I had heard about this course from a very good friend of mine who took it during the spring semester of 2012, and by talking to me about the goals of the course and how it was set up, she convinced me to take it. Therefore, I felt like I knew more than most about this class coming into it, however I have definitely been pleasantly surprised by what we have done during these past two weeks. I love the fact that this course is set up rather informally and unlike a lot of other university courses, yet one could say that it is more significant or relevant than some of these classes because we are attempting to understand and come up with innovative ideas that could ultimately lead to the resolution of this longstanding political and cultural conflict. That in itself is absolutely amazing to me, and I am so excited to communicate on a face-to-face basis, albeit through the use of technology, with experts on the subject.
I think the blog is a great way to encourage free expression of our opinions and ideas, but it is also important to be aware that sometimes written words can be misinterpreted or that the author may have had difficulty in expressing what he or she actually meant (I often have this problem). For these reasons, I think it's also important to have discussions in class. However, the blog is great for responses to which we may not be comfortable speaking about in front of others, or for issues to which time is needed to collect one's thoughts and think about how to put them down in writing. This class is a great mixture of both, so I think we will be quite successful in hearing ideas and opinions from everyone.
I think the blog is a great way to encourage free expression of our opinions and ideas, but it is also important to be aware that sometimes written words can be misinterpreted or that the author may have had difficulty in expressing what he or she actually meant (I often have this problem). For these reasons, I think it's also important to have discussions in class. However, the blog is great for responses to which we may not be comfortable speaking about in front of others, or for issues to which time is needed to collect one's thoughts and think about how to put them down in writing. This class is a great mixture of both, so I think we will be quite successful in hearing ideas and opinions from everyone.
Well written, Ellie. I like the blog idea...gives me a chance to just comment, short or long. And it gives me a chance to read, think about, and then comment. I think I'll learn some interesting information as well as other opinions I may not have thought about. I agree with you that it's important to also have class discussions. This also allows clarification for areas of question or not thoroughly understanding. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat. I took this course out of pure interest and desire to help controversial parts of the world in a future career. IT sis difficult to take a side on the issue. It is best not to take sides or create opinions but to use facts to make a solid argument to help resolve the issue.
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