As a student again myself, let me speak to these issues! Designing a Web page
is a great idea--I did that myself in a library science class last semester.
It also gives a lot of insight as to what makes a good Web page vs a bad one.
Have them visit a number of sites on their topic and then do a oral report to
the class on what was good/bad, billboard/vivid, etc. This then gives a
working knowledge of sites, how various search engines work, etc.
As far as the community project, you could broaden it to defining what
"community" is: some of my community is my family relationship with my
husband...which involved defining family for ourselves....as a result of some
very bad history....it needed definition! We don't often consider something
that close as "community". How could you do community differently? What
about "community" are you doing that works? This concept could include "eco"
and environment issues easily. That is my ecogoal: to integrate eco issues
into the fabric of my life!
Again, make it experiential and require oral presentations. I know too many
people in the business world who can't give a presentation in any way, shape,
or form...these skills are very much needed.
Professors and teachers need to broaden their horizons, instead of teaching
in the same old way. In my class where we did the Web page, we had to analyze
a "system" (not computer, but a way of doing things--which may or may not
include automation); the big challenge was to summarize this in a 3 page
double spaced paper--NO MORE! This is also a lost skill--one can't take ages
to get to the point in three pages.
There's nothing magic about 20 pages!
Also, another of my professors refuses to assign page # length to
assignments....he says to cover the topic thoroughly. That too is an
important skill needed in the world at large.
Food for thought, from one about to graduate!
Ecopeace to all of you!
