Back to School

I try - usually unsuccessfully - to avoid thinking about school during June and July; after all, it's good to rest my brain and recharge my teaching batteries. However, when August 1st rolls around, it's time for my brain to go back to school.

Several of your classmates have already submitted one or more of their news reading assignments. Below I've listed a few things that they've done well and a few things that will go better in the future. If you're just getting started (remember, you need to start on or before Augist 8th!), feel free to learn from the experiences of those who have gone before you.

Things that went well:
1) Day-by-day accounts. For example, "On Tuesday, I read about [this event] in this [news source]. Here's a summary and here are my opinions ..."
2) Citations and / or links to the articles you read. One of the best things about teaching is learning from my students. When you send me links and articles, I get smarter. Hooray for all of us!
3) Reflections. Almost everybody shared their opinions about the news that they read. It's far more interesting to hear your insights, personal connections, and evaluations than your summaries.

Things that could go better:
1) Depth. One news story per week isn't enough, even if it's examined in several sources. Try to consider three stories per week.
2) Talking about the news. Don't just read the news, talk about it! Talk with your friends, your parents, your pets! Then be sure to tell me about your conversations.