Friday, October 10, 2014

Learning Community

This fall, I'm teaching a CRS 205 Introduction to Creative Studies in a new environment - a Learning Community.  The students are kept together for all classes through the first semester and are also given field trips - like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - and extra assignments like service learning. They meet for regular classes, but also for an hour once a week with all their teachers together called Integrated Hour.  I like the process.  It builds their relationships with each other which is often a problem during the first year - trying to make friends who can be with you for more than one class.

This group is also made of pretty dedicated and interested students.  On October 18th 13 of them will go with me to the Service Day event in honor of the inauguration of the new Buffalo State President Katherine Conway-Turner.  I'm not sure what we will be doing - helping the Red Cross prepare materials for blood drives or cleaning a park, but I'm looking forward to it.  They will get no credit for this activity - I told them it would just be a deposit in the Bank of Good Karma - and they jumped on.  One girl is bringing her mother.  Should be fun which is how I think education should be.