Presentation Option: “selection reader”: Choose a brief passage from the assigned readings and interpret it in light of the course objectives, though other interpretations are also welcome.  Call me or my voice mail (281 283 3380) or email me (whitec@uhcl.edu) by 1pm the day of the class meeting to inform me which pages and points you will feature (so that I can avoid overlapping and otherwise arrange the class agenda in response to your content).

Procedures for student selection reading:

1. Call or email the instructor by 1pm on the day of the class meeting to tell what pages of the text will be read, what objective is under consideration, and what question you will ask.  Messages can be left on my voice-mail (281 283-3380) or email whitec@uhcl.edu.

2. Limit five to ten minutes, except for continuing discussion.

3. Your presentation should prominently feature an overall point relating to a course objective (or to another point the course has developed).  Announce this point (or objective) in your introductory remarks and reinforce it in your closing remarks.

4. After or before introducing your presentation, announce the page(s) to which the class should turn and locate the passage.  You may read 2-3 short passages instead of one long passage.

5. After reading the passage, emphasize the aspects relating to your objective or point and offer any further relevant remarks.

6. To conclude your formal presentation and initiate the class discussion, ask a question regarding the passage and point.

7. Recorder takes notes of discussion.

8. Email instructor summary of presentation & discussion. For posting to the webpage, the presenter emails to the instructor a 2-3 paragraph summary of the presentation plus 2-3 paragraphs reviewing the highlights of the discussion, prepared with the help of the recorder. The presenter is welcome to consult with the recorder and with other discussion participants as much as is helpful in preparing the summary.

Main mistake or misconception to avoid: This may be your big moment leading the class, but you must avoid the temptation to use it as a do-or-die opportunity to deliver a lecture or demonstrate your mastery of the course’s subject matter. Your purpose is above all to start and lead a discussion. As a veteran teacher, I can swear that you never finish saying all you could say, and no one ever wishes that you could!

Having instructed this course several times, I’ve consistently found that in the best presentations the presenter speaks well but briefly, rarely more than 2-3 minutes at a time, and interspersing insights into the comments before and after the reading and into the discussion.

Recorder: An assigned student will take notes of the discussion, writing down as much as possible of what students say and connecting it, if possible, to names. (Instructor will help with names.) The note taker will share these with the reader and consult as far as desirable in helping with the email / webpage summary (see below). The reader and note taker may share and consult in person, by phone, or by email.

Email / webpage summary: Within 48 hours after class, the presenter should submit a prose summary of the presentation and discussion (including respondent's contribution) to the instructor via email. Identify respondent by name, and other attributions of comments are welcome. This submission will subsequently be posted to the course webpage.