Week 11

Although I began last week's blog by pointing out that I was awarding students' first big grade, I can begin this week's entry by saying that by the end of this week I will have awared 58% of students overall grades. Before they leave for Bayram therefore, they will have an extremely good idea of how well they are doing.

In the first lesson this week I brought students attention to the course schedule. I guess they don't look at it other than when the instructor draws their attention to it. Most students were therefore surprised to learn that they have an inclass writing assignment next week. In order to minimise the damage caused by this assignment, it will be worth only 10% of their overall grade (as opposed to 25% which each of their take-home essays is worth) and I gave them the task in advance. They have also had over a week to read the text and I gave them the task in advance. Does all this mean I am going to get wonderful essays? Here's hoping.

Also this week students were given the first stages in preparing to write their second essay. The reading of the texts on which the essay will be based is not actually expected until next week but this week we did lots of building exercises. Here's hoping that when students do actually read the text, a lot of what they are reading will sound familiar. As one of these building exercises, students had to write a story in which one of the main characters is having an online relationship while at the same time is engaged in one in real life. The stories ended up exhibiting many of the same characteristics of essays. Although students were provided with the basic scenario, including the names of the characters, some completely dispensed with such details and let their imaginations run riot. The inspiration for the prompt on which the stories are based, comes from the text the students have to read for next week. I wonder whether the original researchers found that many of their stories had nothing to do with the original prompt that they provided their subjects with.

As hinted at above, we have another week off soon. I am hoping to have the in-class writing assignments graded by then and so will enjoy the break. Students also, if they get organized should manage to take all/most of the week off. A lot depends on how well prepared they are for writing their second essay. So, all of us have something to look forward to at the end of next week.