Narrative Assessment

In last night’s CT class, I had the students write out the L5 narrative competence assessment. A few items are bobbling around in my head from that exercise that I wanted to share:

The materials, especially Tarnas, are not always pleasant for some students to read. (God forbid they have a dictionary at hand when reading!) However, they usually come around after the first section or two. I specifically wanted to share this line from the narrative assessment: “. . .I really liked the Tarnas book. I like things that talk to me as if I am smart. I think too many classes dumb down the material and I appreciated that it was college level.”

Another, quiet student wrote: “I learned that the way I think is the way that many people have thought before. I am reinforced and inspired to be my own seeker. It surprised me how advanced the thinkers of the past were.”

Yet another:
“My initial expectations of this class was basically that of an intro to logic. My initial expectation was thwarted when on the first night of class we were asked, “ What do you know and how do you know it? . . .that provoked me to open my mind.”

Finally, “It will remain active, as the basis for a liberal arts education is to better understand the world. Without exercising this competence, one cannot succeed in the liberal arts.”

Did I mention that I love teaching?

:)

Wow---

I imagine this is what it felt like when JFK was President.

These are a few words that come to mind....

Pride.
Possibility.
Articulate.
Aspiration.
Historic.


If Obama can do this, I believe anything is possible.

Yes, we can do anything we put our minds and actions to

"– tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope."

B. Obama, victory speech, November 4, 2008