In our Milestone Projects there are two steps which are completely written assignments, the pre-production explanation (Milestone 1) and the reflection (the final Milestone). These both call for an essay of 2 - 3 pages. What I usually receive from my students is a mixed-bag of a few excellent explanations and a slew of partial or jumbled thoughts that last a few paragraphs and then stop. Some are so full of grammatical errors that I'm, at times, unable to decipher what they are actually trying to communicate.
Now, I realize that for some of my students English is not a first language. In those cases I understand that while they can get their thoughts across conversationally, it can be a whole other challenge to put their thoughts into writing. However, for many of my students it can be pretty appalling how insufficient their language skills are.
So, when I assign the first Milestone this Mod, I've decided to take some time in class to put the seven points I just learned in this course on my board and we can all discuss the process of putting one's thoughts into writing.
Thanks, I'm glad I was exposed to this outline!
