Being a student again for an intense two weeks was a very transformative experience. Some conclusions about teaching and learning from this experience:
- research is hard; writing is harder
- community and collegiality are important in this process. The fact that there were 30 other students going through this same process, and 4 people in the exact same class, meant that I could always find a sympathetic ear. I also got ideas for sources from other students.
- the structure of the student experience is very important. I could see how the professor wanted us to develop our understanding of the literature around different topics. I was also able to see how the questions he created shaped my point of view on the issues.
- questions are key. Good questions help students think; bad ones stymie the process.
- organization of notes and reading materials are incredibly important.
- libraries are still really useful in the digital age, even if only as funnels for access to specific digital sources.