Below are unedited responses from my current students (2010-2011) to two questions about the course:

1. What has been the best thing about this course? Describe what you have enjoyed, benefitted from, or improved on through it.

2. If a friend was considering this course and asked your opinion on whether he/she should take it, what would you advise him/her, and why?

Kealani Jensen

1. Learning how to write well is definitely the best result of this course. My composition has improved significantly throughout the year and I don’t think I would have such a drastic change without this class. I can write better timed-essays; the periodic timed-essays were very beneficial. I also enjoyed the various types of reading material, since they covered as broad of topics as satire to stream of consciousness. Overall, I’ve learned to enjoy English more and to write with clarity and conciseness.

2. I would completely recommend this course. I believe it has really prepared me for the AP Exam and I know what to expect on Exam day. Writing essays scared me a bit at first, but now I feel very confident with my writing assignments. The course is outlined very thoroughly which I couldn’t love more; assignments are very clear and I know exactly what I have to do. Really pleased with this course.

David Moy

1. What makes this course so effective is your enthusiasm for English and for teaching --I can really sense its penetration in all aspects. I feel that you have done your best in preparing the syllabus and material. Your dynamic vivacity has also spread to me: at the beginning of the year, I placed enthusiasm for English at around 6-7 out of 10; now, it's 10.

2. I would definitely recommend this course for just about anyone. They only have to sacrifice one thing: their sleep. They should be willing to stay up until at least 1 to 2 AM on weekdays and Saturday to complete homework before the deadlines.  No, just kidding (the homework is just the right amount).

Michaela Campbell

1. Mrs. Walker has truly helped to nurture my love of literature and the English language. She gives very thorough and constructive feedback on my projects. I really appreciate her system of requiring her students to turn in rough drafts and peer reviews before the final drafts are due. This has really helped me to adapt to the necessary preparation techniques for a college assignment. Mrs. Walker also posts a number of videos to explain certain projects or works of literature to us, which really helps me to understand the projects better and definitely shows how committed she is to the course and to her students.

2. AP English Language and Composition with Mrs. Walker is an excellent course with an outstanding teacher. She is very prompt in grading papers and assignments and gives her students very useful feedback. Mrs. Walker always takes time to answer our questions and to help us understand the material. The course challenges us in a way that really helps us to grow in our understanding of the use of language through argument and rhetoric.

Andrew Rush

1. The best part of the course, in my opinion, is that for most assignments, a lot of liberty is given on what to write about.

2. I would tell the friend that they should take it if they are wanting to the AP test or if they need practice in a variety of types of writing.

Stephen Mussman

1. The best thing about this course is the wide range of things studied. We study everything from political speeches to modernist novels. We write essays, take quizzes, and comment on others posts. This class offers a wide range of activities and readings and a good mix of them.

2. I would advise taking this class both for the purpose of taking the AP as well as learning more about language, thinking, and communication. This class offers a good mix of a wide range of subjects. But, more practically, this class will teach you to write short essays and responses with ease. Through practice and critique, you can be prepared to write quick, coherent essays on the AP test.

Hailey Eby

1. I enjoyed a majority of the coursework. I loved reading Beowulf possibly the most, and writing the narrative was very exciting! I think you give the students great critiques and things to work on. I actually have been comparing my essays before I took this class and afterward, and they have improved a lot, especially with argumentative writing. That portion of the class was definitely the hardest!

2. I would advise him/her to take the class because it will benefit them greatly later on. Colleges and tests usually ask for essay responses, and taking this class will help them, even if they do not plan on getting a degree in writing.

Sarah Kreuz

1. What I have liked about this course is how it incorporates a classroom feeling into an online course.

2. I would advise anyone to take this course. It has helped me to greatly improve my writing, and is an excellent resource for college preparation.

Katrin Richter

I have very much enjoyed taking this course with Mrs. Walker. I think it is a good challenge and that I have grown a lot through it, especially in my writing. Mrs. Walker's instruction is excellent- her comments on my essays have been very intuitive and helpful. She is always accessible and prompt. The literature selections have been worthwhile and offer a good variety. Perhaps the pace could be more rigorous, but I don't find that to be a large concern.

Kristin Hall

1. Throughout the course, I have worked on developing my writer's voice. I have learned to write more concisely, and have worked on developing my ideas more logically. Each week, I looked forward to answering the discussion board questions. Answering the questions reinforced my comprehension of the texts that we read for homework throughout the course. I benefited from answering the challenging questions, and by answering these posts, I was able to think critically about, form my own opinions about, and analyze the materials I read. I also immensely enjoyed and benefited from the narrative and description unit. I benefited from learning the different rhetorical terms, and found the final narrative assignment very enjoyable. I also thought that the major assignments completed at the end of each trimester were beneficial, and served as a good reinforcement and "refresher" of the unit. I liked applying all I had learned throughout the trimester into one final project.

2. If a friend were considering taking this course and asked for my input about the class, I would tell them that they should be prepared to be challenged. I would advise them to read actively and make notes while they read, so they could be prepared for the in-depth discussion board questions and essays. I would recommend this course to a friend.

David Bastian

1. I really don't enjoy English, but I liked this course because I have learned how to write better than I did before, and can write papers in much less time.

2. I would tell them to take it, because the course greatly improves ones writing skills.

Davis Streit

1. My favorite part about this course is not having to log on at a certain time. You can do the assignments early if you need to or miss a few days in the week and still get the assignments done later. I also enjoy posting on the discussion board and discussing with other people. I have really benefited from the writing in this course and have become much better writing essays.

2. If he or she was looking for a very beneficial and challenging English course, then it would be a very good course. Also this course is very flexible. If you work ahead you can take off a week or whatever you need as long as you meet the weekly deadlines. For an online course that does not have scheduled classes, there is much involvement and communication with other students.