By Golly, I Think I've Got It!

I want to introduce the assignment that I've been most excited about: the seminar preparation sheets. (A collective groan just went out from my class). Let me explain.

A seminar is a method of discussion which invites all the participants to be responsible for bringing in questions, insights, and points for further discussion with the rest of the group. Once the seminar is in session, groups meet either in smaller groups of about 4-6 people or as a whole class together. Everyone sits so that they can see each other and the discussion begins, wholly fueled by the preparation done ahead of time by responding to the seminar preparation sheets.

The reason why I've been so excited by this assignment is because although I have tried to use seminars in my classes before, the discussions have always felt flat or shallow. Having students really dig into the reading in preparation of the seminar by having them pick out key quotes, write questions, write comments/insights, and typing it all up forces them to dig deeper and creates a much more fruitful discussion. (Much thanks to Jim Harnish at North Seattle CC, who led a workshop on this at our Learning Communities retreat this year. It's made a world of difference!)

I admit, the preparation sheets are a lot of work for both instructors and students and take a lot of thoughtfulness, but that's why they work and that's why they're in this portfolio!