Before the
semester began, I helped a friend develop her curriculum for a composition
class. After throwing out several ideas because of the massive work involved
and the unlikelihood of getting a positive student response, we finally hit
upon an idea of personal exploration. It revolves around three questions, each
one to become the heart of an essay: Who are you? Why are you here? Where are
you going?
We’re
hopeful that this will elicit the correct response and critical inquiry from
the students, but, like any curriculum, it’s a gamble, one we won’t know if it
worked until after it’s all over, when those final essays and grades are
tallied.
Oh, and I
realize now that I kind of cribbed the personal exploration theme from Crusade,
hence the video.