Today we had a little exercise that dealt with fathers and father figures i.e. mentors. The exercise focused on learning the hidden desires that we have about our self-worth. The exercise allowed a bridge between ourselves and the Vogler reading.
Professor Alex Patterson led our discussion today. Alex opened his discussion by asking the class about our archetypes in film and in life. Breen mentioned that his mother represented mentoring for him, while Rachel yoda she introduced, a mentor figure that communicates to his prodigies through riddle so that the person thinks about what knowledge is being created. Prof. Alex then continued to explore the definition of mentor. Breen mentioned that if the hero is an old man then the mentor may be a young child. Ashley mentioned that the while the hero always has to have a mentor, that the mentor doesn't have to be a person. Wayne called attention to page 47 and the "code of behavior" that is linked to the hero. Prof. Alex explored the notions of sacrifice and bravery. Megan built on the idea that you didn't have to be courageous to be hero, and Alex suggested that the mentor doesn't just exist in a story; infact, the mentor could be a real life indidividual such as a parent, teacher, friend, or family member. Professor Alex concluded the discussion with a connection to the human element which Ashley and Megean furthered explored in regards to strength.
Remember you all will be leading a discussion, so the key is to be prepared. Here are some helpful areas to use as you prepare for class on Mondays. Leading a Class Discussion (Helpful suggestions from
I. Lead the discussion. For many students, leading a class discussion can be intimidating. This guide is designed to relieve some of the pressure.
A. Be a facilitator.It is important to remember that your assignment is to lead the discussion, not to lecture on the topic. This is not a test of your knowledge: you don't need to know the answers to the questions you ask. You should make discussion happen, not pose as an authority.
B. Bring out the major points-Your goal should be to make sure that the major points of the reading are brought out. You should, therefore, ask questions which get the class to talk about the author's thesis and the argument used to support the thesis. If time permits, you might also bring out other issues, such as the author's use of sources or the author's relation to other writers on the subject.
C. Use your own judgment. Decide for yourself what you think is most important to cover. Don't try to second guess me. If you overlook something I think is important, that doesn't mean you did "wrong," it only means we have a difference of opinion.
D. Don't panic.A discussion is a kind of conversation. It is an exchange of ideas among people. You cannot control that discussion, you can only direct it. If things don't go as you planned, you should adjust to the new situation.
II. Some suggestions.
A. Make sure you read the assignment. While it is possible to lead a discussion without having read the material--talk show people do it all the time--you cannot discuss the material critically without having read it.
B. Prepare a list of questions. While you should be flexible and follow the discussion where it leads, you should know ahead of time the important points you think should be covered. Prepare a list of questions which will help you bring out those points. You should also have something prepared if you are confronted with a long silence.
C. Ask questions which require complex answers. "What does Smith think about the English Civil War?" rather than "Who was king of England in 1632?" The more complex the question, the more discussion it should generate. You may also wish to use questions which ask for evaluations: "What is your opinion of Smith's argument?"
D. Don't smooth over controversy. It may happen that there will be some controversy generated in the course of the discussion. Don't panic. Try to get the disputants to define their positions as well as possible. Leave time for rebuttal and comment by the other members of the class. You should not try to resolve the conflict, but rather help clarify the issues.
E. Anticipate silences.
Don't' be afraid of silence. If your questions does not get an immediate response, it might be because it is difficult and people need time to think about it. Count to ten--at least--before asking another question. If you have waited sufficiently and still receive no response, try rephrasing the question. What might be a clear question to you might be unclear to others. Be sure to ask follow up questions if the answers you receive are unclear, ambiguous or incomplete.
F. You must guide the discussion.
As a facilitator, you must form a balancing act between getting the things you want discussed and letting people talk. It may be necessary for you to cut someone off or ask them to keep to the topic. This should be done as gently, but as firmly, as possible. You are in charge and, if necessary, you should exercise that authority. "That's interesting, but I don't think we have enough time to pursue that now."
We then shifted to discussing Project One Drafting. We reviewed the Learning outcomes for the draft.
Project One Learning Outcomes
• Explore and examine an experience that you feel you learned from and can now make "sense" of for an audience.
• Generate drafts that are consistent, well-structured, and reasoned.
• Expand understanding of the experience.
• Maintain consistency of style and convention guidelines.
Remember, you need to generate a complete draft by Friday at 11:45 am. Refer to the Learning Outcomes as you draft.
For Weds:
Read-Hemingway's "Indian Camp" (on moodle and emailed)
Write-Work on drafting
Do-Prepare draft
Prepare for knowledge nugget *hint look into mentors and heroes.
Take care,
Kat
You have listed the class as starting at 10:30, are we starting earlier tomorrow? I thought the class started at 10:45 AM?
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