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California State University, Dominguez Hills
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Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: October 16, 2003
Latest Update: October 16, 2003
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

I Can Do This!

Site Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors, October 2003.
"Fair use" encouraged.

On Thursday, October 16, 2003, a student wrote:

Subject: This is not my 1st submission...but i'm going to do it anyways

Hya Jeanne, Sorry I could not make it to Knowingness class today, but I had a dermatology appointment. Anyhow, I decided to do the assignment you put up as a first submission for either your new students or your field mice. I've submitted stuff to you before, (so technically I'm not a first-timer, or a field mouse either) but I still wanted to do this assignment. So you asked us to explain the differences we see in the grading for this course, and well here it goes. Off the bat I noticed that unlike the rest of the University Realm you do not give exams. Now at first I was quite confused. I wasn't sure if I should have jumped with joy, or tried to figure out and see if you had something up your sleeve. It felt as if you were Bob Barker and I was one of those people tumbling down the ramp at The Price is Right. (We'll let Pat be Rod Rooney) What exactly did you have behind the doors? I did not want to guess and tell you what I thought the price of the item was and hope I was right so that I can go on stage and keep gambling for more prizes --- or in this case gamble for grades --- I needed answers--- I wanted you to tell me the "price" just like the rest of the professors do--- they tell you "here are the guidelines follow them, read the text, TAKE THE TESTS, do the assignments and you will be safe."

Funny though because You did in fact give us answers; you explained why you did not give tests and you did not just give them verbally or once for that matter, but you let us access your reasons in writing too (on your site you gave the same explanations) I went to the site like everyday and read them to ensure I understood them and there were no loopholes. I obviously for some reason was not satisfied and wanted more reasons, more answers, Apparently I had not reached consensus even though you offered support and gave us explanations. You answered us and I still just could not quite live well. Why was I experiencing monologic non-answerability? I was obviously constructing all this myself. Because you were most definitely answering all of our utterances, even those we never said but were able to read off our faces.

Eventually I took the training wheels off my bike, and am now able to ride all on my own; with you pedaling ahead as my tour/educational guide. I know what is expected in the course, I understand the reasoning for not having exams and it all makes sense. I'm learning in a way that I had never really even thought was possible , I really enjoy the course and the connections we have in class with our class mates are superb.

On Thursday, October 16, 2003, jeanne responded:

That's a great imaage you end with. I've gotta paint it. You've written a wonderful description of what it feels like to have a whole system (in this case, an entire class) switch some underlying assumptions like those of answerability. This fits beautifully into our explications of how answerability does not just happen. We have to learn to use the gift we all have. I gotta go find a bike so I can lead you all off on some wonderful ventures.

p.s. A name would be nice. You left that off. jeanne