Dr. Chanchal Chaudhary

For the first time this semester, I ordered notebooks for my students. Instead of submitting typed papers online, they’ll be journaling regularly, by hand, to analyze what they’re reading. In the age of AI, many of us have gone back to old-school blue book exams. But I’ve also found it exciting to try something different. I told students that these journals are not optional: they need to keep them with them, and I’ll collect them regularly to give feedback on their writing and thinking. I also emphasized that I’m not looking for perfectly polished pieces of writing, but for ideas in motion, questions, and close engagement with the texts. We’ll see how it goes, but so far, I’m hopeful.