This instructor is going to LOVE me....

Ok not really but still.

Every 'module' (three days or so) we have a few 'discussion' questions which we're supposed to answer and then respond to other's answers. I believe it is to simulate a classroom discussion and gauge participation.

I just got my grade for yesterday, 1.5/2 which when there are only 75 points available in the class isn't a good thing. His comments were basically taking me to task (in a very polite way, never had a professor so formal and polite) for not basically repeating everything everyone else had said.

Here was my response:

Hello

I read your critique of me and I really only have one comment. Everything you talked about had already been said numerous times in every way possible. Me repeating the same thing wasn't going to provoke any discussion or discourse. What I did was bring up something different, a different point of view on these topics to generate some conversation.

Regurgitating the Jim Crow laws doesn't help anyone understand them, talking about institutionalized racism and the connection between legislating racism and the changes that happened because of that legislation, I think, brings more to the class than listing the specific laws, especially as those laws had been listed, and not just once.

My question is, if all you want is the same answer from everyone why is it a discussion and not an assignment to turn in? It seemed to be a waste to simply repeat what everyone else had said.


We'll see what he says. Technically I didn't completely the assignment to specifications, but I'm taking the assignment to task as why pretend to have a discussion when he only wants things repeated back to him.

I may not be getting an A in this one =)