Center for Lit Understanding Poetry class

[Cosmos]

Is anyone else considering this class? I believe it's new this year, so I'm guessing nobody has any previous experience with it. Here's a link --

 

http://www.centerforlit.com/Academy/poetry.aspx

 

I've heard so many good things about the discussion classes at Center for Lit, and I found Teaching the Classics (their DVD program) very helpful as well, so I have considered their classes before. But always I hesitated because for every class that seemed a good fit, ds had already read several of their selections.

 

With this poetry class that is not an issue. Plus, poetry is the area of literature where I feel the least educated myself.

 

One thing I find odd is that the class is listed as "1 high-school credit" in literature. But no writing assignments or assessments are part of the course. It's just reading the works and doing the discussions. I have a hard time seeing a) how that would fill the hours needed for a credit and b) how a credit can be assigned with no output. For those of you who have taken Center for Lit classes before, how did you handle assigning a credit and grade?

 

 

[Julie of KY]

I've done some of their other classes - all are listed as one credit if you don't do the writing, and two credits is you also do the writing.

 

I just do the literature discussion and add my own writing. I don't have a problem assigning an "A" to the literature discussion part of the English grade as I've been very impressed with what my student has learned and how it has translated over into discussions of other literature. I add writing (Brave Writer) and my own as well as any poetry, grammar, Shakespeare, etc.. to round out my English credit. I call all of what we do one English credit.

 

I'm tempted to do the poetry class in another year, but won't have anyone this year.

 

 

[VANURSEPRAC]

I find the sample  annoying. It seems to waste a lot of time. I know it is just the generic sample. I hope the actual courses are not this chatty with non essential stuff.

 

The topic looks great, hope to use in in the future.

[yvonne]

Just listened to the high school level sample, and it seems like the very same criticism I had when we tried this a couple of years ago continues to exist. In the first three minutes, I think, he even mentions having received a number of criticisms about the class that perfectly articulate mine.

 

I'd love a true Socratic discussion type of book club; this is not it. A lot of the "discussion" is between "Mrs. A" and "Mr. A," which is much more of a lecture. (Actually, it's a very irritating lecture because it feels more like you're just there overhearing a conversation between "Mr. A" and "Mrs. A." And, because there are two instructors, both wanting to talk, of course, there is even less time for students to be involved.)

 

In truly interactive discussion, it is not simply teacher-student and occasional student-teacher interaction. There is also interaction between students. The Center for Lit classes, however, specifically tell students NOT to use the chat box, except for technical issues. Students are asked to raise their hands and wait to be called on. I'm sure "Mr. A" and "Mrs. A" are concerned about not being able to control the discussion or the class if students are talking in the chat box, but most other online instructors do use the chat box and do so very effectively.  The chat box is one aspect of technology where online instruction can really shine. In a traditional classroom and in an online class where students have to raise their hands and wait to be called on, all comments/interaction are serial. In an online class, the chat box allows for comments/interaction to be done in parallel.

 

Listen to the sample. Notice how many students participate and the level of input they contribute. Notice how often students say, "Well, I was going to say something else, but I can answer the question." Or "well, I was going to say something about what you said earlier...."  They're encouraged to say whatever they had wanted to say, but it breaks up the flow.

 

How much of the class time is dedicated to "discussion" between "Mr. A" and "Mrs. A"?!  There is sooo much "Blah blah blah. What do you think, Mrs. A?" "Well, yes, I agree, Mr. A. Blah blah blah. What do you think, Mr. A?"

 

Is there any student-student interaction where a student says something and another student follows up on it and so on?  It seemed to me that most of the time a student will be called on, say what s/he wanted to say, "Mr. A" and "Mrs. A" will expound on it between themselves. Move to the next question, next student.

One question I would also ask before signing up for any online class, especially one like this where the more students there are, the less opportunity for each student to participate, is what is the maximum number of students in the class? 

 

The classes seem to work for many families, but my students and I found them very frustrating and tedious.  It's a shame because I think the lectured content is very interesting and useful and classes could be very well done if better use were made of the technology, if class size were limited to a reasonable number of students, and if there were only one instructor.

 

 

[Heartsjoy]

Love the socratic discussion. I enjoyed leading a rhetoric group of 7 in modern history in an online group, but even then we never got close to the amount of discussion we get with 3 students around the kitchen table. I wonder what bandwidth would be needed to have 7 people all with live video feed in an online classroom?

[yvonne]

Totally agree that socratic discussion about books is the best!  Teens are amazing when it comes to talking about literature. They love to puzzle things through and toss ideas back and forth. A live, face-to-face discussion group is ideal. A good online class that uses the available technology can be a second best.

 

You don't need live video for a good socratic discussion. There are lots of online classes that foster good discussion, but part of the way they do that is by effectively using the chat box to encourage student/student interaction. By high school, students are very good at using a chat box appropriately.

[raristy]

Yvonne. Which other online literature/English class would you recommend? Please let me know. Thank you!!

[Cosmos]

Thanks for the feedback. I haven't listened to the sample -- guess I should do that!

 

Any other thoughts on the credit issue? I have a hard time seeing how 10 classes adds up to a full credit. The classes are two hours each and the reading for each class is several poems. Even if you assume the student spends five hours doing the reading, that only adds up to 70 hours. What am I missing?