As I have posted before, I'm working on a new portfolio project this semester with my freshman writing class. I'm thrilled. I think this is a great new teaching opportunity, and I think it will be much more effective for my students, as well.
But they seem to be afraid of it. Afraid, perhaps, of weighting all of their grade (though technically only 40% of their grade) on a single project, leading to only one paper. But the idea of one big project... that's frightening. After all, isn't it just easier to do a bunch of small papers and be done with them?
Easier? Perhaps. Though my paperload is actually smaller than the standard sequence here. But I want them to *gasp* learn! K and I have often talked about the fact that students could learn from learning the PROCESS of research, rather than being assigned a topic and told where to find things. And that's what I'm finally allowed to teach. And my students are terrified.
My theory is that they're actually afraid of choosing their own subject material. Sure, there are a few who are just confused and don't want to mess things up, but I think most of them are afraid of making the "wrong" choice. They want their teacher to tell them what to do. My reason for thinking this is that my repeats are all really excited about picking their own topics, because they're used to it. I made them make choices on their own last semester, and they discovered that they like it. My new kids... they don't understand how to write a paper if I don't tell them what to write about.
I have seen this every semester I teach.
Why are people so frightened of picking their own topics? Of trying something new or at least something interesting? If I say "write on Romeo & Juliet, but don't give you a topic, why is that scarier than me telling you to write on the development of Mercutio's character? Shouldn't it be liberating? Exciting?
It makes me wonder what they're actually learning in high school. Are they really only being taught to reiterate whatever they've heard in class? If so, how is that serving them? How is it making them better thinkers? Better people? How is it making them anything but mindless drones?
Because, believe me, these kids have great ideas. They're smart, and they see things in the world around them. They recognize the inherent value in things that we - the jaded academia - don't see because we're trained not to. For instance, a student is planning to write her project comparing the tradition of violence and revenge drama to Metal Gear Solid. I think this is great. I want them to see how the "old dead white men" tradition actually plays a role in their lives. This project idea is why I want to do the portfolios. Because I want them to see the relevance of interpretive study to EVERYTHING.
Now I just have to convince the other students of this.