Planning my summer writing course

I thought I posted this but obviously lost it. So just like webct, I should write this in Word first then paste it in.
It’s time to forget about my aching ankle and think about my writing course for this summer. Since it is a virtual experience, it takes more planning than a class in real time. In addition, the technical people in Continuing Education have given me a few deadlines. I understand their haste since they have many of these to get up and running but I also believe that course planning takes times no matter how many times one has taught the course.
In addition, I have been stalling because Anita and I finished our new writing book, Write More! Learn More! Writing across the Curriculum a few months ago and just got the proofs to check. Also the artist who has been so gracious to design all of our covers for our textbooks just agreed to let us use one of her pieces that I thought highlighted our theme. I do love having such a talented, generous friend. The covers the company usually selects are usually so dull in contrast.
Our last book, Guiding Reading and Writing in the Content Areas also has one of her covers. And the students keep telling me even years after their course “I keep the lighthouse book on my desk and use it for planning.” Now the “lighthouse book” won’t resonate with those who haven’t used it and some may wonder what the lighthouse book is, but to those in the know it is the symbol that tells all—lighting the way for kids to comprehend and write.
So back to planning my syllabus. I have a new book to plug in and some professional journals to make decisions about. Why journal articles, too? It seems to me that if we are to be professional, we need to keep up on what is happening in our field. And summertime gives us that time to study, reflect and decide how we will use what we are learning. I am reading A Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a whooping 700 pages, but worth every word. Lincoln and his presidential rivals: Seward, Chase and Bates were brilliant but never stopped learning. Their evenings were filled with conversations and reading. None of them felt they could realize their presidential aspirations without learning more philosophy, political science and even geometry. I sometimes think how much TV and the pressures of today leave so little time for thought and reflection.
So tomorrow, I will make the selections among the articles. Unfortunately, this won’t be easy; my stack of probables is high. What will interest my students? I wish I knew who they would be? It always seems ridiculous to plan a course not knowing who the participants are. Yet, especially in this virtual, push-button, hit-keys age that appears a luxury. Enough for tonight and my ankle is still talking to me.
Literacy Lady