Hi, everyone - WOW! I've never gotten emails similar to the one pasted below. HOWEVER - it has taken me a couple of years to comfortably arrive at the following point in my teaching - I tell students on the first day of class that I do not work 24 hours a day AND that I am allowed to have free time. Therefore - there is NEVER a guarantee that I will answer emails sent after 5 pm or on the weekends. This forces students to actually think ahead about assignments or readings if they require my assistance.
I know that there are LOTS of people out there who use discussion boards to engage students in discussion of class material, but it also means that they seem to spend quite a bit of time managing or monitoring these discussions. I tell students that learning occurs best when we interact with one another in real time - therefore, it is in students' best interest to attend class. I do NOT share my notes with students who miss class - that gives them a benefit others do not get. Rather, I encourage them get copies of notes from fellow students. Again - this forces interaction that might not occur. While I am a Luddite, I am also concerned that all this technology only separates students from the interactive parts of learning - what may certainly be the most important part of learning. Anne Eisenberg SUNY-Geneseo > Today's quote of the day from the NY Times: > > "You're spending too much time with my moron classmates and you ought to > be > focusing on those of us who are getting the material." > <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/education/21professors.html?th&emc=th>ROBERT > B. AHDIEH, an associate professor at Emory Law School, on one type of > e-mail message he receives from students. > > I get these on occasion--most recently, last semester when I attempted to > make things a bit easier in a class where half failed the first exam. I > must admit, they do bother me. Discussion, anyone? > > > Dr. Gerry Grzyb, Chair > Department of Sociology > University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh > Oshkosh, WI 54901 > > Office: Swart 317A > > 920-424-2040 (Personal office) > 920-424-2030 (Sociology office) > 920-424-1418 (Sociology fax) > > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
