Michael Sylvester wrote:
> I am toying with the idea of incorporating the Survivor paradigm
> in class.
Settle for showing "Survivor" re-runs you tape from Nick at Night
instead--you'll provide much more educational content for the class than
with the plan you outline below.
> Just as in the TV series, someone gets kicked off the island;in
> my Classroom version I would ask students to secretly vote who
> they feel should be kicked out of the class.
Will you accept the edict if they decide YOU should be kicked out of the
classroom?
If not, aren't you discriminating or placing yourself in a superior
position to your students--something you argue a teacher shouldn't do?
> The criteria to be used to express their desire to kick a
> student out of the class would be:
Why not let THEM decide the criteria--it couldn't be any more prejudiced
than the list you provided.
> - stupidity of student
As measured by . . . ?
How do you define stupidity? More to the point, how well do you think your
students will learn after being LABELED "stupid" by your class (and--by
tacit acceptance of that definition--by you)?
> - unrelenting tardiness
That one, at least is reasonable. It interrupts the flow of a class and is,
in most cases, not justified.
> - lack of communication
I see.
Shy students, students with speech disabilities, and students who cannot
speak should be eliminated, right?
Good thinking.
> - poor critical thinking skills
Aren't you supposed to be TEACHING those skills? Or should the students be
punished for YOUR failings as a teacher?
> - dozing off
Make your lectures more interesting and they won't!
> -anyone with Tourettes'
Any other medical disorders you'd care to discriminate against? Perhaps
PWA? MS victims? The paraplegic? The blind? As long as you are going to
demonstrate prejudice, why stop at diseases? How about ethnic groups
(whoops! Sorry! I forgot that you're the "multicultural" person on the
list--I guess medical disorders aren't "non-Eurocentric" enough for you not
to discriminate against their victims)?
> The students who are voted to be kicked out would then be
> escorted out of the class and permitted to re-enter after
> they have apologized to the class.
And if they escort YOU out because they feel YOU are "Stupid," "Lack
communications skills," or "Have poor critical thinking skills," will YOU
apologize to the class, or is that embarrassment reserved for students?
> It is hoped that this activity would lead to a high self-monitoring
> of behavior and hence improve classroom morale.
Perhaps instead of _teaching_ psychology, you should be _studying_ it.
The ONLY thing that kind of nonsense would lead to is animosity, lowered
self-esteem, embarrassment, and a distaste for you, your class, and the
subject matter itself. You would create a marvelously hostile educational
environment while pretending to apply principles that you clearly don't
understand.
Perhaps you should be asking Louis for advice on teaching--or at least
reading his "Random Thoughts" posts. You certainly need some guidance in
your approaches, and I'm sure he'd be glad to help you--for your student's
sake if nothing else.
Rick Adams
Department of Social Sciences
Jackson Community College
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds
will be the love you leave behind when you're gone."
Fred Small, J.D., "Everything Possible"
