Comments on: Master Your Seminary’s Required Reading in Half the Time (or Less) http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/ practical wisdom to help seminary students avoid burnout and finish well Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:08:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Mike http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-556 Mike Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:56:35 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-556 My only question is this, why is the reading requirement so significantly high if the prov knows that the students are not going to read every word? It seems that the reading requirements are out of touch with reality. The less for more principle would seem to apply to the topic. However, since the requirement is 1 to 2 thousand pages a class and it doesn’t change, then anyone going to seminary better read this article! My only question is this, why is the reading requirement so significantly high if the prov knows that the students are not going to read every word? It seems that the reading requirements are out of touch with reality. The less for more principle would seem to apply to the topic. However, since the requirement is 1 to 2 thousand pages a class and it doesn’t change, then anyone going to seminary better read this article!

]]> By: 32 Tips on Surviving Your First Year in Seminary « Road to Priesthood http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-499 32 Tips on Surviving Your First Year in Seminary « Road to Priesthood Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:03:37 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-499 [...] 26. Master your required reading list in half the time or less. [...] [...] 26. Master your required reading list in half the time or less. [...]

]]> By: Maybe the Most Practically Helpful Site I’ve Ever Seen « Your Cross on My Back http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-473 Maybe the Most Practically Helpful Site I’ve Ever Seen « Your Cross on My Back Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:31:10 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-473 [...] Master Your Required Reading in Half the Time [...] [...] Master Your Required Reading in Half the Time [...]

]]> By: Britt Treece http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-470 Britt Treece Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:15:13 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-470 Great, great, great post and website. I'm gearing up for my last three classes of seminary, but wish I had thought more about the kind of content your website has a long, long time ago. Hopefully, I'll write a similar post on what I've learned in seminary, and seminary reading. Thanks again, Britt crossonmyback Great, great, great post and website. I’m gearing up for my last three classes of seminary, but wish I had thought more about the kind of content your website has a long, long time ago. Hopefully, I’ll write a similar post on what I’ve learned in seminary, and seminary reading.

Thanks again,

Britt
crossonmyback

]]> By: Five Points of Interest (02-09-08) | Cal.vini.st http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-267 Five Points of Interest (02-09-08) | Cal.vini.st Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:35:45 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-267 [...] Master Your Seminary’s Required Reading in Half the Time (or Less) [...] [...] Master Your Seminary’s Required Reading in Half the Time (or Less) [...]

]]> By: Chris Gensheer http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-265 Chris Gensheer Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:38:09 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-265 Great thoughts and comments here. As a seminary student, I have had to learn how to moderately speed read. I think that you can actually read 100% of a book, without it taking 2 painstaking weeks of "soaking" in every word. Some books lend themselves to this more than others, of course. Those links above are actually pretty helpful for this. I have been exposed to some other, but similar thoughts. And yes, I think it is a pedagogical error to equate percentage read with learning. The best assignments I have had are when the professor (who does make us sign off on percentages, unfortunately) gives us "Take Home" "True or False" quizes on the readings. This makes sure that we have read in order to understand what the author was communicating, not just what we took away from it. I have found this to be much more beneficial then the "percentage read" or "reflection paper" approach. Great thoughts and comments here. As a seminary student, I have had to learn how to moderately speed read. I think that you can actually read 100% of a book, without it taking 2 painstaking weeks of “soaking” in every word. Some books lend themselves to this more than others, of course. Those links above are actually pretty helpful for this. I have been exposed to some other, but similar thoughts.

And yes, I think it is a pedagogical error to equate percentage read with learning. The best assignments I have had are when the professor (who does make us sign off on percentages, unfortunately) gives us “Take Home” “True or False” quizes on the readings. This makes sure that we have read in order to understand what the author was communicating, not just what we took away from it. I have found this to be much more beneficial then the “percentage read” or “reflection paper” approach.

]]> By: Mark http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-260 Mark Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:31:45 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-260 Excellent point. I don't deny that there are things lost when you read less than every page of the book. I would hope that lectures and intelligent discussion with peers might provide some direction to the uninitiated. There is of course a continuum from reading the entire book on one hand, to lightly skimming it on the other. A student can place himself anywhere on that continuum he thinks is appropriate to his understanding of the material and the demands on his time. Please remember, everyone, that my suggestions about reading are not about the best ways to learn, but about how to manage time. The goal is to reclaim precious time for the most important things with minimal loss of value. If you have a time surplus, these suggestions need not apply. Excellent point. I don’t deny that there are things lost when you read less than every page of the book. I would hope that lectures and intelligent discussion with peers might provide some direction to the uninitiated.

There is of course a continuum from reading the entire book on one hand, to lightly skimming it on the other. A student can place himself anywhere on that continuum he thinks is appropriate to his understanding of the material and the demands on his time.

Please remember, everyone, that my suggestions about reading are not about the best ways to learn, but about how to manage time. The goal is to reclaim precious time for the most important things with minimal loss of value. If you have a time surplus, these suggestions need not apply.

]]> By: Peter Beck http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-259 Peter Beck Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:32:35 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-259 As a prof, let me add one equation to the discussion (which by the way, I also teach a similar method of "gutting a book"): does the average student know enough about the topic in question to make an adequate determination as to what is worth reading in a book? Are we running the risk of actually short circuiting the learning process by encouraging the unitiated to determine what is of most value when they have no mental canon by which they might measure the new material? The shortest distance between points A and Z often means that everything in between also gets shorted. This is the classical catch-22 writ large. As a prof, let me add one equation to the discussion (which by the way, I also teach a similar method of “gutting a book”): does the average student know enough about the topic in question to make an adequate determination as to what is worth reading in a book? Are we running the risk of actually short circuiting the learning process by encouraging the unitiated to determine what is of most value when they have no mental canon by which they might measure the new material?

The shortest distance between points A and Z often means that everything in between also gets shorted. This is the classical catch-22 writ large.

]]> By: Mark http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Mark Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:59:55 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-224 This is curious to me. The way I was always asked to account for my required readings was in papers and on tests... not by answering one blanket question at the end of the semester. I'm not a seminary prof, obviously, but this doesn't seem to me like the strongest approach educationally. This is curious to me. The way I was always asked to account for my required readings was in papers and on tests… not by answering one blanket question at the end of the semester.

I’m not a seminary prof, obviously, but this doesn’t seem to me like the strongest approach educationally.

]]> By: Mike http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/08/11/master-your-seminarys-required-reading-in-half-the-time-or-less/comment-page-1/#comment-223 Mike Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:05:49 +0000 http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/?p=233#comment-223 Helpful advice. But, like Ryan, I'm usually asked on the final exam to indicate a percentage of completed reading. Some profs even specify "carefully" read. However, certainly useful for books we aren't expected to read 100%. Keep up the good work on this blog! Helpful advice. But, like Ryan, I’m usually asked on the final exam to indicate a percentage of completed reading. Some profs even specify “carefully” read. However, certainly useful for books we aren’t expected to read 100%.

Keep up the good work on this blog!

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