Weblog Journal # 1

After the first week of the course I'm very excited about the direction that it's headed. It's refreshing to come to a class that takes a different approach to learning than traditional courses. Rather than coming to class, listening to a lecture, taking notes, reading a textbook, and then coming back to be quizzed/tested on the material, we get to learn through others' experiences. For example, when discussing the second reading response in our small groups, I learned that everyone takes a different perspective on the topic/issue at hand. In turn, it leads me to think about the material differently and provides me with insight to what others are thinking.

While the courses approach to learning is refreshing, it is also challenging. For many of us, this is the first time we have taken a class of this nature. It forces people out of their comfort zones and allows them to share their opinions: whatever they may be. Furthermore, it challenges us to be accepting of others' ideas without reacting with a negative demeanor. We have to learn to respect others' thoughts and be aware that each of us comes from different backgrounds that may (or may not) influence our opinions. Additionally, video conferencing is another aspect of the course that is new to many of us. It's difficult enough to voice an opinion in front of our class, let alone to a class of students we have never met (Ohio State). However, as the course continues, I believe we will all become comfortable in this new experimental environment.

Some of the difficulties with a course designed in this manner pertain to organization and timeliness. It's easy to get off track or to forget to post to personal blogs. This class is very 'open-ended' in the fact that we are paving our own road. The direction of the course will flow in whatever direction we take it. That means it's important for us to understand that the course may not always stick to exactly what the syllabus says (which is what we are accustomed to), and that it may deviate to topics we have not considered before.

With that being said, I look forward to understanding opinions, respecting opinions, voicing opinions, and challenging others' opinions. By the time the semester comes to a close I hope to 1.) learn all about Jerusalem's society, culture, and history 2.) actively participate in-class as well as in our groups and 3.) learn to challenge ideas in a respectful, yet constructive, manner.