A new student came up to me after yesterday’s Novels of Don DeLillo seminar.
“Can I join your class? I got thrown out of Painting because I can’t paint.”
A new student came up to me after yesterday’s Novels of Don DeLillo seminar.
“Can I join your class? I got thrown out of Painting because I can’t paint.”
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September 19th, 2009 at 10:23AM
I sometimes tell students "Lie to me!" That one I liked, though.
September 19th, 2009 at 10:31AM
I loved it, Michael. It made my day.
September 19th, 2009 at 11:01AM
Hate to spoil the humor, which is rich, but the student might actually be telling the truth. I’ve had students excluded from Introductory Photography at my Famous Eastern University because they didn’t take photography courses in high school and attend photography camp in the summer. So along with the professionalization of youth athletics comes a professionalization of a lot of things to the point where a student who hasn’t had some training already is impossibly behind in an "introductory" college course at some schools.
September 19th, 2009 at 3:08PM
Polish Peter: I understand what you are saying. However, the situation is a shortcoming of our system. Intros should be intros. Perhaps your more developed students should be in another photography class. When a student shows interest in a subject or area, they might be on the brink of finding a passion.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:36AM
Exactly, Polish Peter. Our art department for years advertised "Intro" courses in drawing, design, and other areas as part of the general education curriculum, but students had to present a portfolio for evaluation before being allowed to take the class. The course descriptions did not indicate any prerequisites at all. If a department wants an introductory class restricted to majors, fine, but don’t advertise it to the general population or put it in the general education curriculum. The current chair had the good sense at least to pull them from general education.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:45AM
I’m hoping you won’t have to throw them out of your course because they can’t read.