Week 1

We begin our journey with a series of activities that will help us relax, get to know each other better, and increase our level excitement for the semester to come.     The plan for the first week is to work on a forum theater  piece around the most accessible topic to us all, our own learning.  We will work in groups to do this and perform the pieces the second week of the term.  Putting together the forum skits should allow us to know each other much better and have a sense of the upcoming semester.  I will give you instructions on how to do this during class.

Before the first session is over, we will take time to complete a 30-minute writing sample.  Please have paper and pen to write.

These are the readings for the first week. Take notes in your journals (2-3 pages) and use the information you learn to create your forum theater piece with your group.  

• What is forum theater?
• Who Am I?
• Dr. Padron's Email to Faculty
• The Push to Declare a Major

Besides these links, please read "First Thoughts" (8-10) in Writing Down the Bones.  In your journal, take a page or two and write about "Breathing in God" (10).

*Scenarios for Forum Theater:

• Student drops out after first three weeks because he does not see point of school
• Student stays in school because of social pressure from family and friends
• Student registers for this class not realizing what it involves
• Student works and struggles to get involved with school activities and integrate college with personal life
• Student gets low grades on writing assignments and feels anxiety about getting help
• Student has never interacted with a "mentally disabled" adult (for students working with CHC)