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The Humboldt Canoe is beginning to paddle deep into sustainable environmentalism and dare not SINQ. We're finishing the basic reading (have you?), and now need to branch out for more reading. Class participations becomes ever more important as people take on ever more responsiiblity for individual learning that will be put into individual projects and also be combined with other people's work in the group projects.So here is a self-scoring guide that you can use to check where you should be (soon) on the reading, writing and class participation:
1) Reading
A+: Has finished Jaguars and Eels and even Helferich, Humboldt's Cosmos. Has read Wikipedia about AvH, and the other short texts, long ago (and maybe checks the Wikipedia article occasionally now). Follows the links on the class outline page (like the one to Dungeness Crab). Independently finds more reading. Could lead a group discussion about that reading for half an hour, with a little advance notice.
B: Has read the Wikipedia article, is nearly done with J&E, is caught up on Helferich. Occasionally applies knowledge from the course to other courses or topics encountered elsewhere
C: Read the Wikipedia article briefly, has read some of J&E and Helferich.
D: Has twice read a couple pages of J&E and Helferich.
F: Has read at most a couple pages.
Employers would have a similar rubric, but with more brutal consequences: They would fire the CDF and warn the B- sternly (and only once).
How far (or not far) can BS take you if you haven't done the reading? Example using writing assignments: #1 Portrait - a long way, and it didn't matter - we were looking for an initial writing sample; #2 Leaving Home - still quite a ways; #3 My Education - not very far; #4 Humboldt Species Description - dead meat. Group project: decomposed meat.
2) Writing assignments (participation, irrespective of grade on the assignment):
A+ Did them all immediately (allowing for thinking). Has revised several to improve grade by a letter-grade fraction (A- to A, etc.). Consulted with instructor and mentor about issues of substance, not just bureaucratics.
B: Does all within one week of assignment. Has revised one.
C: One was late. Has not revised.
D: Most were late. Has not revised.
E: Most not yet done.
3) Here's a similar rubric for class participation:
A+: Always in class/workshop, often leads, speaks in front of the group, talks outside class/ workshop, has even discussed the course with people outside the course. Is getting quite impatient with other students and perhaps even the instructor.
B: Attends most class/workshop meetings. Talks often in class (though not very often in front of everyone). Leads now and then in small groups.
C: Attends most meetings. Talks regularly in partner/small-group activities, leads - but only rarely.
D: Has missed half the meetings or more, talks very little (almost never in
front of everyone), never leads.
F: Has missed a lot of meetings, seldom talks even in small groups, has never spoken in front of the group, never leads. Avoids even obvious need to participate.
4) Something more generic:
A+: Could pursue the topic independently now, beyond class and course, and - with an hour of prep - could step in for me for half an hour - not at my level of expertise, but enough that any others who care would benefit from it. Can distinguish the difference between A, B, C, D, and F students (where the C student can't distinguish the difference between A and B, just - sort of hazily - that both are better than self).
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