Beyond School

I’ve chronicled my fantasies (and here) and ice-water reality-baths about this project so far. I told you last week or so how my initial approach - to invite buy-in rather than “assign homework” - didn’t work. Too many students were simply not writing. That carrot failing, I went “teacher-y” and used the grade stick.

It’s a couple weeks later now, and I’m beginning to like what I see. I mean really like it. As in “enjoy reading it.” Rather than write about it - no time now - I’ll just point out my system for sharing with the world all student bloggers who are doing exemplary work.

It’s this: I’ve got two folders in my Bloglines. One, “AP Lit Blogs,” is marked “private,” so it doesn’t show in my blogroll here. That’s where all my students have started.

As soon as I see a student blogger writing regular posts, done well, exercising good judgment, showing quality in all the ways I’ve written about here and here and elsewhere, I move them out of my private Bloglines folder and into my public “Student Bloggers” folder.

Then my Bloglines widget in my sidebar automatically adds the “new releases” for your viewing pleasure - at least if you visit from your RSS reader.

The “connective” part of the “vision” - linking to, commenting on, and ultimately networking with real-world adults who share their (a)vocational interests - is not, with a few exceptions, happening much at all. It’s part of their grade to do so, so that’s a choice they’re making. It’s an interesting one. I hope one of my students (a few are starting to poke in and comment here, which is nice) will share why that’s so hard to do. The psychology interests me.

On the other hand, there are nice connected discussions going on amongst my students that are a baby-step - but they’re seventeen, not babies! - in the right direction.

It’s my way of exercising quality control. And of inviting any of you to drop in on some new writers with talent that homework “writing” will never demonstrate.

Photo credit: chadmill