources to consult, consult them.
- When you cite sources, provide a footnote and include a bibliography.
- When writing an essay, full sentences are required and, no, personal anecdotes, even humourous ones, will not improve your grade.
- In a course on the text in the first century, stay in the first century. The following 2000 years of thinking haven't happened yet.
I have been grading the first assignment for the past few hours and am grumpy. Can you tell?
4 comments:
i think you sound like somebody i know... ;-)
You've made the typical-yet-perfectly-reasonable flawed assumption that students (1) read the syllabus, and (2) listen to instructions.
Your experience reminds me that I probably don't want to be teaching a lot in the future. At least not in a large classroom context. Unless I do all multiple choice.
YAY FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE!
(Note time of comment: burning the midnight lightbulb)
B.W.: Why do I get the feeling that these types of comments aren't unfamiliar to you? =P
W.O.: Actually, since these are Masters' students, my assumption is that they actually want to take this class and learn something.
IMHO, they threw away a wonderful opportunity not only to learn something that will help the Family, but will also familiarize them with resources that they will need to use.
Further, I not only went over the syllabus in two different tutorials, I also responded to a plethora of emails concerning this assignment and was ambushed at the college every time I needed to be there to do my own work! The only thing that I didn't do was complete the assignment for these students.
Finally, I, too, am a HUGE supporter of multiple choice exams!
FYI:
http://www.xanga.com/gabriel_vision/569836218/item.html
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