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Overall I think that this class is working very well.  I was a little skeptical the first day of class when I walked into a class of 40.  I was confused as to how conversations would happen with so many people.  I think that the small discussion groups solve that problem.  It gives a chance to hear more perspectives, because not only is it impossible for everyone to talk in the larger group, but there are also people who are just more comfortable talking in a small class setting.  That being said, the one problem I'm finding with the smaller groups is that I want to know what's going on in the other section.  While you can pick up on the major themes that are being discussed from Serendip, and for Anne's summaries during class, I feel like I'm still missing out because I'm not hearing the details of the discussion.  I'm not sure exactly how important this is in the whole scheme of the class, but I still feel like I'm missing out on a small piece.  

I've had to write blogs for other classes, and in the past it's always been something I didn't like to do, because I felt that there was going to be a right or wrong answer, and I didn't really want to put my thoughts out there.  Serendip has really changed that for me, because this method seems more relaxed to me.  It's more of a conversation, that I can go back and clarify an idea or ask a question.  For me the one drawback is not having enough time to go through all of the posts.  I tell myself every week that I'm going to go and read what other people have posted, but thus far I've mainly gotten to know what's been posted through Anne's trolling.

For me, so far the biggest thing I've learned is this new perspective on evolution, and on science in general.  Before this class I had a very concrete, scientific view of evolution.  Evolution meant biological evolution, and when people referred to other things evolving I decided that they were just using the word incorrectly, and they really just meant change, but that evolution wasn't just any change.  So far I've come away with the fact that there doesn't have to be just one definition.  While I still define biological evolution in the same way, I've come to understand that there are other types of evolution, that really do follow the "pattern" of evolution.  I'm excited now to move on to the second half of the class to really see how evolution can be though of in even more ways.