Elmhurst College student Kyle Jones riffs on the fact I have office hours at Corner Bakery in downtown Chicago on Mondays and how students might find a special place to do their required reading, including the library.
http://www.thecorkboard.org/blog/?p=40
I would love for my students to try different reading environments and explore the atmospheres. Take your daunting novel to a Caribou Coffee (where I am currently at, writing this post), grab a cup of joe, and find your own little corner. Or, develop a spot in the local public library you can call your own (I call dibs on the children’s reading room of my library). The point is that as a student you are finding ways to release the pressure of forced reading assignments.
Now for students to reflect on what they’ve read, the same philosophy should apply. Surely, a student should have some guidelines for what he or she is supposed to focus on, but the format in which the response is given should generally open ended. If a student enjoys typing away on a computer, let him or her blog the response or create a Word document. Or, if some students prefer handwriting, let them pour out their responses on a notebook of their choosing (whatever size or shape, as long as the quality of response is there).
Kyle is also working on a conference proposal, and is asking for feedback: