At the beginning of a college class, it's important for students to get to know each other. One way to do this is by writing an introduction. This assignment provides an opportunity to create an audio introduction and publish it (on a web page, in a class Zine, or in Blackboard). The inspiration for this assignment are the short audio essays on NPR ("This I Believe") and the ones on KJZZ ("I am your child's teacher"). However, this introduction should begin with the following statement:
My name is --------------, and I'm a college student.
How you complete this statement is up to you. The best way to begin writing this introduction is to think of what you would write in the sentence immediately following. Try a half-dozen options. Choose one or two to explore more fully before selecting one.
Resources
Listen to several of the short audio essays on NPR and KJZZ. They're fun and interesting.
Complete the class survey.
Read the top reasons students nationwide gave for going to college in 2005-2006 (or look at previous years)
Read "Know Thy Students" by Rob Jenkins in the September 30, 2005 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education (available in GCC's library | Articles & Databases | Education | Chronicle of Higher Education)
Format
This essay should be an extended paragraph, about 8-10 sentences or 200-300 words. Expect to revise several times. Record your introduction using one of the audio options and then publish it (on a web page, in a class Zine, or in Blackboard) as explained by your instructor.
