[nabs-l] handouts in class

[Ashley Bramlett]

Hi all,

Although college has mostly lectures, in some subjects such as english, we have more interaction in class and assignments in class. We might be given a short essay to read and comment on either orally or in writing. Sometimes we’d read it and discuss as a class afterward. Other times, students access their books via skimming during discussions. How do you deal with these assignments? I have asked a classmate to read to me or sometimes the professor themselves helps out. I remember in english when we had to write argument essays that we had an example that we discussed as a class. For general discussions about homework reading, I read it outside class and referenced my notes in class. I had no access to the material in class. So when the professor said, “look on page 22 at paragraph titled Toads" and notice how Joe Smith used metaphor” or says “look at page 12, third paragraph,” I can’t access this. If it’s a long pause, sometimes a classmate tells me what it says, but other times I just listen. I thought about bringing my rfb book in if I had it via RFB, but figured by the time I set up the player and got to the page, the students would have found and skimmed the section. After all, its usually only a few minutes that I hear the rustling of pagesor frantic flipping of pages to find that passage so they can answer the professor’s questions.

I always like to participate, but this is an area where I couldn’t do it as much. I wondered if you all felt in the same boat?
Ashley