Evaluation

 I find our class discussions very enjoyable! During the Tuesday class, we go over what we had posted on Serendip and I always take pleasure in sharing clips of my postings with the class. I get a chance to elaborate and express my thoughts in greater details, expanding on my originals thoughts from the online posting. In this aspect, I feel that I have contributed to the learning of others. When In our small groups, Professor Grobstein proposed ideas that seem ridiculous at first. I try to make sense of it with the class. After a full class discussion, the idea and concept are not ridiculous as I had thought! The small class discussions are useful for coming into a collective conclusion/speculation for a topic (such as randomness and algorithms). In these class discussions, my opinions typically branches from another students but extends it farther but trying to apply the concept to another example or principle.

   In both the weekly postings and webpapers, I make an effort to not only express my opinions on the topic but also to pull up examples from outside sources to support my ideas. When I write, I tend think of it as my journal in which I properly document the thoughts running through my head after the class discussions. For instance, if someone in class made a point that I agree with wholeheartedly, I would discuss this idea in my journal and expand on it. If a class discussion reminds me of a topic discussed in another class, I would also explore this in my online journal. Ultimately, these weekly postings serve as my personal journal that allow others to tap in and express their thoughts.