Dear Mr. Luizzi,

If I could think of one word to describe this class, it would be, progressive. This is because the class always seems to be moving forward, even if the students aren't ready. The information that is learned in the past, is always brought back and compared with what is going on in the present. After each book that we read, there was another book that was to come, but each one had its own meaning a significance. Even with the digital portfolios, each thing that we did became more involved and we learned something new.

When I came in September, I really didn't know what to expect to learn, but know that I am here I don't think that I could have asked for much more than what I have. I was exposed to a lot of new things and I was taught just how to go about doing them myself. This website was a very good example of the new things I am talking about. Each thing that was did had something to do with the next and didn't just linger there forever. This is one thing that I hate when teachers do, or when just leave something there without finishing so you think that you did all of that work for nothing. There has always been something new to learn about.

The one huge way that this year's class fell short of my expectations is that there never seemed to be enough time to finish any of our projects. We kept going from one thing to another without a break. For example, the vocabulary always seemed to sneak up on us the day before and we would have to rush to get it finished. Another example is these web sites because even though we had almost the whole year to work on them, we only have a total of probably two or three weeks of class time to work on them. There was always something else going on in the class the prevented us from having time and it was always being pushed to the last point. Also, the people who don't have the luxery of working on them at home are at a disadvantage to the rest in that they have to find time to go to the school and work on them. This should be taken into consideration during the next year's project for there is much less convience invloved. Other than those things, the year was a basic English year with a lot to learn and a lot of work to do.

When I look back on this class I will remember the web pages the most, because we are doing this project as high school students, this is a project that most adults can't do. This is a thrill for us to have this experience at such a young age. My first web site will be in my mind forever and I will definitly be talking about it in the future.

The advice that I have for you is to make sure that you consult with your students and conpromise on how much time they really need on such big projects. Also, you can maybe try to be more consistant about the vocabulary and what exactly it is that is expected without all of the busy work. I don't know if you can include this, but I would have also liked to have a poetry unit involved in our learning this year. Most of the other things as I see it are being done pretty well.

The advice that I would give to the freshmen for next year is simple. I would say to stay on top of their work and try as hard as they can not to procrastonate when it comes to the big assignments. They class can be very easy as long as you stay dedicated and keep your head in the game, so to speak.

As I leave here, my final thoughts are that this was one of my greatest English experiences that I have had. This year made me understand what this subject is all about and how much I can actually like to be a part of it. Back to Homepage