himalaya
Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this board but wanted to share my experience with Lauren Barnholdt's class. I took the month long class in July 2007 and we had eight in the class. The fee was $149.
I had a very negative experience with Ms. Barnholdt’s class. Numerous people have provided Writer Beware with letters about their experiences. The most often cited problems include minimal or vague feedback on critiques, lack of participation on the message board by the instructor, and delays or failures to return assignments.
I also came to doubt Ms. Barnholdt’s expertise and knowledge of the subject matter. She introduced the novel Uglies as paranormal (it’s sci-fi) several times and her comments on critiques showed that she was uncomfortable and unknowledgeable in areas other than chick-lit., in my opinion. The short articles posted on the message board were geared to the true beginner and the instructor was unsuccessful in stimulating or encouraging a meaningful exchange about the topics presented. Sometimes students would post questions only to be ignored. It appeared that days passed without the instructor even checking in.
We were assigned two novels for the class and the only analysis we did was to state our opinions of each book. It seemed like a missed opportunity for the whole class not to have a more meaningful analysis of what worked and what didn’t. I would never recommend a class taught by Ms. Barnholdt. I think that using the money to buy several writing books and working through those would be a better use of our hard earned dollars.
Anyone who would like more information can contact me by e-mail. There is also a long thread on Verla Kay's board where former students discuss their experiences.
Laura
I'm new to this board but wanted to share my experience with Lauren Barnholdt's class. I took the month long class in July 2007 and we had eight in the class. The fee was $149.
I had a very negative experience with Ms. Barnholdt’s class. Numerous people have provided Writer Beware with letters about their experiences. The most often cited problems include minimal or vague feedback on critiques, lack of participation on the message board by the instructor, and delays or failures to return assignments.
I also came to doubt Ms. Barnholdt’s expertise and knowledge of the subject matter. She introduced the novel Uglies as paranormal (it’s sci-fi) several times and her comments on critiques showed that she was uncomfortable and unknowledgeable in areas other than chick-lit., in my opinion. The short articles posted on the message board were geared to the true beginner and the instructor was unsuccessful in stimulating or encouraging a meaningful exchange about the topics presented. Sometimes students would post questions only to be ignored. It appeared that days passed without the instructor even checking in.
We were assigned two novels for the class and the only analysis we did was to state our opinions of each book. It seemed like a missed opportunity for the whole class not to have a more meaningful analysis of what worked and what didn’t. I would never recommend a class taught by Ms. Barnholdt. I think that using the money to buy several writing books and working through those would be a better use of our hard earned dollars.
Anyone who would like more information can contact me by e-mail. There is also a long thread on Verla Kay's board where former students discuss their experiences.
Laura