I HAVE 52 first year final exam papers that beg to be corrected before Monday so their results can be registered into an electronic system and my mind can enjoy the holiday season. However, I need to get into a Christmas giving mood before I make a second pass through those papers since many students need a boost in my Media Writing module. I don't like passing third level students in my writing class unless they have the potential to write for hire. That's a real standard, based on my underlying belief that all students should have commercial skills that enable them to pay for my pension. If they cannot write a script, provide written treatment for a shoot or analyse a topic through effective critical writing, then I've failed if they fail. I'm wrapped up in a little frustration because academic failures have a cause and it's often easy to pin blame at the facilitator (i.e., the lecturer who set the exercises and delivered the education). So part of my pre-Christmas challenge is to give myself the gift of a tactic that might help the next cohort of students get through this module without the pain of failure. That next group is special because they're unemployed members of the Dell Redundant Workers' Association. Time to get cracking and rediscover the giving spirit.
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