Jules Verne Forum

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Re: 20K - which chapts to skip?

From: William Chamberlin <sean~at~oceansonline.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:38:12 -0800
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

 David,

It's not just the Louisiana school system...I think it's nationwide!

That said, I would be inclined to assign the entire novel, principally,
because it is a work of art, not a textbook. Despite people's feelings about
lists of organisms, they serve an important purpose, much like Melville's
highly detailed discussions of the business of whaling. They add texture and
color to a novel in ways that I think are important and essential. I don't
think an art professor would assign half a Mona Lisa or that an engineering
prof would let students build half a bridge! Similarly, a PE coach would not
be happy at all about a player who just wanted to play offense. I give my
students these examples when they complain...

I think our challenge as college educators is to keep our high standards
and to help students see the higher purpose in what they and we are doing.
It's a battle to be sure...and there are days I just throw my hands up and
sink into despair. But I have to think that somewhere down the line,
students will appreciate those professors who challenged them to work
harder, who pushed them to think at a higher level, and who gave them an
opportunity to be more than they thought they could ever be.

Limited as my knowledge of Verne is, I think one of his goals was to get
people to learn, not just to check out an adventure.

I realize that might not be much help (and that I'm not the one that has to
listen to the complaints!) but I think you'll find different students drawn
to different parts of the book. And the bottom line is that they will only
read what they want--and probably not that much--whatever you assign. Shoot
for the moon and youll hit an eagle.

Happy New Year.

Sean


On 1/2/08 3:03 PM, "David Merchant" <merchant~at~latech.edu> wrote:

> At 01:27 PM 1/2/2008, you wrote:
>> David,
>>
>> Rick has provided the "official skipping list" of 20K chapters. I
>> don't think any Forum member can contest it.
>>
>> On the other hand, I would in a way side with Master Miller and
>> suggest that you leave the students free to skip any part or chapter
>> that they find boring, but ask them to provide their reason
>> for skipping it in two or three sentences.
>
> My only fear is that they will say every chapter is boring :-). Too
> many of my students are people who don't like reading (well, they
> think they don't like it, hard to say you don't like something if
> you've never done it before). They work very hard at fining escape
> clauses, loopholes, wiggle room. That they are experts and geniuses
> at. And if that fails, then they just skip short readings and take
> the penalty for failing a reading quiz (I'm working on increasing the
> penalties for that). Every quarter I have to add another clause to my
> ever lengthening syllabi to cover yet another loophole. Very literal,
> these engineers! I do have some that like to read, and a few that
> love to read - computer science majors, humanities majors, mainly.
> I'm afraid it is in no small part the failings of the Louisiana
> public school system. That, and the No Child Left Behind act - the
> high school teachers are too busy teaching to the tests, and little
> time for writing papers and critical reading. But that's a tirade for
> another list, not this one.
>
> TTFN,
> David
Received on Thu 03 Jan 2008 - 01:35:10 IST

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