Purpose Statement
Often students have a hard time keeping track of what is due
when, both in a single class as well as in all of their classes together. I
therefore like to have students create a semester calendar that notes, all on
one page, when large assignments are due. (It is also a good idea to create
weekly calendars, but I do not always take the time to do this.)
Description of
Activity
Students transfer your assignments (as listed on your
syllabus) to a one-page, semester-length calendar in order to get a sense of
what work is due when so that they can manage their time wisely. The calendar
gives them an overview of the entire semester.
Materials Needed
Students need a one-page calendar that covers the entire
semester, and a copy of your detailed syllabus with all of your assignments
listed.
Application
This activity does not take very long: about five minutes of
class time, and then five minutes of discussion. During discussion, explore why
you have the students do this, and how they should use these calendars. I also
like to have students fill in the hours they think they will need to spend (and
when they should start to spend them) in order to complete these assignments.
This is often hilarious and disturbing because they spend so little time on
their school work. I then use this discussion to reinforce the stages or steps
of the writing process, reminding students that a good paper does not emerge
after a few desperate hours the night before it's due. I give my estimates for
how long each step might take--for example, two hours to review the texts and
take notes, two hours to brainstorm and outline, four hours to write the draft,
an hour to analyze the draft, an hour to outline changes in organization, and
locate additional evidence, two hours to rewrite the draft, and so
forth--emphasizing that times will vary widely depending upon many factors. (I
ask them what these factors might be--motivation, interest, level of
exhaustion, quality of study environment, etc.)
Follow up activities:
1. In class, have the students fill in the hours they think they will need to
spend in order to complete one of the major assignments on their calendar.
Then, ask them to keep track of the hours they actually spend doing the
assignment, and discuss any consistencies and/or discrepancies after they turn
in the assignment.
2. As a homework activity, have students fill in major assignments from other
classes (if they are taking any). They may need a new calendar if they have
filled the first one up with details about the time they will spend on your
assignments. Then, in class, have them look at their calendars with a partner
and identify the weeks where they have a lot of work due. As a group, briefly
discuss strategies for getting started early enough so that they do not run out
of time.
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and modified on 6/9/99 at 4:20:30 PM