Quote Notes: Empowering Students through Choice and Reflection

Abstract

abstract:This article examines a Quote Notes assignment intended to maximize student engagement, critical reflection, and class preparation. In the assignment, students choose an assigned number of quotes from readings and prepare a short reflection on each quote. In this article the author details the process of developing and implementing this assignment, considers student feedback, and analyzes the pedagogical and cognitive benefits of this assignment. Ultimately, empowering students to make choices about which quotes they include, the content and style of their reflection, and how they use this assignment in the classroom helps students develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills and aids them in making connections between class content in and out of the classroom.