From: Angelo Bonadonna <bonadonna@sxu.edu>
To: "Dawn
Hogue" <dehogue@sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us>
Date:
Subject: Re: [Webpals]
cyberjournals
I wish I could
convey what a wonderful thing you've done in this letter...thanks, Dawn‑‑thanks
much! I wanted to respond immediately, but
I got sidetracked on a project in a big way this weekend‑‑and I didn't
want to dash off a quick thank you (I should have) without first at least
glancing at the kids' cyberjournals. I have done that now, and I so applaud all
the messages you've sent my students.
You deserve a stipend for teaching my students‑‑helping them
learn what they need to learn‑‑with such balance, humaneness, and professionalism.
I think things
are off to such a good start (but let's not let up on identifying the slackers
on both ends :) ).
One nice
outcome for me, personally, is the way I get to learn new things about my own
students from seeing views of them through the minds of your students. I've got a kid in my class who's into white‑water
rafting and sky‑diving??
Yikes. But, Dawn, there's much to
be appreciated here, much learning yet to be had.... Let's have at it!
Let me take
your guidance on the listserv thing....
We have a couple options: 1. add
all my students to webpals@english.sxu.edu (they're not on it now, but I did
forward your message to them to their class listserv, tw@english.sxu.edu); or
2. add you to tw@english.sxu.edu.
Some
context: Up till now, I've had trouble getting
students to talk to one another on tw@english.sxu.edu, so the list has
functioned mainly as an announcement distribution thing for me. This weekend‑‑may I tell you?‑‑and
even before they got your letter, a few students started discussing teaching of
writing issues; it was most exciting,
and now I think this conversation might take off. Asking them to participate in another list as
in option 1 above might confuse them. On
the other hand, asking you to join TW might dump some unwanted extra mail in
your box. Of course, I would tell them if
you joined TW, so they would know the audience of things, and I don't think
that would alter the dynamics of things negatively in the least; from strictly
my perspective, I would urge you to consider joining TW. Till I got your message on Friday, I was a
little wary of over‑burdening you with extra participation. But you're such a full partner in this, and
I've got to imagine that you, being the savvy list person you are, have all the
necessary strategies for managing the load.
In any case‑‑it's
your call: whatever you think is best.
Thanks again,
Dawn; we’re past the start‑up, and the students are letting the thing
develop. May the process continue, with
all necessary adjustments made just at the right time....
‑‑With
Gratitude, Angelo